INDUSTRY NEWS
Insight into a Swedish legend of motoring
While on a visit to Sweden recently we visited the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg
Swedish car manufacturer Volvo has had an interesting and illustrious history, although many know little about it compared to, say, German premium offerings. I recently visited the company’s museum in an industrial park in Gothenburg, Sweden and apart from the obvious signage outside the building, it is a rather unassuming structure that belies the steep history of the company. Founded on April 14 1927 by Gustaf Larson and Assar Gabrielsson as a wholly owned subsidiary of the engineering company, SKF, Volvo had rather humble beginnings. Gabrielsson was appointed the MD of the company as he had a knack and acumen for business, while Larson was a revered engineer. The duo set out to build their first car, the Volvo OV4, under the company’s mantra — cars are driven by people — which placed safety as the core value of the company, something that still rings true to this day. The company even pioneered the three-point safety belt that is still an essential safety item. The museum has dif...
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