You own it. It doesn't own you. Every year, thousands of people walkinto showrooms to buy sports cars andwalk out having sold themselves.

Not on a car. To a car.This question as to what is the owner

and who is the owned usually arisesshortly after you get home.

That's when things start going wrong.The delicate, sensitive mechanisms

that make a sports car go, are the verythings that turn around and make it stop.

The Volvo 1800S , on the other hand,doesn't have any delicate, sensitivemechanisms to break all the time.

On the outside it looks like a sportscar, but on the inside it's built like atruck.

As Road & Track Magazine put it: "Inthe car's various mechanical elements,there is considerable evidence of the`strength above all' design philosophy."

Of course, just because the 1800S isbuilt like a truck, don't get the impres-sion it performs or handles like one. Thelast two years, the 1800S has been theNational Champion in the Sports CarClub of America F-Production racingcategory.

Which leads us to conclude that theVolvo 1800S is either the world's pretti-est, fastest truck, or the world's toughest,most reliable sports car.

We'll be happy to sell you either one.

It handles likea sports car.

The 1800S was made to be driven fastover Swedish potholes. So the suspen-sion isn't the hard, hone-shattering kindyou find in most sports cars.

The suspension system, with coilsprings and telescopic shock absorbersall around, makes cruising a comfortablebusiness, even on rough roads.

Two torque rods absorb the torsionalstresses that influence the rear axle dur-ing braking and acceleration. The axleis located laterally by means of a trackbar. This means the MOOS will hold theroad and corner far better than you'dexpect, even at high speeds.

Car and Driver Magazine summed itup like this: "We careened around nar-

row, hack-country roads at double thespeed limit, ran screaming accelerationtests and shrieking brake tests, crashedover frost heaves on seldom-tended farmroads, and generally alarmed the sur-rounding population (and occasionally,our passenger). We can't recall ever giv-ing a car such a thrashing for an ordi-nary road test. We can't remember hav-ing so much sheer, uninterrupted funwith an automobile."

And while you're having your fun,you won't have any trouble finding any-thing you need.

Everything is right there in front ofyou: speedometer, tachometer, trip mile-age counter, oil pressure and oil tem-

perature gauges, water temperaturegauge, gas gauge, clock, directional sig-nals and warning lights for brights orlow beams. The electric overdrive leveris mounted on the right side of the steer-ing wheel.

The 1800S has more heater than youshould ever need. It's thermostaticallycontrolled, so the temperature you set isthe temperature you get whether you'recrawling in traffic or speeding crosscountry. There are floor and defrosterducts with separate controls, so youdon't have to suffer from cold feet anda hot head.

It's as comfortable as your house.

The bucket seats in the 1800S are leath-er, adjustable and fit your body.

When you sit in them, your legs haveenough room to be as comfortable as therest of you.

And we could go on and on about theseats but maybe you'd prefer to hearwhat others have to say:

Industrial Design Magazine callsthem an "orthopedic delight." "For thefirst time in any mass-produced chair ...not only is there good lumbar support,but adjustments in the support can bemade easily ...".

With a simple screwdriver adjustmentyou can make the seat backs harder orsofter. Technically, it's called an infinite-ly variable lumbar support. Practically,here's how it works: There is a networkof india rubber straps stretched on anadjustable frame that twists slightly to

increase or decrease the tension in thestraps. And that changes the firmness inthe back of the seat to suit your spine.

The more ordinary seat adjustmentsare made in the ordinary way. Back orforward up to nine inches. Up or downto three different heights. Angle of theseat back. Angle of the seat cushion (forthigh support, of course).

Some Swedes have taken Volvo seatsto their hearts-and to their homes.

They've been mounted on chromebases and used in the living room.

The floors are fully carpeted. Thepedals are easy to reach. And there isalso a support plate for the left foot, aboon on long trips.

The reason for all this comfort isquite simple. When we built this car tolast a long time, we figured the least wecould do was make you feel at home.

Drive it all daywithout feelingwhipped.

For this, in large part, you have the1800S body to thank.

It's built as one rigid unit, not piecedtogether. Closed-Box-Type Constructionis used around the doors and windows.( That means the openings are supportedby solid boxes of steel, not merely bybraces in the corners.)

So the body isn't rattle prone, and it'samazingly free of leaks and drafts. Allof which can contribute to fatigue onlong trips.

As Sports Car Graphic Magazine said:"Fatigue is not one of those things thatenter into the picture since this is a ve-hicle one can put 600 miles into in a dayand end up with none of that shoulder

ache, voicelessness, or feeling of strainassociated with cross country hauls inlesser machinery."

But building a strong body isn't muchgood if it isn't built to stay strong. Andbecause we know that rust is one of astrong body's greatest enemies, Volvorust-proofing is, we think, the most effec-tive in the world.

Before the body is painted, it's etchedin acid so the first coat of primer willhave a better surface to hang on to. Thebody is then submerged in rustproofingprimer. More primer is sprayed overthat first coat. Then a coat of sealer, fol-lowed by three color coats.

And to top this off, every car gets

undercoated twice. One coat of sealingwax, one of thick, black glop.

The result of all this is a body that'sespecially rigid, resistant to torsionalstresses and exceptionally durable. Notto mention exceptionally shiny.

Underneath it all, it's an economy car.

With overdrive, the 1800S gets 27 milesto a gallon at 70 mph.

The 1800S engine doesn't need con-stant tinkering to stay in tune, either.Which means you don't have to put amechanic on retainer. Or be one your-self.

The engine itself is remarkably strong.Sports Car Graphic Magazine called it:"One of the most, if not THE most re-liable, rugged and unbreakable car en-gines being built today." (The less anengine breaks, the less it costs you tohave it put back together.)

One of the reasons for the engine'stoughness is the fact that it has a five-bearing crankshaft. An engine's life ex-pectancy depends largely on the numberand size of its main hearings. Five is themost you can get in a four-cylinder en-gine, and it means the crank is supportedbetween each cylinder as well as at bothends.

A full-flow oil filter along with the im-proved engine oils now available meansyou should go 3,000 miles between oilchanges.

In addition, the 1800S has a sealedcooling system that won't boil over. If

the radiator starts getting too hot, thesteam flows into a special container,cools and flows back into the radiator.No standing around waiting for an over-heated radiator to cool.

To go with the engine, as standardequipment, is one of the most unbreak-able four-speed, fully synchronizedtransmissions being built today. All for-ward speeds are carried in needle bear-ings which provide a wide margin ofsafety against stress at high speeds. Inaddition to the four normal gears, anelectric overdrive unit is standard onthe 1800S. This decreases engine r.p.m.while maintaining the same read speed,resulting in less engine noise, more com-fort and even cheaper running.

The Volvo 1800S.You own it. It doesn't own you.