Estimated Price: £28,000 - £32,000
The P1800 was intended to be an Italian design, reflecting the country's reputation for style. However, the favoured design was conceived by the Swedish son of the man behind the project, who was working for Italian designers Frua after graduating from New York's Pratt Institute. His father arranged for the design to be considered amongst the final contenders, and it was selected. Volvo maintained for many years that it was an Italian design by Frua, only officially crediting the young Swedish designer in 2009 for creating one of the world's most distinctive sports coupés.
The prototype was presented to Karmann, who were ready to undertake production until Volkswagen, their principal customer, forbade them from accepting the contract. Volvo turned to Jensen Motors in the UK, agreeing a contract for 10,000 cars, although only 6,000 were built. Pressed Steel Ltd was subcontracted to produce the bodyshells, which were transported by rail to Jensen's West Bromwich factory. The first production P1800s left Jensen in September 1960.
Originally registered on 30th July 1962, as recorded in its early buff registration book, this Jensen-built example, chassis number 3812, is finished in white with a contrasting red interior and equipped with a four-speed manual gearbox with overdrive. The current V5C records a registration date of 1st March 1980, although the reason for this later date remains unknown. Historic records confirm a colour change during its lifetime. The odometer indicated 24,536 miles at the time of cataloguing and the V5C records three former registered keepers. Accompanying documentation includes an early buff registration book, a period Volvo P1800 instruction manual, invoices and paperwork.
Having spent over 30 years off the road, it was acquired by our vendor at auction in 2022 as a bodyshell containing numerous parts. The previous owner had spent years restoring the Volvo, including repainting the exterior and fitting new seat covers, although the project remained unfinished and left untouched in his garage for years. Our vendor, a longstanding Volvo enthusiast with eight examples of the 1800 series, was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the bodywork and original components, reporting that only the passenger-side sill required replacement.
The exterior received a full respray, whilst the underside, which the vendor advises had never been undersealed, was cleaned of its old paint and repainted black. Keen to retain as many original components as possible, the vendor reused existing parts wherever practical. The engine was removed to allow the engine bay to be repainted, before being refitted and serviced with replacement rubber hoses. The brakes and shock absorbers were also renewed. Our vendor advises that all the chrome remains original to the car, apart from the hubcaps, which were sourced second-hand at a cost of £1,200.
First displayed as an unfinished project at the 2022 Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, the Volvo subsequently completed the 145-mile journey from Suffolk to the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show in 2023. Further mechanical attention followed in 2024, when the engine was rebuilt. Since its restoration, the car has regularly attended local classic car shows and Coffee and Classics events, although the vendor advises that it has only been used once during 2026.
With the ever-increasing cost of restoring classic cars, acquiring an example that has already benefited from such extensive work represents an appealing proposition. This desirable, early Jensen-built P1800 combines distinctive styling, extensive restoration work and a rebuilt engine, with an interesting history and accompanying historic documentation.
- Body TypesOther
- Transmission
- Exterior ColourWhite
- Interior Colour
