A rare beauty: classic Volvo takes the prize
Andrew Anderson’s Volvo P1900 is a showstopper of a classic. But it’s just one of seven classic Volvo cars in Andrew’s collection in Cambridgeshire, many of which are the only examples of their kind in the UK.
Volvo has been making cars since 1927 and Andrew’s collection of course includes the first model, the OV4, and fellow vintage cars the PV651, the PV36 and the PV60.
But it is the P1900 (chassis number 65 from a total production of 68 cars) which has just won the Classic Car of the Show accolade at the NEC Classic Motor Show in Birmingham. It was displayed by the Volvo Owners Club, of which Andrew is a director.
The P1900 entered production in 1956-57, but with only 68 cars completed due to quality issues, it remains the rarest production Volvo. Andrew’s P1900 was first registered in California in July 1957 and is believed to have been owned by Olympic swimmer and Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller.
After four decades in the USA it crossed the Atlantic to Belgium in 1997. A light restoration returned the car to its original duck egg blue, and it moved to its current home in February 2024 – the first P1900 to reside in the UK.
It was already in concours condition and the only changes Andrew has made are to remove the non-original radio blanking plate and install an updated but period radio and to replace cork seals on the twin carbs.
Andrew said: “I am thrilled and honoured that this P1900 has been recognised. Owning a car with such a unique history – from Hollywood to Europe, and now the UK – has been an incredible journey. Sharing it with fellow Volvo enthusiasts at the show, seeing their surprise and joy, has been a real highlight.”
A saintly beginning
Andrew first set his heart on driving a Volvo after seeing TV’s The Saint, played by Roger Moore, drive a white P1800 (the successor model to the P1900) in the iconic 1960s shows. He got his wish, acquiring a red one that was restored last year.
More classics have joined the collection over the years, with the family’s daily drives also being Volvos – albeit much newer ones.
The seven classics are well looked after, including by having their own individual CTEK battery chargers permanently connected to maintain the batteries in optimum condition for when the engines are next started up.
Andrew had used battery chargers from another manufacturer but was won over by CTEK when more than a decade ago he needed a charger that would best suit one of the oldest classics.
He said: “The connectors in the other chargers were a bit flimsy, the CTEK ones are much more robust. So I replaced all of them with CTEK chargers. I have found them to be very good and would recommend them.”
Andrew uses CTEK extension leads and eyelets so he can quickly and easily connect and disconnect the chargers as required. He has never had a battery fail since he started using the chargers.
He values the fact that the CTEK chargers mean his classics’ batteries are always ready to start their engines. A fully charged battery is vital for older cars with mechanical fuel pumps that tend to do shorter, infrequent journeys as it can take plenty of engine turns to get the fuel where it needs to be. “I think the chargers are an essential,” said Andrew.