1970 Volvo P1800E

This P1800E was purchased by the current owner, from the owner of a classic car rental club who initially bought the car to be a parts car for his other Volvo. However, it was deemed just too good to part out and put up for sale where the current owner picked it up. The car did need work but a friend, who also had a Volvo P1800E, recommended the company which had worked on his car called RJ Coachworks. After purchase, the car was sent off to have the work done at RJ Coachworks, where it resided for four years having the body restored and painted in the between hours in the schedule of the body shop. Once the long process of getting this handsome gent scrubbed up nicely was done, it was shipped off to Amazon Cars in Suffolk to have the mechanicals looked over and sorted. It now has working and reliable mechanicals to match the stunning exterior and the engine has been properly set up afterinitial issues with rough running. Lots of time, effort and money has been put into this car to get it up to the standard you see now, and the last piece of the puzzle is the interior. A trip to a classic car upholsterer and this car would be exceptionally presentable, the current owner has decided to part ways with the car purely because it doesn’t get used as much as it should.

The bodywork has undergone 4 years of careful restoration, with the paperwork showing huge lists of replacement parts on the exterior trim and panels. The paintwork is stunning, and the colour really lends itself to the shape and ear of the car showing the effectiveness of the styling being that it really hasn’t aged badly at all.

The chrome trim is presenting very well, with much of it being brand new at the time of the bodywork being completed. We would note a small amount of pitting on the driver's door handle, the window trims are just showing a few signs of deterioation & the rear bumper in particular would probably benefit from some polishing. The stunning lines of the car being highlighted by the contrast of the bright chrome on the deep black paintwork. All electrics work as they should, and the glass is all very good excet for one or two small chips on the windscreen. The body of this car is just stunning and gives the car real presence in the sea of bland grey and silver commuter cubes of today. Under harsh studio lighting, we did note a few swirl type marks/very light scratches on the bodywork, such is the nature of black paint, but with some detailing it would be largely eliminated. The 15” ‘Clover Rim’ wheels were recently restored & are also in fantastic condition. These wheels would have been standard back in 1970 and our vendor believes they are possibly the original ones that came with the car. The black on black with chrome highlights extends to the wheel styling, really tying the car together.

In summary then, a large amount of time and effort as well as a considerable sum of money has been spent on the body of the Volvo to get it to this amazing condition. There is no trim missing or damaged and the wheels really suit the overall look. In short, this is a spectacular looking Volvo ready to be enjoyed by its next owner.

Now, where the exterior of the Volvo leaves nothing to be desired, the interior is in need of a little work. There isn’t a great deal to do in the cabin of the P1800 but there are a few little things that need addressing. The seats and door cards, trimmed in black leather are in good condition and show no signs of rips, tears or fraying, which is a welcome sign, with some good leather care they’ll last a long time. The main area of focus is the dashboard, where some of the dials need replacement fixing kits (they’re not falling away or flying about but are a bit loose). Eagle eyed bidders will notice the absence of a radio, the previous owner had an aftermarket one fitted at some point which is no longer present & a new one will need to be sourced. The dashboard could also benefit from being retrimmed, the 50 years old existing covering is starting to show its age with a few cracks. From the looks of it, it is just the outer covering trim, so in theory should be easy to replace. There is a panel to the right of the steering wheel where the light switches are that needs some attention too but again its minor and easily fixable. It certainly wouldn’t need another four years down the auto upholsters to get it looking near new once again.

Everything else in the interior looks perfectly serviceable, carpets, headlining, door cards all look to be lasting well and look ready for another 50 years of enjoyment. This is where the new owner could put their mark on the car though or keep it original in keeping with the rest of the car.

As with the exterior of the car, the underside of the Volvo has seen extensive and professional restoration work with even some previous repair ‘attempts’ being undone and corrected properly. The chassis is a major plus point with this car as you can see from the paperwork, it has undergone a thorough repair process where needed. The front chassis legs needed attention and these were sorted in 2018 by Percival Motors (with help from a specialist in Miadstone),with one of the front chassis legs being built from scratch and welded up to the existing floor. Whilst we mention the floor, there was also a rust repair panel that had been amateurly welded into place by a previous owner which was cut away for fresh sheet metal to take its place.

Mechanically, the engine and drivetrain has also had a thorough going over, with various rubber components replaced for longevity and poor-quality brake parts swapped for higher quality parts. The fuel injection system has been looked over and restored and now with the engine set up properly drives much smoother. The current owner stated that Percival Motors, who have looked after the car for the past few years, commented on the heaviness of the clutch, however the current owner hasn’t found this to be the case when taking the car for long trips down to Goodwood.

The Volvo comes with a comprehensive record of work done in the past few years. The car has recently had significant work done to the metal work and to replace various parts around the car. A summary of the receipts is given below.

- Nearside door locking mechanism fixed, wiper arm replaced – Percival Motor company – 21/01/2022

- Rust repairs to nearside floor area, both front chassis legs, front crossmember, stone chipped and waxoyled – Classic Car Services – 24/04/2018

- Previous rust repair to nearside inner sill and floor, fix poor repair patch on nearside chassis leg, fabricate new nearside front chassis leg, prepare and paint – Percival motor company – 12/01/2018

- Front suspension overhaul, repaired headlight wiring, replacement coolant hoses – Percival motor company – 21/12/2017

- Bonnet pad kit and boot panel kit – Brookhouse Volvo Parts – 17/11/2017

- Brake calliper overhaul, fuel pipe replaced – Percival Motor Company – 18/08/2017

- Replacement brake callipers, lock barrel set, distributor, gearbox mount, prop bearing, diff cover – Amazon Cars – 09/12/2016

- Interior pieces, wheel nuts and trim – Brookhouse Volvo Parts – 01/12/2015

- Tyres – 165sR15 Michelin XZX – Longstone Tyres – 09/11/2015

- Boot panel kit, badges, exterior trim pieces various – Brookhouse Volvo Parts – 24/09/15

- Both front wings replaced, arch repair, both outer sills replaced – Brookhouse Volvo Parts – 26/06/2013

The P1800 was and still is one of the prettiest and most reliable classic cars on the market today. There is a well-known example that exceeded a mileage of 3.2 million miles by the time its owner unfortunately passed in 2018 after he drove it from 1966, which gained it a Guinness world record in 1998. The Volvo also became a household hero appearing alongside Roger Moore in the TV programme ‘The Saint’ which aired in over 60 countries making a profit in excess of £350m for ITV. We’re sure that was purely down to the white P1800 being the star of the show.

The Volvo offered here for auction is a beautiful example of the marque and after extensive bodywork restoration is ready to beat the previously set mileage record. We’re sure that should you come away being the new owner of this P1800E then you’ll want to drive nothing else.

Our estimate for this car is £24,000 - £29,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, so to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’