1972 Volvo P1800 ES

Previously owned by the chairman of a local classic car club who had owned the car since 2008, this rare automatic estate is number 6106 of 8077 P1800s produced in 1972-73. It is further believed to be only of only four automatics remaining in the UK.

The current owner bought the car a couple of a years ago and almost immediately commissioned a full 500-hour restoration to bring it to the condition you see today.

Changing work commitments (he now lives abroad) mean that it is now being reluctantly sold at a fraction of what it has cost him so far; the reserve has been set to reflect the fact that there is still some snagging work yet to do, giving bidders the chance to snap up an ultra-rare, incredibly stylish Volvo estate for what may well be a bargain-basement price…

The car was completely stripped down to be able to assess its condition prior to any remedial work being undertaken. There was a small amount of rust, all of which was cut out and repaired; the work included new front floor panels, the base of the windscreen and the lower front nearside wing. In total, the vendor tells us that more than 200 hours were spent on rust eradication and prevention.

The restoration included a full, three-stage, bare-metal respray in the original colour of Volvo Red (colour code 46). The work has been done to a good standard and is in very good overall condition. Some of the team think that the photos appear to show some light cracking in places, which is not the case in reality. The works to the body and the paint are to a high standard and there are no visible signs of the works that have been done; as always, we’d encourage potential bidders to come before auction end and examine the car for themselves to see just how good it really is.

The chromework was re-plated where necessary and the original windscreen reinstalled with a new rubber seal and chrome trim. In fact, all the glass is in good, original condition and the rear screen still bears the original ‘automatic’ and Volvo Owners’ Club stickers; carefully curating little details like this are an important part of what makes a restoration so wonderful.

The factory steel wheels were repainted before being fitted with the original chrome trim and good quality Semperit tyres. (The spare wheel is missing, so the new owner will need to source one.)

The black front seats and the base of the rear seat have been recovered professionally with good soft leather, and fitted along with new carpets.

The door cards and headlining are in fine fettle and the switches and dials are mildly patinated but all appear to work as they should. The dashboard is a bit grubby but is complete and should respond well to a deep clean.

On the debit side of the ledger, some minor pieces of trim are missing. These include those in the front footwell kick panel, rear B-post panels, and the boot side panels (the carpet trim for these is included). This shouldn’t be more than a minor irritation as, if they are not readily available from specialists, any good car upholsterer should be able to remake the trim panels for only a few hundred pounds. Other work to do includes refitting the seat belts properly, making the wipers work and fitting the sound deadening to the bulkhead (supplied with the car).

On the positive side of the ledger, can I draw your attention to the automatic gearbox selector console, in particular? The green background, the chrome knob, and the matt wooden veneer are all achingly restrained and reek of Scandi cool and artfully contrived minimalism.

Fitted with the rare automatic gearbox, the B20 petrol engine runs well. The engine and gearbox were removed during the restoration and the owner advises he replaced lots of seals etc as well as cleaning and painting. The engine benefits from an overhaul of the Bosch Jetronic fuel injection system as well as a new radiator, battery, fuel pump, spark plugs, air and oil filters, and new oil. It starts and runs very well, although we have identified a slight exhaust blow from somewhere in the engine bay.

The three-speed automatic Borg and Warner transmission is fitted with an overdrive and the whole thing has been cleaned and fitted with new seals and fresh fluid. The four-wheel disc braking system has also been overhauled and is in good condition.

The underside is extraordinarily clean having been professionally stripped and cleaned before being treated with anti-rust paint and carefully undersealed. From our inspection, this work appears to have been done very well and will keep the car in this condition for many, many years to come. The suspension components were also cleaned, sand-blasted where necessary, treated with anti-rust paint, and then painted before being re-installed.

The engine bay is similarly clean and beautifully detailed although we’d be tempted to fit some underbonnet sound proofing, which would be an easy and cheap job. Oh, and while the washer fluid bottle is with the car, the windscreen washer system has not been fitted yet.

(Please take a look at the Gallery for a photographic record of the work that was undertaken. Or, better still, come and take a look for yourself.)

The Volvo comes with some paperwork and descriptions documenting its recent restoration. The file also contains some old bills, receipts and invoices.

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern, although we should point out that the car does not have a current MOT as it is age-exempt.

The car comes with an old V5 registered in the previous owner’s name and the invoice showing the current owner purchased the car, plus a letter from the current owner confirming his ownership (plus his reasons for selling and why he did not take up a V5) and requesting us to sell the vehicle (redacted version in the Gallery). There will be a full purchase receipt given to the new owner. With this information, the new owner can apply for a new V5C with form V62 from the DVLA; it can take 4 weeks and will cost £25. If you have any questions about this, please get in touch – we can help any new owner through this process.

This car is in fabulous condition, the repairs to the body, underside and bonnet in particular, appear impressive. The current owner is obviously disappointed not to be able to finish the car, but it is to the new owner’s advantage as obviously the price will be lower. There are still a few minor jobs to do on the car in addition to the inevitable snagging work that comes with any freshly restored vehicle. This work will give the new owner the opportunity to really get to know the car in their first few weeks with it, helping them bond as well as giving them a chance to contribute to its future conservation.

The need to do this work will also save them money; despite selling our last P1800 for over £20,000, we expect this one to go for a little less, perhaps around £12-14,000, at which point it is something of a bargain.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.