In December 1957 Helmer Petterson drove X1, (the first hand-built P1800 prototype) to Osnabrück, West Germany, headquarters of Karmann.

Petterson and Volvo chief engineer Thor Berthelius met there, tested the car and discussed the construction with Karmann.

Then a press release surfaced with a photo of the car, putting Volvo in a position where they had to acknowledge its existence.

The engine was the B18 (B for the Swedish word for gasoline: Bensin; 18 for 1800 cc displacement) with dual SU carburettors, producing 100 hp (75 kW).

This variant (named B18B) had a higher compression ratio than the slightly less powerful twin-carb B18D used in the contemporary Amazon 122S, as well as a different camshaft.

The overdrive effectively gave the 1800 series a fifth gear, for improved fuel efficiency and decreased drivetrain wear.

As time progressed, Jensen had problems with quality control, so the contract was ended early after 6,000 cars had been built.

In 1963 production was moved to Volvo's Lundby Plant in Gothenburg and the car's name was changed to 1800S (S standing for Sverige, or in English: Sweden).

Volvo introduced its final P1800 variant, the 1800ES, in 1972 as a two-door shooting brake layout with a frameless, all-glass tailgate.

Both Italian prototypes were considered too futuristic, and instead in-house designer Jan Wilsgaard's proposal, the Beach Car, was accepted.

[14] With stricter American safety and emissions standards looming for 1974, Volvo did not see fit to spend the considerable amount that would be necessary to redesign the small-volume 1800 ES.

[18] Roger Moore actually purchased a P1800 of his own, in the same white color as the TV car, and so was seen driving the Volvo both on-screen and around the roads of Britain.

[citation needed] Major Samantha Carter drove a silver-grey 1963 Volvo P1800 in the TV series Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007), as first seen in S05E03 "Ascension".

In the 2023 Goosebumps Series, Nathan Bratt (played by Justin Long), the new English teacher at Port Lawrence High School, drives a red 1800ES shooting brake.

[21] A 1966 Volvo P1800S and its owner Irv Gordon (1940–2018) of East Patchogue, New York, have the Guinness world record for highest mileage.

On 2 April 2002, Gordon and his P1800S were guests on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, after reaching the two million mile mark.

[22][23][24][25] In January 2011, Gordon and his Volvo were featured on PBS's Nova ScienceNow and in November 2011 in Hemmings Sports & Exotic Magazine.