1973 Volvo P1800 ES |

Closed Auction- Unsold

1973 Volvo P1800 ES

This auction has now closed - click 'Register Similar' below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Mileage~108,233 on clock
TransmissionManual
Engine2.0L
LocationBrighton

AUCTION CLOSED

1973 Volvo P1800 ES

Introduction

Alan Stuart

Professional Consigner

Most people will remember the P1800 as the choice of 'The Saint', but these Volvos came in estate form too.

After numerous successes with its coupe P1800, Volvo introduced its final P1800 variant, the 1800 ES in 1972 as a two-door station wagon with a frameless, all glass tailgate. The striking rear glass feature helped inspire future design ideas where similar designs were used on the Volvo 480, C30 and on multiple other Volvo concept cars. For the last year of production in 1973, only around ~8,000 of the 1800ES wagon were produced making it a considerably rare model. Volvo are often famed for their reliability and safety, one of the P1800 models - the 1800S, has been associated with a Guinness World Record for mileage covered. In 1998 a 1800S set the record for the highest mileage private vehicle ever driven 'by the original owner in non-commercial service'. The car exceeded 3.25 million miles, an incredible achievement for a general use road vehicle and a real credit to the build quality from Volvo.

Coming to market from ~5.5 years ownership, the Volvo has benefitted from some recent re-commissioning work in July 2022. The P1800ES is a lovely slice of 70's feel good factor with period relevant styling, wood panelling, comfortable leather seats and gold finish giving a lovely sense of nostalgia.

This listing was written from information supplied by Alan after meeting Mark the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

The P1800ES is a car that has always stood out on the road, there's simply nothing quite like it!

Having wanted one of these cars for many years, the opportunity to purchase this car came in 2015. Trading in a previous car, Mark knew this was truly for him "It had previously been restored and respray before I purchased the car, so it wasn't a risky purchase for me".

The P1800ES has had a recent re-commission project in July 2022 and has had a new fuel tank in 2017. The recent MOT showed no advisories and is valid until July 2023. With the car getting less use each year, Mark has decided to bring the car to market for sale. He'll be happy to answer any questions about it in the comments section below.

Mark

Vehicle Owner

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Exterior
Interior
Mechanics
History
All Images

EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

Packing Italianate style into a functional wagon was a really bold approach for the 70's, the P1800 ES design had stood the test of time.

Wheels and Tyres

Overall the wheels and tyres looked good with no major signs of curbing when we visited the car. 15" Volvo 'V' branded wheels are present on all four corners with the red centre badges showing in a respectable condition all around.

185/70 Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres were present on the front sections of the car with 185/70 Vredestein Sprint ST to the rear. The tyres did show with a little sign of cracking on the side walls likely due to age. Take a look over the exterior gallery section for a close up view of the wheels and tyres on the Volvo.

Bodywork

Walking around the Volvo, the panel gaps for the doors look good and line up in a respectable way. The drivers door could do with being re-aligned due to sitting slightly lower than the main bodywork panelling but didn't pose a serious problem. As mentioned previously, the car was restored before Mark purchase in 2017, and he has dry stored the car since which helps to explain the condition it stands in.

We've highlighted in more detail our observations through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take time to look through all the media files for a detailed view at what’s on offer, and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

The gold paint looked respectable walking around the car and looked very fitting for the 70's. The finish could benefit from a little attention to detailing in the future. We noted no major chips, marks or scratches around the car when taking a look around the exterior. There was a little sign of paint bubbling on the nearside quarter panel section next to the fuel cap at the rear.

Again, we have taken high resolution images and videos of the car for you to assess the condition of the bodywork for yourselves. The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there for yourselves. So please take the time to fully assess these high resolution images and videos of the car, for you to make up your own minds about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

The front windscreen and other glass sections showed without concern. The frameless, all-glass tailgate makes up the rear section of the car giving plenty of view out the back and plenty of light in the interior. The windows are also etched with the original number plate details.

The window rubbers and seals appear in good condition with no signs of excessive signs of wear or degrading. Chrome sections on the exterior looked a little pitted but again, given the cars history, in-keeping with the overall appearance. The rubber bumper strips towards the rear showed slight signs of perishing, given the age of the car and the nature of the material this isn't a surprise.

Take a look through the exterior gallery and review video, we take you across all the areas of the car as if you were standing there for yourself. This way, you can see in greater detail what a great looking car the Volvo really is.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

The Volvo truly is a slice of 70's feel good factor, period relevant finishing with its wood veneer gives a lovely sense of nostalgia.

Seats and Carpets

Seating in the Volvo is very welcoming, the condition does show with signs of usage and could benefit with a little re-conditioning but we observed no rips or tears during our visit.

A great feature of the P1800ES is the ability to fully flatten the rear seats which makes for a large area of storage and space. We've highlighted this in our interior gallery section. The seatbelts in the Volvo look like they would benefit from replacing in the near future.

Carpets sections show in good condition in the cabin area including the finish across the fold down rear seats.

Dashboard

The wood finish fascia on the dash area is in good condition and looks original. With no cracking to the finish the cabin area looked good and nicely in keeping with that nostalgic 70's feel.

The instruments are all nice and clean and all reported to be working correctly. The odometer reported ~108,233 miles on our visit. Our interior gallery section takes you over some closer images of the P1800ES dashboard, head over and see the cars interior in finer detail.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

A classic black steering wheel is fitted in the Volvo, showing a little wear. 4-speed manual gearstick shows in a respectable condition in the centre cabin area. The handbrake sits off centre located to the right of the drivers seat.

We've captured high-resolution photos for you to review and appreciate the condition of the interior in our gallery section.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

The rear wheel drive P1800ES gets its power from the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine with an output of ~122BHP from factory.

Engine and Gearbox

As part of the recent 're-commission' project, the spark plugs, oil and oil filter, master brake cylinder and rear shock absorbers were all serviced as well as the fuel tank being replaced. A recent MOT update showed no advisories and is valid until July 2023. The car has been upgraded to run on twin carbs.

Head over to the 'Mechanical Review' video for an overview of the engine, here you can see the car start up from cold and taken out on a short drive with the owner. A 4-speed manual transmission with added overdrive function was working well on our test drive out with the engine working without concern.

Suspension and Brakes

The Volvo handled well with no knocks, bangs or unwanted noises coming from the car when out on the road. Taking a drive on the road the P1800ES performed as to be expected with nothing out of the ordinary that we observed.

Braking in the car showed no unwanted pulling or strain when slowing or pulling to a stop. Mark, the current owner, reported that there were no concerns with the suspension or braking on the Volvo.

Please view the mechanical review video and photographs to see close-up images from underneath the car.

The Drive

The Volvo holds disc brakes and independent suspension up front with solid axle and drums in the rear. The car strikes a good balance between refined cruiser and stylish 70's luxury.

The car worked its way through the gears nicely with the clutch working well. We noted no shaking or juddering on the steering and showed no pull to the side when braking. Overall a fun and enjoyable car with a great sense of design.

Electrics and Other

An aftermarket stereo system is a more modern addition to the dash area with USB input should this be needed. We did note that the seat belt 'warning light' was showing on the dashboard when we took the Volvo out on the road. Mark, the current owner, has let us know that this issue will be resolved before the final sale is completed.

Also noted on our test drive was the handbrake light showing as a warning on the dash display. For a car of this age, we normally expect to see a few minor issues with the electrics like the ones seen on our visit. Mark reports that all other electrics, buttons, gauges work in the car to the best of his knowledge.

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History and Paperwork

Coming from ~5.5 years ownership and recent 're-commission' work, this vintage Volvo is a comfortable and competent machine ready for new ownership.

The P1800ES has been re-commissioned following a project on the car in July 2022 which was due to the car not being used much for 2 years. For this project, the spark plugs, oil and oil filter, master brake cylinder and rear shock absorbers were all serviced. A new fuel tank was updated in 2017 at a cost of over £300. The recent MOT shows no advisories and is valid until July 2023.

Mark will be more than happy to answer any questions you have about the car in the comments below.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house. Please note, the car may be in daily use, so the mileage may increase from that shown here - you can request an update check with us after you register your interest.