1962 Volvo P1800
Among the Volvo cars, the P1800 is unique if we compare it with its counterparts. The biggest reason behind making of P1800 was that; the developers of Volvo always wanted to have a sports car. It was in the sixties Volvo was actually ruling the share market in comparison to any English sports car brands. By offering a sports model, Volvo was keen to extend their success furthermore. The P1800 came into the limelight after Volvo P1800 was played in a TV series by Roger Moore and it played a prominent role throughout the show. In fact, after the departure of the show, Roger Moore was so impressed with the Volvo that he bought one for his personal use also.
P1800 predecessor was P1900 which turn out to be a disaster with only 68 cars sold. Since Volvo always wanted to have a sports car, so the project started in the year 1957 and the main person behind this project was Helmer Petersson. The design was under the control of Helmer's son. Due to so many controversies during that time period, it began to appear that Volvo might never produce the P1800. It was in the year 1960 when the car was presented in front of the public for the first time and everyone was so amazed by the looks. By the early 1960's or you can say when the P1800 entered the markets, Volvo had established the reputation of building sturdy sedans.
Today, Volvo is known all over the world for building robust as well as practical implementation. With the introduction of the P1800, the company's image radically changed because this was something least expected. It was sophisticated Italian design with Swedish mechanicals. It was a complete package of reliability, comfort as well as practicality. It would not be wrong to say that before the release of P1800, the company was undergoing severe losses, but the launch of Volvo P1800 revitalized the company's image thoroughly. Coming on to more technical details, Volvo P1800 was a 2+2 with two seats upfront for the adults and a couple of chairs at the back for the kids. The large trunk reasonably made it an attractive sports car which any sports car lover would love to have.
Initially, the car was offered a simple 1,778cc four cylinder but later on, the engine was enlarged to 1985cc and also, fuel injection was added to it. It was like icing on the cake! In absolutely no time, Volvo successfully achieved their mission and end up a strong seller. It was truly commendable on the company's part that they did not lose hope and came up with something extraordinary. No wonder, supreme interiors, comfortable seats make it a perfect sports car. The fabulous combination of good looks as well as well-built mechanicals has truly satisfied many owners. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, the company had to face certain downfalls but that is a part of life.