I am on the whole an indecisive man, but put me in front of an internet auction with a car I’ve never seen, and I will never waver. That’s how I ended up with a 1967 Volvo 1800S that has some needs, some of which have yet to be met, and others that may never be.
In those giddy moments after reading the portentous words, “You won!” a few things happen.
First, if she is not at home, I text my lovely bride something resembling the following: “Do you know any Swedish?” Then, I call my dad, who in some ways lives vicariously through my nonsense, to tell him what I’ve done, to which he replies with the following statement: “Is it one of those humpback Volvos?” No, Dad, it is not. Upon sending him a picture, he replies by saying the following: “That looks like one of those James Bond cars.” No, Dad, it is not. I thought it was just my dad being my dad, but it turns out that it might be a generational thing.
Roger Moore was The Saint on TV from 1962 to 1969, years before he became James Bond.
When the car showed up on the trailer in front of my house, my very nice neighbors, both of whom are roughly my dad’s age, said, “That looks like something James Bond would drive!” I couldn’t help laughing. Of course, we all know the mix-up by now; Roger Moore, who eventually was James Bond in the films, drove an 1800 in The Saint television series. Looking for a star car and being turned down flat by Jaguar, producers made a call to Volvo and found that the Swedish concern was more than happy to play along, and supported the show with several 1800s throughout the ’60s. Roger Moore also got his own 1800s to use as personal cars.
The early P1800. Photo credit: Volvo Car USA
Many Curbside Classic readers probably also know the background of the P1800 and its successors. Volvo, seeking a replacement for its ill-fated P1900 “sports” car, shopped around for an Italian designer to pen them a new sports coupe. Consultant Helmer Petterson’s son Pelle had recently graduated with a degree in industrial design and had started working at Pietro Frua in Italy. Mr. Petterson surreptitiously slipped one of Pelle’s designs in the mix with four others, and it was unanimously chosen as the next sporty Volvo. Upon discovering the ruse, Volvo chief Gunnar Engellau didn’t find it so funny and claimed that Pelle would never be given credit for the final design, but the truth came out eventually.
Jensen in England was in charge of assembling the cars for the first few model years, before dubious construction quality and some misunderstandings among the involved parties brought production back to the Lundby factory in Sweden in 1963. The car was renamed P1800S (the “S” standing for “Sweden”) before simply being christened 1800S shortly afterward. By the way, bodies were built by Pressed Steel in Scotland from the beginning of production all the way through 1968 or 1969, depending on whom you believe, which means that my ’67 model got its start in the UK before being shipped to Sweden to be shipped to America.
So, why an 1800S, when I’ve never owned a foreign car in all of my years? It’s simple: I just like them. The 1800 was on my list of a handful of cars I wanted to add to the collection before I check out, and as usual, I found a mediocre example, paid about half the going rate for a decent driver, and will have spent more than the going rate for a decent driver by the time I can trust it to be a decent driver.
The others on the list? A ’66 Toronado, a ’40 or ’41 Lincoln Continental, a ’55 Coupe De Ville (but it won’t fit in the garage), and a Studebaker GT Hawk.
I’m fairly forthright about my stupidity, so I don’t mind telling you that I paid $8,400 for this car and had to have it shipped to my house from Tennessee. Good drivers (not show cars) have been selling for uncomfortably close to twenty grand, so I felt I did all right, even though the car had some obvious flaws. The car has clearly had some poor rust repair (the body tech really liked fiberglass). Mine has had some substandard work in all the spots you’d expect on an 1800: the lower fenders, rockers, quarter panels in front of the wheelwells, and the lower wheelwells, front and rear. By Michigan standards, it’s nothing shocking at all; in fact, the subframes, crossmembers, and suspension mounting points are completely solid. It could use front floorpans, but it’s not a “right now” necessity. That sounds bad, but the floors are a couple days’ work for me. The car looks fine unless you really get up next to it (and look down low, like really low).
But it’s going to need a lot of work to be a reliable driver (notice the drip on the driver’s floor mat — it’s waiting for a clutch master cylinder as I write this).
Yes, as usual, I’ve bought a poor, neglected old car that’s been passed from owner to owner and has traveled America over the last decade-and-a-half. In 2012, it was in Washington State. In 2015, it was in Studio City, California. In 2018, it was in Dallas, Texas. In 2025, it was in Tennessee. And now it’s in Michigan. I have an inquiry out to Volvo Historical for a little background, so it will be interesting to know where else it’s been.
What are the car’s immediate needs? Under the hood, it’s had a variety of issues that I’ve been working through (and will still take some more time). More to come in a future installment. I immediately replaced the tires and the dead battery.
I did have to break into my own car with a coat hanger. After a recent vacation, I went to pick up the Volvo in storage and snapped the key off in the driver’s door. The passenger lock already didn’t work, so I had to improvise (by the way, I have a great deal of mechanical sympathy…I have no idea how that key broke). I have already replaced the lock cylinders with a set straight from Sweden.
Although the Volvo’s long list of to-dos has been demoralizing but not unexpected, there’s a lot to love about the Volvo. It’s the smallest thing I own at about 173 inches long, so it leaves me a lot more space to work in the garage. That’s one thing.
Another is that it’s unique. I’ve never been able to quite decide if the 1800 is a beautiful car or a quirky car or an awkward car, but in a lot of ways it’s a timeless car. It was almost outdated when new (those fins!) but somehow didn’t look too out of place even in its final years. People today go nuts for it; everyone who talks to me about it thinks it’s gorgeous.
As I was contemplating the Volvo one day, I noticed that its fins were similar to those on my ’63 Thunderbird. Was it also influenced by the Ford X-100?
The Volvo has been a lot of work so far, and I’m already “looking forward” to pulling the intake and exhaust manifolds to look for an exhaust leak (gosh, I hope it’s not a crack, but the gooped-on sealer at the exhaust ports gives me a little hope). The Remflex gaskets are on order, in addition to a few other parts. It’s been a steady stream of boxes from Sweden on the porch lately, but we’ll get into that later, assuming I haven’t given up and sold this little Volvo for a loss. Stay tuned if you’re at all interested in how a Volvo 1800 works. I’m learning about it, too.
Related Reading
Volvos and a Saab at Waterford Hills by Me (with a prescient comment near the end)
Curbside Classic: 1970 Volvo P1800E: About Lars, Who Bought a Stylish Italian Suit and Wore it for Twelve Years by J P Cavanaugh
Keep that sweet car, and keep the updates coming!
Fantastic, Aaron! Congrats on the new old car 🙂
IMO, if the rust is under control on one of these, the rest of rock simple to deal with. Yours, with the B18, is going to be even easier to find parts for than later 1800s with fuel injection. Yes, I understand that there will be regular shipments of one thing or another from Sweden, but it seems that’s part of the fun with one of these.
I’ve heard (and experienced hearing among fellow Volvo people) that aside from the “James Bond” references that non-Volvo people will constantly lob at you, you can also now field all of the Irv Gordon references. Did I miss your saying how many miles are on yours?
Looking forward to more updates soon.
Thanks! I’d love to know the mileage, but I never will. The odometer is on 08XXX; if I had to guess, it’s 208,000, but fingers crossed that it’s 108,000.
However, given that the hot oil pressure is a little lower than spec and the valvetrain is a little clatterier than I’d like (even after several careful adjustments – I think it might have a sticky lifter/cam follower/whatever), I’d put better odds on the former. But I haven’t hooked a shop oil pressure gauge up to it yet, either – those old Smiths gauges are nowhere near accurate at this late date.
I actually saw Irv Gordon and his 1800 one time at the Motor Muster show in Dearborn, Michigan; I didn’t talk to him, but everyone says he was a cool guy. Fortunately, most people I’ve encountered have no idea what the car is, let alone who Irv Gordon was.
Irv Gordon’s million mile (+) Volvo came to my mind as soon as I started reading this. He lived in my neighborhood, but sadly passed away in 2018.
Now I remember….it was 3 million miles!
The interior is nicely designed and Volvo simple compared to what was sold in America at the time. The seats look ideal and bring to mind the word “ergonomic” – an unlikely description for an American car then. Enjoy it.
If you’re constantly worried about selling a car for what you have in it, you’ll never enjoy it. Glad you have a balanced idea of cost per smile rather than seeing it as an investment. The first wave of parts is in some ways the most fun. Love these cars.
I’m not a huge 1800 fan – though I do like the ES – but as someone who learned to drive in my parents’ B18 Volvo 122S, and then bought one as my own first car, I do have a very soft spot in my heart for any pushrod Volvo with twin SU’s. I’d offer you my UniSyn carb synch tool which has been rattling at the bottom of my toolbox for over 50 years, but I just gave it to a neighbor who bought a 544.
I still think the post ‘65 slotted steel wheels are design perfection.
Thanks dman, but I already have one – I bought it when I bought my Corvair in 2007. I already have given the Volvo’s carbs an initial synch.
Awesome, Aaron! Man, props to you for not only taking on one project cars but having multiple of them concurrently! Impressive
This is quite unexpected, and a fantastic surprise. If your dad lives vicariously through your nonsense, I live vicariously through your mechanical skills and your garage space, so I’m eager to read about your progress with your Volvo. And I’m awfully curious to see what kind of information you’re able to dig up from Volvo Historical about your car.
Congratulations!
Congratulations! This is a definite change of flavor. You will work wonders with it, as you always seem to do with all of your cars.
Let me join the chorus in congratulating you on this purchase. I suspect many of us live vicariously through your acquisitions, collection and maintenance. Rather than just ogling cars you are actually buying them. And we’re undoubtedly all a bit jealous of that.
This one surprised me when I found out. But then your taste is eclectic, and that’s another feather in your cap.
I’ve always found these compelling. The Swedish Karmann-Ghia, with a decided British vibe to it. What’s not to love?
One of the things that has struck me most about the 1800 is truly how British it is, from the SU carbs to the Smiths gauges to the electric overdrive. You’re exactly right; it’s a Swedish car with a British twist.
And the first two model years were actually built in GB by Jensen. More like a British car with a bit of a Swedish twist?
Congratulations! I briefly owned a ’73 ES, about which I wrote a sad COAL. Yours looks to be in “good enough” condition, once you get it sorted. Enjoy!
Is this #11?
Yeah, if you count our daily drivers. Every time I add one, I complain that “this is completely unsustainable, unmanageable!” But somehow I manage. 🙂
As a former 122 and 145 owner, I always looked longingly at the P1800. But at the time, it would have been a primary car and dogs, kids and car seats don’t do well, even in ersatz sports cars. But you must finish, if only for us “Gee, I should…”
The ES approaches beautiful, we used to sit in new ones and dream while at Volvo Land in Glen Burnie buying parts for our first car, a ’67 122S that we drove for 10 years. The mechanicals are durable and mostly drama free, except for those dang SUs.
I’d love to drive one of these, having had a serious love affair in my youth with a Volvo 544. I’m curious as to the relative performance of the two, given that (later) 544’s shared the same B18 engine. The internet suggests that the P1800 was actually a little heavier than the 544, but that seems unlikely. It’s certainly more aerodynamic.
Congratulations! Very envious here! 🙂
Thank you! I don’t know how the 1800 compares, but I’ve read that rally drivers preferred the 544 over the 122 because it was a little lighter on its feet, so there may be some credence to what you’re saying.
One of these drove a million miles, so if it doesn’t rust the 1800 is durable. The shape of the rear quarter windows and the tail fins remind me of some Frua designs, so there may some copying of homework there, The 1800 ES “station wagon” is more Volvo and may have inspired both the Jensen GT and the BMW “clown shoe”, and I can see some influence on the early Toyota Corolla liftback
This may be of help for manuals, etc :
https://1800philes.com/
History: https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/volvo-p1800-history/
And I love this old commercial:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=audiepFUsFI
These are wonderful cars, congrats! It’ll be fascinating to watch your progress fixing this one up.
Now you’re up to tbm3fan’s level of car ownership — 11 total, with 9 of them classics (IIRC).
The 1980 Volvo 240 we had from 1982-2003 accumulated the most miles of any car we have owned — 245K miles (estimated, since the infamous VDO odometer gear breakage occurred toward the end).