Eighty years ago today the Swedish vehicle manufacturer Volvo produced their first car. On 14th April, 1927, the first ÖV4 – nicknamed the ‘Jakob’ left the company’s Hisingen factory in Gothenburg driven by Sales Director, Hilmer Johansson. The ÖV4 – Öppen Vagn 4 cylindrar (“Open Carriage 4 cylinders”) – had a 1940cc engine producing 28hp; however, the cabriolet design did not suit the Swedish climate.
Three years earlier, two employees of ball bearing manufacturer AB SKF, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, decided that Sweden needed a car industry. So, they founded Volvo – Latin for ‘I roll’ – as a subsidiary of AB SKF. The company went on to produce their first truck in 1927; in 1934, they manufactured their first bus; and after World War II, a very successful line of tractors.
For more information about Volvo through the years, see the history page on their web site.