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.
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
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!
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
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!
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)
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.
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.
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.
A new study suggests that men experience more emotion when looking at
images of car design than they do when looking at images of children.
The research monitored the brainwave activity of men and women when
shown a series of images chosen to elicit an emotional response. The
results showed that, for men at least, car design is capable of evoking
feelings on a par with the most basic of human emotions.
The experiment, conducted by Volvo and EEG specialists Myndplay, was
followed up by a survey asking participants their thoughts and feelings
in relation to car design.
After the ongoing VOX P1800 concept underway, now from Volvo the next-generation P1800 concept, a beautiful car based on the original design of the P1800, very attractive ...
It's the first Volvo to be penned under the
direction of the Swedish brand's new design chief Thomas Ingenlath and
also the first of a series of three concept cars that portray the design
possibilities created by the automaker's new Scalable Product
Architecture (SPA) that frees it from the limitations of its
Ford-sourced platforms. The concept is both elegant and dynamic, but what really makes it stand out are the understated styling references to the P1800 (built from 1961 to 1973), which capture the essence of Volvo's classic coupe without falling into the retro trap. Thomas
Ingenlath explains: “It is a car designer’s duty to reflect and
incorporate design signatures that are vital parts of the company’s
heritage. The P1800 is an iconic Volvo, renowned for its beautiful forms
and detailing. However, using elements from the P1800 exterior and
interior has nothing to do with being retro. We are using these subtle
links to a glorious past to create a future where sheer beauty becomes a
recognised part of Volvo’s identity. That journey starts with Concept
Coupé.”
The Volvo Concept Coupé – the next-generation P1800:
Elegant confidence enabled by the new scalable architecture
Inspired by contemporary, progressive
Scandinavian lifestyle and design as well as iconic elements from the
past, the elegant new Volvo Concept Coupé is the first of a series of
three concept cars that reveal the design possibilities created by the
company’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA).
After a more than a year of rising expectations, the first
design by the new Senior Vice President of Design, Thomas Ingenlath,
showcases how design builds emotion into the Volvo brand and points
toward the next generation of Volvo models, starting with the
forthcoming XC90 in 2014.
“The Volvo Concept Coupé is no futuristic dream car. It is
designed to demonstrate the capability of our new architecture: the
confident stance, the proportions and the most prominent design
signatures. Even though the all-new XC90 is an entirely different type
of car, you will recognize the connection instantly when it is revealed
next year,” said Ingenlath.
Developed in-house for Volvo Cars only, the Scalable Product
Architecture liberates Volvo’s designers and engineers from the
limitations of previous cross-brand platforms.
“The new Volvo Concept Coupé reveals how we could shape our
cars from now on. Free from the superficial surface excitement of other
car brands, we add emotional value to the Volvo brand with the calm,
confident beauty that is the hallmark of Scandinavian design,” says
Thomas Ingenlath.
"Sexy" and "Volvo" aren't usually in the same sentence, but the P1800
was a bright spot of sensual design in the otherwise austere Swedish
company's history. Roger Moore's other suave, gun-toting hero, Simon
"The Saint" Templar, drove one, and the actor loved it so much he bought
one for personal use.
The 2 cars are not that far away, and a Ferrari 250 GT Lusso was built off a Volvo P1800 to create a great replica of Steve McQueens car in Tower Heist.
the result is pretty interesting
The "Ferrari" Lusso used in many of the scenes is actually a heavily
modified Volvo 1800. 2 were fabricated. Corroboration from the builder
found on FerrariChat: "Hi, I'm Erich Schultz. I built the two replica
Lussos for Tower Heist. I was hired by Ralph Lucci of Automobile Film
Club of America, based in New York to do the job. Brett Ratner, the
film's director wanted the job done by Ted Moser of Picture Car
Warehouse in LA. Ted and I are friends so I told Ralph I would do the
job with Ted and act as the project manager. Initially, we were given
just seven weeks from getting the job to the final delivery date for two
complete cars. I thought that this time frame was unrealistic and I
needed ten weeks. We ended up taking eight and a half weeks from start
to finish to build them. The decision to build onto a Volvo P1800
platform was mine. I noticed the similarity between the Lusso's
windshield, A-pillar, and side windows with the P1800, which
incidentally was designed in Italy. I used the P1800 as a platform for
the Lusso mold plug. With the exception of the windshield frame, every
surface and the overall dimensions of the P1800 were changed with metal
work, MDF, urethane foam, fiberglass, and Bondo to transform it into a
facsimile of the Lusso. Our replica is not identical in any way. We had
to settle for very close. We did not have access to a real Lusso to get
measurements or make plans or templates. I had a photo file of pictures
that were downloaded from the internet and had to approximate everything
by trying to scale dimensions from those photos."
As the P1800 enthusiasts are aware, the P1800 was designed by Pelle Petterson in Turin in the Frua workshop, with the same technique and just nearby the various Maserati A6G and other unique Frua creations of the time, no wonder Pelle as per his mandate included in the design all the features of Italian GTs of the time but also the wood mockup frame used was most probably very close if not similar for some parts with the one used for the Maseratis design. This very story of the design of 1800 on its own is epic and worth a book, I was in touch few years ago with Exner junior about his father the renown Virgil Exner who most probably was one of the other designs ultimately rejected with preference for Pelle's design. You may soon see a book in your bookshop about this ...
A Special Limited Edition
Matchbox 1969 Volvo 1800S has been produced by Color Comp for Matchbox USA as a
special limited promotion for the 1960's TV show "The Saint". It
includes a specially made custom production box. Only 50 made. Thanks Michelle to let us know.
this model comes after several variations of special editions based on the model by matchbox
Interesting subject isn't it, for most passionate P1800 drivers like myself, this article on cision-wire wakes-up a core value of our P1800 Passion ! some extracts that speak by themselves:
They say that people tend to resemble their dogs in both appearance and
personality. Could the same be true, personality-wise, of people and the cars they drive?
Unfortunately, most of us are restricted in the choice of car that we’d
really like to own because of financial, family or other constraints. In
the world of fictional TV series, however, there are no such
constraints and producers often very cleverly provide the perfect match
of car and character. Let’s take a look at a few examples.
The Saint
At
first the choice of a Volvo as the wheels for the suave, handsome,
devil-may-care Simon Templar seems a bit odd. After all, Volvos are
staid, reliable transport used by antique dealers and middle class
families, aren’t they? So might the thoughts of the sixties TV watching
public have run when the Saint first hit their screens. However, the
newly launched Volvo P1800 of the time was unlike any Volvo that had
gone before.
Being Volvo’s first sports car, the company wanted
their new model to have a real impact on the buying public and they
turned to Italy for the car’s exterior design. The stunning, curvaceous
lines that the Italian (*)designers came up with were a perfect match for
the debonair flair and good looks of the Saint, played by Roger Moore.
Although not a supercar, the P1800 was no slouch, its 100bhp engine
giving it sufficient performance for those occasions when the Saint had
to outrun the bad guys.
The P1800 was beautiful but it was also
practical; it had a decent-sized boot and could comfortably accommodate
four adults in its coupe styled body. Roger Moore was so impressed with
the car that he chose to drive one himself.
...
There are many more similar examples of enlightened matching of driver
with car that brighten our TV screens but these will have to await
another article. I hope that at least one of your favourites has been
included among the selections above. All that remains is for you to
start asking yourself, “What does my choice of car tell the world about
me?”
(*) Pelle Petterson will forgive the author about the common mistake "The stunning, curvaceous
lines that the Italian designers came up with", this long lasting mistery of the designer of the Car was revealed and officially published by Volvo Cars Heritage only recently after 50years of being hidden, you most probably know all the story, if not read it on Pelle Petterson's and P1800 wikipedia pages that I contribute to keep as accurate as possible for years (see also my humble page about Pelle here)
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