Josephine
THE SWEDISH PRINCESS
1969 Volvo 1800S
S = made in Sweden
Volvo 1800 series production years:
1961 - 1972
Total 1800 series vehicles produced:
39,407
Total production of the 1969 coupe:
1,693
(Fewest made during any production year)
Of the 1,693 Volvo 1800s produced in 1969, at least 536 of them are accounted for in the Volvo Registry. They can currently be found around the world including the US, UK, Sweden, Canada, Australia, France, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Germany, South Africa, Japan and more.
In Case You're Curious
Original advertised price: $3,995
It is a 4-speed manual transmission with overdrive.
The B20 engine has 4 cylinders and dual downdraft carburetors and produces 118 horsepower.
The body is uniquely welded together as a single rigid unit.
The 1969 Volvo 1800s includes a 3-point seatbelt, which was developed in 1959 by a Volvo engineer. The patent was left open so that other auto manufacturers could use it for free.
Other Volvo 1800 models include the P1800 "Jensen" (earlier model) and the 1800ES (later wagon).
News, Movies and TV
Irv Gordon famously drove his 1966 Volvo 1800 for more than 3.25 million miles before he died in 2018. His car is now owned by Volvo.
The P1800 became widely known when driven by Roger Moore as Simon Templar in the TV series The Saint (1962-1969).
Eagle-eyed Volvo lovers have also spotted the 1800 onscreen in Jaws, Blazing Saddles, Thirtysomething, The Mod Squad and many foreign films.
About This Car
This Volvo 1800 was originally owned by Sondra Hall Jones, a school counselor with the Alamance-Burlington School System. After her death, the car belonged to her friends before going into storage for several years. It was purchased from storage (a true barn find) in 2020.
The exterior color is original and is called "California White." The interior was originally a brilliant red, but has been replaced with burgundy.
The odometer reads just over 20,000 miles, and it is believed that this is an accurate mileage count.
About The Owner
There always seemed to be a Volvo around when I was growing up, and during high school I drove a Volvo Amazon, which my friends affectionately called "The Moon Car." At one point, my father owned both an 1800S coupe and an 1800ES wagon.
Then, when I was in college, I spotted a gold ("Safari Yellow") 1800 for sale in the south campus parking lot at UNC-Chapel Hill. That became my daily driver from 1985-1991. Not long after selling that car to a man in Virginia, I wished I still had it.
Nearly 30 years later, Josephine was spotted just a half mile from my parent's home. Persistence, patience and luck prevailed as I was reunited with the Volvo 1800!
