What the ES in the Volvo 480 ES stands for...

Website · Post by **coyote1980** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 8:15 pm

We have had discussions about this before, I spoke an hour on the phone with a guy who owned a P1800. The conclusion on the forum was something like the E stands for Estate and the S for Sweden. It was partially correct...

The P1800 was initially build by Jensen in the UK. The cars produced there were just P1800. Later the production was transferred to Sweden and the S was added. So all Swedish P1800 are P1800 S. The E comes from the German word for injection: Einspritzung. It is very awkward that the Swedes chose to derive the letter from a German word, but that should be it.

Ben Harris · Post by **Ben Harris** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 8:23 pm

Does that mean the the "carb" 480's that I believe are very rare but did exist, aren't an ES, as they don't have injection?

Ben.

pol · Post by **pol** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 8:37 pm

So making it an 'S'... Which have injection...
???
pol

Ettore Bugatti · Post by **Ettore Bugatti** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 8:51 pm

The 480 isn't built in Sweden so the old meaning of ES of the p1800 wouldn't fit the 480. I think Volvo choose it because it sounded good and it gave heritage.

CHESH740R · Post by **CHESH740R** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 9:26 pm

I think it just one of volvo's model names for sport versions of their cars.

My Brother has a 460 ES 1.9 TD.

And when i looked into it, the ES Pack meant the car got Lowered Springs and Sport Shocks, Alloys, and Spoiler package.

ForZe · Post by **ForZe** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:37 pm

We own a white 480ES, as far as i know it isnt lowerd and doesnt have sport shocks (i think).
It is +/-1 cm lower then my turbo (no clue why), so i dont think its a sport package "tag".

Nor a "'S'... Which have injection... " because the S doesnt have a onboard computer right ? because our ES does have one.

I just think its a thing from the past from the P1800 as ettore suggested.

Jonathan · Post by **Jonathan** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 4:36 pm

Christer Olsson wrote in the book "Volvo cars, 1927 - 2000, a
cavalcade" regarding the famous P1800 :
"... a modified rear end which transformed the 1800E into a sporty
and exclusive estate, the 1800ES".

So does 'ES' stand for Estate, or Exclusive & Sporty ?

But there is no doubt that our 480s are both Exclusive & Sporty

!

Sam

robkendall · Post by **robkendall** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 6:44 pm

ForZe wrote:Nor a "'S'... Which have injection... " because the S doesnt have a onboard computer right ? because our ES does have one.

again, one of volvos niceties.....i have a 1991 480 's', which does have the info centre computer.....go figure.
i think volvo liked to have the options choosen by the customer as much as possible, so it is possible to find an 's' version, more loaded than an 'es'
etc

rgrds
rob

Frantic · Post by **Frantic** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 9:53 pm

Jonathan wrote:So does 'ES' stand for Estate, or Exclusive & Sporty ?

Estate Sport I think, like it was the case with the 1800ES
Since the 1800ES was the basis to a new sporty Volvo

dbsvolvos · Post by **dbsvolvos** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:18 pm

i thought it was en suite !

robkendall · Post by **robkendall** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:21 pm

dbsvolvos wrote:i thought it was en suite !

only if youve got a leaky boot!
lol
rob

ForZe · Post by **ForZe** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 7:59 am

ever heard of the C70ES

volvofox · Post by **volvofox** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 9:00 pm

i think one shouyld not see this all too black and white, but in swedish "lagom" style (not translatetionable)

I put my money on the coyotes version of this story. there once was a p1800 ES, which got somehow famous, and the name es had a reason back then.

the dutch from Hellmond office got a green light for a sportscar version offer, with as a order to base the study on the p1800 ES... This is how all the 480 ES , some injected, some turbo, some not, were born.(all of them are sporty and semi hatchback...

Again, not as the "to be or not to be"black white principle, but "do lagom" sort of keep normal don't think to much, its hard enough " swedish style.

Website · Post by **coyote1980** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 4:19 pm

I think the ES is only used on the 480 as a heritage thingie to the exclusive P1800ES. But ES never had the same meaning on the 480 as on the P1800 (since the 480 S is not a ES without "Einspritzung" (injection)). So ES is just a badge to make the 480 sound cooler. The S was probably used to sound like a stripped down version of the ES.

volvofox · Post by **volvofox** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 5:46 pm

sorry to be so unclear, this is what i meant too

480-Pelle · Post by **480-Pelle** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 6:00 pm

Jonathan wrote:Christer Olsson wrote in the book "Volvo cars, 1927 - 2000, a
cavalcade" regarding the famous P1800 :
"... a modified rear end which transformed the 1800E into a sporty
and exclusive estate, the 1800ES".

So does 'ES' stand for Estate, or Exclusive & Sporty ?

But there is no doubt that our 480s are both Exclusive & Sporty !

Sam

I have always thought the ES meant Estate Sports and I still do...
All P1800 ES I've ever seen have been Estates and the S model has been the "normal" coupe model.

However I don't think ES has any real meaning on the 480 (just a legacy as you folks say) but Estate Sports sounds good so why not keep it...

//Pelle

catgroom · Post by **catgroom** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 8:36 pm

My 1st ES was an '87,it had a carb.It was still badged a 480 ES.

Passed it to the main man Chris Wickers who runs the 400 Section of VolvoClub.org for free when i went into rehab.It had 157k and all I'd done to it was new oil cooler!Head gasket my aaaaaarse!

My rude side,however,thinks it should stand for Elongated Schlong,given what people used to say about cars of this shape just being an extension of a mans part!

Groomus Felinius!

JohnTurbo · Post by **JohnTurbo** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 9:18 pm

Id o get accused of my car being an extension!

Volvo 480 Club Europe

What the ES in the Volvo 480 ES stands for...

What the ES in the Volvo 480 ES stands for...

Well.......!