History of the Volvo Car corporation

The founders of Volvo were Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson. They had off worked from 1917 to 1920 at SKF (Svenska Kullagerfabriken). Assar Gabrielsson was engineer already a sales boss and Gustaf Larsson starting from 1924, after coincidental meeting, planned the two men a Swedish automobile production. In the autumn 1924 the construction work for the first vehicle began. In August 1926 they were convinced that a vehicle production would be economically possible.

The company Volvo had been already created of SKF 1915 as subsidiary and the name Volvo (lat. I rolled) had been registered as registered trade marks. The name was not resumed starting from 1919. In the autumn 1926 the SKF executive committee could be convinced by the project of an automobile production. SKF got the already existing company Volvo from the drawer and used Assar Gabrielsson starting from 1 January 1927 as general manager.

On 14 April 1927 the first series Volvo, a Volvo "Jakob" left, the workshop on the island Hisingen with The (–ppen vagn) was a vierzylindriger open car. In the summer 1927 the PV4 (person vagn) followed, a vierzylindriger closed passenger vehicle. In the years 1927 to 1929 by these two types 996 vehicles were sold in different variants.

To 1958 by Volvo further ten different vehicle series were presented. The sales figures however never lay over 6.200 sold vehicles per year.

The twelfths to vehicle series brought the international break-through. The Volvo Volvo PV444 designated in Germany as "Buckelvolvo" (1947-1958) and its successor of the Volvo PV544 (1958-1965) became with 440.000 sold vehicles a world success. Already in the year 1955 the Buckelvolvo was equipped with fastening spots for three point static belts, starting from 1958 was in series equipped the model 544 sport with it, starting from August 1959 all models.

In addition, Volvo had to supply with military vehicles a broad spectrum. Here e.g. the short TP 21 or "Sugga" to call (sow) (Bj.1953-57, 740 pcs.) are and Valp (puppy). The TP 21 was four-door a pure radio vehicle, all wheel and 100% barriers. The Valp had closed most diverse body forms, Cabrio, and Pick UP.

1954 appeared the rarest all Volvos, the P1900 with fiber glass body. He was built in only 67 units.

The next vehicle series was the series of Volvo P120, admits also as "Volvo Amazon" (1956-1970) of that altogether 667,322 vehicles was built. In this vehicle the head restraints as standard equipment. Thus Volvo strengthened its image as a manufacturer of particularly safe cars, whereby the relatively high market share in the USA had always special meaning.

From 1960-1973 the series of Volvo P1800 ran from the volume - for Volvo of atypical sports cars. Admits became the Volvo P1800 arranged by Pelle Petterson by the first relay of the TV serial "Simon Templar" with Roger of moorlands. The Volvo P1800 was built from 1960 to 1972 in various engine variants from 90 to 124 HP, whereby the first 6,000 copies were installed with Jensen (car) in England. The 1971 to 1973 in only 8,077 copies manufactured sport combination P1800 IT became the model of today's Lifestyle combinations and under the pointed name "Schneewittchensarg" the legend.

In the time between 1974 and 1980 the Volvo C202 CROSS Country (called Lapplander) was built. It concerns thereby a compromiseless rough-terrain vehicle, which was developed mainly for the military. Beside the usual fourwheel also a 3-achsige all wheel version was available. These had then however the designation C303/306 and possessed a larger body. Some models are also in the civilian use.

The basis for long time the angular, functional Volvo Design created the series of Volvo P140 starting from 1967. She became in the years 1968-1975 by the Volvo P164 as upper class model came with the series of Volvo 240 the successor, that was produced still until 1993. In the context of this series developed also the Volvo 262 C designte by Bertone, which were very simply arranged, but by its rarity meanwhile a certain collecting tank status attained.

1975 acquired Volvo of the Netherlands company DAF their passenger car section. The vehicles already at the market present, which became and sells DAF 66 and the DAF 46 in modified form as Volvo 66 further manufactured. These passenger cars of DAF and/or of Volvo were equipped with the Variomatic transmission.

Since 1976 in the Netherlands work by Volvo the vehicles of the Volvo series of 300 were manufactured, the models Volvo 340 were equipped partly also with Variomatic transmission. On the basis of the Volvo 340 starting from 1981 the Volvo 360 with 2l-Maschine von Volvo offer-offering those was built for 360-Modelle until 1989, the 340-Modelle until 1990.

The 300er-Serie was not exported into the USA, but to Australia and New Zealand just like to Europe. The 300er-Serie was particularly successful in Great Britain.

Beginning of the 1980er years was introduced the series of 700, which came as Volvo 740 and Volvo 760 on the market, and than the 240er were still larger. On basis there were 760 again a which Volvo 780, which was introduced 1985. 1990 were replaced the 700er series of the models Volvo 940 and Volvo 960. Since the 700-er row was full-galvanized, she enjoys of most extreme longevity, which is only underlined by the blocked engines. Run achievements of 514 tkm and more are not with these models rarity.

1985 came with that 480 IT a sporty combination on the market, which followed the Design of the 1800 IT and was as the first Fronttriebler of the enterprise a Wegbereiter for future vehicles. On its basis 1988/89 still two middle class sedans in form 440 and 460 came out, which addressed themselves consciously to the younger group of buyers. The 400er-Serie was manufactured in the Netherlands.

Passenger car models of the present

A large success became at the beginning of the nineties the middle class model Volvo 850, above all combination variant after a Facelift and a change of name in Volvo the V70 (combination) and Volvo S70 (sedan) is the model meanwhile from the Volvo S60 and the Volvo V70 replaced. In the meantime the series were extended in addition by the Offroad variant Volvo XC70.

Below the 850/V70 a gap after running out the models 440/460, which was filled by the Volvo S40/V40, developed. Because Volvo had not sufficiently resources for the complete development of new series, it came to a Joint venture with Mitsubishi. Therefore the S40 and/or V40 the platform with the Mitsubishi Carisma divided. 2004 came the successor on the market, the sedan are called further Volvo S40 and the combination Volvo V50. This series, which are extended 2006 by the new Volvo C70-Cabrio, divide the platform with Ford the focus. Likewise derived from this platform the compact model is C30, by which so far a Design study was shown; the standard model is presented in the autumn 2006.

The larger row 940/960 was propelled by four and six cylinder petrol engines, the 960 with an engine with three litres capacity, which was renamed later in V90 (combination) and/or S90 (sedan), represented the top model with Volvo. Meanwhile that replaced built Volvo S80 the 900er row only as sedan.

Since 1996 give it to named Volvo C70, which is built also as Cabrio, and by which same engines as the V70-Reihe one propels. The production of the was stopped 2002, the substantially more successful Cabrio was already built still until 2005. The follow-up Cabrio C70 II will be located in Germany in May 2006 with the dealers.

Since 2002 stand with Volvo in addition the large SUV Volvo XC90 in the program, which starting from the year 2004, due to which requirements of the North American automarket, also with a Smallblock-V8-Motor one offers. This engine, which was developed in co-operation with Yamaha, is the first V8 in the passenger car history of Volvo and is also into other series entrance to find.

Later follows for some Volvo models the new power SHIFT of GET-rises up. It is a direct transmission. Such like it also in the VOLKSWAGEN gulf DSG and at the end of of 2007 in Ford the focus II to find is.

Trivia

The name "Volvo" is derived from latin. The first person of the Indikativs Singular present of volvere (roll) is called volvo (I roll).

Related links

• http://www.volvo.com - Website of the Volvo entrepreneurial group
• http://www.volvocars.de, http://www.volvocars.at and/or http://de.volvocars.ch - German-language Websites of the car manufacturer Volvo
• http://www.volvotrucks.com - Website of Volvo Trucks
• http://www.schwedenclassic.org - Website for classical and new Volvo of automobiles
• ElchWiki - Wiki over Volvo passenger car ("moose")

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