Volvo

Volvo is a automobile maker that was founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden, as a spin-off from roller ball bearing maker SKF.

Since the 1960s Volvo cars have had a reputation for safety in crashes, rather than speed or handling ability. The Volvo design team patented the 3-point seatbelt but soon after released it to the public, making Volvo the first company to offer as standard equipment this restraint. Volvo also was the first company to produce cars with padded dashboards starting in late 1956 with their Amazon model. In 2000, Volvo introduced its Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), a safety device to prevent injury of front seat
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users during collisions. However by the mid-1990s there was little to distinguish most manufacturers on safety when put through tests such as NCAP. In the early 1970s Volvo acquired the car-making division of the Dutch company DAF, and marketed their small cars as Volvos before releasing the Dutch-built 340 series. Smaller Volvos are still built in the Netherlands.

On January 28, 1998 Ford Motor Company announced the buyout of Volvo for $6.45 billion and in 1999, the automobile manufactuing of Volvo was acquired by Ford.

Volvo now consists of two parts:

Both use and jointly own (50/50) the Volvo trademark. One of the main promotional activities for the trademark is the sailing contest Volvo Ocean Race, formerly the Whitbread Around the World Cup.

Table of contents
1 Cars
2 Engines
3 Gearboxes
4 External Links

Cars

Engines

Gearboxes