In the late 1950’s Helmer Petterson, the mind behind the successful Volvo PV444, led the engineering team toward constructing the company’s first sportscar. An inherently practical Frua design, the P1800 was made famous on the television series “The Saint”, starring Roger Moore.
Originally built by Jensen with a carburetor 1.8L engine and bodies by Pressed Steel in Scotland, the 1800 (P1800, later 1800S) saw production shift to Sweden due to quality issues. In 1969 the four-cylinder engine was increased to two liters, and by 1970, a new D-Jetronic injection system was adopted across the model range until the final year of the 1800, 1973, when only an elongated shooting brake version (1800ES) was offered.
This extremely original 1800E was built in 1970 and sold new in 1971. It has less than 9,000 genuine miles on the clock, and features mostly original paint, Volvo’s upgraded fuel-injected B20 engine, a four-speed transmission with overdrive and four-wheel disc brakes. At the time of our acquisition in, it was the best and most expensive Volvo 1800E in the world.