All you need to know about Volvo.
DATE OF BIRTH: 1927
NATIONALITY: Swedish
The first Volvo was the . . . V4 , a roadster which was followed in the same year by the PV4, a covered version. Through the 1930s the brand became very popular in its home country and became a publicly quoted company as early as 1935.
It produced military vehicles, including tanks, during WWII. Sweden being neutral, Volvo was able to secretly continue car development and a new small car, the PV444, was ready for an austere post-war market. It quickly became a "people's car" in Sweden.
The P120 Amazon, which became the icon of Volvo large car design, was launched in 1956. The equally iconic sports car made famous in The Saint TV series, the P1800, was unveiled in 1960. In the mid-1960s the first of the "square" Volvos, the 144, was rolled out, beginning the "world's safest car" reputation.
Ten years later, the 240 was designated in the US as the standard for car safety. American size and style requirements led to the 700 series cars through the 1980s, towards the end of which it introduced its first FWD car, the 480 ES coupé, and smaller 400 series cars for the European market followed soon afterwards. Volvos got even bigger with the 900 series cars in the 1990s.
At the end of the decade the company was bought by Ford. The square look began to give way to curves in 2000, first with the V70 estate and then the S60 saloon and other derivatives on the platform. The car's first SUV, the XC90, went on sale at the beginning of this year, and has waiting lists going into 2004.
Best car: the S60, which totally changed the image and direction of the brand.
Worst car: perhaps the 240, after it was kept on so far beyond its 'use by' date that it nearly suffocated the brand.
Weirdest car: Putting a Volvo badge on the Daf 66 in 1975.