A Far Too Brief History Of Volvo
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- Опубликовано: 16 май 2024
- #Volvo
Volvo has a nearly 100 year history of building a brand based on Safety, and they're still going strong today.
Here's a far too brief history of Volvo cars!
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Start 00:00
Beginnings 01:50
1910s 03:03
First Volvo OV4 04:37
1930s 06:50
1940s 08:00
1950s 09:21
1960s 12:08
The 144 13:19
1970s 14:55
1980s 16:32
1990s 17:38
Purchase by Ford 18:50
2000s 20:13
Purhcase by Geely 23:12
Conclusion 25:18 
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The v70 saved my wife’s life coming out of a gas station in Hyannis Massachusetts. Two lanes were clear and she started to pull out all of a sudden so a very drunk person went flying into the turn left lane. Completely ripping off her whole front end, but the rest of the car held up very luckily she was not hurt just some whiplash. The guy was very very drunk. And I’m top of that in the passenger seat was the bosses daughter. Thank God everybody was safe.
I was a sales manager for a Volvo dealership in 1976 and 77. I drove a 764 which was a beautiful 6 cylinder car.
Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear (BBC TV) was very impressed with the Volvo C30 comparing it to Ford's Focus and the Renault Clio.
As a lifelong Volvo fan (i have a C30) I am so pleased that Ford allowed the company to be sold to Geely, whereas GM effectively allowed SAAB to die because they refused to do the same (sell to a Chinese company that is).
I never realized Volvo vehicles had that split grille pretty much from the beginning!!
That little 2 door was beautiful. I really wanted one, but couldn’t afford it at the time.
Volvo made a 4 door hatch version of the C30, calling it the V40. It ceased production in 2018. It was a very good seller in the countries it was sold in.
I have a 2013 V40 and absolutely love the look and feel.
@multimediahelp1 My V40 is a 2016 T4. With the Mk2 version of the 2.0 litre 4 cylinder " Drive.E" petrol engine, with the upgraded oil piston rings, that fixed the oil consumption issues that appeared when the "Drive E" engine line 1st replaced the Volvo 5 cylinder engine. A great car.
How about a shout out to the gorgeous 1977-1981 Bertone Coupe, based on the 262 six cylinder sedan?
I had a '59 PV544 which I loved (and lived through a head-on collision in).
I've owned 1988 340, 1999 S40 diesel and 2006 s40 T5 I loved the all.
Volvo today are the most popular bus and coach make.
They also make the most powerful trucks, engines that I am sure they would use in their buses because their buses and coaches are renowned for dealing with inclines.
In fact their coaches I often feel are quite majestic.
I love my Volvo C30 R-Design
My first car was a '61 PV 544, in '75. Very solid, well engineered car. I wish I still had it.
One of my many dream cars is a 1997 Volvo 850 R estate
When I was in college I bought a vintage Saab 99. Best car I ever owned. That said, i've always been nervous about buying a Volvo; I had heard they should be excellent cars, but if they ever have electric issues, it would be a nightmare to fix. So, poor me, I never bought one, I think I drove one for a few miles on a errand. It was nice.
I forgot about the C30.....that was a dream car for me for several years. I still would buy one if I ever found a really nice one for a great price.
Excellent report, Jon. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Nice brief history of Volvo... one note though, the 850 was produced through 1997, not 1996.
When I was a kid our upscale neighbors had 2 cars (husband and wife). He drove a Contintal Sedan, but she drove a 164E. I liked both (but would have found it hard to understand that the 164 probably cost more than our Impala). A V70R has long been on my wish list (still a useful car). I prefer the original brick to the 2001 redesign. Ditto the S60R in flash green please with a ball shifter and pumpking leather interior. The C70 (coupe please!) of the late 90s, and 850R, heck even a 740 with the turbo. The best looking (to me) of all however is the 780 Coupe. I never get tired of it. My own experience was an S70 T5 manual - torque steer but astonishingly fast for the time and it could take an unsuspecting 5 series.
Jon, great article! I am now 56 years old, and I fell in love with Volvos back in 1979 after my junior high choir teacher, Margie, pulled up at school in a brown 1979 Volvo 240 DL, 4-speed manual, coupe with a hand crank moon roof. 43-years later, I actually have in my possession the ignition key to that very same Volvo. Margie gave me that key when she sold the Volvo. It would be a gross understatement to say I had an unnatural fixation with Volvos at the time, so much so I gave myself the silliest moniker of all times, which I would never repeat out of sheer embarrassment. As a teenager, my bedroom was totally covered in pictures from Volvo brochures that I had collected. My obsession was so ridiculous that as a student in high school, I would skip school where I lived in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and drive to Little Rock, to visit the Volvo dealership, at that time called, "Jones Toyota Volvo" just to sit in the brand new Volvos and smell the interiors. I would also grab as many brochures as I could to decorate whatever space I had. At the age of 17, I could close my eyes, and I could tell the inside of a Volvo by the way it smelled. Blindfolded, I could identify a Volvo by listening to it start, and without looking I knew the distinct sound of the engine of a Volvo as it revved through the gears. In the mid 80s, I attended college in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and I knew a family who owned a 1982 Volvo 240 DL wagon that they purchased brand new in Sweden when they were stationed there in the military. They sold that Volvo to me, and I drove it for five years. See, I told you my fixation with Volvo was odd, to say the least. 😆 On a side note, automotive speaking, I wrote an article that was published in Hemmings Motor News Magazine, July 2015 edition, of the one a only car manufacturer in my home state of Arkansas called the "Climber Corporation" 1919-1925. Yeah, I'm a little car crazy. 😁
Awesome, thank so much for the memories! Curious, when does an 'unnatural fixation' become 'unhealthy obsession'? :) :) :)
What a great story! I knew nothing of Volvo growing up and into my 20s. I always knew they were very safe but reliability wise they were not on my radar. I fell in love with the Volvo 740 in the 1980s. Now I’m 57 with a 1987 Volvo 740 GLE five speed stick sitting in my driveway! Lol, this car is in great shape and being from Georgia it’s rust free. I’ve had the motor tuned, new points and plugs, spark plugs, new belts and hoses top and bottom with a radiator flush, new timing belt and tires. Yes this car runs like a top and here the car of my dreams sits in my drive! Is there a market for a car this old and it being a Volvo?
@@toddgiaro7657 You are a lucky man! 😁
My late Father looked at a Volvo in about 1969. He was put off by something like the inability to have both air conditioning and power steering and brakes. It was a long time ago and I was only 13 so I don’t know the exact details. He ended up buying a Ford LTD Country Squire! Quite the contrast! I do remember that the impressive safety reputation got him into the dealership in the first place. I wish I knew what combination of options was the deal breaker. The car was intended for my late Mother, as a family car, he was driving a ‘62 Rambler Classic at the time.
It is weird how the packages were organized back in the 'day'.
Another awesome car history video. Volvo has always been one of my favourite car makers. I'm rather old-school when it comes to cars. My favourite Volvo cars are the PV444/544, the 122S (Amazon), the 144/145/164, the 244, and the 740 series.
U must be like 40yrs old now
@@djkasdjkasdjdjdj Close. 50.
Honestly, dude, after looking at what happened to AMC, I really don't blame Volvo's shareholders for shooting down Renault
The dealer I work at nearly bought a 940 wagon today. I was all over it! But we didn't buy it. Still was good to see a survivor in such good shape.
Jon I see you’re doing great, I’ve been dealing with some health issues and haven’t logged on regularly. I’m glad you’re a Volvo fan, driving my old 740 feels like driving a solid piece of steel! It has to be safe because if I hit something then I’m going through right through or over them!
Thanks man, and I hope everything's going better with you?
Be sure to check out a couple of previous vids I did about the new chariot in the fleet - the V70. Lovely car.
got to do donuts at the elementary school field in a ‘59 coup. it would not roll. my uncle got the sport wagon, curvy, ‘70’s? fun cars.
How about a video on the Desoto? I absolutely loved the fins on the 1957. Just discovered your channel and am working my way through to get caught up on all of them. Keep up the good work!
Great suggestion! Thanks for being here!
I agree, the C70 is one of the most beautiful cars produced!! I only ever owned a V40. I loved it though!
c30 is ugly but c70 is lovely
@@Rainbow__cookie With all due respect to your taste, the C30 R-design variation is a beauty for me. Especially before the facelift.
Hi Jon, nice video! I am 63 years old, my hobby is cars and I have been an ASE Master Certified mechanic most of my life. Your video is very correct. The late model Volvos are better looking than they used to be. But in the mean time the P1800(s) where very good looking. I do remember the 1960s very well. With all due respect, back in the 1960s, I recognized Volvo(s) as an economy car, competing with Volkswagen I.e. basically striped to the bone sub-compact car, better safety features, YES, but in the mean time, a very very spartan interior EXCEPT for instrument panel soft trim (padded dash) but not a plush interior at all. In the late 1960s and 1970s I did see tall head restraints (head rests) that where functional, but hard as a rock. In my opinion, Volvo could have produced a car that was more attractive with safety in mind. The best thing that Volvo could have done is produce a full--size car for safety, Volvo could have given GM, Ford and Chrysler a run for their money! Big cars do better in collision(s). Please reply. Dave...
Thanks! A lot of good information here. A few notes, though - the US 1959 PV 544 I had came only with lap belts so I guess that was a transition year. Also I’m pretty sure the P1800 was always a steel bodied car - the British bodyworks company’s name was “Pressed Steel”.
What a fascinating history you’ve uncovered Jon. Another great job !
I credit my 2007 Volvo S80 with saving my life in a terrible T-bone accident I encountered. A gal ran a red light striking me on the drivers side. The impact spun my car 90 degrees, flat-spotting all 4 tires. The side curtain airbags blew helping to prevent the drivers glass from flying into the interior. A deputy sheriff got to my side & frankly told me I would not have survived had it not been for the Volvos superior safety structure.
As a result, my immediate next car purchase was a 2013 Volvo S60 that currently enjoy. I’ve heard of Volvos surviving roll-overs, saving all the occupants. I’m beyond convinced- my next car will be another Volvo! 26:14
Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad you're okay!
My question for you is this - how does the fact Volvo is now owned by another country impact your decision? I think they're good, and they've seemed to have fixed some early quality issues, but are they really the safety-focused company of before to you?
At the momemt I am a owner of Volvo XC 90 2011,Volvo Xc70 ,and my flag car S80 2010....timeless cars!!!!👍👍👍👍👍👍
My dream car- 850R . Love the box on wheels.
My favorite is the PV544, followed by the 100 series.
For practical driving, I think I like the 1980 245. A very comfortable seating position, the first year for the upgraded suspension and steering, and just before they upgraded the wiring harness.
After which time the engine wiring tended to catch fire. There are after-market harnesses which are highly recommended.
Like VW, Volvo had a reputation as a "liberal car" in America because it was sold as a rational choice. When they started selling Volvos as exciting and emotionally satisfying, sales picked up and they were more acceptable in mainstream America.
Great history Jon. I fondly remember my mother loving Volvos and desperately wanting one because of its safety ratings, unfortunately it never came to be due to the price. Her ideal car would have been the 740 wagon…boxy yet in my opinion, handsome and upmarket.
Thanks. Kinda how I was - even in my early 20s I wanted a used Volvo and just could never swing the $$$. A bit of age and I finally have a 20 year old Volvo wagon! :) LOL
Was my mother's dream car too until she sat behind the wheel of one and had an immediate NO reaction to it. She ended up getting a Saab 900 4 door hatchback instead.
I agree. The Volvo 740 has always been my favourite car produced. Was it boxy? Of course it was, but that's what I loved about the car. Why Volvo rounded its shape by the turn of the 2000s is beyond me.
“One of the fastest Volvos on the road” while it gets passed by a tractor and a bicycle
I remember my uncle Angelo had a 240 Sadan back in the 80's with a manual transmission
glad to see you got around to volvo....it is an interesting story....i personally have owned 4 volvos....a 122,a 142,a 144,,and a 164...every one of them i bought cheap,drove them over roads i wouldnt take a 4x4 on,(a swedish tractor can go anywhere)and sold every one of them for more than i paid for them.
during the 80s,i worked for a volvo only jumkyard.....and in the 5 years i worked there,i saw some of the most thrashed,bashed,and crashed volvos you ever saw....never saw one someone got killed in. safety is their motto.
The P1800 doesn't have a fiberglass body. It has a steel body.
My stepson (a strange individual) received an old 245 wagon from his father. The car was in very good shape, looked nice, ran well. I wanted to buy it, but that would certainly not be right. I knew the car would be trashed, and I couldn't stand the thought.
Great work Jon, I have driven Volvos since the 70s, 240s, V70s but my favorite a 97 850R, an awesome machine,
Thanks 👍
We like your channel. Keep up the good work
Thank you so much!
I also like the boxy Volvos. Just recently traded in my 2015 S80 platinum sedan. That was a nice car! Have an Acura MDX now.
The Swedish letter ö is pronounced in a similar way as the German ö. For instance the word ”för” (echo means for, but also fore and prow) is pronounced like the English word ”fir”.
So you pronounced ÖV wrong, but the next time you might just get a little bit closer.
One way to find out how Swedish words and letters are pronounced is to type them into Google translate, select Swedish and then just click the loudspeaker symbol and listen. The results are usually accurate.
Correction: 264
My dad drove a used 1990 white Volvo 760 for a few years in the early 2000s when I was a teenager would've likely learned to drive either in the 760 or my late maternal grandmothers 1990 Toyota Camry
I was fortunate enough to own a 2001 C-70 convertible. It was a beautiful and somewhat fast car. I got it because it was rather rare and a bit cheaper than a BMW. VERY FEW people who saw the car believed it was a Volvo. The majority of them thought it was a BMW and others said Audi. They simply couldn't comprehend that Volvo made a sporty convertible. A few called me a liar even when I showed them the Volvo badge on the trunklid.
A beautiful car IMHO. Congrats
Very good job, I think you are starting to hit your stride as a commentator and focusing on your target audience. BTW WRAL channel 5 in Raleigh apparently has some videos on Vinfast in their 6pm local news this week that you may find interesting.
Thanks Tony, appreciate the kind words. A little more focus on 'history' stories, and slow down a bit to get some other pics, etc. to ad it, and I'm pleased with the results so far. :)
Thanks for the heads-up on WRAL. I suspect it's about the approval of the financial package to Vinfast, but I'll go take a look!
@@AllCarswithJon the Monday night segment had a reporter at Vinfast sales in California, but I think for the rest of this week he going to their Vietnamese factory and headquarters. Might be interesting. Kinda interesting that they have been making vehicles for only 5 years, but apparently are not suffering birthing pains like Canoo, Lucid, Revin, et al.
Gotta give it to the Chinese, despite what we see nowadays in the media about the country and its government, I bet Volvo wouldn't have chosen any other company than Chinese Geely to acquire them, if they were given the choice to do everything over again. Geely took a massive gamble here as well by giving them practically free reign over their own corporate and R&D affairs, whilst also allowing Volvo to KEEP the profits it makes?! Those are more than generous terms. In the end, it paid off massively for both parties, and they are currently now involved in several promising ventures like PoleStar and Lynk&Co. Volvo should count themselves lucky that none other than some previously unknown Chinese car manufacturer like Geely then was what made this massive comeback possible.
If you want to have the ''BAD ENDING'' of how it could have gone, look no further than the other Swedish ''crown jewel'' that was SAAB. Massive debts because the company was burning through cash on AAA quality features on an AAA quality car that only a select group of consumers wanted. And this got only exacerbated when they became financially at the mercy of an outside party like GM, whose corporate vision collided with that of SAAB, and then once again, after GM kicked SAAB to the curb and they had to make do with a small car manufacturer like Dutch Spyker, like a troubled orphan that keeps getting sent to different foster homes. It was a tragedy if nothing else. A tragedy that Volvo fortunately managed to avoid by making the unconventional choice for China's Geely.
Aye yes gm asset strippers destroyed SAAB. 😢
As a child I used to watch the saint he drove a white Volvo P1800
There was also the 1st generation s40/Mitsubishi charisma
I once read that Volvo invented the modern safety belt, only to immediately forefit their patent and make it free for all manufacturers to produce. I don't recall where I read it, and who knows if it's true.
It is true. They also made others of their safety patents free. We, as customers, owe this car manufacturer a lot.
Amazing history. I call every Volvo ever made a tank. This is because I consider Volvos the safest vehicles ever made. I don't like the five cylinder engines in some of them but I prefer Volvos like the 240, 740 Turbo, 960, XC90 with V8, and the 780 coupe built by Bertone.
Thanks for the kind words!
I finally bought my first Volvo (the V70 my son drives) and I really like the 5 cylinder. Always thought of it as the 'worst of both worlds', but it's been pretty impressive.
great cars...very versatile
My parents went to Sweden 🇸🇪 to buy their Volvo, while stationed at Spangdahlem Germany🇩🇪 in 1994.. Hope you do a #LincolnMotorCompany 🇺🇸 history video soon.
It's on the 'list'. :)
“Here in SC”? Wait, does that mean there’s another car nerd close to me? Lol
I'm up near Charlotte. :)
The 850 series was sold in the US through the 1997 model year. Sorry to nitpick: awesome content. We found our 850 mechanicals to be absolute garbage, but a great looking “last of the box” styling. Later, an S80 was terribly expensive. Terribly unreliable and replaced with an Accord. 😅 Meanwhile, an ‘05 V70 keeps on rolling….
Thanks for the comment!
If you haven't seen on the channel, we bought a used '02 V70 last spring and it's been an awesome car that one of my son's has been driving.
Don't forget Volvo also has a history in Heavy Duty trucking... If I remember correctly they actually bought White Trucks in the early 80s...
In the original version of the outline for this I ended up down a bunch of rabbit holes about AB Volvo - their missles, and their extensive heavy-duty trucking (they own Mack! Who knew!). I wanted to keep this long video focused on the 'cars', so I only touched on the other industries AB Volvo was involved in. Just for times sake
Over the years I had a 245 and two 264. Beautiful cars, The 264 engine wasn't the most reliable sadly
Also Mercedes bought Freightliner around the same time...
That's a story for another day I think. :)
A local firm in Maine made kits to install Ford 302 V8s in Volvo 740s. The rest of the car was much more reliable than that French six cylinder.
Volvo was delivered the final blow once china bought the company. In Norway they don't even sell sedan or coupe cars anymore. just estate and SUV.
Buying a Volvo S60 was the worst finacial mistake my family ever made. We bought it used to be fair. But no other car we bought used had so many problems. It left us stranded and had thousands poured into it before we just got rid of it and replaced it with a Lexus RX that never had issues.
The process showed us not to trust anything with a European badge on it. Because even if its reliable all European brands are just so expensive for very poorly built parts. You arent paying a premium when vital mechanics are cheap plastic. No justification.
I think new Volvos look really nice. But I see others have tons of issues that no car at that price and age should be having. They are not well built products anymore.
Adnan loves volvo and I love my son adnan ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I think Volvo is still around ( kinda )...
Why did they go from the amber indicators to red on US models? Seems to go against their commitment to safety.
I have no idea.... my first thought is Federal regulations, but that doesn't feel right.
@@AllCarswithJon Federal regulations, unfortunately, leaves it up to the manufacturer. Unlike the EU our regulators take orders from lobbyists. We have THE weakest automotive regulations on the planet.
Made in Jye-na
Of all the countries in the world you'd want to buy a car company, why China? I don't know anyone else, but I'd rather have Germany, Japan, and/or Australia purchase a car company. Australia has the best road system to test the chassis, while Germany has the Autobahn to test the engine and gearbox for acceleration and speed.
My mother bought a 1970 Volvo when I was 16. It was a piece of crap. Absolute garbage!
I'm driving a 2011 S60 T4 it's equally a heap of crap. Think it's part F**d part Volvo! 🤔
And now its Chinese. I dont understand Sweden, you never sell your flagg ship. Its not the quality it ones was.
Scania is VW brand