VOLVO

Volvo Cars, or Volvo Personvagnar, is a well-known Swedish luxury automobile maker founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden .
Volvo was formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF . It was not until 1935 when Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish stock exchange that SKF sold most of the shares in the company. Volvo Cars was owned by AB Volvo until 1999 , when it was acquired by the Ford Motor Company and placed in its Premier Automotive Group along with Jaguar , Land Rover and Aston Martin . Volvo is a premium manufacturer and produces luxury models ranging from SUVs, wagons, and sedans to compact executive sedans and coupes. It competes directly with manufacturers such as Acura , Alfa Romeo , Audi , BMW , Cadillac , Infiniti , Lancia , Lexus , Mercedes-Benz , Volkswagen and Saab . With 2,500 dealerships worldwide in 100 markets; 60 percent of sales come from Europe, 30 percent from North America, and the other 10 percent is from the rest of the world. Volvo's marketshare is shrinking in the North American market. On the contrary, Volvo increases its marketshare in new markets such as Russia, China and India. Precisely, Volvo expects sales in Russia to double and exceed 20,000 units by the end of 2007, making Russia one of the ten biggest markets for the company. Volvo already boosts the leading position in Russia's luxury car segment.
Older models were often compared to tractors, partially because Volvo AB was and still is a manufacturer of heavy equipment, earlier Bolinder-Munktell , now Volvo Construction Equipment . Considered by some to be slow and heavy, they earned the distinction "brick" as term of endearment for the classic, block-shaped Volvo. With the more powerful turbo charged variants known as "turbobricks". More recent models have moved away from the boxy styles favored in the 1970s and 1980s and built a reputation for sporting performance. But not before the phenomenal success of factory supported Volvo 240 turbos winning both the 1985 European Touring Car Championship (ETC) & 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC). Most recently a 850 series wagon won top honors at the 1995 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) .
Owners are often proud of achieving prodigious mileages with one well documented 1965 Volvo P1800S having been driven over 2.6 million miles. According to some figures the average age of a Volvo being discarded is second only to Mercedes at 19.8 years.Reliability is considered better than average[8] and in the USA Volvo dealers are listed by Forbes as one of the best among all car makers (9th) and luxury car makers (6th).

Volvo company came about in Gothenburg, Sweden in the year 1927. The company was founded by SKF as a subsidiary company 100% owned by SKF. Assar Gabrielsson was appointed the managing director and Gustav Larson as the technical manager.
"Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety", Assar Gabrielsson and Gustav Larson 1927.
Despite this, Volvo's originally had a reputation for high death rates in the event of an accident. This led to a drastic overhaul of Volvo's safety approaches and an aggressive marketing campaign to brand the cars as 'the safest on the road'. This perception branding has been so successful that "safety" is now the first word most associate with Volvo.
The trademark Volvo was first registered by SKF the 11th May 1915 with the intention to use it for a special series of ball bearing for the American market, but it was never used for this purpose. SKF trademark as it looks today was used instead for all the SKF-products. Some pre-series of Volvo-bearings stamped with the brand name 'Volvo' were manufactured but was never released to the market and it was not until 1927 that the trademark was used again, now as a trademark and company name for an automobile. Volvo - derived from the Latin for "I roll," was thought to be a good trademark for a ball bearing as well as for an automobile.

The first Volvo car left the assembly line April 14 , 1927 was called Volvo ÖV 4 . After this the young company produced closed top and cabriolet vehicles, which were designed to hold strong in the Swedish climate and terrain. The Volvo symbol is an ancient chemistry sign for iron. The iron sign is used to symbolize the strength of iron used in the car as Sweden is known for its quality iron. The diagonal line (a strip of metal) across the grille came about to hold the actual symbol, a circle with an arrow, in front of the cooler. In the registration application for Volvo logotype in 1927, they simply made a copy of the entire cooler for ÖV4, viewed from the front.
In 1964 Volvo opened its Torslanda plant in Sweden, which currently is the one of its largest production sites (chiefly large cars and SUV). Then in 1965 the Ghent, Belgium plant was opened, which is the company's second largest production site (chiefly small cars). Finally in 1989 the Uddevalla plant in Sweden was opened, which is now jointly operated by Volvo Car Corporation and Pininfarina of Italy.

Volvo cars have always evoked a reputation for solidity and reliability. In 1944, laminated glass was introduced in the PV model. In 1958, Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented and patented the modern 3-Point Safety Belt , which became standard on all Volvo cars in 1959.
Volvo was the first company to produce cars with padded dashboards starting in late 1956 with their Amazon model .Additionally, Volvo developed the first rear-facing child seat in the late 1960s and introduced its own booster seat in 1978. In the mid-eighties, Volvo introduced the first central high-mounted stoplight (a brake light not shared with the rear tail lights), which became federally mandated in the United States in the 1986 model year. Seat belt and child seat innovation continued as shown in the 1991 960 . The 960 introduced the first three-point seat belt for the middle of the rear seat and a child safety cushion integrated in the middle armrest. Also in 1991 came the introduction of the Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) on the 940 /960 and 850 models, which channeled the force of a side impact away from the doors and into the safety cage. To add to its SIPS in 1995 Volvo was the first to introduce side airbags and installed them as standard equipment in all models in 1995. In 1998 Volvo also developed and was the first to install a head protecting airbag, which was made standard in all new models as well as some existing models. The head-protecting airbag was not available on the 1996 C70 due to the initial design deploying the airbag from the roof; the C70, being a convertible, could not accommodate such an airbag. Later years of the C70 featured a head-protecting airbag deploying upwards from the door, negating the issue of roof position. It has been stated by many testing authorities that side head protecting curtain airbags can reduce risk of death in a side impact by up to 40% and brain injury by up to 55%, as well as protecting in a rollover situation.
In 1998, Volvo introduced its Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), a safety device to prevent injury of front seat users during collisions. In 2004, Volvo introduced the BLIS system, which detects vehicles entering the Volvo's blind spot with a side view mirror mounted sensor and alerts the driver with a light. That year also saw Volvos sold in all markets equipped with side-marker lights and daytime-running lights (the latter having already been available in many markets for some time). Much of Volvo's safety technology now also goes into other Ford vehicles. In 2005 Volvo presented the second generation of Volvo C70 , it comes with extra stiff door-mounted inflatable side curtains (the first of its kind in a convertible). In 2006 Volvo's Personal Car Communicator (PCC) remote control has been launched as an optional feature with the all new Volvo S80 . This feature is fairly new to the automotive industry. Before a driver gets to their car, they are able to review the security level and know whether they have set the alarm and if the car is locked. Additionally, there is a heartbeat sensor that warns if someone is hiding inside the car. The heartbeat sensor is rumored to also work with the SOS feature of Volvo's new telematics system. The all new Volvo S80 is also the first Volvo model to feature Adaptive cruise control (ACC) with Collision Warning and Brake Support (CWBS ).
By the mid-1990s there was little to distinguish Volvo from some other manufacturers (notably Renault ) on safety when put through standardized tests such as EuroNCAP . The Volvo 745 had some severe problems that could cause severe injuries in a frontal collision. A 2005 FOLKSAM report puts the 740/940 (from 1982 on) in the 15% better than average category, the second from the top category. Also, the production of P1800 had to be stopped because it did not fulfill US safety standards. The Volvo 745 was also recalled due to that the front seatbelts mounts could break in a collision.
A US study showed that Volvo's safety have been slipping according to Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety .
In 2007, Finland's Safety Technology Authority (TUKES) concluded that the structure of Volvo 440 and 460 automobiles manufactured between 1993 and 1995 had caused several cases of flare-ups during refueling.
Dan Johnston, a Volvo spokesman, denied that the company's vehicles are any less safe than the Institute's top-rated vehicles, adding that

"It's just a philosophy on safety that is different from building cars to pass these kinds of tests."

Since 2004 all Volvo models except for the C70 and C30 are available with an all wheel drive system developed by Haldex of Sweden.
Even in recent years Volvo Cars have still managed to maintain their high class safety ratings as seen in test results from the IIHS . The Volvo XC90, S80,S40, and C70 all score top scores in these rated crash tests.
In 2008 a french court found Volvo guilty of causing the death of two children and serious injuries of one in Wasselonne on June 17 , 1999 when the brakes of a 1996 Volvo 850 failed. The prosecutor found Volvo partially responsible for the accident and sentenced Volvo to a 200 000 Euro fine.
Even although Volvo Car Corp is owned by the Ford Motor Company, the safety systems of Volvo are still made standard on all of their vehicles. Volvo has patented all of their safety innovations that would include SIPS , WHIPS , ROPS , DSTC , IC , and body structures to name a few. Some of these systems have shown up in other Ford vehicles in related forms to that of Volvo systems only because Volvo has licenced the FOMOCO and other PAG members to utilize these features

In the early 1970s, Volvo acquired the passenger car division of the Dutch company DAF , and marketed their small cars as Volvos before releasing the Dutch-built Volvo 340 , which went on to be one of the biggest-selling cars in the UK market in the 1980s
Volvo Group, as one of the largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles in the world, took the initiative to sell its automobile manufacturing in 1998 in order to fully focus its efforts on the market for commercial vehicles. Ford, on the other hand, saw advantages in acquiring a profitable prestige mid-size European automobile manufacturer, well renowned for its safety aspects, as an addition to its Premier Automotive Group . The buyout of Volvo Cars was announced on January 28 , 1998 , and in the following year the acquisition was completed at a price of $6.45 billion USD .
As a result of the divestiture , the Volvo trademark is now utilized by two separate companies:

• Volvo Group - a manufacturer of commercial vehicles, etc. owned by Swedish interests.
• Volvo Cars - a manufacturer of automobiles owned by Ford Motor Company , in its Premier Automotive Group .

Volvo Car Corporation is a part of the FoMoCo PAG alongside Jaguar and Land Rover of Britain. Since its acquisition into the PAG the company has grown in its range of vehicle and year by year is increasingly becoming a larger competitor in the luxury segment. Volvo has not reached the heights of world luxury leaders Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar or even the sporty/luxury manufacturers BMW and Audi .[citation needed ] Volvo competes more evenly with Acura , Cadillac , Lincoln and Saab .
In mid 2007 a rumour started that BMW had plans to acquire Volvo Cars from Ford. Insiders from the three companies have confirmed that BMW has requested an official financial inspection of Volvo and that informal talks between Ford and BMW had begun for a possible buyout. Ford is selling the PAG automotive marques for financial reasons, the same reason given for the disposal of Aston Martin .
On June 11 , 2007 , even after denying the claim of a buy out with BMW, the Ford Motor Company announced publicly that all of its PAG members were for sale. Earlier in 2007 Ford had stated that none of its PAG members were safe from a potential divestment. The entire PAG brand is expected to be divested in order to finance the remaining Ford brands which would include Ford , Mercury , and Lincoln . Ford publicly announced the Jaguar , Land Rover , and Volvo Cars brands were all up for sales at this point. Soon after, in August 2007, Ford CEO Alan Mulally stated that Ford does not need a global luxury brand in the form of the PAG of Europe, excluding Lincoln of America all of the luxury brands must go from Jaguar of England to Volvo of Sweden.
The rumours surrounding the possible sale of Volvo Car Corp to BMW once again surfaced in early July 2007. Sources from within the Volvo financial arm in Gothenburg have stated that the German brand had informal extensive talks with Volvo executives about a real selling price of the company.
A more recent rumour was started in mid June in Sweden that the Volvo car corporation is to be bought from the Ford PAG with the help of AB Volvo. This was later confirmed to be untrue, as AB Volvo is not looking into the automotive industry at this point in time as stated by AB Volvo CEO in Sweden. AB Volvo has confirmed that they are very much concerned to see and to know what will happen to Volvo Cars, as they share the seem heritage, beliefs, and nameplate.
On July 3 , 2007 a confirmed suitor for Volvo Cars has stepped forward as a potential buyer to the rights to use the Volvo Cars name in vehicle manufacture. A wealthy Swedish family that owns Investor AB, a public investment firm of Sweden, with an 11% share interest of Scania AB , is now entering the ring as a potential Volvo owner. This takeover is seen by many of the automotive analysts to be the most practical at this point in time. Previous takeover enquiries from Renault and BMW are seen to be impractical because Volvo has become so integrated with Ford and much would be lost by Ford and the new owners in the sales of the Swedish auto company. This Swedish family ownership would allow Volvo to be Swedish again and the platforms could still be shared with Ford. Ford will get much needed revenue that Jaguar and Land Rover alone cannot generate in a sale, and the Volvo Cars work force would prefer Swedish ownership.
According to the UK Autocar magazine, a Ford spokesman said Volvo is not ready for sale yet and is still under observation. But early August of 2007 revealed another turn in the Ford PAG sale saga. Ford announced that Volvo is to be sold before the end of 2007. The most likely new owners of Volvo will be the Wallenberg Family that owns Investor AB of Sweden, or BMW of Germany.In November 2007 Ford announced that it would keep Volvo even though they had posted a loss for the third quarter. Ford CEO Allan Mulally said that Ford intended to improve the situation at Volvo by pushing the Volvo brand of cars further upmarket to directly take on the German rivals. Volvo will now also increase its product portfolio with more luxury vehicles.Ford also now plans to allow Volvo more independent operations than it did with them before.

Starting with the 140 series in 1968, Volvo used a three number system for their cars. The first number was the series, the second number the number of cylinders and the third number the number of doors; so a 164 was a 1-series with a 6-cylinder engine and 4 doors. However, there were exceptions to this rule—the 780 for example, came with turbocharged I4 and naturally-aspirated V6 petrol engines and I6 diesel engines, but never an eight cylinder as the 8 would suggest. Similarly, the 760 often was equipped with a turbocharged I4 engine and the Volvo 360 only had four cylinders. Some 240GLT had a V6 engine. The company dropped the meaning of the final digit for later cars like the 740, but the digit continued to identify cars underhood on the identification plate. Volvo Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN codes) had always been given YV1 symbolizing Sweden, Volvo, and Volvo Car Corp.

Today, the company uses a system of letters denoting body style followed by the series number. S stands for saloon or sedan , C stands for coupé or convertible and V stands for versatile or estate car . XC stands for cross country originally added to a more rugged V70 model as the V70XC and indicates all wheel drive paired with a raised suspension to give it a mock SUV look. Volvo would later change the name to the XC70 in keeping with its car naming consistent with the XC90. So a V50 is an estate ("V") that is smaller than the V70.
Originally, Volvo was planning a different naming scheme. S and C were to be the same, but "F", standing for flexibility, was to be used on station wagons. When Volvo introduced the first generation S40 and V40 at Frankfurt in 1994, they were announced as the S4 and F4. However, Audi complained that it had inherent rights to the S4 name, since it names its sporty vehicles "S", and the yet-introduced sport version of the Audi A4 would have the S4 name. Volvo agreed to add a second digit, so the vehicles became the S40 and F40. However, that led to a complaint from Ferrari , who used the Ferrari F40 name on their legendary sports car. This led to Volvo switching the "F" to "V", for versatile.