The Volvo P1800 was born in 1957, with Volvo looking for a route to entry into the sports car market by designing something stylish and innovative. Volvo have always been known for their robust cars with safety at the centre of everything they produced. Quality and reassurance is a Swedish philosophy, a principle which has helped to maintain Volvo's presence in the car market. The Volvo's of yesteryear with their boxed designs have now been replaced with smooth lines and beautiful curves in the coupe designs of the C30 and C70.

From 1957 the Volvo P1800 underwent a number of modifications, with the P1800S in 1963 which saw a more powerful engine and a higher top speed. The P1800E was released in 1970, which featured a fuel injected engine which increased the power to a slick 130bhp. The P1800E also saw improved braking and was the first in the range to feature four wheel disc brakes.

In 1972 the final P1800 in the range was released with the P1800ES which was a coupe station wagon. Whilst the engine was downgraded slightly to 125 bhp the overall handling and performance of the car were said to have improved, making it sharper in the turns and quicker off the mark.

The Volvo P1800 featured in The Saint, famously driven by Simon Templar, played by Roger Moore. The number plate of ST1 featured heavily in the show. The car also featured in the record books as the world's highest mileage car, with owner Irv Gordon having driven his 1966 P1800 over 2.9 million miles.

In 2011 the Footman James Classic Motor Show unveiled a one off P1800 built in 1961. The Volvo P1800 featured the Aston Martin 2.5 litre prototype engine. The project itself never got off the ground though the impressive prototype was certainly designed to give the driver speed and performance.

Today a P1800 in good condition could cost you over £10,000, which is a reasonable price for a classic car which has featured in many an iconic TV series. The P1800 still remains a standout car and one that has stood the test of time.