An Introduction to Volvo

Volvo opened its doors in 1927 founded in Gothenburg Sweden. Since that very day, their focus remained one very important element of the automobile, safety. Their first vehicles included the PV4 and OV4 each of which emphasized Scandinavian luxury and class-leading safety. Many years later in 1959, Volvo would introduce the 3 point seat belt as we know it today to their PV544 model. This seat belt would become the industry standard and in 1968 mandatory in all vehicles sold after.

As Volvo evolved, their vehicles began to get boxier and became known as bricks. This brick shaped design was of course designed around their emphasis on safety as the design made for excellent crumple zones and strong roofs. The first models to share this design would be the 100 and 200 series vehicles made in the late 60’s and onwards. At this point, Volvo had a second reputation that went along with their safety, longevity.

As time would tell Volvo advanced with the times but kept with its long-lasting heritage of safety and longevity. Volvo has the most advanced active and passive safety features standardized across all its models. On top of this, they place a strong emphasis on sustainability and have launched multiple electric and hybrid models.

Volvo has earned my respect after keeping me safe through the thousands of miles I drive per year and never leaving me stranded. I truly feel these are the finest built vehicles at an attainable price point and everyone deserves a shot at experiencing how they drive. Next, we will look at individual models and what made them great!

Photos courtesy of: Volvo Cars New Brunswick, Volvo Cars US, Tamerlane’s Thoughts