Overseas Register Keeper
A selection of reports taken from back-issues of the Club's magazine, 'Volvo Driver'.
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By Jim Beech
THE COMMITMENT TO quality of each worker at the Volvo Car Europe Industry factory in Ghent was recognised recently, when the plant was presented with the prestigious Flanders 1998 Quality Award by Belgian Employment Minister, Miet Smet. Volvo's car sales continue to increase in North America, with March of this year showing a rise of 24% on March 1997. In the first 8 months of 1998 some 29,300 Volvo cars have been sold in North America, more than 23,700 of which were S70's and V70's. Volvo S40's and V40's for Far East markets are to be assembled from kits in Malaysia and Thailand. The first boxes, packed in Maastricht, near Volvo's production plant at Born, arrived in Malaysia in April, while the plant in Thailand started assembling ears in the summer. Volvo is expecting to send in the region of 700 kits to Malaysia and 100 to Thailand this year, rising to 2,000 or 3,000 in the near future. With each car comprising around 1,500 product numbers and 2,000 parts. Packers have to keep a close check on what goes into each assignment. Technicians and logistics managers from Malaysia have been involved in the project from the start.
VOLVO CAR CORPORATION has decided to start up assembly of the S40 and V40 in Gaborone, Botswana, with a planned production start in early 1999. These cars will be sold in South Africa and neighbouring markets. The high import tariffs is the main reason for the decision to establish local production. Volvo have announced plans to expand their North American product range with the addition of the Dutch built S/V40 series in mid 1999. The Volvo S80 range, unveiled on 28 May in a simultaneous reveal to the world is the new flagship of the Volvo car range. It will be accompanied by a top of the range model dubbed S 100. Also, this year will see the launch of the V30.
What will happen in the near future regarding new Volvo models?
1999 - V80 - V100 - V40MPV
2000 - V90MPV
2002 - new S/V40
Have you ever wondered how the Volvo symbol of the round circle with the arrow pointing upwards and towards the right came into being? Most people are aware that the name Volvo comes from the Latin and means 'I roll'. The circle with the arrow comes from the symbol for Swedish iron and strength. The diagonal lines which run from left bottom to the top right of the grill was added a few months later in order to hold the badge ON. The badges in the early production were not staying on, so the lines were added to keep it in place
THE NEW LUXURY V10, the replacement for the S90 range will be arriving this year with a new 325bhp Cosworth engine. The engine is a 4.3 litre unit made entirely of aluminium and it weighs under 200kg. It is mated to a five speed automatic gearbox giving the car a top speed of 155mph. There are five prototypes of the new car, all made by hand at Torslanda in Sweden which are being tested at night on a test track at Halyard under the utmost secrecy. Two 850's have also been fitted with the new engine to test it out in traffic conditions. The V10 will be bigger than current Volvos, with a large wheelbase and the luggage space is quoted as enormous. "Teknikens varld" reports that the code name for the new flagship Volvo is the P2X. Moscow city council has chosen Volvo to provide the official transport when the capital celebrates its 850's anniversary. A total of 13 cars will be used in the celebrations - seven of them (all S70's) going to the Moscow traffic police. Volvo has delivered 29 cars to the Russian city of Omsk, bringing the total number of police Volvos there to more than 200. The governor of Omsk also travels in a Volvo limousine, while the commissioner of Police has a 960 Royal.
SOME TIME AGO I received a letter from Club member Hannu Hietalahti from Kiviniemi, Finland, who wrote telling me about the Finnish road fund licence scenario. In the country with the second most expensive fuel in Europe, around 100% tax on new cars, Finnish drivers have to pay £100 road tax for a new car and £70 for an old one. Hannu says their cows are OK but something needs to be done about their mad minister disease! Hannu makes a comparison to the British licensing system which he says is much better in demanding a valid MOT and insurance certificate. In Finland they only have to pay the licence fee. There is certainly no exemption for cars over 25 years, as in Britain, which Hannu read about in Volvo Driver No 10 3. The only way to avoid paying road tax in Finland is to have your classic car registered as a museum vehicle. The snag is that the car must be at least 25 years old and in original condition. The insurance premium would then be extremely cheap as the car must not be used for more than 30 days each year. Hannu thinks that the ministers who make these laws in Finland have not got a clue what a classic car is. They think that it is just a means of transport for getting from A to B. Hannu uses his Amazon enjoying every mile to the full, just leisurely cruising in his own time with his family. His reason for not comparing the Amazon to everyday cars, saying that someone else might buy a piano or a snooker table instead for the same recreational purpose. The third car in a family with two driving licences is hardly a question of getting to places! I would also like to wel-come Club member Chris Grimes from Moorooka Australia as a new overseas member. Chris owns a 1989 360GLT which was first registered in the UK as F840 TCP. Chris says that the 300 Series is a bit of an orphan in Australia, but he is very proud of his car. Finally, next Easter our Thames Valley section will be visiting Sweden. I shall be writing to Clubs in Sollen-tuna, Hisings-Karra and Taby, along with my magazine exchange to publicise the trip.
DRIVING VARIOUS VEHICLES on two wheels has been a sort of Swedish speciality during (he last 10 years. Recently a new world record was set by Goran Eliasson with a 1992 850GLT. After a few attempts at an airport in Linkoping, he managed to reach the speed of 111 mph. The two wheeled driver uses a short ramp to get the car up on two wheels. He then increases the speed slowly to avoid wheel spin. Speed is measured over a distance of 100 metres. To drive on two wheels the cars are equipped with a differential lock and tyres with reinforced walls. The top level performance of Volvo's airbags was confirmed in a report from the US company Autofacts International. This is a totally independent US based company which supplies the international automotive industry with information, analyses and planning documentation. In its latest survey 'The Global Airbag Market 1996-2005', Autofacts International examined 22 international manufacturers and 112 suppliers of airbag systems and components. Volvo was ranked as number one or joint number one in four of the six classes, slide airbags, crash test results, safety research and component quality. Volvo's protective system, the SIPS bag is standard on all current models. Installed in the backrests of the front seats it inflates on side impact within 12 thousandths of a second. The report confirms Volvo's leadership in the development of side airbags.
History repeated itself when the Volvo V40 won 'The World's Most Beautiful Estate' in Italy. The 850 estate also received the same award in 1993. Every year the Italian magazine Le Grandi Automobili, ranks the world's most beautiful cars in thirteen categories in its search for 'L'Automobile piu'bealla del Mondo' (Worlds most beautiful Automobile). The jury consists of experts in design, architecture, sociology and journalism. This brings the number of awards won by Volvo cars during the 1990s to over 60 in more than 20 countries. The Volvo 850 has won the title of 'Best European Executive Saloon'in Hong Kong's King of Cars Plus Poll. This is a prestigious reward for local importers Cimbria Motors, who are creating an image for the cars which combines sporty high performance with style and safety. Volvo do Brasil used the Lath Sao Paulo Motor Show to launch the S40 and V40 in Brazil. The event is the largest motor show in Latin America. attracting more than 575,000 visitors. Finally, as mentioned in my last report, Club Member Robbert fan Veraa has organised a Belgian Volvo meeting which will take place on Sunday 17 August and will run to Tuesday 19 August. He just needs you to be there! If you would like a copy of the itinerary please send me a SAE. Across the Volvo miles.
THOSE OF YOU that attended last year's 300 Series Rally at Weston Park will remember a young Belgian man called Robbert Jan Veraa. Robbert won the longest journey to the event award having covered 445 miles, not including the ferry crossing! Robbert is now organising a Belgian Volvo meeting which will take place on Sunday 17 August and will run until Tuesday 19 August 1997. On the Sunday there will be a drive/tourist rally through north Belgian countryside starting near Mechelen and finishing near Horentals. Participants will have to answer questions and perhaps even perform tasks with their Volvo. The drive itself will be approximately 65 miles through both small towns and open countryside. Robbert hopes to arrange two Volvo factory visits to make the trip worthwhile for foreign visitors. On Monday 18 a visit to Nedcar in Born, Holland and on Tuesday 19 to Ghent in Belgium. As well as inviting Volvo Owners Club Members to attend, Robbert is also sending invitations to Volvo Enthusiasts Club, the Dutch 480 Register and Swedish Car Club Belgium, as he is a member of all four clubs. Accommodation is to be arranged in Herentals which is a 2½ , hour drive from Calais and 1½ hour drive from Hoek Van Holland. Herentals is 25 miles from the rally starting point at Mechelen and midway between Born and Ghent. If you would like further information Robbert can be contacted at:
1 Bosschaert de Bouwellaan
B-228B Bouwel
Tel: -32-14/513249
Last September the ten millionth Volvo to be built, came off the assembly line at the motor plant in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia. The car was a dark green 960 Royal and came off the line just over 69 years after the first Volvo left the assembly line at the Lundby plant at Hisingen on April 14 1927. Volvo took 37 years to reach its first million with a black P120 Amazon model in September 1964 at the Torslanda plant. With increased production the second million took just 13 years, and the third million a further five years. Volvo now produces at the rate of one million cars every three years, with about 3,000 cars manufactured in Malaysia each year. Following the end of production of the 400 Series which were manu-factured at the Nedcar factory Born, the factory will now concentrate on Production of the S40/V40 Series. Volvo has also applied to the Dutch authorities for permission to introduce a night shift at the plant. This will enable the factory to operate more efficiently. Volvo eventually expects production at Born to rise to 280,000 cars per year. In Japan, canned air from Mount Fuji is sold as a gimmick to the smog breathing urban dwellers. Volvo have been running an advertisement in Japanese daily newspapers for some time now showing a Volvo logoed can, and translated the text reads: Volvo factory air - the purest canned factory air in the world, from the world's cleanest paintshop. The advertisement is Volvo's latest innovative solution in the battle to get its environmental awareness message across in Japan. However, the underlying message is very serious. From 1997, all new Volvos delivered in Japan will be accompanied by an environmental declaration consisting of a folder listing all the environmental impact data from car production at the Gothenburg and Ghent car factories. The customer also receives a certificate, signed by Volvo Car executives, of the company's continued commitment to a cleaner, healthier environment.
THE MAGAZINE EXCHANGE has now taken off with an increasing number of Overseas Clubs now showing interest. Dennis Benstead wrote to me introducing himself as Secretary of Volvo Enthusiasts Club NZ (inc), and Auckland Province representative. Dennis is also responsible for organising the Club newsletter. Quite a commitment when Dennis himself admits to being 72 years young! Dennis was born in England and served in the British army from 1938 to 1959. That year Dennis and his family decided that they could not stand the English winters any longer and emigrated to New Zealand. Dennis says it is a lovely place to bring up children and the most beautiful country in the world! Olov Sterner of the Svenska Volvo P1800 Klubben wishes to establish closer contacts between P1800 associations in different countries. He now has details of our Club, but would like to hear of any anecdotes and amusements experienced by members and their P1800. Almost every owner of a P1800 has a couple of good and/or interesting stories to tell. Perfect material for any P1800 paper! Please send them to me and I will forward them to Olov, whose intention is to compile information from Clubs on an Internet data base. Hannu Hietalaht, wrote in reply to my request for overseas Club information. Hannu is also a member of the Finnish Volvo Amazon Club which was founded 6 years ago.
Currently there are almost 500 members, nearly all owning at least one car. One of the novelties is that the Club is officially like the rest of the country, as stated in the rules, bilingual with Swedish. Quite appropriate for any Volvo Club. The Club was formed to build connections between people who share the interest in older Volvos, especially Amazons, to try to ensure that as many of these lovely cars survive as possible. Funny enough, there was no need for a Club before, as Amazons were still in everyday use. This seems to be changing even in Finland where these robust, reliable and first really warm cars were quite popular in their time. There is no Club requirement to own an Amazon, but in practice sooner or later most members end up buying at least one. Tastes in Finland vary a lot. Some like to keep their cars as original as possible, while others prefer chopping, candy paint, or restoring their cars to 'as new' condition, or perhaps historic racing. So at Club meetings you may see a working everyday Amazon parked next to a 'new' B16. I have also established a firm contact with Dan Janson the editor of Svenska Volvo PV-klubben magazine. The Club is a non profit organisation with the purpose of preserving PV, Duett and P1900 models. Founded in 1977 the Club has some 4,500 members. They are the largest single manufacturer car club in Sweden. The Club has members in all of Scandinavia, most European countries and the USA. Dan was most interested to learn through this column that there is a P1900 registered with the Volvo Auto Clube-Brazil. I shall let you know when it is located! Across the Volvo miles.
AFTER A SLOW start last summer, I have now built up a magazine exchange with Volvo Clubs in Sweden, Norway, France, New Zealand, USA, Brazil and Puerto Rico. It has come to my attention however that some Overseas Clubs are still mailing correspondence elsewhere within Volvo Owners Club and not to myself. This is a problem that I shall try to rectify - language barriers permitting. Gilles-Guy de Salins wrote to me recently with an interesting history of the Volvo Club de France. The club was founded in May 1982 by a small number of Volvo enthusiasts and was originally called the Viking Club. A year later there were 30 founder members, and it then evolved into the Volvo Club de France and is the only Volvo officially recognised club in France. The membership now totals 600 members and 800 cars. The Volvo Club de France is aimed at the older series Volvo, although it has now accepted more modern luxury series such as the 242GT, 262C, 264TE and 780 into its membership. The club is also represented in all French classic car shows and motor sport. Sergio Ribeiro from Volvo Auto Clube-Brasil wrote to me saying that Volvo cars have once again begun to be imported into the country. Volvos were previously imported to Brazil in the fifties and early sixties until the market for import cars was closed by the Brazilian government. The membership of the club mainly consists of PV, Amazon and 140 series. There are two P1800 and one P1900 registered.! Other series include 164, 200, 700 and recently 400, 800 and 900 series.
The 300 Series was never exported to Brazil. Sergio says that Volvo cars in Brazil are very expensive and are not sold on a large scale. There are only Volvo dealers in the big cities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero and normally only one dealer in each city. The Volvo Auto Clube-Brasil has been asked by the dealership in Sao Paulo to provide an exhibition to promote sales by showing literature from Volvo Clubs around the world. It should certainly provide an opportunity to promote Volvo Owners Club in Brazil. Garred Giles from Aquadilla informed me that OVLOV, the Volvo Club in Puerto Rico has disbanded. The main reason being the high cost of parts on such a small island. What car would you suppose retired General Colin Powell drives when he has the choice. American 140 fans loved seeing him pull up to the White House door in a green 145 during the Gulf War. According to 'who' magazine the man who was tipped as likely to be president of the United States is also happy to spend his leisure hours tinkering with his Volvo 122. Perhaps tinkering with his beloved Volvo helps preserve links with a time when the issues were simpler. You'd be surprised who drives a Volvo these days. How about Rod Stewart? When Rod who is married to the glamorous Kiwi international model Rachel Hunter performed a concert organised by Volvo in Gothenburg recently, he made it clear he didn't want any money, he wanted a Volvo. So Rod Stewart performed. He got his Volvo (a white 850 T-5 Sedan). Volvo reaped the publicity and the fans loved every minute of it, If you would like a mention for your Overseas Club or would like a magazine exchange, please write to me.
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