Volvo

About Volvo

Although Swedish bearing and seal company SKF registered the Latin word “Volvo,” which means “I roll,” as a trademark in 1915, the motor vehicle firm that bears the name wasn’t legally founded until 1927. Volvo was established as a fully-owned subsidiary of SKF in Gothenburg, Sweden, and from the beginning, prioritized safety. The Volvo V4 is generally regarded as the company’s initial model; it is estimated that fewer than 1,000 units were made between 1927 and 1929.

The PV444, which came in 1955 and contributed to the brand’s worldwide recognition, was the first model imported into the United States. The Volvo 240 sedan and station wagon gained a reputation for being a safe, dependable, and effective mode of transportation in the late 1960s and early 1970s, becoming a common sight in suburban areas. Volvo is no stranger to invention; it introduced the three-point seatbelt, which has since become the industry standard, and decades later, it developed the first autonomous braking system to recognize bicycles and pedestrians.

The auto industry saw a flurry of mergers and acquisitions in the 1990s, and in 1999, Ford purchased Volvo’s assets for its passenger cars. The agreement allowed the Ford-owned Volvo to concentrate on making and selling passenger cars while the Volvo Group was free to produce and market heavy trucks and equipment. The deal was special since it permitted both companies to utilize the iconic Volvo emblem. 2010 Ford transferred Volvo passenger vehicle business control to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.

Volvo continues prioritizing safety and keeping its unique Scandinavian appearance in its current portfolio of high-end sedans, wagons, and SUVs. The carmaker now provides seven models, including plug-in hybrid versions of specific cars and sedans (S60, S90), wagons (V60, V90), and SUVs (XC40, XC60, and XC90) with turbocharged, small-displacement gasoline engines. With the brand-new XC40 Recharge, Volvo will enter the electric car market. The Volvo XC40, anticipated to go on sale in late 2020, will be the company’s EV launch vehicle.