volvo

Volvo Cars is the car maker using the brand Volvo.

AB Volvo is a Swedish world leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services. The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg, as a spin-off from roller ball bearing maker SKF. Volvo Cars, the automobile manufacturer, has since 1999 been owned by the Ford Motor Company. Volvo is Latin for "I roll", and although fitting well to their products, vehicles, it was originally a name for a ball bearing being developed by SKF. The Volvo Group today has approximately 76,000 employees, production in 25 countries and operates on more than 130 markets. The Volvo Group's net sales 2003 amounted to EUR M 19,151.

Change of strategy

Among the reasons why Volvo took the initiative to sell the automobile manufacturing was the increasing development costs for new car models, coupled with the fact that it was a relatively small producer. The strategy was instead to grow as a truck manufacturer where it had a stronger market position. The buyout of Volvo Cars was announced on January 28, 1998 in the following year acquisition was completed at a price of $6.45 billion USD. Volvo used the funds from the sale of the automobile division to purchase of Scania, another leading Swedish truck manufacturer, but the deal was stopped for competition reasons by the European Union. Instead Volvo acquired the commercial vehicles division of French Renault and the American truck manufacturer Mack.

The Volvo trademark

The Volvo™ trademark is now jointly owned (50/50) by Volvo and Ford. One of the main promotional activities for the trademark is the sailing contest Volvo Ocean Race, formerly the Whitbread Around the World Cup. There is also a Volvo Baltic Race.