1973 Volvo P1800 ES

• US example
• Sun Yellow is possibly the prettiest colour for the “Snow White Coffin”
• One of the last 1800’s before production end
• Great bodywork, no rust
• Nice paintwork, as well as the leather seats and carpets
• Engine runs strongly, new exhaust
• Improved suspension with sway bars, new Vredestein tires
• All documents were checked and the car was photographed personally by Auctomobile
• Other features: possibility of assisting with transport, storage and Trusted Checkout payment

In the 1950s, Volvo flirted with a sports car with the fiberglass P1900, but quality was miserable as were the driving dynamics of the car. Volvo took another stab at a sporty car with the P1800 of 1961.

Design of the car was until very recently attributed to Frua of Italy, but in reality, it was a family affair. The car at least looked Italian, very much a product of the 1950s rather than the 1960s with neat tail fins and a short greenhouse with a tall beltline. Early cars were assembled by Jensen in West Bromwich, England.

Quality of the Jensen-built cars was, however, not up to Volvo’s standards (and the cars were notoriously rust-prone) so production was shifted to Volvo’s Gothenburg plant in Sweden in 1963 and the model name transitioned from P1800 to 1800S.

The last major variant was the 1800ES, a two-door wagon with a glass tailgate. Nearly as lovely as the coupe, it remains one of the most successful variations on the sports wagon theme.

Today, parts support for the 1800s remains quite good (with trim items for the early cars being an exception), and several specialists are available to take good care of owners.

This elegant shooting brake Volvo was built in June 1973 as one of the last Volvos 1800. The chassis number is 7795 out of 8077 wagons produced during their only two year production run. The last Volvo 1800 ES was produced on June 27, 1973.

The car is a US import that was purchased in California in January 2020. The previous owner had it since 2014. It comes with a file of invoices and bills dating back to 2003 and totaling over 12.000 USD. The bills also indicate previous ownership in Atlanta (2013-2014) and Texas (2002-2013). There are no records before 2002.

The Volvo 1800 ES is powered by a 2L in-line four which is paired with a three speed automatic transmission. The engine was converted to Weber carburetor.

The odometer reads 99.000 miles = 160.000 kms and this corresponds with the invoices available. The car has been well maintained and received many upgrades, like the IPD sway bars front and rear, braided steel brake lines, electric radiator fan, electronic ignition, light alloy wheels and fog lights. The A/C system has been converted to R134a but the system is empty and not tested. The wheels are original Volvo Virgos built in the early 80’s and fit the car very well. The Vredestein tires are brand new, DOT 2020 and have a “V” speed index.

Only the automatic transmission is the less popular version, it’s a bit slow and harsh, the instrument illumination does not work as well as the ceiling light. Fuel pressure regulator leaking after a while if the motor is not running but ignition (and fuel pump) is turned on. Left door window is chipped a bit on top, the right vent quarter window needs adjustment – wind noise and the A/C needs refilling and inspection.

The car has no corrosion and the paintwork is very nice with no scratches or dents. The body has been repaired in the past. The body panels fit nicely and the repaint was performed with windows out so there’s no rubber overspray.

The interior was reupholstered in black and burgundy leather. The color combination looks terrific. The condition of the leather and carpets is very good. There is a crack in the dashboard and the top layer of the dash is warped from the sun.

The car starts nicely both cold and warm, the engine idles well. The Weber carburetor was adjusted just recently.

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