Tag Archives: Pelle

Goodwood Revival #3 – Volvo P1800S

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The Volvo P1800 designed by Pelle Peterson, is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary along with the E-Type Jaguar this year, surprisingly in the UK the Volvo was the more expensive of the two models.

Volvo P1800S, Goodwood Revival

Like the E-Type the P1800 was launched at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, with a 4 cylinder 115hp B18 motor this 1967 model is capable of 109 mph.

Volvo P1800S, Goodwood Revival

The producers of the thriller TV series The Saint initially approached Jaguar to see if they would supply a couple of, the much in demand, E-Types for the show, after they were turned down they asked Volvo for a couple of P1800’s who obliged by supplying two British bodied, built by Jensen, P1800’s for the first series and a Swedish built P1800S for a later series.

Volvo P1800S, Goodwood Revival

The actor Roger Moore star of The Saint, which immortalised the P1800, liked the P1800 so much he bought one.

Volvo P1800S, Goodwood Revival

In the late 80’s I came very close to taking on a P1800S as an investment, a second look at the car in daylight revealed I’d need to double my investment just to stay ahead of the rust, the following year the economy tanked. Wonderful cars full of character that the P1800’s are, I’m glad I played it safe on that particular occasion.

Thanks for joining me on this Simon Templar edition of ‘Gettin a lil’ psycho on tyres’, I hope you join me again for some Goodwood Americana tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Swedish Tease – Volvo 1800 ES

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In 1956 Volvo launched a sports car the P1900 a fibreglass bodied roadster, inspired by the Chevrolet Corvette, if you have never heard of it, or seen it, that is because the P1900 was a disaster so bad that after using one on a holiday weekend incoming Volvo President Gunnar Engellau cancelled further production after just 68 units had been produced.

Volvo 1800ES, Cotswolds MM

Volvo’s next attempt to crack the sports car market hinged on a design by Italian design house Pietro Frua called the P1800. In 2009 Volvo admitted that there Italian designed car was actually designed by a Swede working at Frua called Pelle Petterson who’s father had designed the Volvo PV444.

The P1800 was eventually launched in 1961, with the same engine as used in the Volvo Amazon series, making the model 50 years old this year along with the much cheaper Renault 4 and slightly cheaper E-Type Jaguar. Originally scheduled to be built by Karmann in Osnabruck Germany until Karmann’s biggest customer Volkswagen intervened with an emphatic ‘Nein’ the P1800 was initially produced under contract by Jensen. After quality issues emerged production transferred from the UK to Sweden with the introduction of P1800 S which featured a larger 118 hp motor.

Volvo P1800ES, Cotswold MM

In 1970 the P 1800 E was introduced with fuel injection and in 1972 the last of the P1800 models, P1800 ES seen here, was launched with a novel one piece rear glass tailgate which transformed the coupé into a versatile eye catching shooting brake for which designer Jan Wilsgaard was responsible.

The P 1800 like many contemporary models was killed off my the 1974 US safety and emissions regulations, with some 39,407 Coupé and 8,077 Shooting Brakes built the P1800 was considered a far greater success than it’s predecessor. My overwhelmimg memory of driving P1800 models is that despite being 6′ tall I had the feeling I was sitting in a very deep bath tub and had a great deal of difficulty determining where the corners of the car were when shuffling these models through cramped garage space.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s one piece glass tailgate edition of ‘Gettin’ alil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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