Friday, March 25, 2022

Why The Volvo P1800 Is A Design Masterstroke

 Why the Volvo P1800 Is a design Masterstroke,

https://www.hotcars.com/why-the-volvo-p1800-is-a-design-masterstroke/ 

I recommend reading this global review of the P1800 attraction, at the same time I fully object the statement of the Author "The P1800 is a forgotten classic car that showcased early Swedish design."

Nothing could be more wrong, any authority in the P1800 history world including my friend Pelle Petterson himself. (the very P1800 designer) would confirm it. The intent of hosting the design at Frua which was a full scale coach-builder whatever commercials later ended with purchase by Ghia, was solely to give an clearly emblematic Italian signature to the car, to compete with the Ferrari and Maserati of the time. Surely it did, because the Frua workshop just hosted at the very same time the famous A6GCS 2000 Sport. The "Frua line" was synonymous with the good taste of a single man.  No wonder the design of the P1800 rivals those thanks to the supervision of Frua and the right mix and soft touches done by Pelle including some of his American attractions inherited from his Pratt institute earlier curriculum and US life.

Never again since the P1800 got any Volvo car such a mark of paternity with a given school of design like the one of the P1800  "the Italian 60's GT sportscars".


 


 

A6G54 spider by Frua


1957 Ghia Luigi Segre + Pelle Petterson + Pietro Frua and the P1800 wood frame prototype