1973 Volvo 1800ES Estate Wagon
Initially designed as a coupe in 1961, the model transformed into this practical yet stylish “shooting brake” configuration for its final two production years (1972-1973), with 1973 being the last year of production when only the ES wagon variant was offered.
Power came from a 2.0-liter (1,986cc) inline four-cylinder engine with overhead valves, delivering between 124-135 horsepower and max torque of 116 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm. To meet emissions requirements, the 1973 model featured a slightly reduced compression ratio compared to earlier versions, resulting in a modest power decrease to 125 horsepower.
The 1800ES’s most distinctive feature was its frameless, all-glass rear hatch—a design element that would later inspire the Volvo C30 hatchback. This unique rear window design earned the car nicknames like “Fiskbilen” (The Fish van) in Sweden and “Schneewittchensarg” (Snow White’s coffin) in Germany.
Production was limited, with Volvo manufacturing approximately 8,000 ES models during its two-year run. Production ended in June 1973, primarily due to increasingly stringent American safety and emissions standards that would have been cost-prohibitive to implement on this low-volume model.
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