Volvo's Greatest Car And How The Brits Almost Killed it! Volvo P1800s
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 มิ.ย. 2024
- We all know about the P1800's showbiz history through The Saint but this car has some other substantial links to Great Britain and a surprising link to The 007 film Goldfinger as well! Today I see how it is now as classic and how much you would have to pay to buy one!
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Roger Moore not only bought one of them, but drove the car over a hundred thousand miles, all over Europe, signing up TV stations for his new show called 'The Saint' : He was a shrewd and clever Producer and owned a third of the rights to the books. He was in profit even before they began filming.
He did exactly the same thing in late 1969, when he selected an Aston Martin, again, travelled across Europe and raised cash for 'The Persuaders' - at the time, the most expensive TV show in British TV history, at a cost of nearly $100,000 per episode. Again, as uncredited producer and part owner, they were in profit even before they began filming!
Such was the respect and character of Moore, he went to Lou Grade of the ITC network to commission the show...and both men merely shook hands on the deal...there were no contracts or paperwork. They trusted each other and it paid off.
Jay Leno currently owns the original car used by Moore in the early series of The Saint.
Fascinating!
Wonderful story
Such a great series.
Thanks for the further detail 😊
Sorry if it seems nerdy, but I feel Roger Moore gets a lot of bad press sometimes and is much under-appreciated. I worked in Broadcasting from the mid-80s and never met anyone who had nothing but respect for Moore. He was admired and liked by his crews both as a Producer and a Director! He was also a very successful Film Producer, usually Uncredited!
Here in the USA the ad agency for Volvo got cheeky.
Pictures with prices:
Aston Martin $12,500
Ferrari $12,900
BMW $10,500
Maserati $11,400
Facel Vega $12,990
Mercedes Benz $11,099
Then headline:
What’s it like to own a $10,000 car?
Followed by a profile shot of the P1800 and second headline:
Find out for $3,995.
Then the ad copy.
Cheeky!
What they didn't mention was SAAB was building a far more capable car for about the same price.
@@tauncfester3022
Why would they mention that? They weren’t selling Saabs.
Personally, I like the looks of the Volvo better but I realize that’s only my opinion.
@@vladtheimpala5532 So, that's why they didn't, the P1800 was a farm implement compared to the car from the jet aircraft maker.
Have you driven or owned either car?
The P1800 was sort of retro sporty, but it wasn't any more different than a number of other sport coupes made in the 1950's and 60's and it had a generator when most cars of the era were equipped standard with alternators. The 1969 SAAB had fuel injection, OHC, FWD, a really spacious interior with a big curved windshield that your forward view was surrounded by, it's like the A pillars didn't exist. And a very willing and torquey engine with a wide ratio 4 speed that you could drive at 65 on the freeway while it ticked over at 3200 RPM.
My dad had a white P1800 in the late 60s. One day when he walked towards the car, there was a group of kids admiring it. One of them asked: Are you the Saint?
I had a yellow mini , well it belonged to my GF at the time , one time I'd borrowed it and was returning to it , and this group of children looked at me ( I was wearing a tweed jacket ) and giggled ... "Mr bean" ...
Whenever I see the 1800s I immediately think of Simon Templar and the Saint!
My thought exactly.
DITTO. The man was terminally hip, even before James Bond.
wow thats bloody amzing considerng that was the whole bloody point lolololololol
@@PazLeBonDo you know how to read? I stated that whenever I see one, I've been seeing them for over 50 years. Now bugger off!
@@adrianmonk4440 he started out as a male model , promoting knitting patterns .
One of the prettiest cars ever imho... They are even more beautiful in the flesh. My local Volvo dealer displays his own 1800S permanently in his showroom, it's immaculate.
Thanks so much for not having audio tracks. I love hearing the cars in their completeness. Engine, exhaust, suspension clunks. Great overall description. Next to add smell-o-vision. One of the best part of classic cars is the leather, petrol, oil, wood varnish smells.
My parent's had an early split bumper P1800 before I was born, it caught fire twice, the second time on the drive back from the garage where it had just been restored. Unfortunately they had to sell it because my mum was too pregnant (with me) to get behind the wheel. Something I have jokingly got the blame for, every-single-time they reminice about how much they loved that car.
I've had 4 of these, 72 1800e (fuel injection) 68 1800s,71,1800e (scrapper, sold for 200 quid!) and a 1800es that I used every day as a normal car.
I owned one just like this, except it was a RHD UK car. In 8 years between 1996 and 2004 I covered around 50000 miles as a daily driver, including a trip to the Volvo factory at Gothenburg. I spent a fortune on fighting deep-seated rust in the bodyshell. Panels were expensive even then, and they have to be fettled, welded-in and leaded - true coach-building. Fantastic cars, but wow the price now! I paid £1750 for mine and sold it for £4000, having spent something like £25000 on it.
It wasnt much Different with a BMW 3 0 Csi Coupe or Audi 100 S Coupe
I worked on a project in Sweden. A colleague there had one of these Volvos that his father had owned since new. It was also RHD as Sweden changed from driving on the left to driving on the right in 1967.
still an old mans car tho
@@paulketchupwitheverything767 Volvo (or basically any manufacturer) only sold LHD cars in Sweden even back in the RHD days. I guess you could special order an export model.
i bought a 1967 1800S when I was 21 in 1981 for 200 quid, but couldn't afford to repair it. It had Borg Warner overdrive. Swapped it for a 121 Amazon. Amazed at what they go for these days... I will always remember the first time I drove it at night, with those lovely turquoise clocks. happy days... lovely video, thanks
Laycock overdrive
that was a lot then birdbrain
The most beautiful car Volvo has ever made. I bought a book on Volvo P1800s before I could learn to drive some 42 years ago. It was pre internet so bought it just to look at the photos. White with minilites for the win.
I had a '64, black. Wonderful machine, and definitely one of the best cars I ever owned.
My car! I enjoyed this video as much as the one Jack did recently on my fabulous Lancia Flaminia GTL.
It may surprise you to know that there are only 140 P1800’s of all variants currently road-registered in the UK. This makes my specific model very rare indeed. It could be for sale…
One of my favourite memories is in around 1972/73 we were camping at Byron Bay NSW a very beautiful part of Australia and Dad' friend arrived in one of these as it was his company car ( he worked for Volvo Trucks )to taking us to a grass airstrip to take up a Cessna for a joy ride. He parked the P1800 next to the plane on the strip taking off and landing next to it. It would have been an amazing photo opportunity for Volvo advertising. It was so cool even cooler today.
I did some business with a different branch of Volvo, and one of my counterparts pointed out that Volvo is not a car company, but rather an engine company. All of their other dovisions exist to move engines. This applies to cars, ttruck, industrial vehicles, as well as their marine engine group. So the fact that Volvo subcontracted ssembly to Jenson was incidental to Volbo's business objectives until Jenson didn't perform. Once I looked at it that way, everything became clear.
I don't know about that, I still think they were (are) a car and truck company. You could say the same thing about any other car company. Or you could argue that Volvo is an interior company that sells interiors, and everything else in in service to them selling interiors.
you mean like every other major car manufaxturer lol
@PazLeBon I'm not sure that I agree with that generalization. VAG is very clearly a car company.
@@jehl1963 i dunno who vag are mate so not that clear
@@PazLeBon Volkswagon Audi Group.
Looked at a couple of these at a local car classic car show. Lovely looking cars. Also liked the 1800 ES with the glass tailgate , incredibly stylish
The first ones have some of the prettiest lines of any car ever made both inside and out. The dashboard is sumptuous!
this is an exceptionally handsome example of Volvo's masterpiece ... absolutely gotta LOVE the Minilites on there ... the only drive I had in one was with a famous bandleader and TV show host, Raymond Scott in '71, with whom I was building a new music synthesizer in a fabulous shop/warehouse/living quarters in Farmingdale, NY on Long Island ... we had been working on the soon-to-be-famous instrument, the Electronium, in its raw, circuit board and metal chassis form when Raymond said one day "Let's go to the North Shore to the custom cabinetry shop that's crafted a case for the instrument." ... "Hell, yeah," sez me and he said wait outside ... the garage door opens and Raymond slowly backs out a British racing green P1800 ... my jaw dropped ... 20 minutes of commercial area driving and then into Nassau County's open roads north into a small town called Glen Head where the shop was ... the Volvo just glided thru the sometimes twisty single lane roads up there til we got to the place ... I recall the shop owner, also a superb craftsman, looking out thru the front window of his shop as the P1800 pulled up ... he came out to greet us and asked "What is this? It's gorgeous!" ... Raymond flashed that trademark twinkle in his eyes as he showed the P1800 off ... the custom cherry walnut curved case for the instrument was beautiful but couldn't hold a candle to the Volvo ... one of the most memorable drives in my electronics project history
One of my favourite cars. Roger Daltrey had one back in the day, not what you'd expect from the 'horrible 'oo
My uncle had one of these when I was a kid and I was very disappointed when he sold it to someone else before I could buy it off him. I still have surprisingly fond memories of a trip to Teeside with my aunt and uncle up front with 3 kids in the back seat.
I had a '64 when I was in college, and if it's any consolation, I've always regretted selling it.
That car is the epitome of COOL.
Absolutely beautiful aesthetic, a real neat GT. Love it.
This. Brings back memories…. I had a 1970. Fuel injection electric overdrive…. Sailing down the highway at 110 MPH. hit the overdrive. Float along at 125 MPH. AWSOME UNIT. !!!
Ahhhh, it never loses its looks....wonderful design; in- and outside.
Grew up in the back seat of of a 1962 Volvo 544 in the 60's. My Dad was a closet car nut, and I'm sure if he didn't have me and my sister to lug around, he would have bought an 1800S. When the 544 finally bit the dust due to the horrendous salt poured over Canadian roads in 1970 he bought another sensible family car, a Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. I've always loved the 1800S, but the ES1800 was the one I've always wanted.
u didnt have a house? that sucks
@@PazLeBon It was quite comfortable back there, lots of leg room, and a good Swedish heater to keep us warm during the cold Canadian winters.
@@norton750commando lol im sure
road salt, not even once.
I'd forgotten what a fabulous looking car it is! The interior is wonderful as well. Volvo would do well to reference it in its future models.
My dear mom loved the SAINT… and that Volvo was a real hit with everyone! Memories… iconic car… and actor!
The Volvo P1800 are great cars. Many years ago I owned a mint condition 1961MY Volvo P1800 in white with red interior. I still miss that car. It was just wonderful sitting beside the car admiring the lines of the beautiful bodywork. To my eyes the early P1800 is one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
I am of course a huge fan of Roger Moore and the Saint.
Thank you for another brilliant and interesting video.
Time for a cold beer accompanied by another great and relaxing video from Number 27.
Life's good.
Greetings from the Netherlands
Isn’t a bit early for a beer? Anyways, cheers from London 🍻
@@oliverlondon5246 It's 6 o'clock here in the Netherlands after a hard day's work.
I lived in the UK for 6 years (in Preston) and at this time the pubs were always full. Haha!
Got a cold one in front of me , cheers buddy .
Now the theme tune (or part of it) is playing in my head once again. I just love the P1800s and this one in white is spot on with the saint on the back. We have discussed it here before but it is a crying shame how the British car industry 'shot itself in the foot' and in this case it wasn't even the fault of Jensen that it lost the contract. It probably is Volvo's greatest car in terms of prestige and the Amazon 123 is not far behind. Who says Volvo builds boring cars? Thanks for another great review Jack. 👍👍
Great series theme. I love playing it "surf style" on the guitar for fun.
I had 2 Volvo 480ES "sports estates" in the 1990s and 2000s - not a supercar, but a practical daily, and many smiles per gallon! 😁
Morning Jack! One went for auction last week here and reached $35,000. Very tidy. I was a kid and loved watching The Saint. The 60s for me were glamourous, lashings of chrome tasteful interior designs etc. when i look at the lumps of plastic made by Volvo,BMW etc today. Theyve all the style of an electric toothbrush
I'm from West Bromwich where Jenson were based. Back in the 80s, my Dad used to send his kid (me) to get the Sunday paper from the newsagent. One of the routes I could take involved going through an alleyway in which, one day, a red P1800 in a bad state suddenly appeared. It was first P1800 I had ever seen in the flesh and I did have some affection for Volvos as the first new car my Dad bought was a 340 (the third car ever in our family). Over successive weeks I saw the car get robbed of parts and vandelised. A really sad end to a lovely car. It was only much later that I learnt of Jenson's involvement and wonder if the example I saw was an early "Jenson" model.
The 340 DL was just a Renault and it was crap in the snow .
@@user-qc5tx3sg1vthe 340 was a DAF design with a Renault engine
I'm no Volvo fanboy, but I think that is one of the loveliest cars ever. The lines are just so clean and simple and subtle. It's a bloody good-looking thing. It makes other cars of the period look like they're trying too hard.
It feels great just to sit in, very nice and tight, like a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 Gullwing. Jaguar told the Saint people they could not only NOT supply the XK-E because of backorders, but the rep told them that a Jaguar would 'never' appear on on a 'television' show only for the XJ-S to make its world debut on RETURN OF THE SAINT with Ian Ogilvy, a disgustingly underrated series. The Corgi diecast version of both are also great and Roger Moore got a new one for he show each season, plus who knows how many others. It is one of Volvo's greatest cars, doing for them what the 1979 M1 did for BMW, keep them ahead of their time and endure as long as they have. We'll see how north companies do in the next few years after some production issues. Thanks for yet another excellent, priceless video!
ogilvy version wad way better
@@PazLeBon Well, it depends. FLIGHT PLAN is my favorite Moore/SAINT while I am not sure which Ogilvy is my favorite, but they both are long overdue for HD release, though some out of print compilation Blu-rays form the now-defunct Arrow U.K. had select shows in HD and Shout! Factory has posted fairly good HD copies of the first Moore season on their website, but they need fully restored Blu-ray Discs.
@@nicholassheffo5723 will check em out ;)
I ran one of these when I was a student in 1980. It certainly wasn't a collectable back then, I blew my £300 student grant on it ! (£1200 in today's coin)
Regarded as nice looking car back then ,well made, with potentially higher running costs that drove like a run of the mill set of wheels.
I grew up with this car, my dad had a red 67 1800S and ended up being my first car. Lots of good memories hearing you running through the gears.. thank you!
Thanks Jack! 🙏🙏 Enjoy going down the Volvo rabbit hole, they're quirky and underrated!
Since my teenage years fifty years ago I’ve asked myself what happened to Volvo styling after the P1800? A Volvo worthy of a retro model as Renault have done with A110. Thanks for the review, Jack. What a lovely car. The P1800 is timeless.
I really enjoyed my red P1800. It was brought to Canada by a member of the military and it had swedish on the dials and guages. People didn't know what it was and since it was red some thought it was a Ferrari!. Sadly I couldn't keep up with the rust. I eventually sold it to a local doctor who has a California car that had been modified for air conditioning and looked terrible. I like to think part of my car is still cruising around. WIsh I could afford another. Thanks for the ride by the way👍
I was very surprised how good the engine sounds. That's because I know the 140-series a lot - uncle drove a 144. Same B20 engine but a far cry from the sound of that P1800S that you drove, Jack. Must be the fine tuning (You mentioned a different camshaft) and the exhaust. Lovely sound! A nice moment at 3:41 when you met the modern Volvo. The later derivate P1800 ES shooting brake was the first P1800 with a steep hike up in prices around 10 years ago here in Austria. It is nicknamed "Schneewittchensarg" = snow white coffin in German speaking countries.
Such a pretty car. While it may not be Volvo's greatest car, the fact that it holds the world record for miles driven says a lot. Someone actually had to sit in the car for that many miles, which means it's a very cozy & comfortable place to be. And somewhat reliable.
It Lacked the online 6 from the 164e
I used to watch The Saint as a kid. It’s such a pretty car.
Next to the 300SL, the P1800 is one of the most beautifully designed vehicles ever. Perfect proportions, and not a bad line anywhere. And that interior!
I had a white Jensen built '62 P1800 from the early 90's. Lovely car to drive, so relaxing and softly sprung. The overdrive worked on all gears on my one, don't know if they were all like that. It caught on fire one day but I managed to put it out before any real damage was done, just some burnt wires and fuel lines. I kept it parked up for a further 10 years. The passenger side floor split due to rust and I finally sold it as a non runner for £1000. After seeing this video and what they're worth today I wish I'd held on to it longer.
Nice piece! I had one for 10 or so years, red with tan interior. Easy to work on.easy to tune the twin Sus. but that was a steamy cockpit. The engine heat would wick through the rubber pedal gaskets in the firewall and made may a toasty Summer drive even with an aftermarket AC. Great to hear her again.
Ah the memories. My late dad had one in red. Still have some parts from it at home. ❤️❤️🥰
Not a Volvo expert by any means but, I do have some very fond memories of these cars. My maternal grandmother died decades before I was born in the early 50s. My grandfather remarried in the mid 30s to a woman from Connecticut here in New England. Members of her family would visit them up here in New Hampshire. One cousin of my step grandmother had a station wagon version of this car with the big glass tailgate. He would come up every summer with his wife and his two daughters that were twins and the same age as me. I’d never seen a car so beautiful or two 12 year old girls as pretty. I looked forward to those two weeks for many years!
In years past, I’ve owned three 1963 cars, an MG midget, an E-type Jaguar, and a P1800s. Back then they were slightly rough used cars. All three together cost me under $4,000!
Excellent video, I turned down an offer to purchase an 1800ES in the early 80s', I have regretted that decision ever since!
My wife had the estate version of the 1800 for a few years, and it was fun, and in IMO even more attractive than the coupe. As you say they are a bit lumbering to drive with very heavy steering, so the designs to an extent write checks that the performance can't cash. But it was quite reliable - the engine only has about 12 moving parts and only takes up about half of that massive hood :) She sold it as it was just very difficult to get parts for in the US at the time (20 years ago or so)
I came close to buying a P1800E in the late 1990s, I intended to fit it with an Oldsmobile 215 engine. At the time installing Ford 289 engines was a thing, there was a how-to book out on the subject. I actually had the engine and had the car in my driveway for a few weeks, other events put the kibosh on the project. They are beautiful cars, one view of them I really liked was of the rear fin from the side mirror.
I used to own a beautiful Californian 1971 1800E coupe, manual with O/D in mustard yellow in amazing original condition (.....manuals and tools). A total barn find in Los Angeles when they were not worth much. Think I paid US3500 in about 2000.......sold it to friends in San Francisco in 2003 when we moved back to Australia. They went on to win some local car events (best original un-restored 1800 I think). Great car, drove really well with 350K original miles on it. It just looked great from any angle - regret selling it to this day - and now they're worth lot$$$$
I'm looking into buying a 1965 year model of the Volvo P1800, for my birth year, hopefully in Red! I hope to start a classic car collection of cars from the year 1965, and there is a lot of them, American, and European!
I remember in the early 1970s seeing a couple of P1800ES, looked quite flash at the time. Quite rare now I imagine since only just over 8,000 were built in the two years they were made.
I ran a LHD 122S estate for many years (almost 30) The P1800 is on a very similar floorpan and suspension setup. The steering is not rack and pinion, it's a box with all the balljoints and play that implies. Whilst i've not owned a P1800 and only driven a couple over shortish trips, I found the 122S or "Amazon" as it's fans call, it to be unequalled by ANYTHING, including my track prepared Triumph GT6 MkII, at a cross country A and B road hustle. At least once you got familiar with it.
My 122S was a little vague and sloppy around the straight ahead position, not enough to fail an MOT, but it was there. So I tried to adjust the steering box (at around 140K miles it was no spring chicken) and found what you have got there, the steering off center became stiff and ponderous for only a minor gain in straight line positivity. I put it back how it was and never worried about it again!
That 1 owner 1964 LHD estate was the best £100 (in 1982) that I ever spent in my life. Used it every day as a mobile workshop, towed heavier cars than it was on a 4 wheel flatbed trailer all over the country, brought both my kids home from hospital in it, you name it, it did it and never failed to start or perform. The best thing I did was buying it and the stupidest thing I ever did was selling it! I'll never be able to afford another!
Don’t forget the P1800 ES, which was the ‘Estate Version’ and probably the most beautiful estate car ever built with its all glass tailgate. I owned the coupe back in 1977 and only wish I’d had the foresight to put it away in storage because I would love to have one today, so many years later.
What a style icon in coupe design. They look so cool when you see one in the metal.
My 66 sucuumed to rust, as so many did, but before it did I had the engine rebuilt and then I drove it in the mountains above Boulder, CO. The car was perfect for that environment and was exciting to drive.
I was going to say, it sounded like you were coasting half the time you were speaking. Very quite inside indeed. GT indeed.
Beautiful car. In '84 I flew to Alaska to be with my brother, who was in the hospital after a serious accident. His nurse, who became a family friend had a red 1800 and I had the opportunity to take it for a spin!!
My parents had one of those bough new. They used it as a GT car and drove all over the USA. They finally wore it out after over 200,000 miles. I don't remember the exact mileage but it was a lot especially for the the time. Great car.
Probably the beat looking car Volvo ever made
No probably about it for me, re: Volvo. I like the Amazons, but this is on another level.
I really enjoyed this presintation Jack and learnt a lot more about the P1800. Things not covered in other presintations such as being built in England. Thank you.
Still a car I love. A very understated elegance, with a nice engine. Roger Moore used his own car in the series. Which was a commitment to a vehicle he enjoyed to drive, Even the fins were fitting for the design, without any excess.
Hahah after all your videos I am straight onto autotrader to look at the prices. Great video.
Me too. Seems good ones go between 15 thousand and 25 thousand around 50 thousand miles. 😅
Me too😂
Sadly soon All Gas cars will be illegal in EU and most states of the USA
It is a timeless design and still looks great! That car is a beauty!
The P1800 is a very stylish car. And yes it was the perfect car for Roger Moore’s Saint. The later Return of the Saint and the use of the Jaguar XJS was also a great choice.
Stunning looking car, always loved seeing it in the saint...
Oddly I was always told it was Aston Martin that had spurned the offer opening the door for Volvo. Lovely car, always wanted one!
Ahhh a drive thru the beautiful British country side surrounded by rows of queen ann lace flowers driving a mechanical work of art. A little taste of heaven on earth.
Drop dead gorgeous !
The P1800 became better known in France yaers after The Saint ended.
Thanks to a TV host (namely Frédéric Taddeï) who turned into an almost co-star in the show "Paris dernière", visiting Paris nights from inside one.
Thank you for this video! Terrific car! We will never see Volvos quite like this again!
I have to admit, that Volvo P1800 looks so awesome and gave me The Saint vibes!^^
As always, I really enjoyed the video on the car so much, Jack.^^
Great looking car, very reliable I heard of one doing 3 000 000 miles still going ❤❤❤❤❤
My buddy/housemate just after High School - "JP" lived with his family in a 100+ year old house in Sea Cliff NY (at least.That could have been closer to 200 years old!) . They had a few interesting cars, plus a mannequin head, colloquially known as "Gregory Peckory" JP would occasionally drive MG-TD JP's personal car was a red P1800 he drove for years. A daily driver, as most of them were - rarely if ever trailer queens,. JP's Volvo had an upper radiator hose wrapped in duct tape. It was never, ever babied. It didn't look rough, nor did it look polished. Just a regular workaday car to get around in. I also remember an 1800ES in the area, The woman drove it with the seat so close to the steering wheel it seemed like an optical illusion. The seatback actually tilted forward vs tilting back or even vertical. Always made me smile - that car was ivory white and looked to near perfect. Beautiful!
Loved the look of these since seeing the first one in The Saint series.
The car from my favorite TV series of all time. Thanks for the great video.
Great to hear the history of one of the best looking cars ever.
Had one of these back in the 80’s. Same color combination. Never should have sold it 🤦♂️. Most difficult thing back then was getting the carbs to balance. Otherwise, the car was bulletproof 😃
Thank you Jake for another brilliant history lesson. I have always liked the P1800s and you have stirred something deep inside me. Keep up the great work.
Hi Jack, I would love to hear(and see) a review on the Lotus Elite (the original 14)
What a cool car! I'm pretty sure there was a p1800 that ran for something like a million miles on its original engine etc.... cracking stuff as always Jack buddy 👍
Hey dude.. yes.. 2.8 million!!
@Number27 WOW!!!! 2.8 million!! That's truly unbelievable buddy!
Great car~ Had 2 of them~ The E was the best and fast!
I too had the fuel injected one. Tail happy in the wet (probably my clueless driving) the steering box chassis mount failed due to rust. Loved it, though.
@@robcookson7559 Thank you Sir~
Please test a Fiat 2300S Coupé and an Alfa 2600 Bertone Coupe or Berlina (I love the strange 2600 Berlina Mafia sedan and also the old Fiat / Seat 2100 and 2300 Taxi Sedan with 6 cylinder!!!)
American watching from the State of Rhode Island in the U.S.-Never owned a Volvo-or any foreign car for that matter-but-have-seen one of these around from time to time-I can count on one hand how many in my life-and always in well-used condition-and always-with just a simple black interior-didn't even know you could get colors-often been curious to know more-fun/interesting review-answered all my questions-including my long-held suspicion that though it said-Volvo-Gia was involved somehow.
What I found intruiging about the P1800 was its status as far as the Revenue were concerned. In the 1960s all imported cars were hit with crippling import duties. These not only filled the exchequer's coffers but protected BMC and the rest of the British motor industry from overseas competition. The P1800 had its bodyshell made in Oxford by Pressed Steel, an independant company in those days, and was assembled by Jensen, alongside the A-H 3000. The Brakes were made by Girling and the axles by Salisbury. Only the engine and gearbox were made by Volvo and shipped from Sweden. It was really a British made car, yet it attracted full import duty and was very nearly as expensive as an E-type at £1800 odd when an A-H3000 was only £1000. People think that BL went bankrupt because they made crap cars like the Allegro and Marina. NO! It was because we made the disastrous decision to join the Common Market and suddenly European cars were let in tax free. The only way BMC could sell a vintage Farina Oxford/Cambridge with drum brakes and 1920s suspension in 1968 was to price it hundreds of pounds below the Fiat/Renault competition by the government imposing 25% import duty. Once Euro cars were compeyayive on price it was a silver bullet for BL. Would you have an Allegro when an Alfa Sud was a similar price?
So in the end you admit the allegros marinas were crap
So they got complacent and didn't innovate?
You get it.
So, "BL went bankrupt because they made crap cars like " every car they were making at the time.
@@shanedevlin8834 Said Marina and Allegro were crap halfway through.
I read that the back story was that Volvo management had decided on a Italian designer for the new sports car and Pelles design was kind of sneaked in and caused some upset since they had gone to the Italians and anyway got a design from a Swede… From what I read the design story was unique even for the 60's since every detail was designed by Pelle, from doorhandles to exterior lines - the proper design houses would have junior designers for some mundane elements.
Thanks a car I enjoyed having you review
My mate Dave and his brother were taken to dinner by Roger Moore as young kids in this car, he never forgot Moores kindness
Toyota imported a similar car to America called the celica gt. Really looks like they borrowed some of the lines in the 70s
Wonderful video (as ever) from Jack. To my knowledge, there's an additional, even more surprising Goldfinger-connection: The DB5 interior scenes in Goldfinger were shot inside a P1800 (and indeed apparently one of the Saint-cars).
Jack your enthusiasm is 👌
I saw one of these at Cross in Hand (Sussex) stock car circuit, The very last event before the circuits closure by the local authority. Early to mid 1970's. A green p180 was entered into the run what you brung race, it threw a back wheel complete with half shaft. In true stock car tradition it was fixed and driven home by the owner.
What a pretty car!
They Made one with an Aston Martin 4 cylinder engine as prototype
@@Haffschlappe yes the tested 3 cars with a mighty 2500 4 cylinder DOHC and they also tested the Coventry Climax Lotus OHC engine, the Lotus engine was more reliable but too expensive as large production unit so they kept the affordable and robust B1800 OHV farmer engine.
My uncle in Salzburg had one from the 60s till dont know in the 70s (exactly the same, white!). Along with another Volvo. Were good cars back then. I was fascinated how it kept the speed (160 - 180 km/h) on the Autobahn - then no speed limit in Austria. Visiting from Guernsey with a 35 mph limit - despite Jaguar Mk2 😉
The body shells were actually made by Pressed Steel Fisher in Linwood , Scotland , and I used to see them stacked up , ready for shipping back to Sweden , in Grangemouth docks , this was when The Saint was already on TV and well known .
If you stand next to a Volvo P1800S very quietly, you can hear it rust. Neglected it can rust so badly, it definitely qualifies as a British car.
Not worse than Italian ad french cars
A Fiat Dino rusts even faster
I consider that you have described the 90% of most of the 1960s and 70s motor vehicles - cars which were equipped with none to very mininal amounts of rust protection - and in some cases 'water/dirt' traps which worsened the situation. I consider one worst cars was the early 1970s Mk3 Cortina - what absolute rot box.
Love your videos, never miss one, one of the best reviewers on the internet, outstanding, many thanks. It's wonderful to see these older highly interesting cars.
You’re too kind!! So nice to hear to enjoy the videos Jay!
Nice one Jack, I’ve always loved the shape of these!
The 3.2 million mile Volvo was built in Sweden three years after Volvo had ended the contract with Jensen early because of quality issues.
The Swedish-assembled models are known to be much better built than their British brethren.
Jensen only built the model between 61 and 63.
Approximately 6,000 were built by Jensen and that number only amounted to a little over 12% of production.
Apparently it can now be seen at the newly opened World of Volvo exhibition in Gothenburg.
Why did Jensen build crappy qualiy?
@@Haffschlappe When did they ever build anything that wasn't crappy?
Do I remember them making a shooting brake model late in the run? What an absolutely stunning car.