“ Show winner, need we say more? Okay then; if any classic car can fulfill the role of daily driver, it’s one of these. ”
This one is an especially good example of the breed with the quality of its restoration continuing to shine, even three decades on.

Background
The Volvo P1800 coupé entered production in 1961 but only really hit its stride a year later after Volvo agreed to give one to a dashing vigilante by the name of Simon Templar. (Jaguar had said they didn’t feel able to supply an E Type, something they have probably regrated almost as much as KTM did after turning down the boys from Long Way Round…)

Mind you, the two were a perfect match: it’s hard to explain now just how cool Roger Moore was before he descended into safari-suit James Bond, and the Volvo was a big part of that suave, devil-may-care image.

Because the Volvo P1800 has all the Good Stuff: the Frua-inspired but Swedish-designed lines were still a million miles away from the stolid, sensible shapes the company would soon be famous for and the mechanical components were lively enough to get the job done in a workmanlike fashion; the B18 carburettored engine fitted to the early cars developed 100bhp, enough to give the P1800 a top speed of around 110mph.

Add an ‘E’ (the 'E' stands for Einspritzung, the German word for fuel injection, something the VW Golf GTI conveniently ignored) and the combination of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and the later B20E two-litre engine raises that figure to 132bhp for a top speed of 120mph after passing 60mph in around ten seconds.

Regardless of how the fuel is metered, the P1800 goes about its business with uncanny reliability with an American example holding the Guinness world record for recording the highest mileage in single-owner private hands, racking up an astonishing 3,000,000 miles.

Overview
Finished in Californian White, the same shade as The Saint’s car, ‘NNP 819K’ is a Volvo P1800 that’s been so beautifully restored that it comes with “a crateful of trophies and awards along with copies of multiple magazine features.”

The registered keeper bought it back in 1994 for £1,500, a saving of £250 on the asking price, and the only problems on the 75-mile drive home were the rearview mirror and exhaust, both of which fell off.

He set about restoring it – and modifying it to suit his tastes: “I decided early on not to be a slave to originality. I have never been able to resist customizing to some degree, and it gives me a great excuse for not winning prizes.”

Nonetheless, modified or not it has won a stream of awards over the years, and these awards will stay with the car as they form an important part of its provenance.

Exterior
Despite having been restored around 30 years ago, the coachwork is still in a fine condition with nicely aligned panels and good shutlines. It also has that general air of rightness about it, something that’s hard to define but you know it when you see it.

The Californian White paintwork is holding up very well. So well, in fact, that we have no qualms in listing its few faults up-front: It is a bit flat in places, bubbling has broken out on the offside C-pillar, and there is also a patch of discolouration under the nearside vents/filler cap.

Which means two out of three of your problems could probably be taken care of via a professional machine polish.

The chrome trim is pretty darned good too, with a very nice shine to the bumpers and only moderate tarnishing to a few areas such as the window frames. The front bumper has a pair of auxiliary driving lamps bolted to it, and these are, like the rest of the lamps, in good order with no chips, cracks, or other damage.

The Webasto-style roof furls and unfurls as it should, and the fabric is free of tears and holes. It’s also got a very of-the-period Perspex wind deflector, and this pops up as it should.

The wheels are in good order, and a nice touch is that their inserts have been painted white to match the coachwork, one of a few subtle changes he has made.

As for the tyres, they are matching 185/65R15 Michelin Energy Savers. All have good tread but they were made in 2011, so should really be changed.

Nonetheless, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

As for its other issues, the windscreen is delaminating, there is some age-related degradation to the very front of the black fabric roof, the rear window seals have perished, and the lower edge of the nearside door doesn’t fit as neatly as it could.

Estimate: £20,000 - £25,000

View the car and current price bid HERE