Volvo Automobiles begins production of the xc60 in China. History of the creation of the Volvo company (10 photos) In which country is Volvo produced?

In Latin, Volvo means "I roll", the circle with arrows is just a convenient symbol of steel - the largest industry in Sweden before the advent of iKEA. The circle and arrow symbolize the shield and spear of Mars, which are also alchemical symbols for iron. In 1924, in the Stockholm restaurant Sturehof on July 25 - a day called Jacob's Day in the Swedish calendar - Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson decided to create Volvo.

Volvo's birthday is considered to be April 14, 1927 - the day when the first car called Jakob left the plant in Gothenburg. However, the real history of the concern's development began a few years later. The 20s are characterized by the beginning of real development automotive industry simultaneously in the USA and Europe. In Sweden, people really became interested in cars in 1923 after an exhibition in Gothenburg. In the early 20s, 12 thousand cars were imported into the country. In 1925 their number reached 14.5 thousand. On the international market, manufacturers, in pursuit of increasing their volumes, were not always selective in their approach to components, so the quality of the final product often left much to be desired, and as a result, many of these manufacturers quickly went bankrupt. For the creators of Volvo, the issue of quality was fundamental. Therefore, their main task was to make right choice among suppliers. In addition, tests were required after assembly. To this day, Volvo follows this principle. Let's find out the history of this brand in more detail...

1927 Volvo OV4 "The Jakob"

Creators of Volvo

Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson are the creators of Volvo. Assar Gabrielsson - son of Gabriel Gabrielsson, office manager, and Anna Larson - was born on 13 August 1891 in Kosberg, Skaraborg County. He graduated from the Norra Higher Latin School in Stockholm in 1909. He received a bachelor's degree in economics and business from the School of Economists in Stockholm in 1911. After working as an official and stenographer in the lower house of the Swedish Parliament, Gabrielsson received a position as sales manager at SKF in 1916. He founded Volvo and served as president until 1956.

Gustaf Larson - son of Lars Larson, farmer, and Hilda Magnesson - was born on July 8, 1887 in Vintros, Erebro County. In 1911 he graduated from technical primary school in Erebro; received his engineering degree from the Royal Institute of Technology in 1917. In England, from 1913 to 1916, he worked as a design engineer at White and Popper Ltd. After graduating from the Royal Institute of Technology, Gustaf Larson worked for SKF as manager and chief engineer of the company's transmission department in Gothenburg and Katrinholm from 1917 to 1920. He worked as a plant manager and later as a technical director and executive vice president of Nya AB Gaico from 1920 to 1926. Collaborated with Assar Gabrielsson to create Volvo. From 1926 to 1952 - technical director and executive vice president of Volvo.

Volvo's history began with crayfish

As the book "Volvo Cars" tells, the history of Volvo begins in June 1924, when Assar Gabrielson, the future managing director of the brand, accidentally met in a cafe with a former college classmate, Gustav Larson, who would later become Volvo's technical director. That day in a cafe they talked briefly, and Gabrielson proposed the idea of ​​​​creating a car production enterprise. Gustav Larson agreed that they should have discussed this topic in more detail, but he considered the proposal itself hardly serious and did not attach much importance to it. Perhaps this idea would not have developed if they had not met for the second time in August of the same year.
This is how Gustav Larson describes this meeting, remembering Assar Gabrielson (the article was published in Volvo magazine after Gabrielson's death in 1962): “I quite by chance passed by the Sture-hof restaurant. I saw an advertisement for fresh crayfish, and decided to go inside, where I saw Gabriel sitting alone in front of a whole mountain of red crayfish. I joined him, and we began to eat the crayfish with great appetite." So they sat at the same table. Gabrielson had an excellent opportunity to re-discuss his idea. The verbal agreement they reached in August 1924 took the form of a formalized document on December 16, 1925.
This document proclaimed the following: “I, Gabrielson, intending to create an enterprise for the production of automobiles in Sweden, make an offer to G. Larson to cooperate with me as an engineer.” "I, Larson, accept this offer." Gustav Larson was to design a new car. The remuneration for this work would range from SEK 5,000 to SEK 20,000, provided that production reached industrial levels of at least 100 cars per year by January 1, 1928. If the target production level was not achieved, Larson agreed not to claim any what payment? The chassis drawings of the new car were ready six months before the signing of this agreement.
On April 14, 1927, the first production Volvo car was born - this was the year the automobile industry was born in Sweden. That day the gates of the factory on the island of Hisingen, Gothenburg, opened. The first Volvo car rolled out of the gate. It was an open-top phaeton and four-cylinder engine. Sales manager Hilmer Johanson was behind the wheel.
When designing it, the designer Mass-Olle was guided by American methods. The car was equipped with a 1.9-liter 4-cylinder engine with side valves. Under the designation "OV-4" it was offered with an open body; the "PV-4" version was a sedan.
The short drive to the place where the press representatives were waiting for the car passed without incident. But the night before was not an easy one for those responsible for assembling the car. The last parts needed for assembly had arrived by train from Stockholm the previous evening. The haste that accompanied the assembly of the car made itself felt: when engineer Eric Carlberg decided to inspect and test the car in the morning, it turned out that it could only move backwards. Main component in the gearbox rear axle was installed incorrectly. This start was perceived as a good omen: from that moment on, the movement should only be in the forward direction.
The car was called simply and uncomplicatedly - OV4 and had the affectionate nickname Jacob (Jacob). The letters OV indicated that the model was an open-top car, and the number 4 indicated the number of engine cylinders. The Volvo Jacob was an American design with a powerful chassis and independent suspension with long leaf springs front and rear. The engine developed a power of 28 hp. at 2000 rpm. Maximum speed the car was quite decent for that time - 90 km/h.
At first, Swedish buyers were not eager to snap up new cars
The car's four-door body was painted dark blue, with black mudguards standing out against this background. The open 5-seater Jacob body had four doors and was constructed from sheet steel on an ash and copper beech frame. The upholstery was made of leather, the front panel was made of wood. Unlike the seats in many other cars, the seats first Volvo were sprung. The wheel structure of this car was a removable rim, which was mounted on wooden spokes coated with varnish. Minor luxuries in the cabin included a small flower vase, an ashtray and (in the sedan version) curtains on all windows.

New car with a body, the phaeton cost 4,800 CZK, and a little later the PV4 sedan was introduced, and another 1,000 CZK was added to its price. According to plans, the plant should produce 500 cars of each model, however, contrary to expectations, Swedish buyers were not eager to buy up new cars. In the first year, only 297 cars were sold. One of the reasons for such a small number was the requirement for very high level quality of supplied components and strict control by the manufacturer.
The PV4's top speed was quite respectable at 90 km/h
A year later presented new model is a Volvo Special, an extended version of the PV4 sedan. The Volvo Special featured a longer hood, thin A-pillars and a rectangular rear window. This car was already equipped with bumpers. At this time, bumpers had not yet become standard equipment on cars.
Only two years later the company was able to make its first modest profits. In 1929, Volvo sold 1,383 cars. However, at the end of the 1920s. the car made a real breakthrough both in the European and American markets.
During his several years at SKF, Assar Gabrielsson noted that Swedish ball bearings were inexpensive compared to prices international standard, and the idea of ​​creating a production of Swedish cars that could compete with American cars grew stronger and stronger. Assar Gabrielsson worked with Gustaf Larson for several years at SKF, and the two men, having also worked together for several years in the British automotive industry, learned to recognize and respect each other's experience and know-how.
Gustaf Larson also had plans to create his own Swedish automobile industry. Their similar views and goals led to cooperation after the first few chance meetings in 1924. As a result, they decided to found a Swedish car company. While Gustaf Larson was hiring young mechanics to assemble cars, Assar Gabrielsson was studying the economics of their idea. In the summer of 1925, Assar Gabrielsson was forced to use his own savings to finance a trial run of 10 passenger cars.
The cars were assembled at Galco's Stockholm plant with the involvement of the interests of SKF, whose capital share in Volvo was SEK 200,000. SKF also made Volvo a controlled, but capable of growth, automobile company.
All work was moved to Gothenburg and nearby Hisingen, and SKF equipment was eventually moved to Volvo's production site. Assar Gabrielsson identified 4 basic criteria that contributed to the successful development of the Swedish automobile company: Sweden was a developed industrial country; low level wages in Sweden; Swedish steel had a solid reputation throughout the world; There was a clear need for passenger cars on Swedish roads.
Gabrielsson and Larson's decision to start producing passenger cars in Sweden was clearly formulated and was based on several business concepts:
- Production of Volvo passenger cars. Volvo will be responsible for both the design of the machines and the assembly work, and materials and components will be purchased from other companies;
- Strategically secure key subcontractors. Volvo must find reliable support and, if necessary, partners in the railway transport sector;
- Concentration on exports. Export sales began a year after the start of assembly line production;
- Attention to quality.
No effort or expense should be spared in the process of creating a car. It is cheaper to get production going in the right direction at the beginning of the journey than to allow mistakes and correct them at the end. This is one of the main postulates of Assar Gabrielsson. If Assar Gabrielsson was a shrewd businessman, then the brilliant financier and trader Gustaf Larson was a mechanical genius. Together, Gabrielsson and Larson controlled Volvo's two main areas of activity - economics and mechanical engineering. The two men's efforts were based on determination and discipline - two qualities that were often the key to business success in industry throughout the first half of the 20th century. It was their overall approach that laid the foundation for Volvo's first and most important value: quality.

Volvo name
SKF acted as a serious guarantor of the production of the first thousand cars: 500 with a convertible top and 500 with a hard top. Since one of the main activities of SKF was the production of bearings, the name Volvo was proposed for the cars, which means “I roll” in Latin. Thus, 1927 became the year of Volvo's birth.
To characterize your child, a symbol was needed. They chose steel and Swedish heavy industry, ever since cars were made from Swedish steel. The "Iron Symbol" or "Mars Symbol", as it was called after the Roman god of war, was placed in the center of the radiator grille on the first Volvo passenger car, and later on all trucks Volvo mobiles. The “Sign of Mars” was tightly attached to the radiator using the simplest method: a steel rim was attached diagonally across the radiator grille. As a result, the diagonal stripe has become a trusted and well-known symbol of Volvo and its products, in fact one of the strongest brands in the automotive industry.

When the Volvo P1800 sports car turned 50 years old, the Swedish automaker decided to “modernize” the car. True, only on paper - no one is planning to launch a modernized version of the model, drawn by Volvo chief designer Christopher Benjamin, into mass production.

At the same time, some experts note that such a car could well find its buyer. The key to commercial success would be the glory of the original P1800 sports car, which was considered the most attractive Volvo in the entire history of the Swedish brand. The exterior of the Volvo P1800 coupe was created in 1957 by designer Pelle Pettersson, who at that time worked at the Italian atelier Pietro Frua. At first, the Swedes were going to launch production of this model at the German Karmann plant, owned by the Volkswagen concern, but disagreements that arose during the negotiations led to the need to find another partner. As a result, serial production of the car began only in 1961, and the cars were assembled in the UK, at the Jensen plant.

The first Volvo P1800s were equipped gasoline engine power 100 Horse power, however, in 1966 it was replaced by a 115-horsepower unit. In addition to the coupe, the car could be ordered in convertible and station wagon body styles. The total circulation of P1800 over 13 years was 37.5 thousand copies.

In parallel, Volvo begins to produce its first trucks, which were based on the same “Jacob”.
So, starting from the 30s of the 20th century, Volvo has been presenting more and more new introductions to mechanical engineering. A new six-cylinder engine was invented, tested and put into production, brake pads installed on all 4 wheels, the interior is soundproofed, a muffler is installed, a radiator grille appears - and after all these innovations the car’s power does not drop at all! It's no surprise that the company is weathering the global economic crisis. Before World War II, Volvo pleased its customers with an aerodynamic body.
The 40s passed under the sign of the World War. But Volvo is not losing ground, on the contrary, it is staying afloat and inventing new innovations. Having survived the war and finished producing modifications of cars for military needs, Volvo returned to producing civilian cars. The PV444 model, after all modifications, is conquering the market. The company is increasing production and, consequently, export of cars.

In the 50s, Volvo placed great emphasis on safety. Brakes and seat belts are being improved. A special committee is being created that studies various accidents.
In the 60s - 70s. the company enters into agreements with DAF and Renault, which increases the performance and power of vehicles. New modifications and models are being released - Amazone, models 240 and 345. In the 80s, car production per year reaches the 400,000 mark! It should not be forgotten that the company remains committed to safety, as evidenced by numerous awards for its seat belt modification - the world's first three-point belt, which improves safety by 50%.
The 90s again brought success to the company. Relations have been established with the French company Renault in the production of cars, trucks and buses; a profitable agreement was signed with Mitsubishi and the Dutch government to create a new brand. But the main fact of this decade is the release of the 960 model, which was equipped automatic transmission transmission The new car was modified with the help of Japanese colleagues from Mitsubishi - a nice design appeared.
On this moment Volvo brand is a security brand. Such popular models as S40, S60, S80, V70, XC70, XC90 drive on the streets. Cars are chosen for comfort, safety and reliability. Every year the brand pleases with new products and innovations, both in the field of safety and reliability of car robots. And, in addition, Volvo produces reliable engines for boats and ships.
Now let's look at the history of Volvo in chronological order:
1924 - the idea of ​​​​creating the first machine-building plant in Sweden.
1927 - after three years of preparation, the first Volvo car, the OV4 “Jakob,” is released into the world; 300 cars are assembled.
1937 - release of new similar models - PV51 and PV52, 1800 cars were produced.
1940s - modernization of cars for military needs, then a workers' strike, shortage of materials. Design and assembly of PV444, an average of 3,000 cars are produced per year.
1953 - release of a new family car - Volvo Duett.
1954 - an unprecedented step by the company - a car warranty was issued for as much as 5 years! The first Volvo sports car is produced, which never became fashionable.
1956 - the Amazon brand was released.
1958 - export of Volvo cars reaches 100 thousand.
1959 - an event occurred that later allowed Volvo to be considered the safest car - the three-point seat belt was invented.
1960-1966 - new Volvo 1800 and Volvo P 144 cars were presented, which were rightfully considered the safest cars in the world.
1967 - modernized child seat, now it can be placed against the movement.
1974 - the Volvo 240 model was released, which included all types of safety that existed at that time.
1976-1982 - the company produces Volvo 343 and Volvo 760, which conquer the market, Volvo is famous throughout the world.
1985 - the first car with front-wheel drive appears - the Volvo 480 ES sports car.
1990-1991 - side impact protection is being developed and installed on the Volvo 850. The production of the Volvo 960 model was launched, which had a 6-cylinder engine and a power of 240 hp.
1995 - release of the famous Volvo S40 and V40 cars.
1996 - now Volvo pleases its consumers with the beautiful Volvo C70.
1998 - release of the Volvo S80 not only comfortable car, but also one of the safest cars in the world, thanks to protection against whiplash.
1999 - Volvo buys Ford, which it still owns to this day.
2000 - such “giants” of the car market as Volvo V70 and Volvo S60 are released. Volvo is recognized as the safest car in the world.
2002 - A year of big changes in Volvo products. The first SUV XC90 was announced, the s40 and s80 models were restyled. Volvo has already stepped firmly into the super-performance car market with the S60R and V70R. The company's design studio has been developing its own SUV for some time. All leading European manufacturers, even Posrsche, have prepared or started producing their own parquet "jeeps". And finally, in August 2002, mass production of the XC90 model began.
2003 - At the Geneva Motor Show, Volvo demonstrated its next concept car from the “Volvo designers’ vision of the cars of the future” series. Concept car VCC (Versability Concept Car - “Adaptable Concept Car”). The model range of the Swedish company Volvo has been replenished with one more four-wheel drive vehicle- following the Volvo S60 and V70, the company’s flagship, the Volvo S80 sedan, also received all-wheel drive. This car uses a system similar to that used in the Volvo S60.
2004 - The appearance of the long-awaited new products of the Swedish company: Volvo S40 and Volvo V50. The new Volvo S40 is 50 mm shorter than its predecessor, but despite this, Volvo offers the features and qualities of larger Volvo models.

Russian sales of Volvo this year, like those of other car brands, still leave much to be desired: following the collapse of the market, there are significantly fewer buyers in car dealerships. Sales of the new flagship model XC90, which were supposed to begin in March, were eventually postponed and will only start now (the exact timing is still unknown). Along with a noticeable reduction in prices for the lineup, announced at the end of April, this should improve the company’s business in Russia. At the same time, despite Volvo’s local problems, having moved to chinese hands, demonstrates in last years more than decent results, managing to retain old clients and attract new ones.

In 2010, the Chinese didn’t just buy the first European brand they came across. They bought a company known primarily for security technology. It is with this that Chinese car companies had (and still have) serious problems from the very beginning: many cars were completely uncompetitive from the point of view of European or American standards.

Five years ago, the global economic crisis forced the American concern to get rid of excess assets, one of which was the Volvo passenger car division.

The Swedish manufacturer was making losses, and Ford did not want to invest in the company during the crisis. As a result, the Americans sold Volvo to the Chinese auto giant Geely for $1.8 billion. At the same time, in 1999, Volvo cost the Americans 3.5 times more expensive - $6.5 billion.

When Volvo passed into the hands of the Chinese, many auto experts and fans of the brand seriously expressed fears that Volvo would lose its image and that the Chinese, having taken advantage of Swedish technologies, would not invest heavily in it.

But new owner Volvo hastened to assure that the brand will be given independence in a strategic perspective and the opportunity to work according to its own business plan.

“Collaboration with the Swedish brand is primarily about safety technologies. Volvo has a very strong position in this aspect of the automotive industry,” Geely CEO Li Shufu said at the end of April. “In addition, we are now focused on research and development work to create a new modular CMA platform (for the production of C-class cars). The C-Class sedan will go into production in 2017 and will be the first car on the new CMA platform for small models, common to Geely and Volvo. The successor to the Volvo V40 will receive the same platform.”

“Based on this modular architecture, Volvo develops some products, and Geely develops others, its own,

— Shufu clarifies. “They have different directions and completely different characteristics, corresponding to positioning in their segments.”

However, it is worth admitting that Volvo did not initially count on this format of cooperation. Soon after the deal, the then CEO of Volvo clearly stated that there could be no talk of any technical cooperation with Geely.

“We understand ourselves as part of a financial, not an industrial holding company, so we maintain independence, which is very important to us. Geely and I work in completely different areas of the automotive industry, which makes cooperation on a wide range of issues almost pointless,” he said.

Well, a few years later the situation changed, and it is not difficult to guess that the Chinese still managed to impose their vision of mutual cooperation on the Swedes.

For star-starved Geely, the purchase of Volvo opened up access to unique safety technologies and other developments. But at the same time, the deal allowed Geely to become the first Chinese automobile company to expand not only in the European and US markets, but also in developing countries, becoming a global brand.

At least these are the plans declared by Li Shufu, who is called the “Chinese Henry Ford.” Geely’s immediate plans are to begin exporting Swedish brand cars from factories in China to other countries. In addition to the United States, experts also name Russia among export destinations. Shipments will be made from a plant in Chengdu in southwest China.

The Swedish company also does not hide that it is quite pleased with the cooperation. The main criterion is the growing volume of global sales.

According to the head of Volvo in China, Lars Danielson, 2014 was one of the best years for Volvo Cars. “More than 466 thousand cars were sold, of all models,” Larson cites the data. —

Things were going well in Western Europe is also an important market for us. 56 thousand cars were sold in the USA. Overall sales were good, our profit increased by 17% and reached 2.2 million.

However, margins remain low.

There's context to keep in mind here. We invest a lot in new products. Doing the same thing that the entire industry is doing would be much easier and the profits would be different. But the plan is what it is.”

The Chinese market is Volvo's largest today, with its share reaching 17% of global sales last year. Sweden is in second place, the USA is in third with 12%. Next come the UK (about 9%) and the rest of European countries - 7%.

“I don’t think that Volvo, having become the property of Geele, could have lost anything,” says the general director of Radio Strana, a well-known auto expert. — Quite the contrary: the brand retained all its positions.

Yes, they had big plans to develop the brand in the Chinese market, but so far they have not actually achieved any noticeable results.

Nevertheless, the fact that the Swedish brand is present in China, Europe, and the USA is already good. Here we can cite as an example the fate of another Swedish manufacturer, Saab, which simply went bankrupt and ceased to exist.”

According to the expert, when both companies announce joint technical developments, they are of a very specific nature.

“For Geely, purchasing Volvo was the shortest route to obtaining modern automotive technology. In fact, they didn’t have any experience of their own. Therefore, speaking about the joint development of two brands, one must understand that the entire technical base is provided only by Europeans, and the Chinese side provides financing. Therefore, it is quite logical that the joint technical center of the two companies is located in Sweden,” he noted.

As Denis Eremenko, general director of PodborAvto, notes, the perception of the brand Russian consumers has not changed since the moment it came under the wing of the Chinese company. “If the build quality of cars, the design and positioning of the brand as a whole do not change, then the consumer does not think at all about who owns the brand,” Eremenko shared his opinion with Gazeta.Ru. — The purchase of Volvo by the Chinese is just such a case, so the demand from outside Russian buyers this circumstance had no effect.”

The Volvo example is not the only one. The Chinese are responsible for the purchase by Dongfeng Motor Group of a 14% stake in the French concern PSA, which is going through difficult times, and the acquisition of BAIC from Saab technologies. One cannot help but recall the failed deal to sell the Hummer brand to the Chinese. In addition, it recently became known that the Chinese state-owned chemical corporation ChemChina plans to acquire tire brand Pirelli for 7.1 billion euros.

But it’s not just the Chinese who use the same tactics. Indian has owned British Jaguar for several years now Land Rover and does everything to avoid being associated with the legendary premium brand among ordinary buyers.

The Swedish car company Volvo is now owned by the Chinese automaker Geely. Agreement to purchase a famous car brand American giant Ford signed on Sunday. The transaction amount was almost two billion dollars.

1.8 billion dollars - this is the price of enterprises producing passenger cars under one of the most famous European brands. For the Swedes, this is unlikely to be a blow to national pride, since this is not the first time Volvo has been sold. In 1999, the enterprise became part of the Ford corporation, and it cost the Americans 3.5 times more than the Chinese - $6.5 billion. The crisis forced the dumping of excess assets - one of them was the Swedish brand.

"The main goal of the deal was to find a new owner who shares Ford's vision for the future of Volvo. We needed to find a new owner who can grow the business and at the same time care particularly about the unique features of the Swedish brand. And who also treats employees responsibly company and the community in which we operate. We have found, and I am pleased to announce, such an owner in Geely,” says Lewis Booth, vice president of Ford.

It was not possible to find it right away. Plans to sell Volvo were talked about back in 2008, but there was no buyer. Negotiations lasted almost two years, in the end the Chinese promised to preserve the Swedish appearance of the auto company as much as possible.

"Volvo will be managed by Volvo management. The company will be given independence from a strategic perspective. It will operate according to its own business plan. We are committed to maintaining the brand identity and view Volvo as a Swedish company, with a strong Scandinavian tradition," assures Li Shufu, Chairman of Geely.

Managers won't have to pack their bags - the headquarters will remain in Gothenburg. At first glance, as a result of the deal, Volvo's sales will not decrease, but increase. Plants in Sweden and Belgium will continue to assemble cars, but they will be joined by production on Chinese territory.

Geely's plans are not ambitious to say, they are simply grandiose. Now the Swedish manufacturer assembles about 300 thousand cars a year - the new plant in China should make the same amount. And this is only the Volvo brand - the concern's total production will amount to millions.

“We set a goal to achieve the production of two million cars per year by 2015. This is the strategic plan of Geely. Our positions are strongest in Russia and Ukraine. In Ukraine in particular - there we have launched the assembly of one of our company’s models,” says Zhang Nenger , Geely employee.

The acquisition of a well-known brand raises the prestige of the Chinese automobile industry. Volvo will open a more expensive segment of the European market and its sales network to manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom. The Chinese even managed to persuade the union; at first it was categorically against the deal. But after lengthy discussions, trade unionists changed their anger to mercy. As they themselves explain, after familiarizing themselves with financial plans Geely.

"I believe the company has the strength and capacity to grow and I am positive about the future. Geely has the ability to make Volvo profitable again," says Søren Carlson, head of the local Volvo workers' union.

In Sweden, 16 thousand people work at Volvo factories, and another six thousand work outside the kingdom. The union leaders were personally persuaded by the head of the company, Li Shufu. But now, after the signing, component suppliers are nervous; their technologies will become available to the Chinese, which probably doesn’t need to be explained. Auto experts can only argue what is better - a future under the Chinese flag or curtailment of production, as is happening with the no less legendary Hummer brand. After all, after the failure of a deal with representatives of the Chinese auto industry, General Motors decided to say goodbye to this brand altogether.

Volvo Personvagnar AB is an automotive company from Sweden specializing in the production passenger cars and crossovers. Since 2010, it has been a subsidiary of the Chinese company Geely Automobile (Zhejiang Geely holding). The headquarters is located in Gothenburg (Sweden). Interestingly, the word Volvo itself translated from Latin means “I roll.”

The founders of the Swedish passenger car manufacturer were Assar Gabrielson and Gustav Larson. A chance meeting of college classmates in 1924 led to the creation of an automobile company under the wing of the bearing manufacturer SKF.

The first Volvo ÖV4 (Jacob) rolled out of the factory on the island of Hisingen in Gothenburg in April 1927. The car was an open-top phaeton type, equipped with a four-cylinder gasoline engine (28 hp) and could accelerate to 90 km/h. This was followed by the new Volvo sedan PV4, and a year later the Volvo Special - an extended version of the sedan. In the first year, only 297 cars were sold, but in 1929, already 1,383 Volvo cars found their buyers.

Even the first cars of the Swedish company were distinguished by their progressive technical stuffing and rich interior equipment. Leather sprung seats, wooden front panel, ashtray, curtains on the windows, and all this is from the late 20s of the last century.

The company is developing and producing reliable cars, and its main specialty is safe cars. Let us note the most striking and significant models for the Swedish manufacturer:
The PV650 was assembled between 1929 and 1937.
Volvo TR670 from 1930 to 1937.
PV 36 Carioca - 1935-1938.

The Volvo PV800 series was nicknamed "pig" and was very popular among Swedish taxi drivers, produced from 1938 to 1958.
PV60 - 1946-1950.

Volvo PV444/544, the first car from Sweden with a monocoque body, rolled off the assembly line between 1943 and 1966.
The Duett station wagon was produced from 1953 to 1969.
A unique and rare P1900 roadster, only 58 cars were produced in 1956-1957 (according to some sources 68).
The Volvo Amazon was produced in three body styles: coupe, sedan and station wagon from 1956 to 1970. The car was the first in the world to be equipped with front three-point seat belts.
P1800 is one of the most beautiful sports coupes from Volvo, produced from 1961 to 1973.
Volvo 66 is a compact hatchback, produced in 1975-1980.

The modern history of the Swedish company Volvo opens with the 140 Series cars, produced from 1966 to 1974.
The four-door Volvo 164 sedan represented Sweden in the luxury executive car segment from 1968 to 1975.
The next new Volvo products in the form of 200 series cars won the love of car enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean due to their reliability and safety; the cars were produced from 1974 to 1993 and were sold in quantities exceeding 2.8 million units. In Europe and North America you can still find these models in fairly good condition.
300 Series - compact sedans and hatchbacks, produced from 1976 to 1991. They were replaced in 1987 by the Volvo 440 (hatchback) and 460 (sedan) models; production ceased in 1997.

One of the most striking and memorable cars in the history of the Volvo company was the Volvo 480 three-door hatchback, produced from 1986 to 1995. The car was the first Volvo with front-wheel drive and the only one in the production line with pop-up headlights.
The mid-size 700 series sedans and station wagons were produced from 1982 to 1992. The cars sold around the world with a circulation of 1,430 thousand units.
The 700 series was replaced by the 900 series sedans in 1990. The cars were produced until 1998 and were able to repeat the result of the previous series of 1,430,000 cars sold.
Volvo 850 sedans and station wagons appeared in the company's lineup in 1992. In just over five years, more than 1,360,000 cars were sold; production of the model ceased in 1997.

In the 21st century, the Scandinavian company offers a wide model line. Each Volvo body type offers its own letter designation: S – sedan, V – station wagon, C – coupe or convertible, XC – crossover.
The Swedish company Volvo is a leader in the global automotive industry in terms of the implementation of safety systems used in passenger cars. Cars originating from Sweden are rightfully considered one of the safest on the global automotive market.
Volvo's car assembly plants are scattered around the world, from main production facilities at Torslanda and Uddevalla (Sweden) to subsidiary plants in Ghent (Belgium), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Chongqing (China).

The model range in Russia is represented by Volvo C70, Volvo XC70, Volvo S80, Volvo XC90.

Volvo Cars has begun production of its best-selling XC60 at the Volvo plant in Chengdu, China. The expansion of production in China was made possible due to the constant growth in sales.

The Volvo XC60 is the second model to be produced in China. Production of the first model in China, Volvo sedan The long wheelbase S60L was launched in November 2013.

The expansion of production with the start of assembly of the XC60 at the Chengdu plant means the creation of an additional 500 jobs, bringing the total plant workforce to around 2,650 people. New system calculating working hours will allow you to reach the required production volume.

The XC60 is Volvo's bestseller worldwide and in China.

In the first nine months of 2014, global XC60 sales grew 20.4 percent to 98,309 units. During the same period of time, sales in China increased by 32.3 percent, with 24,940 vehicles sold. Earlier this year, total production of the XC60, which launched in 2008, reached 500,000 units.

"Start of productionXC60 in Chengdu is one of the latest milestones in the transformation journeyVolvo Cars, - stated Håkan Samuelsson (Hå kanSamuelson), President and CEOVolvoCars. – This is very important to support overall growthVolvoin a market that is today the largest forVolvo".

The Chengdu plant is located in the economic and technological development zone of central China. The plant can produce 120,000 cars per year.

Volvo Cars also has a plant in Daqing in northeastern China, where assembly of the Volvo XC Classic, a localized variant of the first-generation Volvo XC90 developed specifically for the Chinese market, has begun.

Volvo Cars has also operated an engine plant in Zhangjiakou, northwest of Beijing, since the fall of 2013, supplying assembly plants in Chengdu and Daqing.

All of the company's activities in China are carried out in full compliance with Volvo Cars' global standards and processes, which operate at the Torslanda and Ghent plants in Europe.

"The Chengdu plant is exactly the same as our plants in Europe,- told Lars Danielson (LarsDanielson), senior vice presidentVolvoCarsChinaOperationsand CEOVolvoCarChina. – By quality level, technologies and equipment used, working conditions, safety standards and protection environment Our Chengdu plant fully complies with global standards and requirementsVolvo Cars".

Volvo Cars has enjoyed strong sales in China this year, with retail sales up 36 percent compared to 2013. Volvo Cars is clearly ahead of its competitors in the premium segment in China, rapidly increasing its market share.

In addition to the XC60 and S60L, segment leaders V60 and V40 show excellent sales figures in the Chinese market. Volvo cars are currently sold at more than 160 dealerships throughout China.

"The expectations of Chinese consumers are no lower than those of Europeans. They expect products of the highest quality,- speaks Mr. Danielson. – Buyers have huge selection in the highly competitive Chinese market, so we guarantee high quality carsVolvo, produced at our Chengdu plant, which are no different from the cars produced at our plants in Europe."

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Volvo Car Group V 2013

IN 2013 financial year profit from core activitiesVolvo Car Groupamounted to SEK 1.919 million (SHK 66 million in 2012). Annual income for the specified period amounted to Shk 122.245 million. (124 . 547 ), while net profit reached the level960 Shk million (-542 Shk million). Retail sales worldwide for the year reached427 . 840 (421 . 951) cars – an increase of 1.4 percent compared to 2012. Profit from core activities increased due to cost reduction and strong sales, which indicates the successful implementation of the transformation planVolvo Car Group. According to company forecasts financial results for 2014 will be positive, and sales will show another record and increase by 5 percent.

ABOUT Volvo Car Group

CompanyVolvo has existed since 1927. TodayVolvois one of the most famous and respected automobile brands in the world.Volvo Carssells its cars in approximately 100 countries, sales in 2013 amounted to 427,000 cars. Since 2010Volvo Cars owned by a Chinese companyZhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding). Volvo Carswas part of a group of companiesSwedish Volvo Group (Sweden), and in 1999 it was acquired by an American companyFord Motor Company. In 2010Volvo Carsbought by the companyGeely Holding.

As of December 2013 inVolvo Carsemployed more than 23,000 people worldwide. head officeVolvo Cars, product development, marketing and administrative functions are concentrated in Gothenburg (Sweden). head officeVolvo Carsin China is located in Shanghai (China). Basic manufacturing enterprises The companies are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu (China). Car enginesVolvoare produced at the plant in Skövda (Sweden) andZhangjiakou(China).