The Volvo P1800 is an iconic sports car introduced by Volvo in the 1960s. In this blogpost we explore the history of Volvo P1800, its use in the TV-series The Saint, and the remarkable design work that went into it.
In this blogs exclusive (or very short) series post about the authors favorite car is it time to give room for the Volvo P1800. (Read about the Datzun 240 here). The car was produced between 1961 to 1973, and it enjoyes an unprecedented fame all around the world. This car has gone down in history as a symbol of premium engineering and elegant design.
The History of Volvo P1800
The Volvo P1800 debuted in 1961, offering a sleek and aerodynamic design that quickly caught the public’s attention. The car was equipped with a strong 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 100 horsepower, making it a fast and powerful sports car for its time.
The aim for Volvo was to create a sports car that could compete with the likes of the Jaguar E-Type and the Porsche 911. The production of the car began in 1961, and it was initially built in England. Later, the production moved to Sweden to become an exclusive model of Volvo. The car enjoyed immense popularity and the company produced around 47,000 cars.
The Design-work behind Volvo P1800
The design of the Volvo P1800 continues to impress car enthusiasts to this day. It features a beautiful Italian-inspired design, with a long hood, a sharp nose, and sleek curves.
The car was designed by Pelle Petterson who was working as an intern at Carozzeria Frua in Italy at the time. Read an interview with designer Pelle Petterson here. (in swedish)
The car’s interior is just as elegant as its exterior. It featured a dashboard that was influenced by airplane cockpits, with a speedometer that goes up to 180 km/h, which was a remarkable speed for that time.
Here are some vintage picture bringing you the feeling of the sixties advertising the Volvo P 1800.
The Saint: the TV-series that brought Volvo P1800 to fame
One of the most famous uses of the Volvo P1800 was in the British television series ”The Saint” in the 1960s. Volvo P1800 gained worldwide recognition after it was chosen to be the car driven by the character Simon Templar, an elegant thief with a heart of gold, in the British TV-series The Saint. The series starred British actor Roger Moore as Simon Templar. The show aired 118 episodes from October 1962 until February 1969 and enjoyed great success in the UK and the USA. Even the cars license plate became famous; ST 1. Roger Moore chose to drive a P1800 himself and this made the car even more popular on the international scene. That actual car can today be seen in the Volvo museum in Gothenburg.
Roger Moore made the car look even more glamorous and sophisticated.
The toy car sucess
Surfing on the tv-shows popularity car model maker Corgi Toys made a licensed product, that was created to tie in with the Saint TV show. That was not their first P1800 model, they had first issued a model available in either red, beige or salmon pink in 1961 but it was cancelled in 1965 to make way for this new version.
With white paintwork to match the car seen on TV, a detailed red interior, the iconic ‘Saint’ logo on the bonnet and a miniature of Simon Templar at the wheel i became a smash hit. Nearly 1 160 000 examples of the model were sold. You can buy a new version here.
Läs mer: Volvo P 1800 – the saintly swedish sportscar
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