Although the Volvo 240 wagon is the most well-known Volvo family vehicle, it is far from the most interesting. The Volvo 1800ES, a shooting brake/wagon/GT/estate hybrid with a frameless glass rear hatch that Volvo would return to in the future, holds that title. This delightful orange 1973 model, which was only made for two years, is up for sale on Bring a Trailer, which is owned by Hearst Autos like Car and Driver.
The 1800ES was a departure and a stylistic statement from Volvo, which has a long history of developing estates or wagons. Made from the P1800 car that appeared as a 1961 model, the P1800ES, ordinarily alluded to as the 1800ES, was planned in Göteborg by long-lasting Volvo plan boss Jan Wilsgaard, solely after models from Italian creators Sergio Coggiola and Pietro Frua were considered excessively revolutionary and modern. ( The two models are as of now in plain view at the Volvo Exhibition hall in Sweden.) The “Beach Car” and the “Jaktvagnen,” or hunting car, were Wilsgaard’s initial two proposals, which ultimately prevailed. It is important to note that Wilsgaard was involved in a number of groundbreaking Volvo designs, such as the Amazon (P1200), the 144 sedan and 145 wagon, the coveted 240, and the 740, among others.
The 1800ES, which is essentially a long-roof extension of the 1800 coupe, manages to seamlessly incorporate the larger rear quarters into the rear design, which is slightly unbalanced, while still retaining a hint of the worn-out rear fins. The design’s supporters argue that it simplifies the rear flanks and appears to be superior to the other design, but the camps are firmly divided. The rectangular glass region, emphasized by the huge glass back hatch, was so sweeping for the time that the 1800ES acquired the epithet “Snow White’s Final resting place” or Schneewitchensarg, in Germany. ( Evidently, a similar epithet was likewise applied to a now notable straightforward bested phonograph styled by German fashioner Weight watcher Ramsa for Braun Buyer Items a couple of years sooner.) A few Swedes basically considered it the “fish vehicle.”
For the 1972 model year, production of the 1800ES began alongside that of the 1800 coupe. “People have tried to make sports cars out of station wagons, but it took Volvo to successfully reverse the concept,” the editors of Car and Driver stated at the time.
Volvo president Stig Jansson was cited in press materials expressing the vehicle would, “appeal to athletes and significant distance sightseers who are searching for a games vehicle with more than adequate baggage space. To meet the needs of a number of customers, the new model combines sports car styling with station wagon functionality.”
Unfortunately, that number ended up being more modest than trusted. After only two years of deals, the 1800ES and its 1800 roadster kin stopped creation, with Volvo refering to the cost of meeting the evolving U.S. guard guidelines as the essential explanation. However some at Volvo figured it very well may be feasible to fit ungraceful plastic or elastic guards, the agreement was it was absolutely impossible to do it reasonably without annihilating the vehicle’s looks. Both versions were phased out at the end of 1973 due to the coupe’s advanced age and relatively low sales. The 1800ES only produced 8078 examples over its two-year production run, according to the majority of sources.
This car still has its original 2.0-liter, 121-horsepower B20 four-cylinder engine with a claimed 85,000 miles. It has a rebuilt cylinder head with hardened valve seats for unleaded fuel. Changes incorporate the substitution of the first three-speed programmed transmission with a positive four-speed with an electric overdrive unit, a four-into-one exhaust header, IPD front and back antiroll bars, and Bilstein dampers. The seats have been reupholstered in new leather, which has been added to the interior. At the same time, the headliner, interior panels, and dash upholstery were all replaced. This Volvo 1800ES has tasteful mechanical modifications and decent finishing. It is clean enough to show, but it is not a museum piece, so regular driving shouldn’t make the owner nervous.
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