The original, fully restored, 1961 Volvo P1800 which was used by Roger Moore in the TV series of "The Saint\", at the 2018 London Classic Car Show
The Volvo P1800 is a 2+2, front-engine, rear-drive sports car manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars between 1961-1973. Originally a coupe (1961–1971), it was altered into a shooting-brake for the duration of its production (1972-1973). Styling was by Pelle Petterson under the tutelage of Pietro Frua when Frua's studio was a subsidiary of the prestigious Italian carrozzeria Ghia,[7] and mechanicals derived from Volvo's dependable Amazon/122 series. Marketed as a stylish touring car rather than a sports car,[8] the P1800 became widely known when driven by future James Bond actor Roger Moore in the hit television series The Saint which aired from 1962-1969. In 1998, an 1800S was certified as the highest mileage private vehicle driven by the original owner in non-commercial service — having exceeded three million miles (over million km) as of 2013. The Volvo P1800 received prominence in the early 60's when a white 1962 Volvo P1800 with number plate ST1 was driven by the character Simon Templar (Roger Moore) in the hit TV series The Saint (1962–69). When asked to name his favorite "movie car" many years later, Moore said it was the Volvo P1800, commenting: "I have a great affection for the Volvo P1800, as, of course, I owned one, as well as used one in the series. It’s a beautiful car and I still drive a Volvo to this day."[15] When British rock band The Who visited the Duke of York in London in 1966, they posed for press pictures in front of singer Roger Daltrey's new custom-painted '66 Volvo P1800[16][17] Two new cars had been introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961, a Jaguar E-Type and the Volvo P1800. Jaguar was first offered the opportunity to provide an E-Type for the TV series but declined. Volvo accepted and offered a P1800, leading to increased sales. Initially, Volvo lent two cars for the series, one for static studio shots and the other for moving shots. When the P1800S came along, one of the earlier cars was cut up to allow better interior shots.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: ExCel, London, UK
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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