1973 Volvo 1800 ES

Way before Volvo's P30 two-door hatchback, Volvo made its ancestor, a two-door shooting brake for two model years, 1972 and 1973. The current consignor recently had the car tuned and readied for sale. The car drives out nicely and has a working overdrive.

Wearing Light Yellow paint (code 107), the paint and trim are in overall very good order. This example was made in April 1973 in one of Volvo's two Swedish factories. It was originally sold in California as a left-hand drive (code 4). The bodywork is straight and solid and the chrome bumpers fit tightly to the body. The engine bay is tidy, as is the rear cargo area.

This wagon rolls on Dunlop SP 40 radials, size P195/65R15 tires at all four corners. Each tire is mounted on an original alloy, vented wheel with yellow center caps. The wheels and tires are all in good, original order.

Under the forward-hinged hood is a 2.0L four-cylinder engine (code B20F). Backing this motor is a four-speed manual transmission (code M40). Please not there is a chip on the windshield left side and the horn is inop.

Inside, the black vinyl (code 450-878) front buckets and rear demi-buckets are in overall satisfactory shape, as is the matching carpet. The black headliner mirrors the condition of the seats and carpet. A black-and-yellow, aftermarket, three-spoke steering wheel faces the driver. The black dashboard and inner door panels are in very good order. A shift lever, topped in moment of whimsy with a blue ball and a Sony AM/FM stereo with a CD player round out the interior. Note: Additional 2-tone seats come with car if wanted, along with after market steering wheel.

Volvo introduced its final P1800 variant, the 1800 ES, in 1972 as a two-door shooting brake with a frameless, all-glass tailgate. The final design was chosen after two prototypes had been built by Sergio Coggiola and Pietro Frua. Frua's prototype, Raketen (“The Rocket,”) is in the Volvo Museum. Both Italian prototypes were considered too futuristic, and instead in-house designer Jan Wilsgaard's proposal, the Beach Car, was accepted.

The ES' rear backrest folded down to create a long flat loading area. As an alternative to the usual four-speed plus overdrive manual transmission, a Borg-Warner three-speed automatic was available in the 1800ES. Only 8,077 examples of the ES were built in its two model years.

If you like Swedish cars, or you collect two-door station wagons (like Chevrolet's Nomad or Vega), this Volvo 1800 ES more than fits the bill. Please visit MotoeXotica Classic Cars today to check out this Swedish survivor from 50 years ago.

Competition to this Volvo in 1973 Chevrolet's Vega Wagon, Ford's Pinto Squire, Datsun's B210 wagon, Honda's Civic hatchback, Mercury's new-for-'74 Bobcat Villager, Pontiac's Astre Wagon and Toyota's Corolla.

VIN: 1836354006857

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 103,086 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

Note: Please see full terms and conditions listed below that pertain to the purchase of any said vehicle, thank you.