Volvo P1900

The Volvo P1900 was a fiberglass-bodied roadster built in very small numbers in 1956 and 1957 by Volvo of Sweden.

Volvo's president and founder Assar Gabrielsson got the idea for the car when he saw a Chevrolet Corvette in America and wanted to make something similar. He contacted Glasspar in California to tool a glassfiber-reinforced polyester body which was later produced in Sweden. The car was built on a tubular steel chassis and used Volvo's B14A and B16B engines fitted with twin SU carburettors, driving through a three-speed manual gearbox. Many parts were taken from the Volvo PV444.

Demand was low, and the build quality was not high. Gunnar Engellau, who replaced Gabrielsson as president in 1956, took one for a drive on a holiday weekend and was dissatisfied enough that on returning to his office the following week cancelled the remaining production. "I thought it would fall apart!" is the legendary quote.

The total P1900 production was 68 cars, plus four or five prototypes. 44 were built in 1956, mostly for the Swedish market, and the vast majority still survive. Most of 1957's production went to the United States and elsewhere, and fewer of these are still in existence. Volvo's next sports car, the P1800 was much more successful.