Back in April of 1927, the first ever Volvo, the ÖV4, rolled out of a shop in Gothenburg, Sweden, on the 14th April 1927. ÖV4, which stands for "Öppen Vagn 4 cylindrar" or Open Carriage 4 cylinders, was produced from 1927 to 1929.
Volvo's founders, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, had a credo that is still respected today: "Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety." Obviously, safety has always been very important to this company and their strong commitment to advances in this field has permitted them to be at the forefront of the technology.
Over the past 80 years, Volvo has created an almost countless safety features and they include such important ones as seat belts, child seats and booster cushions. The short list also encompasses seat belt reminders, rear seat belts, rear child safety door locks, hazard lights, Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), Side-Impact Protection System (SIPS), Roll Stability Control (RSC), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) and Door Mounted Inflatable Curtains (DMIC) for their new C70 convertibles.
Volvo is also known for its environmental concerns; Volvo was the first manufacturer to introduce a three-way catalytic converter complete with a Lambda sensor that nullifies 90 per cent of the engines toxic emissions.
Let us not forget too that Volvo has come a long way over the last decade with stylish designs that are slowly but surely making consumers forget about the old boxes. Some of their latest cars could easily be qualified as sexy and inspiring.
If you have ever wondered if word Volvo had any meaning, you will be glad to know that it is a Latin term that signifies "I roll".
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| Manufacturing of the ÖV4 in 1927. |
Volvo's founders, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, had a credo that is still respected today: "Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety." Obviously, safety has always been very important to this company and their strong commitment to advances in this field has permitted them to be at the forefront of the technology.
Over the past 80 years, Volvo has created an almost countless safety features and they include such important ones as seat belts, child seats and booster cushions. The short list also encompasses seat belt reminders, rear seat belts, rear child safety door locks, hazard lights, Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), Side-Impact Protection System (SIPS), Roll Stability Control (RSC), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) and Door Mounted Inflatable Curtains (DMIC) for their new C70 convertibles.
Volvo is also known for its environmental concerns; Volvo was the first manufacturer to introduce a three-way catalytic converter complete with a Lambda sensor that nullifies 90 per cent of the engines toxic emissions.
Let us not forget too that Volvo has come a long way over the last decade with stylish designs that are slowly but surely making consumers forget about the old boxes. Some of their latest cars could easily be qualified as sexy and inspiring.
If you have ever wondered if word Volvo had any meaning, you will be glad to know that it is a Latin term that signifies "I roll".