Before Volvo earned highly-favored status among safety snobs who didn’t mind driving an indestructible brick-shaped conveyance, Volvo struck gold with a more sporting steed, its gorgeous Italian-styled mini-GT, the P1800. Exuberantly offered “with title!” this 1967 Volvo P1800 wears the dust of neglect. The spartan description here on Craigslist flippantly announces, “pics say it all.” One might disagree, seeing a vehicle with engine installed while the ad describes a “roller” with engine, transmission and “various engine components” removed. Perhaps the asking price of $4000 delivers the Snohomish, Washington classic with the advice that some questions are better left unanswered. For more information, reach out to the lonely seller! Thanks to reader Gunter K. for spotting this svelte Swedish garage find.
Call it aeronautically inspired or Scandanavian flair, the controls and instruments suggest speed and flight, the latter mostly in boundary of two-dimensional travel. The nifty P1800 engaged buyers from 1961 until 1973 with its immutable forward-looking design. Positioned in America as a European pony car, a scaled-down Mustang, Camaro, or Challenger, the P1800 would have appeared in comparison charts with Datsun’s Z and the Ford / Mercury Capri. On styling alone, though, it’s hard to beat the P1800. Thanks to Wikipedia for some details.
Delicate curved fins tapering into mini-thruster tail light impart the look of a space-traveling shuttlecraft. Of course, the aforementioned brick and a P1800 slice through the vacuum of space with equal aplomb, but let’s permit spaceship designers some artistic expression. Meanwhile, back to Earth, Ensign Fitch! Best suited for a pair of adults, the 2+2 rear seating accommodates children or willing victims of all ages. “Resale Red” paint and a black exterior make a timeless combination that’s as popular with today’s front-engine rear drive cars as it was in the ’60s and ’70s.
Even enthusiasts outside the P1800’s fan cult may recognize another specimen driven by the late Irv Gordon as the 3.2-million-mile Guinness “highest mileage private vehicle driven by the original owner in non-commercial service.” Even when not accumulating millions of miles, these dart-shaped GTs enjoy a reputation for reliable service. Would a Volvo like this be your choice to drive for three million miles?
These cars are getting into the rare department these days. Get this one for less than the 4K asking price you might have something worth restoring. A dirty car with all the parts piled into the interior drops the price way down for me to get interested in it at all.
Todd, a ’67 1800 is an 1800S, not a P1800. Pass it on….
You’ll be upside down quicker than you can say “money pit.”
yes, agree with Bi C on the $, but hopefully most interested in this are either long on youth, $, or otherwise are in on being a patron of the “automotive arts”, not in making $ on a resale…..
Good Canidate for a resto mod.
I do see that although the floors inside look solid at first glance, there have been a number of flat-steel patches already tacked in….not well done, not a good sign. Also, the one picture of the rockers shows significant rust. Looks like a big project…will take some money, but someone will probably strike a deal for less than the ask and proceed?
Ad says the front grille surround has been sold. A NOS version will likely set the new owner back around $500 to $600 plus shipping. If he also sold the black plastic grille too, that typically sells new for another $400.
I’ve restored a couple of these, and the price is a bit high considering all the unknown $ variables. Lots of metal work needed, plus interior and probable drive train rebuilds. And today a very nice paint job can quickly exceed $10k.