Volvo

The Swedish brand introduced its first model in 1927, the Volvo ÖV4Volvo ÖV4Sweden, 1927 > 19291 serie
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. Then, many closed top and cabriolet luxury models followed. In 1935, holding company SFK sold a great majority of Volvo Cars’ shares to Volvo AB – the company that builds Volvo trucks, buses, construction machinery and many other Volvo-badged equipment and services. Volvo AB owned Volvo Cars until 1999.

Volvo ÖV4, 1927

© photo courtesy of: Volvo

Volvo started a cooperation work with French carmaker RenaultRenaultFrance, 1898 > present189 models
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in 1979, which resulted on shared research & development resources and mutual support. The French brand also sold its industrial vehicles segment to Volvo and purchased a stake in the Swedish company, which now stands at 20%.

Along the years, Volvo has managed to build a solid reputation for reliability and steadiness. Volvo cars are said to last until an average of 19.8 years, according to some statistic studies. Only the German brand MercedesMercedes-BenzGermany, 1924 > present197 models
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outdoes this number. The company currently produces several different types of vehicles, such as sedans, coupes, wagons and SUVs, all in considerable high levels of luxury and performance.

In 1999, American car group FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
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acquired Volvo Cars from its former holder and integrated it in its Premier Automotive Group.

Ford would keep Volvo in the Premier Automotive Group further time after selling JaguarJaguarUnited Kingdom, 1922 > present53 models
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Land RoverLand RoverUnited Kingdom, 1978 > present15 models
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to Tata MotorsTataIndia, 1945 > present5 models
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of India. At the time the brand was registering mounting losses and gross economic down turns. The american brand decided to restructure the Swedish brand  pushing it further upmarket alongside the lower end of Mercedes and BMWBMWGermany, 1918 > present87 models
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sedans, wagons, and SUV crossovers. During that process the the luxurious second generation Volvo S80Volvo S80Sweden, 1998 > present2 series
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and the new small premium crossover Volvo XC60Volvo XC60Sweden, 2008 > present261 versions
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were developed.

In December 2008, Ford annonced that it was considering putting Volvo Cars on the market. After analysing the several orders received, in October 2009 Ford announced that it had come to the decision of selling Volvo Cars to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the parent of Chinese motor manufacturer Geely AutomobileGeelyChina, 1986 > present5 models
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.

In March 2010, a definitive agreement was signed worth $1.8 billion and on August 2, 2010 the deal closed with Geely paying $1.3 billion cash and a $200 million note.

Volvo’s symbol is a grey circle with a ‘north-eastern’ direction pointing arrow, which actually used to be the chemical symbol for iron many, many years ago. The logo was registered as Volvo’s in 1927.

Volvo’s homeland, Sweden, is quite well-known for the high quality of its iron. Besides, the iron is a strong metal, which the car brand wants to be related to, giving the impression of a strong, stable and firm standard on the manufacturing of Volvo cars.

This circle with an arrow pointing upwards to the right is also the symbol of the planet Mars, which also gives the Volvo logo a strong and cosmic interpretation, like a brand that is big and goes far. Nevertheless, and maybe surprisingly, this logo resulted from simply copying the image of the ÖV4 (the first Volvo model) when seen from the front – a diagonal strip of metal across the grille.

Volvo 242 Turbo

© photo courtesy of: Volvo

Swedish carmaker Volvo began entering the motor competitions in 1984, starting with a racing version of its model 240 TurboVolvo 240 TurboSweden, 1980 > present. The car entered the Group A and raced to victory at Zolder, Belgium, as well as a 2nd and a 3rd place at Mugello, Italy.

Besides its factory racing team, the brand also supported private teams with Volvo cars and engineering. Such cars won the European Touring Car (ETC) series’ title for 1980, 1981 and 1982.

The factory’s Volvo 240 Turbo cars brought home the champion titles of the 1985 ETC and the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC).

In 1995, a Volvo 850Volvo 850Sweden, 1992 > 19975 versions
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series wagon finished in first place at the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).