Volvo Richmond Blog

As the early 1970's descended on Volvo, the world was looking bright and profitable for the Swedish car company.

Sales were up in the US, Sweden and Great Britain. So good in fact, that the new Volvo 164 E was introduced with a new and improved engine that had fuel injection and could top speeds of 175 miles per hour. Prices continued to be lower than many brands on the market, too. The reinvigorated…

When we hear that something is more powerful or stronger, we usually prepare ourselves for a compromise.  For example, a prescribed medication can provide far better results than an over-the-counter product, but the side effects are often much more severe.  Or, an NFL running back known for his bulk and power, often lacks the speed and agility displayed by some of the more lean players.

What about cars?  Usually people assume that more cylinders in…

You've owned your Volvo for many years. The odometer passed 300,000 miles six months ago. It has a new transmission, new tires and recently was tuned up. You drive it everywhere. You plan to pass it down to your son who's leaving for college soon.
 
So, you want to save a few dollars to pay for his liberal arts education by doing some Volvo repairs on your own. Budgets are tight and we understand that, quite well. If you don't want to take it to your Volvo dealership to get it repaired, then you need to…

Most every auto manufacturer claims their product is a "great investment". If you need a car to take you to work, school, ballgame or in-laws house, their car can do it better than anyone else. 

Whether their car can do it better than Volvo is a matter of marketing. However, we cannot diminish the fact that your Volvo is one of your most important financial assets. It is an investment, not like a stock or…

Summer is here and it's easy for many Volvo owners to take a vacation from car care. We all need a break, granted, but summertime is still a season in which we need to drive our Volvo's with care and keep it in top running condition.

This season it's easy to get caught up in saving money for vacation and letting some repairs go or being careless with driving our favorite vehicle. Hopefully, this blog can help you to avoid that so your Volvo doesn't fall into disrepair and create major repairs.

So, we have Five…

At long last the Volvo V144 was no longer just a prototype and a breakthrough car on paper. In 1966, it had finally arrived. 

The V144 was the most advanced in safety features that Volvo had built, yet. It had disc brakes, new buckle for the 3-point seat belts, energy crumple zones in the body. Its brakes were the most impressive to the US consumer in that if one braking circuit failed, it still had…

There are all types of museums for, seemingly, every hobby or interest.

From The Garbage Museum (dinosaurs constructed from trash) in Connecticut to The Hall of Flame (history of firefighting) in Arizona and, one of the strangest we've heard of, The Burlingame Pez Museum in California which is just what it sounds like: A museum dedicated to Vintage Pez Dispensers. And there's more, too: spy museum, bad art museum, toilet museum and...well...this is a family blog, so we'll stop there.

So, it only makes sense that there is a Volvo Museum. Located in Goteborg, Sweden…

If someone were to ask you, the most important part to check on your Volvo, what would you say?

Would it be your carburettor? Your tires? Your battery? Your transmission?

All of them are quite important and we've touched on several in previous blogs but most Volvo owners would answer firmly: Brakes.

They would be right.

Your Volvo brakes, when properly maintained, are the difference between life and death. It's imperative for you…

Volvo is safe.

Volvo is utilitarian.

Volvo is practical.

We've heard it all before and yes it's true. But, as Bob Dylan once sang, "the times they are a-changin'".

Volvo is not only the safe, utilitarian and practical auto brand as it's been repeated over and over again, it's also the newly-redesigned, 21st Century auto brand. The Volvo Corporation, with the introduction of its concept cars, "The Estate" and the Concept XC Coupe', has bundled all of the above but repackaged it into the Volvo interior of the present and future.

Ever heard of an "oversized…

Cue "The Saint" theme song.

Then dissolve to Roger Moore, as the famous English secret agent (before he became the even more famous secret agent. James Bond), speeding around one of his many European sports cars which just happens to be a: Volvo!

The now-celebrated Volvo P1800, which enabled people to say "sexy" and "Volvo" in the same sentence, went into production in May of 1961. As it was being built, the Volvo PV544 and…