Something’s way wrong here. This 1971 Volvo  1800E simply can’t be selling for the price listed here on craigslist. That number, you’re now wondering, is what? $7500. It’s thanks to tipster TJ that we know about this car, which is in Orinda, CA. The car itself looks outstanding, is a popular model, and has had what appears to be a couple of tens of thousands of dollars spent on it. How can it be going for down payment money?

The odometer shows upwards of 114,000 miles, but the engine has been completely gone through. The list of parts and work includes things most of us have never even heard of. Got a spare fuel injection vacuum sensor lying around? Me neither, though there are some old Ford carbs sitting on a shelf in the garage if you need them. This car has had mechanical everything thrown at it, from engine to cooling system to brakes, and in the photos, the engine in particular looks to have been carefully redone.  It even has the hardened valve seats that allow it to be OK on contemporary-formulation unleaded gas, and has been updated to the new style rubber crank front and rear main seals. I say that simply to note that there’s been a laundry list of work done to this Volvo, work which would justify a price tag of double, or even more, what this one is going for.

Even better, the car has been in a garage for thirty years, and according to the owner, it’s got its original, and stunning (according to me), gold paint, though if that is true, why does the craigslist ad say “custom” when describing the paint? Do we care? It looks good as is, and there is no rust. The interior looks a little bit wrinkly, but serviceable and decent, something you wouldn’t want to mess with.  Perhaps a dash pad would be in order if one is available. The factory one appears to suffer from a crack.

If this price is real, and you buy this car, you’ll be in good company. This model was essentially a product of the 1960s, with production of the 1800 series running from 1961-73. The predecessor P1800 got its pop culture fame from the TV series The Saint, which saw Roger Moore driving one. The other most famous 1800 was the 1800S of private owner Irv Gordon, who put 3.25 million miles on his unit, driving it until his death in 2018. Can you see yourself equalling that in this tidy 1800E?