About Volvo
Volvo Car Corporation is a Swedish manufacturer of cars and trucks which are renowned for their safety, reliability and long life. The company was originally part of the ball bearing manufacturer SKF and was founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company was floated on the Swedish Stock Exchange in 1935, subsequently SKF disposed of its holdings in the new company. Volvo traded until 1999 when it was bought by the Ford Motor Company and during this time a whole range of new Volvo cars was produced, but continuing losses by the parent company caused them to restructure their entire holdings. On October 28, 2009, Ford confirmed that, after considering several offers, the preferred buyer of Volvo Cars was Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the parent of Chinese motor manufacturer Geely Automobile, the deal was completed on August 2nd 2010.
Volvo produces models ranging from? SUVs,? estate cars, and saloons, to compact executive saloons and? coupes. With approximately 2,300 local dealers from around 100 national sales companies worldwide, the US is Volvo Cars’ largest market, followed by Sweden, the U.K., China and Germany. In 2010, Volvo recorded global sales of 373,525 cars, an increase of 11.2% compared to 2009.
Volvo is well known for its high safety standards. Owners are often proud of achieving high mileages; one well-documented 1966 Volvo P1800 has been driven over 2.8 million miles, a Guinness World Record for most miles driven by a single owner in a non-commercial vehicle. According to some figures, the average age of a Volvo is 19.8 years, second only to Mercedes.
Today, the company uses a system of letters denoting body style followed by the series number. S stands for saloon, C stands for coupé or convertible and V stands for versatile as in estate car. XC stands for cross country originally added to a more rugged V70 model as the V70XC and indicates all wheel drive paired with a raised suspension to give it a mock SUV look. Volvo would later change the name to the XC70 in keeping with its car naming consistent with the XC90.
Of the range of Volvo cars The S40, S60, V50 and V70 are the most popular. The Volvo S40 is talented and affordable, offering something more than mainstream models. The S60 is Volvo’s best-looking saloon of recent years, and is a desirable compact executive, offering more space than the BMW 3-Series or Audi A4 for less money. The V50 is a fine drive, with punchy diesel engines, sharp handling and lots of grip. The cabin is solid, stylish, and well equipped. The V70′s boot is well shaped, while the cabin is comfortable and well assembled. Standard equipment is generous, too, as practical, safe and sensible as you’d expect from Volvo.
Volvo provides transportation related products and services with focus on quality, safety and environmental care. Founded more than 80 years ago, a solid position and reputation worldwide has been built up over the decades. “Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain safety”.