1973 Volvo 1800ES

Volvo P1800ES 1973 Sports Wagon - History

Purchased new at the Volvo dealer on El Camino Blvd/Wolf Rd in Sunnyvale, CA, on June 10, 1973, this vehicle was manufactured in Sweden in May 1973. Mag-Wheels were also purchased to replace the default standard metal wheels. (Of all the Volvo 1800ES cars seen online, no other has the mag-wheels). At the time in 1973, the 1973 model 1800ES was the first car in the entire world to have fuel injectors. The 1800ES was produced for only one and one/half years half of 1972 and a full year of 1973. There were only a total of 8007 manufactured.

I was stationed at NAS Moffett Field, Sunnyvale, CA, as a Naval Aviator assigned as the Training Officer of a Training Squadron training flight students in the specifics of the P-3C Orion aircraft, both in the flight aspect as well as the operational portion.

The 1800ES was driven back and forth to the Naval Air Station, approximately 5 miles, each day. After six months, the metallic enamel blue paint began to fade. Still in warranty, the dealer removed the faded coat and repainted with the same metallic enamel blue paint. The paint faded again within six months. The dealer decided to once again remove the metallic paint down to the metal, reprime, and apply a blue acrylic enamel paint. This type proved to be an excellent choice and it held up beautifully until 1993. (More on this later). In February 1979 the car was driven from Sunnyvale, CA, to Pensacola, FL, upon my being assigned to a new duty station at NAS Pensacola, FL. The car was driven five miles to work each day until my retirement in 1985. At that point the car was driven mainly to the NAS commissary and odd errands. In 2003 I purchased a new Volvo XC90 and parked the 1800ES in the garage, taking it for a short drive once or twice a week to keep it running smoothly. New tires were mounted in Nov 2018. The tires currently still have full thread, having been driven so modestly since then. In 1993, although the car had come from the factory with a under-coating in the under panels, there was slight corrosion showing on the left rear lower panel. At that point the paint was removed down to the metal, the corrosion was repaired, and was given a new primer and three coats of the blue acrylic enamel. A thick fresh under-coating was applied to all the under panels and inner panels inside the doors and other inner panels. The paint job currently looks like it is factory-fresh.

In April 2014 the area where we live was flooded. The 1800ES had water up to about three feet. The car was completely refurbished, electrical, mechanical, and the interior was completely redone from floor to ceiling, all areas replaced to the exact pattern and specifications as the original interior, with the highest quality materials available.

Available beneath the floorboard in the rear that swivels up on hinges are the spare tire and various tools, plus a complete Maintenance (Shop) Manual.

The rear seats are small (mainly for children) and can be pulled down and closed to allow more space for cargo in the rear section.

The car has been given the best tender-loving-care, always driven lightly with care and concern for the longest preservation and longevity. As of February 13, 2026, the odometer is showing 126,888 miles.