50 Years ago, Volvo introduced the P in 1800. The beautiful Coupe became a TV star and popular Youngtimer. Unforgettable, the lifestyle-suit remains 1800 ES. A spin with the “Schneewittchen coffin”.

Pelle Petterson loves the sea. in 1964, he won a medal in sailing at the Olympic Games and later as an industrial designer designed elegant yachts. But Volvo fans know 78-Jährigen today primarily because of his outing in automobile design. Petterson designed the P 1800, who in 1961 went all time in the series as one of the most beautiful Volvo models in 1957.

In the first years, the car in the UK was mounted. There he managed also to the TV star. Roger Moore was chasing Cowboys across the island as a private investigator Simon Templar and drove a P 1800 private. Nearly 40,000 cars from the tape ran up to the end of production in 1972. The rarest, but also fascinating version is 1800 ES. Although the lifestyle combined with the pfostenlosen side Windows was not the first car of its kind – that honor to the Chevrolet Nomad – more but certainly one of the most elegant.

For fancy cars, the term Combi was almost an insult at the time, therefore it was called the 1800 ES prefer shooting brake. In England, this vehicle class was popular at the end of the 1960s, there was shooting brakes like the reliant scimitar and the Aston Martin DB5 built in small series with combined rear. On such cars, Volvo should have eye as you aufpeppte the Sports Coupe to the precious combination.

In Germany, the car had gone quickly nicknamed Schneewittchen coffin. Snow White parked as is well known in the fairy tale in a glass coffin, before an over riding Prince brought back to life the Scheintote by Kiss. And the glass rear compartment of Volvo is really a show without sleeping beauty. It is lined with carpet, to open the green tinted glass door one must make friends with a peculiar knob. A few simple steps, the stylish Swede even really becomes the combined. Umgelegter rear bench offers the Volvo veteran 991 litres of storage space.

Also the cockpit is noble, it treats the pilot with a comfortable leather including lumbar support. Who runs the buckle in the illuminated Castle, confronted immediately with the safety precaution, if the Red strap “Please on”-Lämpchen on the instrument panel lights up. We know such warnings also Saab Youngstown timers. After all, it is spared from the Gepiepse and Geträller modern seat-belt reminders. In the early 1970s but, who knew still not compulsory, even the small warning light was a downright pushing feature.

Who today one snag 1800 ES in good condition, must schedule according to Youngtimer quotation for at least €20,000. And who has secured a itself, is it so fast not restore. Total were little more than 8000 ES of the band.

But he so athletic, the shooting brake also looks – drive not so does. Under the long hood, a two-litre four-cylinder engine with 125 HP carries out his Ministry. The engine is still quite well at the gas and on the hakelige four gear it has become used after a few kilometers. However, the unfeeling steering gives no contact to the ground. The rear live axle tramples over bumps. In curves the car is despite his weight of only 1.2 tons quite cumbersome. Even in 1971 there was many cars that had to offer considerably more driving pleasure.

But whether combined or Coupe, the athleticism was the flagship of P anyway never 1800. That is a tough old Swede, IRV Gordon has proven. American bought his P 1800 Coupe in 1966 and has come since then more than 2.8 million miles of (4.5 kilometres) with him. Soon, he intends to crack the three million mark. Actually the retired teacher wanted to pass – Gordon has already achieved two entries in the Guinness book – his record vehicle a Museum, but then he thought differently. He continued it, and when he eventually sold him, then probably only for a proud price: “course for $3 million”, so the American with a penchant for Sweden steel.