Snow White’s coffin
It is a major achievement to turn a beautifully designed sports car into a derivative that is at least as good on the retina. Volvo did it in the sixties and seventies with the P1800 and its successor, the 1800 ES. We were handed the keys of the latter at the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg for a short introductory ride.
It’s cold. Not just fresh or close to freezing, no, really cold. Not so strange in itself: we are in Sweden at a time of year when it used to be sometimes serious winter weather in the Netherlands. While the flowers are blooming again and the winter coat can go back to the attic, photographer Arno and yours truly are nickel-and-diming during the photo session of the 1800 ES that we borrowed from the Volvo Museum a little further on. We are standing near the Runes fyr, a lighthouse across the bay from the museum, and the icy wind from the Kattegat lashes our faces. Especially Arno’s; I try to hide as much as possible in the cozy interior of the old Volvo under the guise of ‘I have to write down a few things about the interior’. Or in ‘Snow White’s coffin’, as the 1800 ES was also known.
1800 ES builds on the P1800
You can hardly call it ‘affectionate’, although it is intended that way. The beautiful princess was laid out in a glass coffin in the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, and it doesn’t take a great deal of imagination to see any resemblance between Snow White’s resting place and the rear of the 1800 ES with its elongated shooting-brake body, the enormous side windows, the glass tailgate and the high load floor… The special lines of the 1800 ES are an extension of the P1800 sports car, the first photos of which appeared in 1959, which was presented at the Brussels Salon in January 1960 and which was presented in May went into production in 1961. Both models are identical up to and including the A-pillar and the doors, but everything is different further back.
Enough space for long Dutch stilts
To soften Arno’s suffering in the freezing cold: I did note something about the interior. The first thing that strikes you is that the black leather-covered bucket seats not only look great, but that they also sit well – especially for a car from that time – with quite a bit of support. The backrest is infinitely adjustable and the chair can go back just far enough to accommodate two long Dutch stilts. The three-spoke steering wheel is hard and thin, has a huge diameter and is almost completely vertical. As a result, combined with the low seating position, you automatically adopt a fairly sporty driving position. You look out over a wide, wood-decorated board with lots of round clocks. In addition to the usual instruments, there is also an oil and coolant temperature gauge, as well as a clock and indicators for oil pressure and fuel.
The mix of thick red carpet, dark-coloured wood and black plastic, leather and vinyl creates a chic, sporty atmosphere. The side windows are quite low, but there is so much glass all around that you have an excellent view. You fold the rear seat with a lever, making the cargo space even larger than it already is. Frankly, with all that red carpet, it does look a bit macabre; it is difficult to avoid associations with a hearse. Let’s just say Snow White would have been snuggled up here…
Model with injection from the last year of construction 1973
Because the distance from the Volvo museum to the photo location is barely a kilometer, I have not yet gotten a good impression of driving this beautifully preserved 1800 ES. Time to put Arno out of his misery before he turns into an icicle. With the stove on maximum purr, we take off, accompanied by the characteristic mechanical four-cylinder sound of Volvo’s B20 engine. 1973 was the last year of production of the 1800 ES, with electronic Bosch injection instead of carburetors. With 135 hp at about 1,200 kg, this Amazon-based shooting brake is pretty fast. Just like its predecessor, the P1800 from The Saint (see box), it is not a thoroughbred sports car, but a nice and smooth GT. The chassis with its rigid rear axle is comfortably sprung, the leaning in bends is not too bad.
Take it easy with a museum piece
Of course we have not pushed the limits with this old museum piece, but at lower speeds you can already feel that the rear is already ‘working’ quite a bit during load changes. Up a notch and the butt will run off if you’re not careful. This Volvo didn’t have power steering yet, but once up to speed that’s no problem. As befits a good Swede, the four-speed gearbox shifts robustly, but accurately. It has an electric overdrive, which you operate with a stalk on the right side of the steering column. That works fine; you feel a small shock through the powertrain, see a green light on the dashboard light up, after which the speed drops considerably. So we leisurely zipline back to the stable, where closing time is approaching, but where a cup of hot coffee is probably still available. It was a short, cold, but pleasant introduction to one of the most beautiful models in Volvo’s history.
This story has previously appeared in AutoWeek Classics 3-2020.
Technical data
Engine 4 cyl. in-line, 1,986 cc (B20E)
max. power 99 kW/135 hp at 6,000 rpm
max. torque 177 Nm at 3,500 rpm
Drive rear wheels via 4-speed + overdrive
Wheel suspension from independent, stab./rigid axle, reaction arm, stab.
Brakes v/a discs/discs
Dimensions l/w/h 4.39/1.70/1.28 m
Wheelbase 2.45 m
Weight 1,270 kg
Top speed approx. 190 km/h
0-100 km/h 10.8 seconds
Consumption avg. approx. 12.5 l/100 km
History of the P1800 and the 1800 ES
In 1954, with the Corvette in mind, Volvo presents the P1900 (or Sport), a roadster with carbon fiber body. Volvo’s first ‘sports car’ flops mercilessly: quality problems and low demand mean that only 70 cars are built in 1956-1957. The P1800, which is presented at the Brussels Salon in January 1960, fares considerably better. The design of this 2+2 sports car comes from Pelle Petterson, the son of the man who developed the PV444 (Cat’s Back), Helmer Petterson. There is a special story to it. Volvo boss Gunnar Engellau had asked the Italian design houses Ghia and Frua to make a proposal for the new sports car. Both came up with two options, to which Helmer Petterson secretly added a fifth proposal: that of his son. Engellaus immediately chose that proposal. Politically, of course, that was not desirable. Frua has therefore – in the presence of Pelle Petterson – adjusted some final details of the design for the shape.
It was not until May 1961 that production of the P1800 started. The delay is a result of the failed deal with Karmann – who is to build the P1800 – under pressure from its largest customer Volkswagen. Volvo is forced to move to England, where Jensen takes on the production of the first series. Unlike the P1900, the P1800 has a normal steel body and relies on the robust Amazon for the subcutaneous technology. The P1800 is the first to receive the new B18B engine with twin carburettors. As soon as Volvo opened the new factory in Torslanda in 1964, production of the P1800 was transferred to the old facility in Lundby and the S (from Sverige/Sweden) was added to the type name.
In 1971, after nearly 40,000 units had been produced, the P1800 was succeeded by the 1800 ES, transforming the model from a sports car into a shooting brake in the style of the Reliant Scimitar. The design is inspired by Pietro Frua’s Raketen concept car. Up to the A-pillar, the 1800 ES, including doors, is identical to the P1800. Although the 1800 ES only remained in production for a short time and much fewer were built than its predecessor, the model was a great source of inspiration for later Volvos such as the 480 and C30.
Production numbers
P 1800 (1961-1972) 39,777
1800ES (1971-1973) 8,078
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl