Volvo P1800, S, E and ES (1961 – 1973) Review

Item: Volvo P1800, S, E and ES (1961 – 1973) Review 2024
Author: Administrator

1973 Volvo P1800 ES Wagon 2.0L 4-cylinder engine

Volvo P1800 ES
Wagon 2.0L 4-cylinder engine
£22,534

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Volvo P1800, S, E and ES (1961 – 1973) At A Glance

Delightful to drive, useful in ES form - 'The Saint's' car will always be cool

They're known for rusting, variable build quality on the ES

The P1800 was a radical departure for Volvo. The conservative manufacturer of solid, well-engineered saloons took a stab at the coupe market - and did it very well indeed. It was the product of a project that actually started in 1957 when Volvo wanted a slice of the emerging US sportscar market.

And while Volvo's first attempt, the P1900, only sold 68 units, the P1800 got the best possible start in life with a regular slot on TV when Roger Moore drove one in The Saint - something which still fuels demand today.

Launched in 1960, it made very clever use of the P130 'Amazon' underpinnings. It looked great, but performance failed to live up to the glamour - and that meant in order to keep buyers happy, Volvo continually uprated its engine (in parallel with Amazon) mechanicals. Post-1963, the P1800S saw power increaed to 115bhp, which went up again to 130bhp for the P1800E.

The P1800 was designed Swede Per Petterson and then employed by Frua. Volvo didn't have the capacity so sub-contracted Pressed Steel to make the bodies and Jensen to assemble them, although quality concerns saw production return to Sweden in 1963.

In 1971, the 1800ES sports estate was launched - and in many ways is the most interesting of all these models. It was cast in the mould of the Reliant Scimitar GTE wih a shooting brake rear and glass hatchback. It was daring and idiosyncratic. The 1800ES ended up selling very well, especially as it had room for four - and their luggage - and a maximum speed of 115mph. And that made it a very individual proposition in the early 1970s.

Join the club

Formed in 1962, the Volvo Owners' Club has 3000 members. It offers dedicated, expert advice to keep members' cars on the road and has helped preserve models that are still used daily. It also embraces modern Volvos and plays an important role in helping its solving the complex electronic issues modern cars can present. All Volvos are welcome, from traditional classics like the PV544 and Amazon, 1980s modern classics like the 700, and newer models like the S40, S60, V60 and XC60. The cost of joining the club is £35 (£30 membership and £5 joining fee) - but the joining fee will be waived for new members quoting HJ19.

Ask Honest John

How much is my Volvo P1800 worth?

"I have a 1963 P1800, one of the last vehicles to come out of the Jenson Factory. The bodywork is in pretty good condition for the age as is the interior. The car last ran 5 years ago and has been stored indoors. It requires outriggers and has some rust on the bottom of the doors. The car has has 6 previous owners and has been in our family for over 30 years."

Without seeing the car it's impossible to give an accurate valuation, but the British-built P1800s are quite collectable cars these days. Fully restored, it would be worth over £20,000. We'd speak to the Volvo Owners Club for a more informed opinion at www.volvoclub.org.uk. Alternatively a specialist auction house such as Mathewson's or Anglia Car Auctions should be able to assist.

Answered by Craig Cheetham

How can I trace the owner of my old Volvo P1800?

"Between 1986 and 1993, I owned a Volvo P1800. When selling the vehicle, I retained the original registration. I now no longer have use for the number and would like to see it restored to its proper place on the Volvo. Is there any way of finding the current owner to see if they might be interested in obtaining the original number? "

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) rules will prevent the DVLA from sharing the current owner's details with you. But you may want to contact some of the classic Volvo Owners' Clubs to see if they can help you locate the vehicle. The UK has a very large classic car following, I'm sure someone will know of this vehicle within the historic Volvo community.

Answered by Dan Powell

How many 1973 Volvo P1800ES models are still registered and on the road?

"How many 1973 Volvo P1800ES models are still registered and on the road?"

You can check out our latest how many survived data here: https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/how-many-survived/volvo/p1800. At the end of December 2018, there were 639 registered.