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Leno drives Volvo P1800 from Roger Moore's The Saint

Outside of a few notable exceptions, Volvo usually isn't associated with making beautifully curvaceous vehicles. But in the 1960s and early '70s the company proved with the P1800 that its cars didn't only have to be safe but staid family transportation. Underneath that shapely styling were a lot of components from the brand's parts bin, but that didn't bother Roger Moore when he drove one of these in the TV series The Saint. Actually, the future James Bond actor didn't just get behind of one of these; he owned this exact 1967 P1800 S. It's this week's highlight on Jay Leno's Garage.
Moore was the car's original owner, but it also appeared in studio scenes of The Saint. Despite its famous provenance, when owner Bill Krzastek bought the P1800 in England, it was in pretty rough shape. The Volvo underwent a nine-month restoration to get it back into shape, which included some new body panels and wheels. Krzastek claims that much of the interior is original, though.
Krzastek comes off has a little bit nerdy, but you have to give him credit. He absolutely loves his Volvo and knows something about practically every detail of his car's history. Krzastek even refinanced his house to fund the purchase and restoration of the P1800. Although, with the right maintenance these old Swedes have been known to go millions of miles. Enjoy this look at one that was a star of the screen in the '60s.

Future Classic: 2008-2013 Volvo C30

Volvo has a storied reputation of building cars that are safe and solid – vehicles that are as cherished for their function-over-form designs as they are their mechanical longevity. But Volvo is also low-key cool. The Swedish carmaker is beloved by enthusiasts for its commitment to offering wagons, and for its many motorsports efforts. Flying brick, anyone? That coolness doesnÂ’t always trickle down to VolvoÂ’s road cars, but every now and then, the company gives us something a little weird. And in the mid-2000s, Volvo introduced the C30: a two-door hatchback geared towards younger, hipper buyers. Was the C30 a luxury compact? A hot hatch? Nah, it didnÂ’t really fit either vibe. Still, the C30 was nevertheless cute and quirky, and compared to other Volvos of the era, it was truly one of a kind. Why is the Volvo C30 a future classic? The C30 rode on the same platform as the S40 sedan and V50 wagon (as well as the contemporary Mazda 3 and EuropeÂ’s second-generation Ford Focus), but had way more personality than both. VolvoÂ’s hallmark tall taillights flanked a huge piece of glass that extended from the roofline to the bumper, serving as the C30Â’s hatch. Of course, this expansive window also meant the items in the cargo area were readily on display, making them an easy target for smash-and-grab thefts. A range of powertrains were available around the world, including diesel engines and even a super-limited-production electric variant. In the U.S., however, we only got the T5 gas engine, which in its standard form produced a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5 with 227 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque (more on the not-so-standard form later). You could get a six-speed manual transmission, which wasnÂ’t a terribly engaging gearbox, but was still more fun than the five-speed automatic. With the C30, Volvo put an emphasis on the hatchbackÂ’s ability to pump up the jams. An optional Premium Sound package had 10 Dynaudio speakers, an Alpine subwoofer and Dolby Pro Logic II surround. This setup could even play CDs with MP3 and WMA files, and included an AUX jack for things like iPods. Archaic technology by today's standards, but in the 2000s, this was clutch. 2013 Volvo C30 R-Design Polestar Limited Edition View 12 Photos What is the ideal example of the Volvo C30? One word: Polestar. In 2012, Volvo introduced a limited-edition C30 Polestar, only 250 of which were sold in the United States.

2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, Volvos earn IIHS Top Safety Pick rating

It's time for another round-up of recent IIHS crash tested cars. The trio this time include the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, 2019 Volvo XC90 and 2018 Volvo S90. All three have earned one of the highest ratings from the IIHS, the Top Safety Pick. And all three continue a trend of very safe cars having slightly below-par headlights, preventing them from earning the highest Top Safety Pick+ rating. Of these three cars, the Corolla Hatchback has the most impressive scores. It earned the highest "Good" rating in every single crash test, including the difficult small-overlap passenger-side collision. It also received the top score for access to LATCH anchors for child seats. The standard forward collision prevention technology also brought home the best score possible, stopping the car before a crash at speeds up to 25 mph. The headlights themselves weren't particularly bad either, earning the second-highest score of "Acceptable" with both the standard and optional LED headlights. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Both Volvos shared similar scores to the Corolla Hatchback, with "Good" ratings for all crash tests they participated in, and top rank for their standard forward collision technology. Both vehicles were not tested for the passenger-side small overlap collision, so there is no score in that area. Both also received the "Acceptable" rating for LATCH anchor access. In the headlight department, the XC90 earned "Acceptable" scores for both of its available headlights, and the S90 received an "Acceptable" for its optional lights, while the standard ones were rated as "Marginal." Related Video: