REFLECTIONS ON THE 1800 AND 
THE VSA SAN DIEGO CHAPTER

by Bud Hartwell

     I bought my first 1800 from a very good friend in 1978. He was the original owner of this 1972 Blue ES; in fact, when he bought the car in 1972, I went with him to pick it up. It was love at first sight, and I told my friend right then and there that I wanted the car when he was through with it. He called me in 1978 to tell me the car was mine if I still wanted it, and I drove it out of his carpeted garage with 35,000 miles on it. He paid $6,000 for the car in 1972, and that's exactly what I paid him for it in 1978. As soon as I bought the car, I joined VSA, in late '78 or early '79.

     As the national organization was based in Pennsylvania, it seemed too far away to meet my immediate needs as an 1800 owner. Then I heard about the Southern California Chapter coordinated by Bill Webb and joined.

     I soon became acquainted with Cindy Andrews, who eventually became the Chapter's co-founder and first newsletter editor. Cindy had taken her 1966 French Brown 1800S into San Diego Volvo for some maintenance. They made her aware of VSA, and we wound up with our names on the same list. We met to discuss our interest in the 1800 and decided at that first get-together to work toward establishing a San Diego Chapter. By 1980, with referrals and financial assistance from San Diego Volvo, who gave us a lot of support, we had enough people in San Diego to form a San Diego Chapter of VSA. 

     In July of 1980 a handful of San Diego Volvo 1800 owners got together and drove up to San Juan Capistrano for a joint meeting organized in cooperation with Bill Webb of the Los Angeles Chapter. We had about six or eight cars from San Diego, and there were probably twice that number from L.A. lined up in the AMTRAC parking lot. This was San Diego Chapter's first event. 

     We got together monthly, which is kind of unusual--most clubs don't get together that often. We had something going every month. We held a swap meet out at Ski Beach in November of 1980, and a brunch at the Atlantis in February of 1981, at which Bill Webb was our guest. We attended the Riverside Gran Prix as a club in April of 1981, and in 1984 we hosted the West Coast Convention in San Diego. We held the convention at the Hanalei Hotel in Mission Valley, and something like 85 cars were displayed in the hotel parking lot space reserved just for the 1800s.

     We made up t-shirts and beer coolers with the VSA logo on them and our Chapter built most of its treasury on sales during the convention of 1984 and nationwide. We advertised our t-shirts in the SEES Newsletter and filled orders from allover the country. That income has provided the funding which supports this effort to revive the SDVSA.

     By April of 1986 the San Diego Chapter of VSA had 54 active members, and that year we went to Newport as a club. We had a tech session at Bearsley's Body Shop in July and Cliff Wheeler gave us a tour of his San Diego Plating shop in December, as well as other interesting shop tours and tech sessions. 

     In August of 1987, Cindy Andrews moved to Palm Springs. With the newsletter, she was the thread that held the club together. Attempts to keep the newsletter going did not succeed, and with the loss of this communication link the club eventually went belly up. 

     In 1988 or 1989 an unsuccessful attempt was made with Gene Bellegarde to jump start the club once more. The current effort is our second attempt to revive the San Diego Chapter, and with a newsletter, I am very hopeful that it will 1be a success. There are many advantages to being a club member in addition to the opportunity to share our enthusiasm for the car. Club members are eligible for discounts; San Diego Volvo still treats us very well, recognizing both national and local VSA membership. Members of the club range in mechanical expertise: one may know a little bit about engines, another knows about a particular type of carburetor, and somebody else knows about injection systems. The club provides a means for parts and information exchange, referrals for mechanical and body work, paint shops, plating, etc. 

     I retired my 1972 ES from everyday driving in 1980 and performed a minor restoration on it in 1985. In 1987 it took Second Place in Stock Class at the Volvo National West Coast Convention in Oregon, and in 1988 took Second Place in Stock Class at the Solvang meet. My 1972 ES has now been retired to only occasional driving. Aside from my appreciation for its low, sleek appearance, it has justified my interest. Since the purchase of my 1972 Crystal Blue ES show car, I have owned eight 1800S over the last 20 years. The Volvo 1800 has made me a believer--that, dollar-per-pound of enjoyment, it is the best automobile value going today. 

     1 have enjoyed a similar satisfaction and many benefits in being associated with other San Diego Volvo 1800 owners, and I know you will, too.