Intro: Volvo is one of the best known premium car makers from Scandinavia (the other is Saab...). who celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2002. Volvo (I roll in Sweden) was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, by Gustaf Larson and Assar Gabrielsson. Over 12 million Volvos have been produced since the first 2.0-litre, 28 bhp convertible '’V4' model in 1927.
While in the 1930s and 1940s it mostly produced cars which reflected contemporary American styling. From the 1950s Volvo evolved to become a more recognized player on international markets, due to its succesful Amazon, P1800, 164 and 740 models - among others.
Since 1999, Volvo Cars has been part of the Ford Motor Company. In addition to Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Volvo Cars is part of the Premier Automotive Group (PAG), the premium car segment within Ford.
The founders of Volvo, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, once said, "Cars are driven by people therefore the guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo is and must be always safety".
In 2003 Volvo introduced the new generation of the S40/V50 while its XC90 SUV went from strength to strength.
The second-generation S80 was unveiled in 2006, followed by the C30 in the Fall of 2006 - which heralded the return of the company to the compact segment. |
