Classic cars in museums may be impressive but seeing them on the road, complete with vintage sound effects, is a real treat. That's one very good reason why the organisers of the 2009 Palm Springs Desert Classic decided to include a tour on the day preceding the Concours. And that's where I spotted this exquisite Volvo ES1800, waiting in the Palm Springs Art Museum lot prior to the run. Part sports coupe and part wagon, it is not only my favorite Volvo but one of my all-time favorite classics. A perfect blend of design, handling, and practicality, the ES1800 was derived from the P1800 coupe, described in an ad by the Carl Ally ad agency thusly: "It's a sort of souped-down Ferrari." It was never sold as a pure sports car but instead was positioned against GT-type cars like Aston Martins, Ferraris, and Maseratis. The difference, of course, was the price: just $3995. Today a restored ES1800 like the one seen here would sell for around $23,000. Still a bargain for a rare Swedish beauty.