I spotted this beauty on Thanksgiving Day three years ago, while on a walk with extended family through this suburban neighborhood outside of Washington, DC. I had the pleasure of speaking very briefly with the car’s owner, who came out of his house for something while I was taking pictures. In the moment, I neglected to ask him about any of the car’s specifics, but deduced the approximate model year from internet research.
While fellow Swedish automaker SAAB made much about the relationship and similarities (even if only metaphorically) between their cars and their aircraft, it’s this Volvo 1800S that looks much more to me like it’s in mid-flight – even while parked curbside. Safe returns to my fellow American, Thanksgiving holiday travelers, to wherever you call home – and also to CC-reading friends around the world who simply got away for the weekend.
As photographed by the author in Bethesda, Maryland on Thursday, November 22, 2012.
Related:
- From Paul Niedermeyer: Curbside Classic: 1964 Volvo P1800S – Transcending Time, Distance And Fashion;
- From JPCavanaugh: Curbside Classic: 1970 Volvo P1800E: About Lars, Who Bought a Stylish Italian Suit and Wore it for Twelve Years; and
- From Tom Klockau: Our Ex-Curbside Classic: 1973 Volvo 1800 ES – Gone, But Not Forgotten
Very nice! For some reason I forget these exist but when I see a pic of one I remember, and these would probably make my Top 20 List if I ever compiled one.
Well, this isn’t a 68 or 69 as there are no side marker lights on any of the fenders. I also don’t see any backup lights, if they are “missing” this isn’t a 66 or a 67 either. My best guess would be that this is a 64 or a 65. “Telltales” would be the front bumper shape and if the badging calls this an 1800 or an 1800S.
No matter, the last time I saw one of these it was an 1800ES….and even those are getting quite rare.
Howard, you’re right – lack of side-marker lights would immediately DQ this as a, ’68 or ’69, but pictures of ’67s I saw didn’t have backup lights, either. IIRC, this one didn’t have the tented front bumper, so I think this is actually a ’65 – ’67 model. I think we’re getting closer!
If I recall correctly, the backup light is located in the center chrome handle at the rear.
Brilliant, Tonyola. I have never noticed that detail before. Thanks for pointing that out.
As far as the backup lights being a determining factor for possible year of manufacture I forgot where they would be on this car and thought they were either up on the tail fin light assembly or separate little squares, as in many MGs.
As far as some of the comments about the styling are concerned, this car was designed in the mid to late 50s and marketed by a car company with almost no previous sport coupe experience. Cars on sale at the same time this hit the market included the Karmann Ghia, the Porsche 356 and 911, the MGB and Triumph TR4….a real hodge-podge of style.
“Interesting” trivia:
These were styled by A SWEDE, working for an Italian.
The first 2-3 years they were built in Great Britain but because the parent company thought that assembly quality was lacking, assembly was moved to SWEDEN in 1963, where it stayed for the rest of the model’s run….or about 12 of the 15 years the S and ES were built.
Fuel injection arrived about 1969-70, along with 4 wheel disc brakes.
I want to like these cars but I just don’t. Dated Italian style, British construction from a Swedish automaker that did not have anything in it’s parts bin to properly power an expensive grand tourer. Almost like how cars are built now.
Except now it would be badged Japanese built off a generation out of date platform from France, the result of a former joint venture. The car would be assembled in Mexico. It would still be designed by an Italian design house. The design house would have an American head who had just left his job at Audi. But hey it was built just for you.
Count me as one who doesn’t go ga-ga over these cars, The greenhouse is too small. The finlets and high taillights make the body look top heavy, and the upsweeping character line in the doors has no relation to anything else. The dynamics are nothing to write home about (I’ve driven them). The ES looks far better than the coupe.
Originally the chrome strip followed the line in the doors sweeping up and linking to the ‘fin-top’ chrome. I think it looks miles better that way.
This car would definitely look much much better without any tail fins.
I love finding something unexpected like this out in the wild. You don’t see that many of these in black, but I like it. I like them, but I have no doubt that had I been shopping back then, I would have not been wowed by the value for the buck that these offered.
I see a red one of those with with the wire wheels regularly. It looks to be very well cared for, I forget what year but remember that the owner said that it is fuel injected.
It’s Roger Moore’s car, in The Saint… Except in it’s usual white(looks darker in this pic), it’s in undercover, “stealth mode” black.
Which it looks great in, by the way.
Thanks, Joseph and have a safe and happy holiday, my friend.
The car who’s reputation was made because Jaguar couldn’t be bothered to provide a couple of XK-E’s.
I really like that car in black…I associate these with Old English White exterior/red leather interior when I picture one in my head. The ES variants seemed to come in orange and other 70s colors.
Pretty car, I have never driven a Volvo older than a 240, so I can’t speak to its driving dynamics. Great find!
I’ve never really been a huge Volvo fan, but this body style has always been one of my favourites of all time. It’s a timeless, classic style, and it reminds me a lot of a VW Karmann Ghia.
Personally I think its a pretty little car, and I never had even heard of them.
I think these are pretty cars and from what I understand pretty reliable. My BIL has had one of these and still has a two door sedan of this vintage. I love the period advertising that proclaims it as either a high priced economy car or a very low priced specialty GT. I think I could enjoy one.
I saw a red one on the road not too long ago, alas no picture
My 1967 1800s was my daily driver on a 100 mi. round trip commute all through the 1970’s — best road car I have ever had, incredibly reliable, comfortable low driving position and great on the highway with overdrive.
Sold it the day I moved to the Caribbean because I was already storing one car, my 1937 Packard, and didn’t have any more storage space – a good friend bought it and kept it for many years.
I have watched the prices for years and they are still out there but getting more scarce, – rust! – and good ones are still appreciating – the later FI models – 1800e are commanding some serious $$.
Excellent resource site:
http://volvo1800pictures.com/sweden/Volvo_1800_dokumentation_main_page_en.php
Capt Doug, thanks for that great resource site and also for sharing your personal experience with your example. At least if it “lost” the ownership contest, it did so to a ’37 Packard!
Beautiful cars .
Being Volvos I assume they’re dull as dishwater to drive .
A work mate of mine had a ’68 (?) wagon with the BOSCH D-Jetronic fuel injection , he said it was a great car .
Some years back in one of those crooked ‘ charity auctions ‘ I found a badly rusted and beat up 1963 , it was in the non runner / junker row and supposedly ran but I passed on it .
-Nate
No Volvo wagon had fuel injection until the ’70’s. On the 1800, the slotted wheels and straight trim strip (aluminum, I think, not chromed steel) which no longer followed the kick up in the body lines, came along in 1965. Side markers in’68, so this is indeed a ’65-67.
I would gladly roll in this. I especially like how the upswept character line on the doors echoes the shape of the rear quarter windows. The slotted wheels look darn-near perfect – especially on this black car with its chrome accents. I also like the dart-like effect of the rear finlets. Stylistically (and to echo a few comments here), I wouldn’t call this a home run, but I really dig it. It’s a toss-up for me between this and the shooting-brake 1800ES as to which I like better.
Thanks for this excellent post, Paul!
I share with you all 2 links for the P1800, and I hope you’ll enjoy!
1. Irvin Gordon’s P1800 with 3,000,000 miles on it! Worth the quick read!
http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/the-record-breaking-roadster-with-3-million-miles/
2. Jerry Seinfeld and Tina Fey in a 1800S. Too funny to not watch!
http://www.crackle.com/comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee/2491375
Outstanding!
I like how the author of the first article thought Mr. Gordon’s P1800 was a convertible (also referring to it as a “roadster”). These look really good in “Red”, too!
And Tina Fey. “Is this a real seatbelt?” LOL