The Volvo ÖV 4 was the first car built by Volvo . The designation ÖV 4 stands for "Öppen Vagn 4 cylindrar" in Swedish, which means Open Carriage, 4 cylinders. The model ÖV 4 has later often been referred to as "Jakob" but that was just a name for one of the 10 pre-series ÖV 4 that was ready on 25 July 1926, Jakob's name day . All 10 prototypes were assembled in Stockholm at the company AB Galco, Hälsingegatan 41 where Gustaf Larson worked at that time. Only one of the 10 pre-series cars manufactured during 1926 was saved for posterity and is housed at the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg , Sweden .
47-583: Volvo PV is a model name that Volvo used on a number of automobiles during the company's first forty years: Volvo PV is also the short form for Volvo Personvagnar (dir.trans: Volvo person wagon), the Swedish name for Volvo Cars , as opposed to Volvo LV, or Volvo Lastvagnar (dir.trans: Volvo load wagon), the Swedish name for Volvo Trucks . Volvo Cars Volvo Car AB , trading as Volvo Cars ( Swedish : Volvo personvagnar , styled VOLVO in
94-667: A vehicle subscription offering called Care by Volvo , which offers the Volvo XC40 for a monthly payment that includes insurance and maintenance. Care by Volvo is offered in several European markets, such as Germany, the UK and Italy, as well as in the U.S. In February 2020, Volvo and Geely announced that they had started formal discussions about a merger of business. Geely had owned 100% of Volvo, but Volvo Cars had largely been allowed autonomy with its resources. These merger talks were later halted, and 18% of Volvo Cars shares were listed on
141-409: A Volvo spokesman, denied that the company's vehicles were any less safe than the institute's top-rated vehicles, adding that It's just a philosophy on safety that is different from building cars to pass these kinds of tests. In 2006, Volvo's Personal Car Communicator (PCC) remote control was launched as an optional feature with the all-new Volvo S80 . Before a driver enters their car, they can review
188-671: A designer who had worked many years in the American automobile industry and returned to Sweden in 1924. Many of Jan G. Smith 's original drawings for the ÖV4 and other technical papers that he collected in America are saved in the archive of the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. When the first series produced ÖV4 was about to drive out of the factory and engineer Eric Carlberg put it into first gear,
235-603: A joint venture with Geely. In 2023, Volvo removed conventional engines as an option, meaning mild hybrids are the base engine option in the US. Volvo Cars owns 18% of Polestar and 50% of NOVO Energy ( electric vehicle batteries ), 100% of Zenseact (AD and ADAS software), and 100% of HaleyTek (Android-based infotainment systems). As of 2022, Volvo Cars has production plants in Torslanda in Sweden, Ridgeville, South Carolina in
282-757: A loss to Geely Holding for $ 1.8 billion; the deal closed in August 2010. Volvo Cars was publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange in 2021, though Geely Holding still retains majority ownership. Volvo Cars and AB Volvo share the Volvo logo, and cooperate in running the Volvo Museum . In March 2021, Volvo Cars announced that it would be a fully electric brand by 2030, with vehicles sold exclusively online. In June 2021, Volvo Cars and Swedish battery developer and manufacturer Northvolt announced
329-537: A shared ownership of Volvo Cars, as part of a larger consortium. Other rumored candidates to purchase Volvo Cars included BMW AG of Germany, Investor AB of Sweden, Chinese investors, and Russian investors. Although it was rumoured that Volkswagen would buy Volvo Cars, and despite initial denials, the company Geely Holding Group was ultimately selected to take over the Swedish automaker. Geely Holding allegedly bid about US$ 1.5 billion to take over Volvo, with Goldman Sachs investing HK$ 2.59 billion (US$ 334 million) in
376-488: Is Latin for 'I roll') was first registered by SKF on 11 May 1915 with the intention to use it for a special series of ball bearing for the American market but it was never used for this purpose (however in the application for the trademark, it was also designated for the purpose of automobiles ). The SKF trademark as it looks today was used instead for all the SKF-products. Some pre-series of Volvo-bearings stamped with
423-555: The Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), which detects vehicles entering the vehicle's blind spot with a side-view-mirror-mounted camera, and alerts the driver with a light. That year also saw Volvos sold in all markets equipped with side-marker lights and daytime running lights. Also, since 2004 all Volvo models except for the coupes ( C70 and C30 ) are available with an all-wheel drive system developed by Haldex Traction of Sweden. In 2005, Volvo presented
470-509: The Dutch government had participated in a joint venture at the former DAF plant in Born , Netherlands since 1991). Ford saw advantages in acquiring a profitable prestige mid-size European automobile manufacturer, well renowned for its safety aspects, as an addition to its Premier Automotive Group. The buyout of Volvo Cars was announced on 28 January 1999, and in the following year the acquisition
517-870: The Nasdaq Stockholm stock exchange in October 2021. In early 2021 the company announced plans to completely stop selling fossil fuel-based cars by 2030, switching to electric-powered cars. The plan includes phasing out fossil-fuel-only cars by 2025, manufacturing only electric cars or hybrids. In 2021, Volvo Cars set up a joint venture with Geely for its hybrid engine operations. The new business, Aurobay will develop and market powertrain solutions, and as of 2022, includes Volvo Cars' engine plants in Skövde and Zhangjiakou , together with its powertrain research and development operations in Gothenburg . In June 2023, Ukraine blacklisted Geely due to its refusal to leave
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#1732786915568564-633: The Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) , and re-introduced an expanded -90 series of models, including the S90 sedan and Volvo V90 wagon in addition to a redesigned XC90 SUV. In 2015, Volvo sold more than half a million cars for the first time in its 89-year history. Volvo reported strong sales from all three core global regions. Sales in Europe rose 10% in 2015 to 269k, representing over 50% of total global volume. Volvo's revival in
611-640: The Uddevalla plant in Sweden was opened, which was jointly operated by Volvo Car Group and Pininfarina Sverige AB from 2005 to 2013. In the early 1970s, Volvo acquired the passenger car division of the Dutch company DAF , and marketed their small cars as Volvos before releasing the Dutch-built Volvo 340 , which went on to be a big seller in the UK market in the 1980s. In 1986 Volvo sold 113,267 cars in
658-438: The 740/940 (from 1982 on) in the 15% better than average category, the second from the top category. In 2005, when the American non-profit, non-governmental Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released its first annual "Top Safety Picks" vehicles list, none of Volvo's offered vehicles in the US were included on the list. According to Russ Rader, a spokesman for IIHS, Volvo lagged behind its competitors. Dan Johnston,
705-541: The C70 featured a head-protecting airbag deploying upwards from the door, avoiding this problem. It has been stated by many testing authorities that side head protecting curtain airbags can reduce the risk of death in a side impact by up to 40% and brain injury by up to 55%, as well as protect occupants during a rollover. In 1998, Volvo introduced its Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), a safety device to prevent injury to front seat users during collisions. In 2002, Volvo pioneered
752-717: The PAG, the company significantly expanded its range of vehicles. Ford, in turn, attempted with little market success to leverage synergies from Volvo, namely by sharing a re-engineered platform and many safety features from the Volvo S80 with the Ford Five Hundred (et al.). After Ford sold Jaguar Land Rover to Tata Motors of India in 2008, the company initially decided to keep Volvo Cars despite mounting losses and major economic downturns. Ford decided to restructure plans for Volvo Cars, pushing it further upmarket, alongside
799-586: The PV ;4 and would not be associated with it. By 1928 a more balanced design was introduced, with a longer bonnet and thinner pillars. The oval rear window of the original PV 4 was gradually replaced by a rectangular unit. Between 1927 and 1929 a total of 996 cars were manufactured. Of these 694 were PV 4 and 302 ÖV 4. 251 of the covered cars were of the "PV 4 Special" model. The ÖV 4 production includes 27 naked chassis and 70 small pickup trucks (ÖV 4 TV) developed for Telegrafverket ,
846-730: The Russian market. In this regard, the Swedish authorities began to discuss the possibility of a boycott of Volvo Cars. The discussion was initiated by the Ministry of Defense of Sweden. In November 2023, Volvo Cars announced the launch of an Energy Solutions business, beginning with a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot programme in Gothenburg along with local power utility Goteborg Energi. In 2024, Volvo Cars scrapped its goal of becoming fully electric by 2030, adjusting its strategy due to industry challenges. In November 2024, Volvo Cars announced
893-558: The US gained momentum, with sales up 24% in 2015, while China was flat amid a challenging sales environment, but sales were up 11% in the fourth quarter. In July 2017, the automaker announced that beginning in 2019, all of its new models will include an electric motor in their powertrain. Implementation of the announcement could mean Volvo becoming the first manufacturer to end production of internal combustion -only vehicles, with all vehicles hybrid or electric powered. Between 2019 and 2021, Volvo plans to launch three electric cars under
940-478: The US marking a record year for the company. The appearance of Japanese brands like Acura and Lexus and the growing popularity of Subaru station wagons in subsequent years meant the loss of a significant market share for Volvo, one which they have never regained. Volvo's long-time CEO Pehr G. Gyllenhammar saw early on that Volvo was too small to survive in the future, and attempted several times to merge with other manufacturers. Volvo nearly merged with Saab in
987-622: The United States, Ghent in Belgium, and Daqing in China. Volvo was founded upon the concept of safety in 1927, in Gothenburg , Sweden: Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety. The company was created as a subsidiary to SKF . Assar Gabrielsson was appointed managing director and Gustav Larson technical manager . The trademark Volvo (which
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#17327869155681034-430: The Volvo 745 was recalled as the front seatbelt mounts could break in a collision. In 1998, Volvo installed a head-protecting airbag, which was made standard in all new models as well as some existing models. The IC head-protecting airbag was not available on the 1997 C70 since the initial design deployed the airbag from the roof, and the C70, being a convertible, could not accommodate such an airbag. A later version of
1081-663: The Volvo Museum, which opened in a permanent location in Arendal at Hisingen on 30 May 1995. For several years, the collection had been housed at the Blue Hangar, at the then closed Torslanda Airport . In 1999, Volvo Group decided to sell its automobile manufacturing business in order to concentrate on commercial vehicles, and to buy a 5% stake in Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors (with which Volvo Group along with
1128-454: The Volvo brand and two more under the Polestar performance brand. Volvo is one of the proponents of autonomous vehicles. On 20 November 2017, Uber announced that it planned to buy up to 24,000 Volvo cars designed to accept autonomous technology between 2019 and 2021. This non-binding intent includes a plan for Uber Advanced Technologies Group to design and build the self-driving system in
1175-476: The XC90 SUV. In 2016, the companies announced that they planned to collaborate on the design and financing of cars with self-driving systems. Such vehicles require a different type of steering and braking mechanism, as well as sensors. The CEO of Volvo Cars, Håkan Samuelsson, made this comment in an interview: "We get support developing this car ... It’s also a big commercial deal." Also in 2017, Volvo announced
1222-420: The board. His board members include vice-chairman Hans-Olov Olsson , a former president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, and Håkan Samuelsson , formerly chief executive of MAN . Under Geely ownership, Volvo has refocused its product lineup. The manufacturer has developed a new line of 3- and 4-cylinder diesel and petrol engines while eliminating larger engines. It has also developed a new vehicle platform ,
1269-429: The brand name 'Volvo' were manufactured but never released to the market, and it was not until 1927 that the trademark was used again, now as a trademark and company name for an automobile. The first Volvo car left the assembly line on 14 April 1927, and was called Volvo ÖV 4 . After this the young company produced closed top and cabriolet vehicles, which were designed to hold strong in the Swedish climate and terrain. In
1316-448: The car went backwards, where the car was actually in reverse gear. The explanation was that the differential gear in the rear axle had been fitted incorrectly. This mistake delayed the introduction by one day and the official introduction day for the ÖV4 was then adjusted to 14 April 1927, the day AB Volvo officially says the automobile company Volvo was "born"— this is from a marketing point of view. The company as an automobile company
1363-618: The company's history outside of Sweden, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada . In 1964, Volvo opened its Torslanda plant in Sweden, which currently is one of its largest production sites (chiefly large cars and SUVs). Then in 1965, the Ghent , Belgium plant was opened, which is the company's second largest production site. This was also Volvo's first location producing cars within the European Economic Community . In 1989,
1410-666: The company's logo) is a Swedish multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles . Volvo is headquartered in Torslanda , Gothenburg . The company manufactures SUVs , station wagons , and sedans . The company's main marketing revolves around safety and its Swedish heritage and design. Volvo Cars has been separate from its former parent conglomerate and producer of heavy trucks , buses , and construction equipment (among others) AB Volvo since 1999 when AB Volvo sold its automobile division Volvo Cars to Ford Motor Company for US$ 6.47 billion. On 28 March 2010, Ford sold Volvo Cars at
1457-432: The development of a virtual crash test dummy representing a midsized pregnant female. It was named Linda and was modeled in her 36th week of pregnancy to analyze the effects of high-speed impact on the womb, placenta, and fetus. Collaborating with Chalmers University of Technology , they also crafted a computer model of an average-sized female to advance their Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS). In 2004, Volvo introduced
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1504-473: The doors and into the safety cage. In 1994, to add to its SIPS, Volvo was the first to introduce side airbags and installed them as standard equipment in all models from 1995. At the start of the 1995 model year, side impact protection airbags were standard on high trim-level Volvo 850s, and optional on other 850s. By the middle of the production year, they were standard on all 850s. In model year 1995, SIPS airbags became standard on all Volvo models. In 1995,
1551-493: The first rear-facing child seat in 1964 and introduced its own booster seat in 1978. In 1991, the 960 introduced the first three-point seat belt for the middle of the rear seat and a child safety cushion integrated in the middle armrest. Also in 1991, it introduced the Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) on the 700 , 940 / 960 and 850 models, which channels the force of a side impact away from
1598-478: The holding company. Ford Motor Company offered Volvo Cars for sale in December 2008, after suffering losses that year. On 28 October 2009, Ford confirmed that, after considering several offers, the preferred buyer of Volvo Cars was Geely Holding Group, the parent of motor manufacturer Geely Automobile . On 23 December 2009, Ford confirmed the terms of the sale to Geely had been settled. A definitive agreement
1645-513: The intention to establish a 50/50 joint venture consisting of a battery gigafactory and R&D (research and development) center. In December 2021, it was revealed the battery R&D center would be located in Gothenburg. In February 2022, Gothenburg was also chosen as the location for the battery gigafactory. During 2021 and 2022, Volvo Cars transferred its hybrid engine research and production capabilities in Skövde and Zhangjiakou to Aurobay , in
1692-597: The late seventies, while in 1978 an aborted affair would have seen the Norwegian state take over 40 percent of the company. In return, Volvo would receive 200 million SEK and a ten percent concession in the Oseberg oil field . Major institutional actors in Sweden opposed the deal and blocked it. A deal to merge with Renault was blocked in 1993, mainly opposed by a Swedish stockholders' association. A collection of Volvo's most important historical vehicles are now housed in
1739-448: The lower end of Mercedes and BMW sedans, wagons, and SUV crossovers. The outcome was the luxurious second generation Volvo S80 and the new small premium crossover Volvo XC60 . When the global economic crisis of 2008 threatened the US automakers, Swedish authorities became concerned about the fate of Volvo, should Ford file for bankruptcy. These concerns mounted after repeated mass-layoffs at Volvo. In December 2008, Ford announced that it
1786-549: The profitable American market. The first Volvos arrived in the United States in 1955, after the hardware wholesaler Leo Hirsh began distributing cars in California. Later, Texas was added, and in 1956, Volvo themselves began importing cars to the US. North America has consistently provided Volvo with their main outlet since. In 1963, Volvo opened the Volvo Halifax Assembly plant, the first assembly plant in
1833-547: The registration application for Volvo logotype in 1927, they simply made a copy of the entire radiator for ÖV4, viewed from the front. The round logo with the arrow pointing to the right ( ♂ ) is the Greek alchemical symbol for iron . Presented in 1944, the Volvo PV444 passenger car only entered production in 1947. It was the smallest Volvo yet and became the most produced car that Volvo made, and spearheaded Volvo's move into
1880-501: The sale of its 30&% stake in Lynk & Co to Zeekr , at a price of RMB 5.4 billion. Volvo cars have long been marketed as safe and the company has stressed their historic reputation for solidity and reliability in marketing campaigns. Volvo uses high-tech safety systems as standard equipment in new vehicles. Prior to strong government safety regulation Volvo had been at the forefront of safety engineering. In 1944, laminated glass
1927-555: The second generation of Volvo C70 , which came with extra stiff door-mounted inflatable side curtains (the first of its kind in a convertible) dubbed 'DMIC'. Volvo's safety systems remained standard on all Volvo vehicles while under ownership of Ford Motor Company. Volvo had patented many of its safety innovations, including SIPS , WHIPS , ROPS , DSTC , and body structures. Some of these systems were fitted to other Ford and Premier Automotive Group vehicles in forms similar to those of Volvo systems. A 2005 Folksam report, put
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1974-416: The security level and know whether they had set the alarm and if the car is locked. Additionally, a heartbeat sensor warns if someone is hiding inside the car. The S80 was also the first Volvo model to feature adaptive cruise control (ACC) with Collision Warning and Brake Support ( CWBS ). Volvo %C3%96V 4 The engine was designed by Gustav Larson and its main chassis components by Jan G. Smith ,
2021-450: Was born as a subsidiary company to SKF on 10 August 1926. The cabriolet was not very successful in the Swedish climate; the covered version, PV 4 , was introduced in the summer of 1927. This had a Weymann body and the original design was rather ungainly. Helmer MasOlle , who had been inspired by his personal Voisin C5 when he designed the original ÖV 4, was reportedly furious about
2068-539: Was completed at a price of US$ 6.45 billion. As a result of the divestiture , the Volvo trademark was used by two separate companies: Volvo Group completed its 5% deal with Mitsubishi in November 1999, but sold its stake back to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in March 2001. Volvo Car Group was part of Ford Motor Company's Premier Automotive Group (PAG), along with Jaguar , Aston Martin and Land Rover . While part of
2115-441: Was considering selling Volvo Cars. Initially, a sale price of US$ 6 billion was reported. Ford said it was also looking into the possibility of spinning off Volvo as an independent company. The Swedish government was asked to look into a possible state ownership of Volvo, or a financial bailout for Volvo Cars and SAAB of GM. Former parent AB Volvo agreed to help Volvo cut costs through partnerships, and suggested taking part in
2162-460: Was introduced in the PV model. After Vattenfall engineers presented their pioneering work to Volvo in the 1950s, Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented and patented the modern three-point safety belt , which became standard on all Volvo cars in 1959, and then made this design patent open in the interest of safety and made it available to other car manufacturers for free. Additionally, Volvo developed
2209-644: Was signed on 28 March 2010, for US$ 1.8 billion. The European Commission and China's Ministry of Commerce approved the deal on 6 and 29 July 2010, respectively. The deal closed on 2 August 2010 with Geely paying $ 1.3 billion cash and a $ 200 million note. Further payments are expected with a later price "true-up". It is the largest overseas acquisition by a Chinese automaker. Stefan Jacoby , formerly chief executive of Volkswagen of America , became Volvo Car Group's president and chief executive on 16 August 2010, replacing Stephen Odell, who became chief executive of Ford Europe . Li Shufu became Volvo Cars' chairman of
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