The reason behind the P1800 fame, why is it such a resilient car!

We all are aware that the fame of resilience of the P1800 has been demonstrated by our friend Irv Gordon for 5 decades with the highest mileage in the world for a personal car.

This is due to several factors:

•     High class engineering with top materials thought for the long term
•     A design for easy maintenance

Part of the success is the incredible reliability and strength of the volvo B18 engine, this video seems a good presentation of the story behind it, from B16 to the perf  B21!  

Our under-stressed motors will surely guarantee that all the Volvo P1800 will outlive their owners!

 

source (c) Driving 4 answers here

Pelle receives honors for his design of the P1800

Pelle petterson received with great honors a special price from Design & Craft museum Röhsska Museet in Gothenburg. A commemoration of his design of the volvo P1800 in 1957,  65 years ago. 

Several pics including Pelle and the 4 owners of the 3 original P1800 prototypes + the 1st production car. These. Congrats to Ericsson Automobile for this initiative, I have to say that back in the 2 years of preparation of the Viking Classic Autoshow while in touch with Volvo cars heritage head I touched this very point early with Claes, and he then (after 60 years) issued a formal acknowledgement in the name of Volvo cars. That design event is a most welcomed additional step! Thanks again Pelle for this unique design in automotive history. 

 

 

 

more on source (c)Sasha Hamilton here on LinkedIN and on Ericsson Website

and about Ericsson Automobile

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

Irv's 1800S exclusive drive by Magnus Walker and Irv's friend and mechanic

Irv Gordon put 3 MILLION miles on his Volvo P1800, setting a Guinness World Record for the most driven non-commercial vehicle. In this exclusive first drive, Magnus Walker becomes the first person outside of Volvo to drive the car since Irv's passing in 2018 and goes on a very special ride with Irv's friend and mechanic Nino Gambino. 

Hi my friend Irv ! 

I am sure your saw this, this drive is surely keeping the flame of your fame memory.

Your car is simply not only a record mileage 1800 it is the unique Irv's Gordon 1800S and we see you each time we see this car.

Cool, highly cool drive in P1800 restomod by Cyan

This is the new Volvo P1800 Cyan - a carbon bodied restomod using a 420hp touring car engine connected to a five speed manual gearbox with race car suspension and brakes! The P1800 Cyan weighs just 990kg and has no ABS or traction control for that old-school pure driving experience! Here is an in depth review and first road test drive by Mr JWW.

Cyan Racing and the Volvo P1800 Cyan, an interpretation of the iconic Volvo. 

There is only one word used to describe how you feel when you drive it : you feel cool, highly cool!

420 hp for 990kg says it all... 

Enjoy the video by Mr JWW

to buy yours or for more info go to : https://www.cyanracing.com/volvo-p1800-cyan

 

Technical specifications

Engine
Aspiration: Turbocharged
Size: 2000cc
Number of cylinders: 4
Cylinder alignment: Inline
Valves per cylinder: 4
Bore x stroke: 82x93.2 mm
Compression ratio: 10.2:1
Maximum HP/kW: 420 hp/308 kW @ 7000 rpm
Maximum torque: 455 Nm @ 6000 rpm
Maximum boost: 2.7 bar
Maximum RPM: 7700 rpm
Fuel system: Direct injection
Turbo: Borg Warner EFR, ceramic ball bearings, gamma-ti turbine wheel
Exhaust: Dual tube stainless steel, twin catalytic converters

Transmission
Drive wheels: RWD
Gearbox type: Manual synchromesh helical cut dog leg
Number of gears: 5
Clutch: 200 mm, organic disc
Prop shaft: Carbon fibre
Final drive: LSD with customizable ratio

Dimensions
Wheelbase: 2446 mm
Length: 4203 mm
Width: 1748 mm
Height: 1220 mm
Track front: 1466 mm
Track rear: 1489 mm
Fuel tank capacity: 57 litres

Suspension and body
Front: Double wishbone, adjustable camber, caster, toe and bumpsteer
Rear: Double wishbone, adjustable camber and toe
Dampers: Adjustable compression and rebound front and rear
Anti-roll bars: Tubular anti-roll bars front and rear, adjustable rear stiffness
Steering rack: Rack and pinion with adjustable ratio
High-strength steel and carbon fibre body
Roll cage made in titanium

Brakes
Front: 4-piston caliper, 362x32 mm disc
Rear: 4-piston caliper, 330x25.4 mm disc

Wheels
Front tyre size: Pirelli P Zero 245/40-R18
Rear tyre size: Pirelli P Zero 265/35-R18
Front rim size: 8.5”x18”
Rear rim size: 9.5”x18”
Centerlock wheels

Weight
Curb weight: 990kg
Weight distribution: F:R 47:53%

Here we are P1800 413HP Restomod

 This is the new Volvo P1800 Cyan, a modern high-performance interpretation of the classic coupe, or a very impressive restomod if you prefer, from the same guys that won three times the World Touring Car Championship.

Cyan Racing, the official racing arm of Geely Group, is responsible for the design and engineering of this gorgeous machine which is based on the original Volvo P1800 and will enter limited production later this year. That’s right, the Volvo P1800 Cyan is not another special one-off creation.

One can note that contrary to most restomod,  here the general original design from Pelle is kept! showing how valuable it is!

beautiful toy isn't !

 

more here

side note: latest know significant mod of this kind is the Roos Aston Martin 2.5L mod hereunder (built from a stock car w only design change being the hood due to the motor size)

Is this a new P1800 EV electric restomod ?

This car was spotted outside of Volvo Hällered car test track in Sweden and nobody is sure what to make of it.

"I pass the Volvo test circuit outside of Gothenburg when going to work and I often see various Volvo prototypes on the roads.

But a while ago I saw something out of the ordinary and I just had to turn the car around and get some photos of it!!

They were not too happy when I got close at the gas station.... At first I wasn't sure what to make out of it, but it sure does look like a modern P1800? Restomod?

It seems it got the new white “polestar engineered” badge on the grille

"

 

It could be anything including a cover car for another brand.

Firstly, it apparently has wider fenders, in order to accommodate bigger wheels and tires. Then there is the complete absence of exhaust pipes poking out the back - it was suggested that this P1800 might be some sort of factory restomod and EV conversion.
The Swedish car registration info system says it's a 11/03/1964 Volvo 18335 VD Red owned by a person in Kullavik outside of Gothenburg  (car registration details translated)

Interesting is the fact that its previous owner was apparently Jonas Christian Dahl, who owned Polestar back in 2004 and now is the man behind Cyan Racing.
This could mean this is, in fact, a Polestar project, not something that Volvo is doing. Regardless, the P1800’s 60th anniversary is coming up next year and this project could be Volvo’s way of celebrating the iconic two-door.
The trend of automakers glorifying iconic classics by making them electric is actually more common than you might think. Aston Martin is doing it, as are Jaguar and Volkswagen, so all of the above seems quite plausible in this context.

(source Reedit poster + Andrei Nedelea InsideEV)  press1 press2 press3 press4
 

Good bye to our P1800 friend and mentor Irv Gordon

This is with such great sadness that we learned that our friend and guide Irv Gordon passed away while travelling in China Nov 16th while he was telling his daughter "I am having the time of my life"

Words are missing to describe how much he meant for so many of us.

We are missing a worldwide figure and a friend.
I will forever remember the 2 years of preparation with Irv of the Viking Classic Autoshow in France in 2010 where he helped us manage to bring him together with Pelle Petterson the designer of the P1800, this started a friendship for several passions we share together the first one being the P1800 and the second the classic cars, as most do not know that not only Irv was driving his 1800S but also enjoyed miles on other cars too, including several classic cars.

Rest in peace my Friend! Thank you for all the good times, you driving my 1800S, chats, jokes, smile on your face and on the phone all these years, and most important for having set forever among all the flame of the P1800.

Thank you

You've made me feel right at home Thanks. Irv Gordon (driving my 1800S in France 2010)

Irv last picture sent to his daughter "I am having the time of my life!"

read more :https://www.today.com/news/man-drives-record-3-million-miles-same-1966-volvo-8C11307586

Pelle Petterson: I designed the Volvo P1800, Roger Moore made it famous

Designer of the P1800 Pelle Petterson pays tribute to Sir Roger Moore who passed away one year ago, 23 May 2017. For the first time, he drives the 1967 1800 S that Sir Roger was the registered owner of and was featured in TV series "The Saint".

Hemmings about our P1800 book

As Kenneth stated

Nice review yesterday by Hemmings of our (first...) book about the living icon, the Volvo P1800. Worth telling the rest of this fascinating story isn't it...

Pointblank: If you own a Volvo P1800 or are a longstanding admirer of this fascinating sports car, then you must own this book. Without question, this is the definitive P1800 book — no other books on the P1800 can compare.
Laid out in a landscape format of 9 x 11¾ inches in size, this hardcover book, which totals 280 pages of a quality coated stock, was published in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2011. Written by two serious Volvo P1800 enthusiasts, Kenneth Collander and Mats Eriksson, their goal was a simple one: “This book is dedicated to all those people who in one way or the other were engaged in the creation and development of the Volvo P1800 and all the enthusiasts around the world who take good care of these cars, their heritage and history.”
With the foreword written by the man who penned the P1800’s shape, Pelle Petterson, the book is divided into 11 distinct chapters, each focusing on one particular aspect of the P1800’s design and development. There are numerous photographs, mostly black-and-white images, showing the creation of the Volvo Sport prototype, as well as many fascinating photos taken at Carrozzeria Frua of the construction of the first P1800 prototype.

 

Throughout the book there are endless details about the P1800’s construction, insight as to how and why it was designed and built the way it was, and all sorts of noteworthy information and minute details about the parts and trim pieces used in its construction. And the many side stories about specific P1800s and their owners, as well as the many world markets where the P1800 was sold, adds greatly to the P1800s’ — and this book’s — appeal. It’s a captivating and highly enjoyable read, but be prepared for a tough search in finding a copy as they are very hard to come by, although the effort is certainly worth it.

Read more Recommended Reading: Volvo P1800 – From idea to prototype and production

Tribute to The Saint gentleman P1800 driver

Thank you again for the Passion of the P1800 you have set in all of us Sir Roger

read more

P1800 : a stylish midlife crisis

Eye Candy: My stylish midlife crisis — a 1973 Volvo P1800

Few other classics are better able to conjure up the illusion of recovered youth and freedom, writes this connoisseur.

o you’re planning a midlife crisis. Don’t be ashamed: It’s perfectly natural. Marriage, kids, job is a tough row to hoe. You can’t help but see how the row narrows ominously into a rut, and how the rut arcs straight down into the final subterranean stopping place.

There may be no escape, but there’s no shame in trying. Take my advice: It’s essential!

The only problem is how you do it. A midlife crisis should be enacted with style. It should also be carefully planned to minimize the inevitable damage it will cause to one’s finances and personal relationships. For that reason alone, sexual escapades are not recommended.

On the one hand woodgrain seems unexpected in a Volvo. Then again Scandinavia is also famous for slim-lined woody Scandinavian-modern furniture.

But sexy cars are a time-proven substitute. And no classic car still rolling is better able to conjure up that wonderful illusion of recovered youth and freedom — in a thoroughly responsible and affordable manner — than the Volvo P1800.

Friends and colleagues were sceptical when they first saw me swanning around town with this Sea Green popsie — a ’73 1800ES — as my marriage and career crumbled in concert, as if on cue, at the apex of my mid life.

“What’s up with that, anyway?” one asked, genuinely puzzled and a little concerned.

“I don’t know,” I replied, taken aback, because I hadn’t exactly “thought” much when I emptied the account to buy a 40-year-old car I didn’t need. “All I know is that whenever I shimmy in behind the wheel and turn the key, I feel a wave of pure pleasure.”

He understood.

Another scoffed. “Money pit,” he said. But he was wrong.

Back seat offers a good reference point for anyone who might want to restore the front buckets.

Despite appearances, this car is no mere sexpot. It’s a Volvo – originally built to lure the North American masses into showrooms full of sensible sedans, but still a Volvo. The legendary Irv Gordon of no fixed address has driven his ’66 P1800 more than three million miles, earning it a spot in Guinness as the world’s most durable car.

Derided in its day as a “souped-down Ferrari,” the P1800 has outlived all the brittle glitter girls with whom it once tried to compete. It’s hot, loud and cranky in urban stop-and-go – just like any respectable classic with power nothing, a heavy clutch and an engine in your lap — but it sings and swoops addictively on the open road. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive mine across the country tomorrow.

The car is protected by bumpers that can actually take a bump -- the energy-absorbing ones that for a time were mandated in the U.S., first for 1973 models.

The greatest drama of my ownership occurred when Phil Bishop of Pickering Euro Service told me I needed a new windshield. The money pit yawned: Where on earth would I find a funky little windshield for a European sports car that’s been out of production for more than 40 years?

“Let’s try Volvo,” Phil suggested. Ten days later, a sparkling new windshield arrived in Pickering. Cost to me (installed): $400.

That, too, was pure pleasure.

Perhaps nobody, before or since, has pulled off the "sporty hatchback" idea better.

So take my advice: If what you really need is a substitute mistress, nothing beats the P1800 — a spirited but undemanding workhorse with the body of Brigitte Bardot. It’s the ultimate sexist fantasy. Slightly shameful, perhaps, but no one gets hurt.

And when things change, when the crisis passes, and you have no further need of the illusions that sustained you so well in your time of need? Time to sell!

So welcome to Kijiji, darling. It was a great ride. There are younger men who need you more now.

read more 

Why the P1800 is Everybody’s Favorite Volvo

Modern cars are safer, better built, more reliable, and faster than they ever have been before, and unless something major happens, next year’s crop is likely to be even better. So at a time when we have Toyota Camrys putting up horsepower numbers that Ferraris posted 30 years ago, sport sedans that transform from luxury cars to world-class corner carvers with the flick of a switch (while returning gas mileage in the 30s, no less), and an electric sedan with as much horsepower as a Lamborghini, why do we still pine for cars from half a century ago?
Because paradoxically, midcentury cars didn’t have any of the things we take for granted today. They feel “analog” because they are; they’re purely mechanical creations, and at their best, they offer a driving experience that no production car can compete with today. And for proof of how much people are missing “the good old days” lately, take a look at collector car auction prices over the past five years.

read more

P1800 makes a cameo in spy drama

The swoopy Volvo P1800 shares the screen with Tom Hanks in “Bridge of Spies.”

Among the relatively small number of collectible Volvos, one stands out above the rest: the swoopy P1800 coupe from the 1960s. And now Volvo's classic -- built to compete with early '60s British, Italian and German sports cars -- is making a big-screen appearance in Steven Spielberg's Cold War drama Bridge of Spies. In the movie, Tom Hanks plays a lawyer working to free captured U.S. U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, who was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960. In one scene, Hanks is a passenger in a pearly white P1800 that zips through East Berlin in early 1962, driven by an East German lawyer played by Sebastian Koch. For reasons necessary to the plot, Koch intentionally exceeds the speed limit so the police will stop the car and detain Hanks for not having the right papers. That is slightly out of character for the P1800 because, looks aside, it never was known as a speed burner. The P1800's Facebook fans are thrilled to see the car on screen, but several have pointed out the movie car is apparently a later model.

read more