"Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo is, and must remain, safety."
Last year, 2007, was Volvo’s 80th anniversary. And, believe it or not, today, the 14th of April, is their 81st. Therefore, I thought it was fitting that I write this short article about Volvo’s history over the years, and the numerous industry breakthroughs that they helped introduce to the world and that have saved millions of lives.
In 1927, Volvo AB was founded in Göteborg, Sweden, as a subsidiary of ball bearing company SKF. The founders were Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson.
The company’s first car was the Volvo ÖV 4, nicknamed Jakob. Although it was no great sales success, it did set the standard for the company’s reputation for safety. It has been theorized that in 1926, on a trip from Goteborg to Stockholm, one of the Jakob prototypes crashed head-on into an American car. Even though the American car was totaled, Jakob survived with only a few scratches.
Afterwards, most Volvo vehicles during this time were large sedans, whose customers were mostly taxi companies and law enforcement. Volvo did not become profitable until 1944, when they introduced the PV444.This model was remarkable for the numerous safety advancements on this vehicle, including the safety cage and the laminated windshield. The PV444 was also a very competent rally vehicle, winning awards all over the world. The PV444 was also Volvo’s first entry in the U.S. market.
In 1953, Volvo introduced their first estate car, the Volvo Duett. The Duett was based on the PV444, except the vehicle was built on a ladder frame in front, and leaf springs in the rear. Compared to other estate cars of competitors, the Duett was different. It was large, boxy, and was more like a delivery van than a true estate. Also, unlike other estate cars of the time, the Volvo only had two side doors and a pair of barn doors in the rear.
1956 came the Volvo Amazon, one of Volvo’s greatest technological advancement for safety in the automotive industry. The Amazon came with a host of advancements, including a padded dashboard and being the first vehicle with safety belts as standard equipment. Two years later, Nils Bohlin, a Volvo engineer, patented the modern three-point safety belt. It became standard equipment in all Volvos starting in 1959.
In 1966, Volvo introduced the 140-series, which included the 144 sedan and 145 estate. This would be the first time Volvo would produce a sedan and estate at the same time. The car had modern design cues while the estate boasted an enormous and versatile cargo area. Aldo, the 140-series was one of the safest cars on the road at the time, being host to a number of new technologies, such as four-wheel disc brakes and front and rear crumple zones, among others. The car proved to be a popular hit, and the design would carry on in two other models, the 164 luxury sedan and the venerable 200-series.
First brought in the market in 1974, the Volvo 240 series is one of Volvo’s most produced vehicles. At this time, Volvo was also looking towards their vehicle’s environmental impact, and so they developed and installed in the 200-series two revolutionary devices in 1976: the catalytic converter and the Lambda Sond oxygen sensor system. American scientists testing the 240's emissions at the time were astonished to the point of disbelief at how low the emissions were with these devices. The Volvo 240 soon became the “cleanest” vehicle in America.
During the 80's and 90's, Volvo continued with boxy, slab-sided vehicles while other automakers were moving towards sleek, rounded, aerodynamic "jellybean" designs. Their next model, the Volvo 700, and subsequent 900 series, was supposed to be a replacement for the classic Volvo 240. However, the 240 stayed and actually lasted longer than its supposed successor, the 700 series. The Volvo 700/900 series were more straight-edged than the 240 and were more aerodynamic. It was also the model that introduced the Side impact Protection System (commonly known as SIPS), which started out as a system of reinforced steel pillars on the sides of the car so that the impact of a side collision would be channeled around the passengers. This led to the 700 and the 900 series to win the distinction of being “The Safest Car In the World” numerous times.
The 90's produced another one of Volvo's most popular, and safest vehicles ever, the Volvo 850. The smoother design of the 850 was lauded by the automotive press, deemed as the start of Volvo's breakaway from being "boxy" and "boring." The 850 Estate’s smooth design was hailed in Italy as being “The Most Beautiful Car In the World” in 1996. Also, the 850 was the first car to showcase the company’s 24V I-6 horizontally-opposed engine, which made the engine more space-efficient while adding more power.
In 1998, Irv Gordon of Long Island, NY, broke the world record for having the highest recorded mileage on a car. His 1966 Volvo P1800 first broke the record on this year, by beating the previous record holder, a Volkswagen Beetle, in mileage. In 2002, Gordon celebrated Volvo’s 75th anniversary by placing another million miles on the car and driving it to the celebration at Times Square Studios. Gordon has said that he is currently working to place another million miles on the vehicle.
Recently, Volvo cars have stepped off from being at the top of the automotive industry's safety ratings, and Volvo enthusiasts have blamed this on Ford's acquisition of the brand in 1999. However, even though Volvos have been defeated in the ratings by other, more mainstream automakers such as Toyota and Renault, modern Volvos are still considered to be industry leaders in safety. Volvos are still exhaustively crash-tested at their facility in Göteborg for front-impact, side-impact, and rollover crashes, sometimes even testing the integrity of the vehicles against Swedish bedrock. The Volvo S80 is now available with a Lane Departure Warning System as well as a heartbeat sensor that warns you if an intruder is hiding in your car. Lastly, the Volvo C70 is currently the only convertible available in America with inflatable side curtain airbags, and recently the C70 has been judged a "Top Safety Pick" by the IIHS.
Another issue of debate with Volvo is their environmental impact. As the catalytic converter and Lambda Sond system are now almost universal, other automakers, especially Honda and Toyota, have taken top leads in environmental safety. There has also been considerable concern regarding Volvo's XC90 SUV and about its emissions. Although Volvo has not yet released a hybrid or an alternative-fuel vehicle, Volvos are still regarded as being clean-burning vehicles. While many midsize SUV's have one or two catalytic converters installed, the XC90 has four.
Lastly, the Ford Acquisition has brought on questions about a Volvo’s longevity. Past models, most of which being 200-series vehicles, have been praised for their mechanical integrity and many have been able to run for hundreds and thousands of miles more than other mainstream cars. Also, in ads of the early-80’s, a common pitch was that the average lifespan of a Volvo in Sweden was 18.7 years. Some owners of contemporary Volvos have noticed a decrease in build quality and reliability, however, many owners say they were able to reach over 200,000 miles easily in their vehicles, some being only about 10 years old.
Nevertheless, Volvo still continues to make vehicles that are not only safe, practical, reliable, and good on the environment, but as the new models are rolling in, they can also prove to be stylish and fun as well.
WORKS CITED
YouTube- Volvo History
Volvo Club UK- The True Family Car (PDF)
Wikipedia- Volvo Cars
- Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson,
The Founders of Volvo
The Founders of Volvo
Last year, 2007, was Volvo’s 80th anniversary. And, believe it or not, today, the 14th of April, is their 81st. Therefore, I thought it was fitting that I write this short article about Volvo’s history over the years, and the numerous industry breakthroughs that they helped introduce to the world and that have saved millions of lives.
In 1927, Volvo AB was founded in Göteborg, Sweden, as a subsidiary of ball bearing company SKF. The founders were Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson.
The company’s first car was the Volvo ÖV 4, nicknamed Jakob. Although it was no great sales success, it did set the standard for the company’s reputation for safety. It has been theorized that in 1926, on a trip from Goteborg to Stockholm, one of the Jakob prototypes crashed head-on into an American car. Even though the American car was totaled, Jakob survived with only a few scratches.
Afterwards, most Volvo vehicles during this time were large sedans, whose customers were mostly taxi companies and law enforcement. Volvo did not become profitable until 1944, when they introduced the PV444.This model was remarkable for the numerous safety advancements on this vehicle, including the safety cage and the laminated windshield. The PV444 was also a very competent rally vehicle, winning awards all over the world. The PV444 was also Volvo’s first entry in the U.S. market.
In 1953, Volvo introduced their first estate car, the Volvo Duett. The Duett was based on the PV444, except the vehicle was built on a ladder frame in front, and leaf springs in the rear. Compared to other estate cars of competitors, the Duett was different. It was large, boxy, and was more like a delivery van than a true estate. Also, unlike other estate cars of the time, the Volvo only had two side doors and a pair of barn doors in the rear.
1956 came the Volvo Amazon, one of Volvo’s greatest technological advancement for safety in the automotive industry. The Amazon came with a host of advancements, including a padded dashboard and being the first vehicle with safety belts as standard equipment. Two years later, Nils Bohlin, a Volvo engineer, patented the modern three-point safety belt. It became standard equipment in all Volvos starting in 1959.
In 1966, Volvo introduced the 140-series, which included the 144 sedan and 145 estate. This would be the first time Volvo would produce a sedan and estate at the same time. The car had modern design cues while the estate boasted an enormous and versatile cargo area. Aldo, the 140-series was one of the safest cars on the road at the time, being host to a number of new technologies, such as four-wheel disc brakes and front and rear crumple zones, among others. The car proved to be a popular hit, and the design would carry on in two other models, the 164 luxury sedan and the venerable 200-series.
First brought in the market in 1974, the Volvo 240 series is one of Volvo’s most produced vehicles. At this time, Volvo was also looking towards their vehicle’s environmental impact, and so they developed and installed in the 200-series two revolutionary devices in 1976: the catalytic converter and the Lambda Sond oxygen sensor system. American scientists testing the 240's emissions at the time were astonished to the point of disbelief at how low the emissions were with these devices. The Volvo 240 soon became the “cleanest” vehicle in America.
During the 80's and 90's, Volvo continued with boxy, slab-sided vehicles while other automakers were moving towards sleek, rounded, aerodynamic "jellybean" designs. Their next model, the Volvo 700, and subsequent 900 series, was supposed to be a replacement for the classic Volvo 240. However, the 240 stayed and actually lasted longer than its supposed successor, the 700 series. The Volvo 700/900 series were more straight-edged than the 240 and were more aerodynamic. It was also the model that introduced the Side impact Protection System (commonly known as SIPS), which started out as a system of reinforced steel pillars on the sides of the car so that the impact of a side collision would be channeled around the passengers. This led to the 700 and the 900 series to win the distinction of being “The Safest Car In the World” numerous times.
The 90's produced another one of Volvo's most popular, and safest vehicles ever, the Volvo 850. The smoother design of the 850 was lauded by the automotive press, deemed as the start of Volvo's breakaway from being "boxy" and "boring." The 850 Estate’s smooth design was hailed in Italy as being “The Most Beautiful Car In the World” in 1996. Also, the 850 was the first car to showcase the company’s 24V I-6 horizontally-opposed engine, which made the engine more space-efficient while adding more power.
In 1998, Irv Gordon of Long Island, NY, broke the world record for having the highest recorded mileage on a car. His 1966 Volvo P1800 first broke the record on this year, by beating the previous record holder, a Volkswagen Beetle, in mileage. In 2002, Gordon celebrated Volvo’s 75th anniversary by placing another million miles on the car and driving it to the celebration at Times Square Studios. Gordon has said that he is currently working to place another million miles on the vehicle.
Recently, Volvo cars have stepped off from being at the top of the automotive industry's safety ratings, and Volvo enthusiasts have blamed this on Ford's acquisition of the brand in 1999. However, even though Volvos have been defeated in the ratings by other, more mainstream automakers such as Toyota and Renault, modern Volvos are still considered to be industry leaders in safety. Volvos are still exhaustively crash-tested at their facility in Göteborg for front-impact, side-impact, and rollover crashes, sometimes even testing the integrity of the vehicles against Swedish bedrock. The Volvo S80 is now available with a Lane Departure Warning System as well as a heartbeat sensor that warns you if an intruder is hiding in your car. Lastly, the Volvo C70 is currently the only convertible available in America with inflatable side curtain airbags, and recently the C70 has been judged a "Top Safety Pick" by the IIHS.
Another issue of debate with Volvo is their environmental impact. As the catalytic converter and Lambda Sond system are now almost universal, other automakers, especially Honda and Toyota, have taken top leads in environmental safety. There has also been considerable concern regarding Volvo's XC90 SUV and about its emissions. Although Volvo has not yet released a hybrid or an alternative-fuel vehicle, Volvos are still regarded as being clean-burning vehicles. While many midsize SUV's have one or two catalytic converters installed, the XC90 has four.
Lastly, the Ford Acquisition has brought on questions about a Volvo’s longevity. Past models, most of which being 200-series vehicles, have been praised for their mechanical integrity and many have been able to run for hundreds and thousands of miles more than other mainstream cars. Also, in ads of the early-80’s, a common pitch was that the average lifespan of a Volvo in Sweden was 18.7 years. Some owners of contemporary Volvos have noticed a decrease in build quality and reliability, however, many owners say they were able to reach over 200,000 miles easily in their vehicles, some being only about 10 years old.
Nevertheless, Volvo still continues to make vehicles that are not only safe, practical, reliable, and good on the environment, but as the new models are rolling in, they can also prove to be stylish and fun as well.
WORKS CITED
YouTube- Volvo History
Volvo Club UK- The True Family Car (PDF)
Wikipedia- Volvo Cars
