Autoforma unveils restomod Volvo P1800ES

Dutch garage Autoforma has revealed its restomod take on the Volvo P1800ES: a classic shooting brake rear end, upgraded chassis, turbocharged engine, and three distinct trim levels. This isn’t a mass-market offering but a limited-run project aimed squarely at collectors – the workshop plans to build around five cars annually, each priced near €300,000.

Price and production volume of the Autoforma P1800ES

Autoforma anticipates producing roughly five cars per year, with a ballpark price of €300,000 (about $356,000 at the referenced exchange rate). This isn’t your average classic restoration or a factory-backed Volvo facelift – it’s a boutique, limited-edition run for enthusiasts willing to pay a premium for exclusivity and meticulous handcrafting.

What’s under the hood and inside

The restomod features:

• Engine: factory Volvo T5 turbo – a five-cylinder turbocharged powerplant.
• Transmission: a “reworked” gearbox, though specific details remain under wraps.
• Chassis: modified suspension geometry with a wider track and improved handling dynamics.
• Brakes: enhanced cooling systems.
• Steering: a quicker ratio for sharper response behind the wheel.
• Body: carbon-fiber fender flares, a front splitter, and an integrated roof spoiler.
• Lighting: full LED setup front and rear.
• Options: two styles of forged wheels, a roof rack, and bespoke paint colors; inside, a restored dashboard, new seats, and a center console partitioning the rear seats.
• Extras: upon request, custom luggage tailored to fit the interior.

Autoforma offers three trim levels: Forward Fashionista – the boldest in colors and accents; Modern Marvel – a contemporary upgrade focusing on lighting and suspension; and Heritage Heaven – a faithful restoration enhanced for reliability. This approach caters to vintage purists, fans of vivid style, and collectors hunting for the ultimate version.

Where Autoforma fits in the restomod market

Autoforma enters an already crowded niche alongside players like Singer (known for their Porsche 911 restomods), David Brown, and other bespoke studios, where six-figure to high six-figure price tags are the norm. Volvo’s P1800 platform recently saw another high-profile restomod: the P1800 Cyan GT, reportedly priced around $700,000, illustrating how various layers of buyers can claim the same classic base car.

The trend is unmistakable: limited production runs, iconic classics, and modern tech combine to create vehicles coveted by collectors and investors alike. Meanwhile, traditional restorers face mounting pressure from both these boutique creators and large manufacturers capitalizing on heritage with pricey reissues and limited editions.

Who comes out ahead? Independent shops with bold design ideas and tight relationships within collector circles. Who loses? Traditional restorers struggling to compete on cost and media buzz, and buyers who hoped for more accessible “classic” cars.

Autoforma has proven that the P1800ES still holds strong potential for modern tuning, but the real test will be sustaining demand at a price tag stretching into the hundreds of thousands of euros. Whether the Dutch outfit can outshine Cyan and other big restomod players in brand perception remains to be seen – the next phase could involve exploring electric powertrains or sticking with gasoline and manual transmissions.