The Volvo P1800 turns 50 years old

The Volvo P1800 is celebrating its 50th anniversary as one of Volvo's most famous cars. Known as much for its swooping lines as for being driven by Roger Moore in the 60s spy series The Saint, the P1800 remains an icon of Volvo design.

The P1800's history is as intriguing as its curves. Volvo had tried in the mid-50s to make a small, two-seat sports car, which Volvo President Gunnar Engellau referred to as, “Not a bad car, but a bad Volvo.” However, he saw the need for a more exciting model to draw buyers into showrooms.

As designs for the new sporty Volvo were being sbmited in 1957 Volvo consultant Helmer Petterson snuck in a fifth design penned by his son, Pelle, who was employed by Italian automotive coach builder Frua. Pelle's was the one that everyone picked.

When it came time to mass-produce the P1800, Volvo had a major obstacle. It did not have the capacity  to produce the new car. Helmer Petterson stepped in to help again. The Scottish company Pressed Steel would produce P1800 bodies and Jensen Motors would paint and assemble the cars. Finally in 1963, assembly was moved to Sweden, and the name was changed to the P1800S – the S standing for Sweden.

A major public relations coup came for Volvo in 1962 when Roger Moore drove a P1800 in the spy series The Saint. The show's producers were looking for a stylish car for Moore to drive and initially asked Jaguar. After being turned down, they asked Volvo for a P1800 and the car instantly became a piece of television history.

Despite being a sports car, the P1800 is also a paragon of Volvo's famous reliability. New Yorker Irv Gordon has owned a P1800S since 1966, and in that time he has put nearly 2.8 million miles (4.5 million km) on the car and is still driving it.

Penned by a Swede working for Italians, built in Britain then in Sweden and driven by a British spy on TV, the P1800 has international roots. After 50 years, the P1800 has become an icon of Volvo's automotive design.