The story behind Volvo has been one which represents the true Scandinavian designs and world-class engineering. Founded in 1927 by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson, Volvo was developed on the principles of safety and reliability. Volvo cars are known to be very reliable and of high quality. Since the development of the first Volvo car, a lot has changed to what we have as the modern Volvo cars. However, one thing that has never changed is the reputation of being the safest cars in the world. There are so many things behind the evolution of Volvo cars, and below are some interesting facts in the story of Volvo:

1)     Early development

The first Volvo car to be made was nicknamed “Jakob” and it was driven out of the manufacturing plant in 1927. The real name of the car was Öppen Vagn 4 cylindrar or just simply OV4. This vehicle was made of wooden chassis and a sheet metal body, powered by a 2-litre, 4-cylinder engine and a 3-speed transmission. However, the introduction of the first OV4 to the public did not go as planned as the car reversed back into the factory instead of moving forwards when the first gear was engaged. This was not good news for the waiting masses of people and the launch had to be postponed for a day. Luckily, the problem was quickly diagnosed and found to be opposite installation of the gearbox which was quickly fixed and the launch took place the following day.

2)     Volvo Meaning and Logo

Volvo is a Latin word which means “I roll.” This name was first registered in 1911 as a ball bearing company which would make perfect sense in terms of rolling. However, the plan was later scrapped and Volvo evolved to a car manufacturing company. Meanwhile, Volvo’s official logo is a spear and a shield. This was the symbol of Mars, which was the ancient Roman god of war. Earlier on, in order to hold this logo in place, a simple diagonal rod was accidentally used. No one ever knew that this simple mistake would stick around to become part of Volvo’s official logo as we see it today.

3)     Pioneers in Safety

Before the Second World War, safety was not a major point of concern in the design and building of cars. However, as cars became faster and more sophisticated there was a need for more safety features. Volvo introduced the advanced two-point seat belt in 1957 and later the three-point seat belts in 1959 as standard safety features in their cars. This marked a start in an era in terms of car safety and Volvo were the pioneers, earning the tag of the safest cars in the world. To date, Volvos are still considered the safest cars in the world due to the many revolutionary safety features they have introduced to the automotive world. Some of the safety features invented by Volvo include airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, v-shaped circuit braking system and door locks.

4)     The modern car and the future

In 1999, Volvo Motors was bought by American automaker Ford. However, in 2010, Ford decided to sell Volvo to a Chinese firm called Zhejiang Geely Holding Group who are still the current owners. To this date, Volvo undeniably still produces some of the best cars in the world. Over the years, the company has evolved to what it is today with the aim of not only producing the safest cars in the world but also cars which have been engineered in a world-class manner. If you would want to combine safety and world-class engineering, then, Volvo is definitely the car for you!