Volvo P1800 ES - Sold

Description

Once again a Swede has made it into the hall and this time it's a really special piece: a 1973 Volvo P1800 ES, aka “Snow White's coffin”.

The car was imported to Switzerland from the States by the previous owner and the interior was upgraded via a detour to Spain, just as the owner had imagined. We also like the work, but the interior is of course not for purists.

The bodywork and technology should convince even the most sensitive enthusiast - this was worked on in Switzerland and the result can be seen from every angle. The revised two-liter injection engine runs perfectly, the gears can be distributed sportily and the underbody leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. No rust, no dents and no leaks - as befits a painstakingly restored classic car. Receipts and pictures of the work carried out (approx. CHF 65,000) are available.

The original color is 113-2 orange and really suits the car. The all-round glazing is also in surprisingly good condition. A fantastic station wagon that will be on the road for many years to come and will hopefully also push the odometer over the limit several times.

Model history

Volvo chief designer Jan Wilsgaard was given the major task of giving the P1800 a facelift and integrating the old 1950s design into a modern shooting brake, which was presented in Paris in August 1971. He succeeded perfectly in minimizing the chrome-plated tail fins and combining the sporty lines with Scandinavian glass art in the 1800 ES. Thanks to its low design and long hood, the new sports car with estate rear end looked fast even when stationary.

The unique car quickly became a legend, and like every legend in the automotive sector, the 1800 ES had pet names. All over the world, the car is still referred to today as „Snow White's coffin“, „flying trunk“ or glass „rocket“ - the car has earned all three names. Behind the huge windows, the fast Swede concealed the largest luggage compartment in the entire sports car kingdom at the time. A whopping 1,020 liters fitted into the carpeted glass cabinet, which was more than suitable for a princess. If, in addition to golf bags and diving equipment, surfboards also needed to fit in, an additional roof rack could be ordered.

The world loved the car, but despite its beautiful design, good workmanship and elegant colors such as light blue metallic, green blue metallic, light yellow or white, only 8,077 vehicles were sold worldwide during the entire production period. The reason was probably the price, as the beautiful Volvo cost more than the American Corvette or the German Porsche 911. The power also left something to be desired, as the concept was the same as that of the P1800 designed by Pelle Pettersson at Carrozzeria Frua in 1957: look faster than you drive.

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder injection engine with 124 hp had less power than a BMW 2002 tii Touring and the Volvo often only saw the rear lights of the 911. On the other hand, the 1800 ES was extremely reliable and from August 1972 was the first sports car to offer automatic seat belts and side impact protection as standard.

Volvo has always stood for reliability and also used it to drum up publicity. The ultimate proof of its longevity can be found in the Guinness Book of Records: Volvo customer Irvin Gordon bought a Volvo 1800 S in 1966 and by the time he passed away in 2018, it had clocked up an incredible 5.23 million kilometers. That corresponds to over 130 circumnavigations of the earth.

Despite the worldwide euphoria surrounding the 1800 ES, Volvo announced the end of the glass work of art as early as 1973. The reason? The design of the 1800 was so outdated that it could never meet the upcoming US safety regulations.