Volvo Chief Designer reinterprets classic P1800

Christopher Benjamin, Chief Designer at Volvo's Monitoring and Concept Center in the US, has penned his vision of a future P1800 as part of Volvo's half-centenary celebrations for the car.

Unveiled during the #SwedeSpeak Twitter chat, Benjamin presented this future vision of the iconic sports car. Volvo states that Benjamin is a true admirer of the original P1800 and that these images are what he feels a modern-day interpretation could look like.

Retaining the bold grille, upswept feature line and broad haunches, the original P1800's DNA is evident – something echoed through the cascading rear deck and narrow, sporting DLO. These retro-parodying elements are interspersed with modern details such as the large diameter wheels, LED lighting and contoured surfacing.

The original was a self-indulgent departure for Volvo, conceived with the sole purpose of drawing people into Volvo showrooms. The distinctive coupe's lines also didn't change over the car's entire 12-year life span.

Whether these sketches transpire to production, or even concept, remain to be seen. But with the original P1800ES inspiring the glass tailgate of the 480 and C30, certain elements may just work their way onto future Volvo models.

By John O'Brien