Volvo P1800
The Most Beautiful Volvo? An Icon? A Cult Car? The Volvo P1800 is a sports car developed to enhance Volvo’s image worldwide—and the strategy proves successful. The car is designed by Pelle Petterson, a young and unknown design student collaborating with the Italian firm Frua. Not a bad first step in a long design career—for beyond cars, Pelle P. has also designed boats, mopeds, lawnmowers, and sportswear.
Upon its launch in 1961, the P1800 is equipped with the newly developed B18 engine in a sports version delivering 100 horsepower. The model gains additional recognition when actor Roger Moore drives it in the British TV series The Saint.
On a Friday in April 1966, American high school teacher Irv Gordon from Long Island, New York, purchases the very 1800 S now displayed at World of Volvo. By driving the car over five million kilometers (three million miles), Irv and his Volvo set a world record in 2013.
Volvo’s Attempt at a fiberglass sports car: The P1900
When Assar Gabrielsson sees the new Chevrolet Corvette at its launch in 1953, he immediately believes Volvo should have a counterpart. The Corvette is the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body, a concept that also captures Gabrielsson’s interest. Volvo signs a contract with the boat manufacturer Glasspar in California.
However, the Volvo Sport—later known as the P1900—turns out to be a failure. When the first prototypes arrive in Gothenburg, it becomes clear that the frame is too weak, the fiberglass cracks, and the fit is poor. The new Volvo CEO, Gunnar Engellau, drives the car for a weekend and is reported to have said on Monday:
"I thought it was going to fall apart!"
He immediately decides to discontinue the P1900. Only 67 units are produced over a span of just over a year, between 1956 and 1957.
Volvo aims for a top-class sports car
At the same time, Engellau remains convinced that Volvo needs a flagship model, particularly for export markets. The Volvo management quickly decides to develop a new sports car, primarily based on components from the Amazon but with a shorter wheelbase: 245 cm instead of 260 cm. Helmer Petterson, involved in several Volvo projects, including the PV444, is part of the decision to terminate the P1900—but he now takes on this new project.
A father-son collaboration shapes the future
His son, Pelle Petterson, is passionate about design and studies at Pratt Institute in New York in the mid-1950s. Helmer and Pelle begin exchanging ideas about the new sports car’s design. Helmer sends material across the Atlantic, and Pelle returns sketches. Meanwhile, Volvo’s leadership contacts several Italian design firms during what is considered a golden era for Italian automotive design. Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin is offered the project, and its director, Luigi Segre, meets with Volvo’s management alongside Helmer Petterson and Gunnar Engellau.
Italian design wins—but sparks conflict
Engellau selects the design he finds most appealing but is irritated when he learns that it was created by none other than Helmer Petterson’s own son, Pelle. Ghia’s main client, Fiat, also dislikes the idea of the firm working with other car manufacturers. As a result, in 1957, Ghia acquires its neighboring Turin-based company, Carrozzeria Frua, making it free to work with other brands.
Prototypes and Italian craftsmanship
Frua is entrusted with developing the Volvo P1800, and at the age of 25, Pelle Petterson travels to Italy to begin working on the prototypes. He is impressed by the craftsmanship and how Frua’s designers use templates, much like in boatbuilding. The P1800 remains Pelle Petterson’s only car design—he later devotes himself primarily to boat design but also creates mopeds, lawnmowers, clothing, and golf clubs.
Volvo finds a manufacturing solution in the UK
Once the prototypes are completed, the next challenge is determining where to manufacture the car. The German bodywork manufacturer Karmann is approached, but Volkswagen requires its full production capacity. Other manufacturers in Germany and France are also considered. Ultimately, Volvo secures a partnership with the British company Pressed Steel Co. Ltd., which presses the bodies at its factory in Linwood, Scotland.
Final assembly also takes place in England, as Volvo’s capacity in Gothenburg is limited. Jensen Motors in West Bromwich, near Birmingham, is contracted to assemble 10,000 cars—far more than the company had ever handled before.
A powerful 1800 cm³ engine
By late 1957, the three prototypes built by Carrozzeria Frua are transported to Gothenburg for final evaluation. In May 1959, Volvo releases the first images of the P1800, and the car makes its public debut at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1960.
Although the original plan was to use the B16B sports engine from the PV544, the P1800 is ultimately equipped with a brand-new, larger engine, the B18B. It features a five-bearing crankshaft, a cylinder head with separate intake ports, and is an overall robust engine, delivering 100 horsepower. The gearbox is a four-speed manual, with an optional Laycock de Normanville overdrive, commonly used in British cars, including the Jensen Interceptor.
Manufacturing issues and the move to Sweden
Many components are sourced from British suppliers, including electrical systems from Lucas, brakes from Girling, bearings from Vandervell, wheels from Sankey, and carburetors from SU. Additional suppliers come from the U.S. and Italy. Volvo provides the engine, gearbox, and chassis, sourced from the Amazon but modified.
However, the P1800 faces early production challenges. Assembly quality at the Jensen factory is poor, with issues such as sloppy paintwork and improperly fitted seals. Additionally, the Scottish-made bodies have defects, leading to repeated disputes between Volvo and Jensen.
When the Torslanda factory opens in 1963, assembly of the Volvo P1800 is moved to the Lundby factory in Gothenburg. At this point, the car’s name changes from P1800 to 1800 S—S for Sweden. Of the 1964 model year, the first 6,000 units are built by Jensen, while the rest are assembled in Lundby. The front seats are also upgraded with adjustable backrests, and the rear seat becomes foldable.
The Volvo P1800 becomes an icon
The car receives an unexpected boost from British television. When ITV plans a series based on Leslie Charteris’ The Saint novels, Jaguar E-Type has just been launched, making it the obvious choice for the main character, Simon Templar, played by Roger Moore. However, Jaguar is unable to provide a car.
The producer shows Roger Moore an image of the P1800, to which Moore reportedly says his heart skipped a beat. The production company contacts Volvo in London, which agrees to provide a car. While this product placement is invaluable, Volvo still receives full payment for the car. Later, Roger Moore also owns a P1800 privately, as does Sweden’s future king, Carl Gustaf, whose first car after obtaining his driver’s license in 1966 is a P1800.
A record-breaking Volvo
The car displayed at World of Volvo has its own remarkable history. In April 1966, Irv Gordon purchases the car new. By Monday morning after the weekend, he returns to the dealership—not to complain, but because he has driven so much that it is already due for its first service.
Irv Gordon continues driving—daily commuting 200 kilometers to his job as a high school science teacher and extensive travel in his free time. By 1987, he has covered one million miles (1.6 million kilometers). He then surpasses two million miles (3.2 million kilometers), then three million miles (4.8 million kilometers), ultimately reaching 3.25 million miles (5.23 million kilometers).
Despite the extensive mileage, the car remains remarkably reliable. Irv Gordon passes away in 2018, but his legendary Volvo lives on—likely forever.