page_title: Volvo P1800
section_title: P1800
hierarchical_section_title: Volvo P1800 / History / P1800
caption_attribution_description: 1964 Volvo P1800, first registered in NZ in 1975.
context_page_description: The Volvo P1800 is a 2+2, front-engine, rear-drive sports car manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars between 1961 and 1973. Originally a coupe, it was altered into a shooting-brake for the remainder of its production. Styling was by Pelle Petterson under the tutelage of Pietro Frua when Frua's studio was a subsidiary of the prestigious Italian carrozzeria Ghia, and mechanicals derived from Volvo's dependable Amazon/122 series.
  Marketed as a stylish touring car rather than a sports car, the P1800 became widely known when driven by future James Bond actor Roger Moore in the hit television series The Saint, which aired from 1962 to 1969.
  In 1998, an 1800S owned by Irv Gordon was certified as the highest mileage private vehicle driven by the original owner in non-commercial service—having exceeded 3.2 million miles as of his death in 2018.
context_section_description: The engine was the B18 (B for the Swedish word for gasoline: Bensin; 18 for 1800 cc displacement) with dual SU carburettors, producing 100 hp (75 kW). This variant (named B18B) had a higher compression ratio than the slightly less powerful twin-carb B18D used in the contemporary Amazon 122S, as well as a different camshaft. Some have suggested that the B18 was developed from the B36 V8 engine used in Volvo trucks, but differences between the engines cause others to dispute that origin. The B18 furnished the P1800 with a strong engine boasting five main crankshaft bearings. The B18 was matched with the new and more robust M40 manual gearbox through 1963. From 1963 to 1972 the M41 gearbox with electrically actuated Laycock de Normanville overdrive was a popular option. Two overdrive types were used, the D-Type through 1969, and the J-type through 1973. The J-type had a slightly shorter ratio of 0.797:1 as opposed to 0.756:1 for the D-type. The overdrive effectively gave the 1800 series a fifth gear, for improved fuel efficiency and decreased drivetrain wear. Cars without overdrive had a numerically lower-ratio differential, which had the interesting effect of giving them a somewhat higher top speed (just under 120 mph (193 km/h)) than the more popular overdrive models. This was because the non-overdrive cars could reach the engine's redline in top gear, while the overdrive-equipped cars could not, giving them a top speed of roughly 110 mph (177 km/h).
caption: 1964 Volvo 1800S
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