At the Techno Classica in Essen (March 21 to 25, 2018), Volvo will be exhibiting a 1967 Volvo P1800 S from the private collection of British actor Sir Roger Moore. This is the first time the vehicle has been on display at a classic car show in Europe. The sports car achieved worldwide fame as Simon Templar's company car in the TV crime series of the same name, in which Moore played the lead role. The P1800 S made its film debut in February 1967 in the episode "A Double in Diamonds". Volvo will also be presenting five other rarities from the P1800 series at its 312 square meter stand in Hall 3. A Volvo XC40, which celebrates its German market launch on March 10, builds the bridge to the present.
Roger Moore's polar white P1800 S was built at the Torslanda plant in Sweden in November 1966. It has Minilite tires with rims in the rare original spoke design, Hella fog lights and a Volvo wooden steering wheel. Inside the sports car, details from "Simon Templar" can still be found, such as the thermometer in the dashboard and a small fan that provided the actor with refreshment.
Roger Moore is the first owner of the P1800 according to the vehicle registration document, which is also on display in Essen. The London license plate "NUV 648E" was issued on January 20, 1967. Moore signed the papers two weeks later. In "Simon Templar", the sports car bears the famous license plate "ST 1", based on the initials "ST" of the main actor, which can also be read in the sense of the original English title "The Saint".
In addition, a 1967 P1800 from the private collection of Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo President and CEO, can also be seen on the Volvo stand. The sports car, painted in an unusual light green, is one of the most beautiful of its kind in Europe.
"Ever since the 1960s, when 'Simon Templar' was my favorite show, I've wanted a P1800," says Samuelsson. "It's the most famous Volvo model of all time and a great example of Scandinavian design."
Moore later sold his P1800 to actor Martin Benson, who played Mr. Solo in the James Bond film "Goldfinger". Various other owners followed before the gem was carefully restored to its original condition in the early 2000s.
"We are delighted to have acquired this car a few years ago and to be able to show it at Techno Classica," says Per-Åke Fröberg, Head of Volvo Cars Heritage. "It is a truly unique car with a remarkable history."
Also on display at the Volvo stand from the rich history of the P1800 are an ES Rocket concept car by Italian designer and coachbuilder Pietro Frua, an unrestored "Snow White's Coffin" from 1973 with just 9,000 kilometers on the clock and a 1961 barn find. A real rarity sparkles in the "jewel case" on the non-accessible second level of the stand: Only 30 examples of the P1800 Volvoville Cabriolet were ever built.
