1966 Volvo P1800S Coupe
The story of the creation of the Volvo P1800 begins back in 1953
when Volvo co-founder and Vice President Assar Gabrielsson visited
the USA and while there he had the opportunity to visit GM and see
the new Chevrolet Corvette production line at Flint, Michigan.
While in the US Gabrielson also observed that European sports cars
such as those from Britain, Italy and Germany were becoming
popular, especially with celebrities. When their version of the
sports car was driven by Roger Moore in the TV series The Saint,
sales picked up.
For consignment, a 1966 Volvo P1800S couple, owned by the same
family since 1973. In 2013 the mechanics were refreshed by Doherty
Automotive in West Chester, PA, a renowned shop in the area for
foreign cars, especially Swedish and German. The P1800 model is
also infamous for being the Guinness Book or World Record for most
mileage with 3.2 million being recorded and verified.
Exterior
Five designers submitted their concepts for the P1800 coupe and the
one chosen was actually a Swede, Pelle Peterson. That design, we
now see our 1966 example bathed in Graphite Gray, has a front end
with some British influence with its single round headlight on the
end of the front quarters, and central chrome edged open wide oval
grille, indicating perhaps some Italian influence which pervades.
Some of the brightwork is in fine condition while other pieces
could benefit from some restoration. As we tour visually back, we
see a trim spear, high doors, well minded gaps and a slight wrap
around windscreen. The roofline dives downward and has an aircraft
influence and as it descends to the trunk line, it takes from the
upper doors and runs a line rearward that will eventually form the
rear quarters with a fin-like upper protrusion which will make a
blunt point ending for the taillights on back. These lights are
oval and flank an inward raking roll pan with a Volvo badge on the
top and a shiny bumper below. A flat trunk lid is between these
"fins". 15-inch steel wheels wear proper Volvo hubcaps. Overall,
the paint is very nice with minor imperfections that are limited to
some bubbling on lower panels.
Interior
Some European influence with sleek black vinyl high back buckets
and raised hip support tuck and roll inserts and Swedish cars are
characteristically similar but also different and unique in their
styling cues. The rear bench shows some wear where the tie down
belts may rub with the seat backs down. The simple dash is headed
by a 2 spoke steering wheel and blue accented gauges within the
driver's sightline, along with a unique vertical set of gauges. We
note the speedometer's plastic face is cracked. The rest of the
dash shows some patina with the exception of the Sony head unit
which provides AM/FM/CD music in a modern way. A small shifter
rises from the center hump on the floor and has a wood knob while
being surrounded by stitched cloth panels that meet smooth mats on
the floor. The headliner shows some usage but is intact. The trunk
is clean and lined with a rubberized mat.
Drivetrain
Under the hood is a clean, driver quality presentation of a 1778cc
inline 4 cylinder engine fueled by two SU carburetors, backed by a
4-speed manual transmission with overdrive which sends power to the
rear wheels and 4.56 gears. Power disc brakes are up front and
power drums in the rear. Receipts will come with the car to show
the work to refresh the carbs, wires, hoses, gaskets, wheel
cylinders, ignition tumbler, shocks, and more.
Undercarriage
Here we find driver quality conditions with the presence of surface
rust, some flaking rust on one floor pan crease, errant fluid on
the gas tank but generally dry conditions underneath. Independent
coil springs make up the suspension in front while trailing arm,
coil springs and a panhard bar fill the back. A single exhaust
meets a stock style muffler before exiting stylishly with twin tips
on the right rear.
Drive-Ability
A quick starter, smooth idle and off I went for my Swedish sports
car experience. It had nice acceleration, good handling and bias
free braking. The interior is very ergonomically designed so it was
an easy driving experience. With the exception of the radio, all
functions were in working order. While Classic Auto Mall represents
that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we
cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of
your purchase.
We hope you don't read this as sales pressure, but every P1800
we've had the honor of representing at Classic Auto Mall has sold,
and quickly. Their unique styling is absolutely adored by car
lovers and good ones are getting harder to find. This one is well
sorted and at the same time, is a driver, having traversed the PA
turnpike without issue recently. We fully expect our Swedish streak
to stay alive, and if you're interested in this car, put down the
surstr�mming and give the mall a call or
[email protected] today.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
