The Volvo Group (Swedish: Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, usually shortened to AB Volvo) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing company headquartered in Gothenburg. Its core activity is the production, distribution and sale of trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems and financial services. Although the two firms are still often conflated, Volvo Cars, also based in Gothenburg, has been a totally separate company since it was sold off in 1999. The companies still share the Volvo logo and co-operate in running the Volvo Museum.
Volvo was established in 1915 as a subsidiary of SKF, the ball bearing manufacturer; however the Volvo Group and Volvo Cars consider themselves to have been officially founded on 14 April 1927, when the first car, the Volvo ÖV 4 series, affectionately known as "Jakob", rolled out of the factory in Hisingen, Gothenburg.
Volvo means "I roll" in Latin, conjugated from "volvere", in reference to ball bearings. The brand name Volvo was originally registered as a trademark in May 1911 with the intention to be used for a new series of SKF ball bearings. This idea was only used for a short period and SKF decided to simply use "SKF" as the trademark for all its bearing products.
The Volvo Amazon is a mid-size car manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars from 1956 to 1970 and introduced in the USA as the 122S at the New York International Auto Show in April 1959.
The Amazon shared the wheelbase, tall posture and high H-point seating of its predecessor, the PV and was offered two-door sedan, four-door sedan, and a five-door wagon body styles. In 1959 Volvo became the world's first manufacturer to provide front seat belts as standard equipment — by providing them on all Amazon models, including the export models— and later becoming the first car featuring three-point seat belts as standard equipment.
When introduced, the car was named the Amason (with an 's'), deriving from the fierce female warriors of Greek mythology, the Amazons. German motorcycle manufacturer Kreidler had already registered the name, and the two companies finally agreed that Volvo could only use the name domestically (i.e., within Sweden), modifying the spelling to Amazon. Subsequently, Volvo began its tri-digit nomenclature and the line became known as the 120 Series.
The Volvo 200 series was a range of executive cars produced by Volvo Cars from 1974 to 1993, with more than 2.8 million units sold worldwide. Like the Volvo 140, it was designed by Jan Wilsgaard. It overlapped production of the Volvo 700 series introduced in 1982. As the 240 remained popular, only the 260 was displaced by the 700 series — which Volvo marketed alongside the 240 for another decade. The 700 series was replaced a year before the 240 was discontinued. Production ended on 14 May 1993 after nearly 20 years.
The Volvo 240 and 260 series was introduced in the autumn of 1974, and was initially available as six variations of the 240 Series (242L, 242DL, 242GT, 244DL, 244GL, 245L and 245DL) and two variations of the 260 Series (264DL and 264GL). The 240 Series was available in sedan (with two or four doors) or station wagon, however the 260 Series was available as a coupé (262C Bertone), four-door sedan, or station wagon. The 200 looked much like the earlier 140 and 164 Series, for they shared the same body shell and were largely the same from the cowl rearward. However, the 200 incorporated many of the features and design elements tried in the Volvo VESC ESV in 1972, which was a prototype experiment in car safety. The overall safety of the driver and passengers in the event of a crash was greatly improved with very large front and rear end crumple zones. Another main change was to the engines, which were now of an overhead-cam design. The 260 series also received a V6 engine in lieu of the 164's inline-six.
Is it wise to come to me
To guide you spiritually
Dead eyes stare back from the void
Reflecting what I see
I am the key that locks the door
The link between the worlds
Take my hand
Dare to walk with fire
Let the dead rest in peace
Step aside leave them be
Let the dead rest in peace
Sacrilege, final sleep
I am here to satisfy
Your curiosity
If you think it's worth the risk
To be stuck with me
There are things you cannot see
That's why you come to me
Take my hand
Dare to walk with fire
Let the dead rest in peace
Step aside leave them be
Let the dead rest in peace
Sacrilege, final sleep
Was it wise to come to me
To guide you spiritually
Your dead eyes stare back from the void
Now you're stuck with me
Let the dead rest in peace
Step aside leave them be
Let the dead rest in peace
Sacrilege, final sleep
Let the dead rest in peace
Step aside leave them be
Let the dead rest in peace