Necessity is the mother of invention. When the P1800 was under development, Volvo’s original intention was for the cars to be built by Karmann. However, clashing contracts with Volkswagen left that company unwilling to take on the project. Eventually, the task fell to Jensen Motors, and less than 6,000 vehicles were produced before Volvo took over production in-house. This 1961 P1800 is one of the Jensen-built cars, and it needs some restoration work. It is located in Olympia, Washington, and has attracted 22 bids since being listed for sale here on eBay. This action has pushed the price along to $2,425 in a No Reserve auction.

The main reason that Volvo moved the production of the P1800 in-house was due to quality control issues with Jensen. This manifested in several key areas, with rust problems being one of the driving forces behind the change. Jensen sub-contracted Pressed Steel to produce the shells at their Linwood plant in Scotland. Pressed Steel then freighted the completed bodies to the Jensen factory in West Bromwich, England. The bodies were shipped on open railway cars, which left them exposed to the elements, as well as to pollutants from the locomotives that hauled them. Both factors contaminated the shells and left them prone to corroding before the cars reached the final assembly stage. However, any early P1800 that has survived to this day has to be a pretty good one. This one does have rust, but it is repairable. It has impacted the rear wheel wells, but the floors appear to have little more than a coating of surface corrosion. It is also visible in the lower rear quarter panels, but these areas look like they could be repaired using patches. My biggest concern is the rust in the lower front fenders where they transition into the rockers. This might not seem to be a big deal, but getting this repaired correctly is one of the most difficult tasks in a P1800 restoration. This area is triple-skinned, and care must be taken to ensure that it is thoroughly inspected and repaired by someone who knows what they are doing. There have been plenty of restored P1800s that have started to redevelop rust in this area because previous repairs weren’t carried out correctly. The majority of the trim is present, although the side moldings appear to be missing off the driver’s side. What can be seen of the glass looks promising, with no signs of any significant issues.

The Volvo’s interior is largely complete, but it doesn’t look pleasant. I’ve scouted through the supplied photos, and the only item that I can’t spot is the original radio. All of the other pieces are there, and while everything looks dilapidated, the existing parts could be used as templates to produce new items. It would certainly be worth investigating whether an upholsterer could reproduce the majority of the pieces because the cost of restoring a P1800 interior can set people back on their heels. The dash cap is a perfect example. This one is badly cracked, and the buyer will have to choose whether to attempt a repair or replace it. I would probably try to repair it first because a high-quality replacement will cost about $580. That’s just the tip of the iceberg because the rest of the trim prices are comparable. I hunted around for a full trim kit, including seat foam, a headliner, a dash cap, a carpet set, all of the upholstery, and all of the associated hardware. Are you sitting down? The cost was an eye-watering $3,500. That kit included vinyl upholstery for the seats. If the buyer desires genuine leather, they need to add a further $500 to that total. It’s a lot of money, I do not deny it. However, I will give you this point to ponder. How often do you need to replace the interior trim in any classic car? If it is done correctly and is treated with care and respect, interior trim can last indefinitely. That means that if you bought this car and restored the interior, by the time it required attention again, the chances are that it wouldn’t be your problem!

The Volvo comes with its original B18B 4-cylinder engine. This 1,778cc powerhouse should be capable of producing 100hp. At least, it would if it wasn’t in pieces. However, all of the components are present, so a rebuild would be possible. What is missing is the original M40 4-speed manual transmission. That means that the owner will need to find a replacement. If they aren’t worried about complete originality, they could also choose to search for the later M41 transmission. These were available with electric overdrive and made the P1800 an accomplished open-road tourer. One of the great attributes of the B18 engine is its bullet-proof engineering. It features five main bearings and has a strong competition history. The fact is that these engines still see service in Scandanavian domestic rally competition to this day. Mechanical maladies don’t seem to be an issue in the cauldron of motor-sport, and most cars that don’t finish in these rallies do so because they find themselves parked at some awkward angle in the roadside scenery!

For decades, Volvo had a reputation for building staid and boxy cars with a firm emphasis on safety. The fact is that they did build a true sports car, and good examples today can sell for some very healthy figures. This is an early example, and the fact that it has survived this long without crumbling to dust is reassuring. Restoring it is going to be a big job, but it certainly isn’t impossible. It also would seem that it could be well worth the effort. Jensen-built examples are the ones that consistently command the highest prices. A spotless example won’t leave you any change from $30,000, although $35,000 is not beyond the realm of possibility. This is a car that could cost a pretty penny to restored, but if it sells for somewhere around its current bidding level, then it could also be a financially viable project that is well worth considering.