Equipment
1986/130hp, 4-speed, alloy wheels, Continental tires, pushbutton radio.
Condition
Fully restored in Canada and Sweden, and supposedly the engine was rebuilt at the factory. Indeed, everything under the hood looks factory fresh and barely driven at all. Beautiful paint, chrome, and wheels. Weather stripping looks all new, and so does nearly everything in the interior. This is a fresh, gorgeous car that has clearly had a ton of time and money lavished upon it.
Market commentary
By 1972 Volvo’s two-door, four-seater sport coupe was in its 12th year and had progressed from the original Jensen-built P1800 to 1800S (S for “Sweden,” where production relocated) to 1800E (fuel injected). Its most visible change, though, was with the 1972-73 1800ES, notable for its breathtaking sport wagon body with a huge, frameless glass tailgate. Only about 8000 examples were built. Although their performance isn’t electrifying, Volvo 1800s in general are legendary for their durability, enjoy good parts availability, are pleasing to drive, and of course very nice to look at. Despite all that, they were solidly entry-level, sub-$20k classics for years until the secret got out in the mid-2010s and values for all but the rustiest examples climbed steeply. Today the very best examples (like this one) bring over 50 grand.