(first posted 4/18/2013) Volvo sports car? An oxymoron, if ever there was one. For over a decade, however, this little grand tourer managed to combine the traditional Volvo attributes of safety and durability with a modicum of flash and performance.
Yes, you read the byline correctly: JPC is writing about a Volvo. Actually, this was one of my earliest CC finds, although of a car that’s not exactly in my wheelhouse, as folks are so fond of saying today. “Hmmm”, thought I, “this is going to take some research.” As much as I have always liked these, I knew virtually nothing about them. Shortly thereafter, though, came Aaron Severson’s thorough (as usual) presentation of this model at AUWM (here); having been saved from the historical heavy lifting, I could now allow this one to percolate inside my brain a little while longer.
Today, the word “unique” is overused quite a bit; however, the Volvo P1800 was unique in the purest sense in that there was really nothing else like it. Of everything even close to its price range, it was sportier and more stylish than anything from Germany, and more durable than anything from England or Italy. Certainly, it was more of a true sports tourer than anything from the U.S. In fact, it may be the only Volvo of its era (the one that Volvo fans consider the “classic Volvo era”) that provided all the classic Volvo attributes as well as some real Italian style.
The executive summary is that the car was designed by Volvo, styled by Ghia (by Pella Petterson, the son of a Volvo consulting engineer, oddly enough) and initially built in England by Jensen. Because Volvo decided that the car needed more power than was available in their production sedans, it got a newly designed engine. Designated the B18, it was an exceedingly sturdy four-cylinder mill good for 100 gross horsepower. A few years in, Volvo took over its assembly as well; from then on, the car would remain pure Volvo, and the Volvo-assembled cars renamed P1800S.
The P1800 was never a big seller: Sales totaled about 39,000 units world-wide during the entire model run, which works out to fewer than 3,300 units per year. Even so, the car did get an amount of publicity disproportionate to its meager production numbers after being chosen as the vehicle Roger Moore drove in the television version of The Saint. A hugely popular show, The Saint made its UK debut in October of 1962, and was subsequently aired in many other countries, including the U.S.
One reason for the car’s tepid sales performance was its price. At its 1961 introduction, the car cost $3,795 at the U.S. port of entry. While less expensive than a $10,000 Aston Martin or Ferrari, it was priced less than $200 shy of a ’61 Thunderbird hardtop, and was significantly more expensive than quite a few sporting cars, including the Austin Healy 3000. By 1970, the POE price was up to $4,995–no longer quite so close to Thunderbird territory, but still more than $1,000 more than a Ford LTD or Mustang Mach 1. Of course, it’s not as though LTD and Mach 1 buyers cross-shopped the P1800, but the point is that a guy could buy a lot of car elsewhere for the price of Volvo’s sportster.
This particular car is a 1970-72 P1800E, the last refresh of the original P1800 before the wagon variant (P1800ES; CC here) came along for 1972-73. The P1800E sported a larger engine with more power (130 gross horsepower) designed to meet tightening U.S. emission standards, as well as new disc brakes and a bit of updated trim. Unfortunately, the car had been around for quite a long time by then, and sales numbers began dwindling from totals that were never particularly robust to begin with. All in all, though, it wasn’t a bad run for a car that started life as a 1961 model. Could this have been the last car produced that still sported fins?
There is something about the styling of this car that has always drawn me in. Perhaps it just presses the right buttons for my love of mid-century styling. And while we must admit that this kind of style was pretty outdated in 1970, the lines on this car are really like few others. The P1800 seems to successfully combine sportiness, luxury, practicality and simplicity in a single package. Perhaps its skillful blending of personalities is what kept this car in showrooms for such an extended run.
I have always been fascinated by how during this era, cars from different countries seemed to radiate their unique national character. American cars were big, with lots of brawn and swagger. German cars drove with a sense of precision, and were styled very conservatively. French cars were known for comfort and a bit of flamboyance, while England was known for producing typically beautiful sports cars that weren’t always so robust. And Italian cars? They were like English cars, only much more so.
Then there were the Swedes, which were every bit as conservative as cars from Germany, but in a more practical way. That practicality was particularly evident in their mechanical parts; they may not have matched the Germans’ for outright engineering, but they also didn’t match them when it came to service and maintenance costs. With this mixture of attributes, it’s easy to see how P1800 owners could become so attached to their cars.
Image source: autos.aol.com
No story on a P1800 is complete without a mention of Irv Gordon, the retired New York science teacher, who bought a P1800S new in 1966; at last report, his car has traveled nearly three million miles. I remember that when he hit his first million, in 1987, Volvo gave him a new Bertone 780 coupe. Even so, he kept on driving the P1800, even after Volvo gave him a new C70 when he hit the two-million mile mark several years later. He continues to enjoy his little red P1800, which continues to rack up the miles as its owner’s faithful travel companion.
But for all of the devotion owners showed their P1800s, the car certainly was never a big hit. Perhaps its unique mix of traits was also its undoing. By being so overbuilt (and expensive), it should have found a natural buyer base among die-hard Volvo fans. But was it too silly and frivolous for them? Conversely, the P1800 may not have offered quite enough dash and daring (particularly later in its life cycle) for typical buyers of stylish sports cars. The lack of a convertible may also have hurt Volvo, since the competition’s sexier cars routinely offered a top-down model. Finally, the car’s high cost relative to its size and performance must have made something like the Mustang seem like quite the automotive value.
But we know that the few who did buy these tended to love and nurture them more than most, and it seems a fairly high number of them have been well-preserved and loved. Even better, they have finally reached a price range that makes them a lot more attainable than most of their original competition–all the better to buy one and enjoy the heck out of it. It might take awhile to catch up with Irv, but as we all know, records are made to be broken. If I were to set out to break a record, I could imagine far less enjoyable ways of doing so than spending lots of seat time in a P1800.
I’ve always had a thing for these. I especially love the front end styling. That has to be one happiest looking faces on a car!
I’ve seen a few on the road over the last year. All well preserved and in much loved condition, and all sporting those giant ‘V’ labeled original mudflaps. I’m still waiting to see a hatch/shooting brake variant with the glass rear hatch.
Indeed. Contrast the P1800E’s friendly, pleasant, ‘implied’ happy face with Mazda’s sinister, leering Joker grin. It’s a subtlety that speaks volumes about how different life was back then compared with today.
I agree. The 60’s was the golden age of automotive styling. Most of today’s aggressively over-styled efforts can’t hold a candle, especially an evil frog-faced Mazda! I think the previous Mazda 3 was a much better looking car.
Yep, an 1800E or 1800ES would be a CC I would drive for a decade (Saab 99 Turbo or 900 Turbo would be fun but would also have British levels of reliability) due to the combo of good looks, low price, & reliability. Although on second thought, a 1st gen Opel GT or Manta A would be nice too.
I think there was one car that was truly like this (but German), the original Opel GT. overbuilt, stylish when new, slow sales, similar price, similar devotion from owners, high survivability rates, etc.
Also, the Saab Sonnet (Mk I, Mk II, & Mk III) would be a contemporary of this like the 1968-73 Opel GT, right?
Whenever I see one of these cars I always think of Roger Moore in The Saint,the TV show ran for as long as the cars!In the Saint his Volvo could outrun the bad guys Jaguars,Mercedes or anything else!
Plus, Roger Moore was excellent as The Saint. And was a bad joke as James Bond.
Except in “For Your Eyes Only”. One of the best in the series.
FWIW, My favorite, and the best Bond film pre-2006 “Casino Royale” was “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. Diana Rigg and her red Cougar were stunning! George Lazenby was pretty good, too.
I would agree, FYEO is the best Moore Bond of his series. Lazenby got a bad rap, and for the right reasons, can you imagine an out of nowhere nobody male model from Australia being offered the most famous movie role of all time and walking away after one movie? The sad thing is, he was good as Bond too.
When I was saving up for a car in high school, a neighbour down the block put one of these up for sale. White paint, red interior, $3500 bucks. It felt like a pillbox inside, and the rough engine and tough steering were turn-offs, but I wanted that car badly. Not to be, though, and still kicking myself for not having that last $500 from the after-school job. Just as well, I couldn’t have kept it running anyway.
The later, ‘shooting brake’ P1800ES is even better-looking than the coupe IMO.
Oh my yes. I agree. I’d love to have one of these.
Volvos were my favorite foreign car of the 1960’s. My friend up the street had a 1959 PV544 and a friend from school had a red P1800 like in one of the pictures, but don’t recall the year.
A very sharp car, unlike anything else on the road at the time – a special ride.
The P1800 blew every British car off the road, that’s for sure. I’d still like to own one, but those SU carbs are a real pain to keep in sync with each other.
SU carbs are a PIA to keep in tune for definite! I had a Sunbeam Rapier,sluggish,rough running and thirsty.
The best fix for these was my friend replacing the SU piston oil with transmission fluid. They worked much better, believe it or not.
Which trans fluid? Any specific brand or not?
I think the factory spec’ed a light motor oil, but in the US, the standard was ATF (automatic transmission fluid), in the belief that the lower viscosity allowed the pistons and needles to rise quicker when the throttle was opened, improving response. I think I still have a 40 year old can of ATF from the Volvo I sold in 1976; the carbs only took an ounce or so.
When I had my 122S, I though keeping the carbs sync’d was trivially easy. Well, let me reword that – getting them sync’d was easy, keeping them sync’d, not so easy. But I got lots of practice and it only took minutes. And I’m not a great mechanic. I still have my UniSyn vacuum gauge in case I ever buy another Volvo – or MGB.
SU’s and Strombergs can be a pain to keep sync’d, but its not impossible. I’d prefer them to any of the early mechanical pre K-jet injection systems used by Volvo and others at the time. (Usually D-jet) which was a nightmare when it went wrong.
As to the oil, I believe Type F is the best- especially for Strombergs. ONLY use ATF in strombergs, SU’s are still tolerant of oil.
Regardless of synching issues, the SU is a brilliantly simple contraption on its own compared to the 2 and 4 barrel carbs used on American cars at the time. They are easy to rebuild, don’t have the thousands of jets and fiddly linkages, and don’t wear out as badly as ‘normal’ carbs. Indeed, on many ‘unreliable’ British cars of the ’70s, the SU was the most reliable part of the package.
Volvo seem to be honorary Brits, as much of this car is British technology- not only built by Jensen originally (although not up to Volvo’s standards,) but also the SU’s and more importantly, the Laycock Type-D overdrive, as used on my own Rover p4. When Rover went all high-tech and low-quality in the ‘mid-60s with the P6, it seemed that Volvo stepped in to provide the durable tank-like cars for the upper middle class that Rover had previously been so good at making.
There were few Vovos in my world, and none of these.
My very-very first introduction to them…was when Popular Mechanics did their 1972 writeup about the “Volvo Sportswagen.” I looked at it, and thought…Kewel!! and was very, very surprised to read that it was based on a twelve-year-old body. Sure didn’t look like it.
I remember a blurb in PM six months later, that the whole model was being discontinued. So short a dream…
Okay. Fast forward six years. A rich kid working a summer job on my crew…had the coupe. First I’d ever seen it. I was dismayed…the lines that looked so right on the short-run sportswagon, didn’t look at all good on that coupe. It DID look dated.
I will say this, though: It came from an era when Volvo had substance; had promise; was interested in making cars and had the wherewithal to do it.
Today, of course, the Volvo people – the original organization – makes only trucks. In America. And their car company has become a pawn of other high-financiers…first Ford’s Jacques Nassar, and now the Indian group.
Strange turn.
I believe Volvo is now looked after by the Chinese company Geely, while Aston and Jaguar went to Tata. The new V40s have started appearing in my neck of the woods, and they’re gorgeous. Hope Geely keeps them solvent a long time.
I’m sure you’re right. It shows how under-the-radar the new Volvo is for some of us.
Volvo IS now owned by China’s Geely. You are correct @mcc.pj.
For some perverse reason, I’d prefer a P1900… if one could be found. But the P1800 is better looking, etc.
Hi Lawrence,
As I now have a family – and the P1900 does not have a backseat – I am looking to sell my P1900.
Please respond to this message if you are seriously interested.
You’ve captured the enigma that this car was to me as a kid, and the P1800 was still fresh. It just seemed such an unlikely combination of qualities. An Italian suit on a stolid Volvo? I had a hard time with the fins, but with time, it grew on me.
The longer it stayed around, despite being so out of date design-wise, the more endearing it got. In the end, it really was a Volvo after all. Endurance, in more ways than, seems to be the hallmark of Volvos.
I got to spend about a month with one of these very interesting cars. A 1972 P1800E in Gold with a saddle interior. This one was fuel injected, and ran beautifully despite ridiculous high mileage. It belonged to the father of a friend, and when his father fell ill the car languished in the garage. I found myself in need of a short-term ride, and my friend graciously allowed me to borrow the Volvo.
This was a Midwestern car all its life, and had some nasty rot in unseen areas of the unibody. One night, while crossing some railroad tracks, I heard a loud “pop” from the front end followed by some very loose suspension movement. A quick flashlight inspection revealed the cause: the front shock mounts had rusted through and broken loose.
Before that it was a great driver.
About 15 years ago, a Jazz DJ at the college radio station that I used to hang arouind in owned a P1800 that he set up for weekend racing. It was red w/American honeycomb mags & it was one of the most striling cars that i have ever seen.
Also, another celebitry owner of the P1800 was Roger Daltry of the Who:
http://volvo1800pictures.com/0_car_photos/S/1965/non/Volvo_1800S_65_noc_1848_1.jpg
I’m surprised by the low production figures mentioned by jpc, as these cars always seemed quite common in the Bay Area, throughout the ’60’s and well into the ’80’s. I only drove one, with a hopped up engine and a broken axle shaft. Putting all 120-or-so horsepower through one rear wheel made a Citation X11’s torque steer seem mild by comparison. The other overwhelming memory of the car was sitting deep in a dark hole … I dont think I could have gotten used to that. Perhaps the ES felt airier. It was also the first short-shifter Volvo I drove, and that was a revelation compared to the long wobbly levers of 122’s and early 140’s. The shifting and synchros of those Volvo transmissions was light-years ahead of most cars, even 20 year newer cars.
If these had an I6 based on the B18 I4 & later, the B20 I4 and have IRS or a De Dion Axle in the rear, I think Volvo would have sold a lot more 1800-series cars than they did for not too much more money. Just my humble opinion.
I really hated working on these, back in the day. Especially the deadly automatic, AC, EFI fuel injection combo that needed a radiator and water pump, AND was still hot. Seven piece exhaust was a treat, too. If I hit the lottery, they will all be crushed. Not bitter, just sayin’.
Had the infinite good luck to replace my first car (’66 122) with a white ’65 1800. Much fun to drive but, as with any older car, fairly costly to maintain. We later added an 1800ES to the stable — it was barely more practical — but I don’t think it was quite the same experience. Think the styling of the coupe has worn better than the wagon.
In this life, I’m driving Toyotas.
These were such a let down, boy did they look great, like a baby Aston Martin DB5, perfect for a Bond fanatic like me, but then I got a chance to drive one…….ugh, not sporty is being polite, it was like a GT car with a tractor engine. Would take my 2nd gen Corvair everyday and twice on Sunday. Pretty car though.
Dammit on the CC Clue! I felt it was a trunk handle and the lock cylinder sure looked familiar. I was going to say P1800 but the one on my dad’s ’64 was definitely smaller. I didn’t think door handle because the shape on the ’64 was different; I forgot it changed later to become a continuation of the chrome molding, like on a Thunderbird.
I got quite an education from that car and my dad. He bought it used and kept it at least 10 years. It was the first car we had with leather which taught me leather smells great but cracks. First car we had with disc brakes which I learned were superior to drums. First car I helped him adjust the valves on. Learned oil goes everywhere even on the cylinder head which we had just painted.
First car I watched get painted and how you need to wet the floor of the booth to keep dust down. First car with massive 3-point seat belts that latched to a ring on the tunnel, race car style. First car we had with overdrive, which was such a no brainer I wondered why other car makers didn’t use it.
Disc brakes, 3-point belts and overdrive would slowly become mainstream over time and that’s one reason he kept the Volvo 10+ years, it was so advanced there was no need to upgrade. The other reason of course was the legendary DQR. It was a very heavy, well made car.
I learned to drive on the Volvo, first from the passenger seat shifting gears and steering. Then in the driver’s seat in an empty parking lot. The lock-out for reverse was unique like most things on the car. You had to pull UP on the handle first, then slide it over.
The car sounded great with its sport tuned exhaust and dual tailpipes, also unusual back then. It was slow though and there was plenty of understeer. In a way it was more Swedish Thunderbird than contemporary to the Sunbeam Tiger or Alfa Romeo.
The front bumper on the 64 had two vertical risers that would dig into and damage the grille surround at even a minor tap. Dad pointed out how they changed the shape to straight across on the 65s to prevent that. The aforementioned door handle changes came next and the tailpipe went from straight pipes to dual pipes with a kink in them. Wheel treatments changed several times and the cowl vent changed at least twice.
The styling was both ahead and behind the times. The front said Ferrari and the back said 49 Ford. It all managed to work as long hood, short deck styling typically does. Everyone noticed the car but few knew what it was. It was sure low and one thing we didn’t like was how close to the floor you had to sit.
The instrument panel, and surely that was an instrument panel not a “dash”, was laid out perfectly. The rear view mirror was on top of the IP, like on our ’61 Chrysler.
The coupe stayed in production for about 12 years. My dad and I were both delighted when the 1800ES wagon came out. I can’t think of another car that was in production for so long only to become better looking at the end from a partial sheet metal change.
The fins, which looked a bit 1950s on the coupe, blended in perfectly with the modern all-glass hatch and larger tailamps (now more like a ’51 Ford lol). I have no doubt that the wagon would have stayed in production for many more years if it wasn’t for the increasingly severe US bumper regulations.
To this day that old Volvo was the most influential car of my lifetime. I’d love to have an ES someday but with a more powerful engine, maybe a turbo red block.
Possibly the only old Volvo to get any respect is the 1800 coupe. Volvo trucks are ok to drive in a up Swedish way if you like syncro transmissions and useless exhaust brakes and the cars were popular in OZ with retirees and hugely unpopular with everyone else
FINS- I think the last car with fins were the SAAB 95, built until 1978(?).
Last car with fins? I’ll raise you the MGB and MGBGT, which ran until 1980.
I think the current Cadillac CTS and SRX would qualify as still having fins, albeit small ones.
I agree, Cadillacs have never really stopped playing with the fin motif. With the Volvo, Saab and MG, we were trying identify the longest-lived production vehicles from the original era (siecle de fin, I guess).
So I’m going to raise myself, and argue that the Austin FX4 taxi, yer actual trad black London cab, retained its vestigial fins until it went out of production in 1997.
Another unusual thing about the early P1800s was the location of the fuel filler. It was on the horizontal surface of the left rear fender just to the left of the deck lid. Seemed like an odd place what with water pouring in all the time. They did a great job on the design though – when I would wash the car for Dad you could hear the drain doing its work, it was loud like a shower drain.
I think the location changed to the side of the fender more to commonize with the ES wagon than due to a design flaw.
The skipper of my first ship had one of these. In 1965 it was fairly new but I saw him years later and he said he was still driving it. I think I would prefer the shooting brake (whacky for wagons) but like them both a lot. Would have prefered the volvo to the others competing for your dollar when they came out but was a poor sailor and took the bus a lot.
How much of that 3 million mile volvo is like grandpa’s ax?
I’ve always liked these cars but have never driven one. Coincidentally, I saw one in nice shape just this past weekend in Pasadena, out enjoying the nice afternoon weather.
Also coincidentally, after not seeing any 780 Bertone coupes in quite a while, I saw two on the street within half an hour, both in nice shape (and not part of any Volvo owner gathering, either).
JP, you did a Volvo!
Wait, I know why: it’s aqua. Now I get it…
Nice find, as you know, I love these cars! My local Volvo dealer still has an ES in storage–BRG with a saddle tan interior. Mike Lundahl, who was a family friend and had the franchise before the local Caddy-Olds dealer bought him out, drove that ES regularly in the late ’90s. I’ll have to ask if I can get some pictures of it sometime.
Nice write up, JP. Like so many articles at CC, it’s a write up that you will always revisit for it is such an interesting car that just draws you in.
I own a 73 Opel GT and grew up kind of worshipping them as a kid when they were new in your friendly local Buick dealer. As a fan of the GT, I was drawn to any sports car with hidden headlights or a blocky Kamm rear tail.I always considered the Saab Sonnet as the real sports car from Sweden thanks to those 2 attributes I mentioned on the GT.
But I have to tell you, the older I have gotten, the more this car appeals to me. It can be the Ferrari-like front end that recalls for me the early 60’s Ferrari GT’s with the Colombo V-12. The roof top greenhouse is a real treat for me, especially in the 3/4 rear view for it is here that I am reminded of the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing. I even love the mini rear fins. And the sturdy Volvo 4 cylinder is icing on the cake. European exotic car cues wrapped around the most durable 4 banger ever made. What’s not to like? Just a wonderful all time great GT car for those with blue collar budgets. A shame Volvo never had an encore for it.
The Shooting Brake version of this car is just as appealing…..
The P1800’s resemblance to a contemporary Ferrari is why, in the 2011 caper film “Tower Heist,” the producers used one as a stand-in for a GT 250 Lusso (after a lot of filler bodywork). See the movie to find out what happened to the car.
Ferrari fans, if not Volvo fans, should be relieved to know this.
Best car. Ever.
I’ve been fortunate to have acquired a 53,000 mile example of this wonderful automobile! My Wee e was 99% original when I purchased it two years ago. That only left about one hundred parts to find!? I’m currently down to four or five. Some parts were purchased through gcp.se, which offers free, overnight shipping to my local Volvo dealership! The affordability, and availability of parts was only one of the factors in selecting this particular car to scratch my vintage vehicle itch. ( I even passed on a1968 Porsche 911s )
My wife would occasionally try to peek over my shoulder while I was doing my research, and I would switch to a picture of a PV544(picture pregnant Volkwagen). When I finally found THE ONE, I booked the day off work, picked the car up 2 1/2 hours away from home, and proceeded to call the better half. Her only comment was “You bought a jalopy!!?” to which I replied “You could say that”. The only thing that came out of her mouth upon my arrival was ” When do I get to drive it?” We,ve been enjoying it since!
In 1981 I sold my 1972 Volkswagen Dormobile camper,kept the 1959 Fiat 500 Nuova and the 1971 Fiat 500 bambino.My girlfriend and me hadn’t had a holiday for two years so we spent seven weeks in Europe,Italy and Greece.When we returned to Tasmania i spotted an immaculate 1972 Volvo P1800E for sale,36,000 miles from new,red with black leather interior and only $7,200.It was a great car and I asked my bank worker girl to go halves buying it and telling her that not only did I like the style,but that car will appreciate rapidly in value.As much as she liked the car she refused to jointly purchase it,much to my chagrin.Holidays can be quite revealing regarding relationships and soon after we separated,though now good friends.Just a few years later the same car sold for $30,000 and ever since I remind her of the wasted opportunity.
With Irv’s passing on November 16th 2018 he was 77 years young. According to my math that means he averaged 1,137 miles every day of his life to reach the famed 3.2 million miles on his P1800. Nothing against Irv but if that doesn’t seem fishy then ye old olfactory must have stopped working. Nevertheless having purchased a C30 T5 in 2009 I’ll never forgot two moments. The first was being passed by a pristine (at least when going 70 mph) P1800ES in the middle of a Minnesota winter. A serious WTF moment. Our midwest america winters have no mercy. Cars of that vintage never made it four or five years without significant rust damage. The second was when a women of some vintage came up to me while parked. She walked over and proceeded to tell me exactly what make and model my car is and that it was “very cool.” Turns out she purchased a new P1800ES in her younger years and never forgot it. If I stick to my plan it will be converted to electric in ten or fifteen years after someone creates the “21st century 350 small block” that I can shoehorn into it.
He owned his car for 52 years. If he drove 60,000 miles a year, that would account for 3 mill and change. There were many years he drove over a 100k per. Sounds do-able to me.
He lived a few miles from me and I met him many times at the local deli. A nicer guy you wouldn’t want to meet.
100,000 miles a year is 5 hours of highway driving, every day of the year.
I missed this one the first time – great post.
The Producers of the Saint first went to Jaguar for an E Type – but were meet with little enthusiasm. Getting close to filming, they were desperate to find a car when one of the Associate Producers went by a Volvo dealership and saw a P1800 – Volvo was more than happy to provide several cars. The amount of publicity they enjoyed during the Saint’s 7 year run was more than they could have imagined. Jaguar learned from their mistake and was more than happy to provide an XJS for The Return of the Saint with Ian Ogilvy in 1977.
Roger Moore loved the P1800 and purchased one for himself.
Sir Roger was indeed a true gentleman who lent his time, money, and celebrity to a large number of charitable causes.
Roger Moore wasn’t the only 60s Roger with a P1800. Roger Daltrey from The Who used to own a pre-1962 black-hooded one. Strangely enough, in one interview his bandmate Pete Townshend called the Volvo one of the five things he hated about Roger.
Another famous Brit to have a P1800 was Mike Brewer from Wheeler Dealers. In both episodes of the show that dealt with the P1800 he waxed lyrical about that thing, especially the one he restored and owned.
I also missed this the first time.
Any article with an aquamarine/turquoise car and Sir Roger will pique my interest.👌
I echo Lincolnman’s sentiments of Roger Moore, who I grew up with on the small and big screens. He was a hero on screen as A Saint, a Persuader and a Bond. And a hero in real life. Great sense of humour and so self deprecating. A true class act.
When the original monochrome Saint series ended its run, Roger shrewdly became involved as a co producer of the colour series, given the introduction of colour television in the UK, and the series really took off. He did very well financially out of it although some say the colour series was a bit camp and overall not as of good quality as the monochromre series, in a similar vein to how the Avengers evolved.
Like others have said FYEO was Rogers best Bond.
I am not partial to cars with fins. The late 1950s/early 1960s Mercedes Benzes and the P1800 were the exception. A pity about the “tractor”like engine.
If only cars like the Alfa Romeo 105 series and Fiat 124 DOHC derivatives
has been built to the same standard of durability as the P1800.