Here we have a lively exploration of Volvo, one of the world’s best-loved car brands, with evocative vintage photography and entertaining text that explains why you should want to own one. Perfect for a loved one who loves their Volvo and you want to buy them a Birthday present, or for anyone who wants to know facts and figures about their favourite motor manufacturer. We will probably be doing a short video about this which will appear below.
This iconic Swedish marque is highly regarded across the world for safety, longevity and precision in the design and manufacture of their cars. Originally evolving from the Swedish Ball Bearing Factory, established in 1907, the company went from strength to strength through the twentieth century and beyond. It became a much-admired manufacturer of reliable family cars as well as exciting sports models and today’s innovative electric vehicles, including through its sister brand, Polestar.
Read about the Volvo we bought last year here.
The Spirit of Volvo outlines all the most popular and enduring Volvo models, including the early ÖV 4, made to stand up to the challenging Swedish climate, the sporty P1800, famous in the 1960s for appearing in the TV series The Saint, suavely driven by Roger Moore, and the quintessential large family car through several decades, the 240. The insightful text, from an author who is a Volvo owner and superfan as well as an expert in design, is accompanied by glorious photography showing the Volvo brand at its very best.
The perfect gift for every car enthusiast, whether they are a Volvo driver or not, this beautifully illustrated book, the fourth title in the ‘Spirit of Classic Cars’ series, delivers a captivating insight into this classic brand.
About Vaughan Grylls who is an artist and writer who has been a VW enthusiast ever since he bought a 1956 Beetle in 1966. He has since owned more VWs than any other make of car. His two favourites are a 1966 Variant 1500S and a seventh-generation 2016 GTI. He lives in London and East Kent.
For more details and buy the book here:
Here’s a few extra facts and Figures…
Great Marques of the 20th Century – Volvo – James Ruppert
What does Volvo mean?
‘I roll’ in Latin and that was originally a reference to ball bearings. One of the founders Assar Gabrielssom was sales manager for SKF a Swedish bearings company and the idea was to build a Swedish car specifically to cope with the tough Scandinavian climate rather than relying of American built imports. Legend has it that the founders Gabrielssom and Gustav Larson formed their company over a crayfish meal in Stockholm’s Sturehof restaurant in 1924. The first car called the PV4 wasn’t produced until 1927, although six months before that the first Volvo was actually a truck, badged as Truck Model 1. The founders realised that the Swedish market could not support car manufacture so they diversified.
Did the trucks do well?
Very, they actually outsold their cars until the 1940s and the 50,000th Volvo was a truck. From 1947 though the cars overtook the trucks. By 1981 Volvo was the largest Scandinavian company and also built buses, engines for boats and planes and even had interests in shipping and oil exploration.
But their cars were always large rectangular estates?
Well the rugged post war PV444 available as a car, estate and pickup set the trend for dependable and practical vehicles followed by the equally tough, but elegant Volvo P120 which was know as ‘Amazons’. However there were some interesting sports cars too. Firstly 67 fibreglass P1900s based on the PV444 styled in the USA and then there was the Amazon derived P1800, initially built in Britain and driven by Roger Moore in ‘The Saint’ TV series.
They built them in Britain?
The bodies were made in Scotland and vehicles were finished by Jensen in Birmingham, but it wasn’t very satisfactory and quality was poor. Indeed another British company TWR helped develop and build Volvo’s current coupe and cabriolet models the C70 which are assembled in Sweden.
Volvos can be exciting then?
Very. Enthusiasts discovered there was more to Volvos than Labradors and green wellies when the 850 T5 was launched. It offered sports car 150mph performance and estate versions even competed in the British Touring Car Championship in 1994. The more compact S40 went on to win the title in 1998.
