“ Show winner, need we say more? Okay then; if any classic car can fulfill the role of daily driver, it’s one of these. ”
This one is an especially good example of the breed with the quality of its restoration continuing to shine, even three decades on.

Background
The Volvo P1800 coupé entered production in 1961 but only really hit its stride a year later after Volvo agreed to give one to a dashing vigilante by the name of Simon Templar. (Jaguar had said they didn’t feel able to supply an E Type, something they have probably regrated almost as much as KTM did after turning down the boys from Long Way Round…)

Mind you, the two were a perfect match: it’s hard to explain now just how cool Roger Moore was before he descended into safari-suit James Bond, and the Volvo was a big part of that suave, devil-may-care image.

Because the Volvo P1800 has all the Good Stuff: the Frua-inspired but Swedish-designed lines were still a million miles away from the stolid, sensible shapes the company would soon be famous for and the mechanical components were lively enough to get the job done in a workmanlike fashion; the B18 carburettored engine fitted to the early cars developed 100bhp, enough to give the P1800 a top speed of around 110mph.

Regardless of how the fuel is metered, the P1800 goes about its business with uncanny reliability with an American example holding the Guinness world record for recording the highest mileage in single-owner private hands, racking up an astonishing 3,000,000 miles.

Overview
Finished in Californian White, the same shade as The Saint’s car, ‘NNP 819K’ is a Volvo P1800 that’s been so beautifully restored that it comes with “a crateful of trophies and awards along with copies of multiple magazine features.”

The registered keeper bought it back in 1994 for £1,500, a saving of £250 on the asking price, and the only problems on the 75-mile drive home were the rearview mirror and exhaust, both of which fell off.

He set about restoring it – and modifying it to suit his tastes: “I decided early on not to be a slave to originality. I have never been able to resist customizing to some degree, and it gives me a great excuse for not winning prizes.”

Nonetheless, modified or not it has won a stream of awards over the years, and these awards will stay with the car as they form an important part of its provenance.

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