It was the first Scandinavian car company. The first Volvo (Latin for I roll), the ÖV4, also called Jakob, left the factory.  ÖV stands for the Swedish öppen vagn, which mean open top car. As it, due to the fairly high price, didn’t sell to well, the company also produced a saloon version, the PV4. The cars, with 4-cylinder engines, were able to withstand the cold Swedish climate much better than the imported American cars.

In addition to the passenger cars, trucks and busses were built and  dominated the production in the first decades. In 1929 the PV651 was introduced. It had a 6-cylinder engine and was wider and longer than the Jakob. The PV651 was more successful and as it was a 5-seater, often used as a taxi.

In 1932 10,000 Volvo cars were produced. The PV444, introduced in autumn 1944, was a car that had not only American flair but also a European size, and it was an instant success.

During WW2 Volvo produced vehicles mainly for military use. Through to the 1960s the PV444 and the PV544 dominated the Swedish car production. Another very successful car was the Volvo 120, also called Volvo Amazon, which was introduced in 1956.

In 1959 The PV544 and the Amazon were the first cars world wide to be equipped with 3-point safety belts as standard. Accident protection and safety were always very important factors of the Volvo car design. The first sports car created by Volvo was the P1800, well known from the TV series “The Saint” with Roger Moore behind the wheel.

In 1966 the first cars of the 144 Series were introduced, first as saloon cars and later also as estate versions. The cars were equipped with disc brakes on all 4 wheels, a safety steering column and crumple zones in the front and in the rear. The Volvo 240 was the first car worldwide with lambda sensor and catalytic converter.

After WW2 the company sought ways in which to diversify its business. In the late 1940s the automobile production started with the first car, the Saab 92001 in June 1947.

The cars were soon looked upon as safe and reliable cars that also had a notable competition history.

In 1969 Saab and Scania, the heavy vehicle manufacturer, became partners and the Saab 99 was presented. It was a larger model and the last one designed by Sixten Sason, the designer of the earlier models. This car looked totally different though and its design stood for the next 20 years. The Saab 99 also was the first turbocharged model. In 1970 the 1,000,000th Saab was built.

At the end of 1989 General Motors bought 50 % of Saab’s automobile division and the “Saab Automobile AB” was created.  Not surprisingly the new Saab 900 produced in 1994 used the same platform as the Opel Vectra. A new crossover SUV that will share the platform with the platform with the new Cadillac SRX is expected to go on sale in 2010.

Innovations:

• 1958 – The Saab GT 75o was fitted with seatbelts as standard
• 1970 – Saab introduces headlamp wipers and washers
• 1971 – Heated front seats are fitted as standard
• 1981 – Saab introduces the split field side mirror
• 1982 – Asbestos-free brake pads
• 1983 – 16-valve turbocharged engine

These are of course only a few innovations made by Saab.

From 1962 to 1969 73,000 estate cars were manufactured.

Specifications of the Volvo Amazon

• Class – mid-size
• Body styles – 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan, 5-door estate
• Engines – 1.6 L 1583 cc I4 B16, 1.8 L 1778 cc I4 B18, 2,0 L 1986 cc I4 B20
• Transmissions – 3-speed manual, 4-speed manual, 4-speed manual with overdrive, 3-speed automatic
• Wheelbase – 102.0 in (2,590 mm)
• Length – 173.0 in (4,395 mm)
• Kerb weight – 2,400 lb (1,100 kg)

About 60 % of the cars produced were sold abroad.