Chassis No.: 1826353038437

Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania

$20,900 USD | Sold

112 bhp, 1,986 cc OHV inline four-cylinder engine, Bosch fuel injection, four-speed manual gearbox with overdrive, independent front suspension with upper and lower A-arms, coil springs and anti-roll bar, rigid rear axle with trailing arms, coil springs and Panhard rod, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 96.5"

• Late production example

• Well-equipped with A/C, Nardi steering wheel and Panasport wheels

• An example of the car made famous by Roger Moore in TV’s The Saint

Development of Volvo’s P1800 sports model began in 1957, with development headed by Helmer Petterson, who was responsible for the groundbreaking PV444 during the 1940s. Petterson’s son Pelle, who was then with Italy’s Frua, handled design. Frua produced three prototypes, and the P1800 debuted in coupe-only form for 1960. Jensen assembled the bodies from kits provided by the Pressed Steel Company. With elegantly rounded styling, good performance and Volvo’s characteristically robust construction, the P1800 Coupe was later joined by the P1800ES variant. Carefully developed and refined, the P1800 remained in production through 1972.

Despite Volvo’s longstanding reputation for practicality and safety, the P1800 offered a superb sports-car experience and gathered an enthusiastic following. In 1962, it was driven by Roger Moore’s character Simon Templar in the television series The Saint, which marked a corresponding uptrend in P1800 sales. Interestingly, Jaguar had earlier declined this product-placement opportunity for its E-Type. As a result, a succession of white P1800s, all bearing “ST1” registration plates, was prominently featured throughout the entire run of The Saint.

A very nicely presented, late-production example from 1972, this P1800E Coupe is finished in lovely Sky Blue. It joined the current owner’s collection in December 2008 when it was acquired from the California-based prior owner, who purchased the Volvo in 2001 and had it carefully maintained by Swedish Speed, a Volvo specialty shop in Riverside. With approximately 58,000 miles showing today, the P1800E is well equipped with air conditioning, a Nardi steering wheel and Panasport wheels. The original wheels are included with the sale of the car. This handsome example is also complete with a selection of service records from the previous owner.

https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/hf11/lots/r173-1972-volvo-p1800-e/