Volvo P1800 S 1968

Description:

In Brief:

• Great example of iconic P1800 S
• Comes with invoices amounting to over £21,000 including a recent invoice for over £5,000
• Car was fully restored in 2002, photographs on file
• Formally owned by famous film director Andrew Sinclair
• Registrations document denotes just 3 owners from new

On the Surface: This 1968 Volvo P1800 S Coupe is an excellent example. The car is finished in Pearl White over an eye-catching red interior. The car boasts desirable features including overdrive, a rear case for the back seats and the original radio which works! The registration document indicates that the car has had just three owners from new, with The Vendor having cherished it for the past five years. Notably, this P1800 S was previously owned by film director Andrew Sinclair and his production company, Timon Films.

Maintenance & History: The car comes with an extensive history file that underscores its well-documented maintenance and restoration efforts. A significant highlight is the restoration carried out in 2002, with accompanying photographs of the restoration process. The original Volvo bookpack, including the service book, is present, as is the original green logbook, old tax discs, Volvo P1800 brochures, old MOT’s dating back to 1977 and invoices totalling over £21,000. The service book details it’s early care with 10 stamps recorded between 1968 at 1,604 miles and 1972 at 50,007 miles. A notable invoice from 2019 shows comprehensive restoration and recommissioning by Highstone Restorations of Bicester, including work on the carburettors, new engine parts, a full service and more, amounting to over £5,000.

The Model: The Volvo P1800 is a 2+2, front-engine, rear-drive sports car manufactured by Volvo Cars between 1961 and 1973. It features the B18 engine with dual SU carburettors. Being the ‘S’ model this example produces 108 hp rather than 100 hp that the earlier P1800 produced. The sporty P1800 was showcased alongside the Jaguar E-Type at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961, where Volvo’s decision to offer the P1800 for “The Saint” TV series over Jaguar’s E-Type significantly boosted its visibility and desirability. The P1800 in the series was shown with the number plate ST1 and was driven by Sir Roger Moore’s character Simon Templar. In fact, former James Bond, the late Sir Roger Moore, was so impressed with the car that he purchased a P1800 for himself in the same white colour as the TV car.

Sale Insight: The Vendor, unfortunately, must now part with this P1800 S due to health reasons. This sale represents a rare opportunity to own a well maintained example, complete with extensive documentation and a fascinating provenance.