Volvo P1900, not a success

Even many Volvo enthusiasts and 'connoisseurs' will not know about the existence of the Volvo P1900 which was introduced in 1954 - albeit as a prototype -. The car was made up of a polyester bodywork on a metal chassis, with Assar Gabrielsson, the designer of this beauty - and director - hoping to gain a foothold in the lucrative American sports car market.

Only in 1956 did the production line run at full speed and could the Volvo P1900 go into the wide world. Unfortunately, it was not a success. Moreover, Gunnar Engellau, the new general manager - such a person is now called a CEO - did not find the quality to match the solid product that Volvo was known for and turned the light on red a year later and this model slipped into history books. Maybe a good thing too, because apart from the design, the whole concept - a very flexible chassis - was not to write home about either. Incidentally, the body was produced in California on a tubular chassis devised and developed by Volvo. Initially equipped with the 1.400 cm3 engine from the PV444 and later the slightly stronger B16B engine with a capacity of almost 1.600 cm3. Despite an engine power of 70 or 85 hp, the almost 1.000 kilogram heavy device was able to reach a top speed of almost 150 kilometers per hour. Including the four prototypes, only 67 units were born. Of those, 57 still seems to be alive ...