Before he starred as James Bond, the late Sir Roger Moore played the role of Simon Templar in the television spy thriller “The Saint” from 1962 until 1969. It was in this role that his chosen mode of transport was a Volvo P1800. If you wish to channel your own inner spy, then this 1968 Volvo 1800 S might be the car for you. It is located in Tampa, Florida, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding is currently sitting at $5,100, and with the reserve now met, the Volvo is set to head to a new home.

First things first. I know that there is a difference between the P1800 and the 1800 S. I was merely using it as a point of reference in this case. This Volvo looks like it might be a fairly solid car. The photos that the owner supplies are not the greatest, but they seem to show a car that is essentially fairly free of rust issues. The most prone areas such as the lower rear quarter panels look like they are solid. More vitally important is the fact that the front ends of both rockers appear to be free of rust. This is quite important, as this is an area that can cause problems, and rectifying these problems usually isn’t a cheap exercise. The panels seem to be nice and straight, and given the generally good consistency of the California White paint that has been applied to the panels, it would be interesting to see how it would respond to the application of some polish. All of the external trim and chrome is present, although it looks like some of it, including a couple of the hubcaps, sports some dings and damage. The bumpers look like they would restore quite well, but the owner has a new pair that can be included in the sale for an additional $990.

The Volvo’s interior is another area that will need very little to make it sparkle once again. All of the upholstery looks good, with no signs of any splits or tears. The dash and pad appear to be tidy, while the wheel also looks pretty decent. The most obvious flaw is the carpet, which really is looking tired and a bit threadbare in places. With that in mind, I had no problems in locating a high-quality full carpet set for around $250, so this is an interior restoration that could be quite inexpensive.

Residing in the engine bay of the Volvo is the 1,782cc B18 4-cylinder engine. Fed by a pair of SU carburetors, this engine pumps out 115hp. Backing the B18 is a 4-speed manual transmission, which sends the engine’s power to the rear wheels. While the 1800 S was no muscle car, it was still able to eventually find its way to 110mph. Having said that, getting to that speed required patience, especially when you consider that the 0-60 time was 13.9 seconds. This particular Volvo was treated to a carburetor rebuild last year. It is now said to run and drive really well.

The Volvo 1800 S is a car that has developed its own cult following. There are many reasons for this. The first of these is that it is a quirky and unusual car. The second is that they are an extremely entertaining vehicle to drive, especially on twisting roads. The fact that they are built like a tank means that they are tough and robust. Probably the clincher is the fact that parts remain readily available, and are also extremely affordable. Maybe all of those attributes help the 1800 S to tick a lot of the right boxes for you. If this is the case, then perhaps this is a classic that you should seriously consider.