Volvo Richmond Blog

It was inevitable.

After a cold, brutal winter here in Central Virginia, you walk out to your Volvo one morning as you start it up to head to work and then discover it: a crack about 11 inches just below your sight line on the driver's side.

You run your right index finger from the bottom of the crack to the top of it. You then mutter a few bad words under your breath…

According to Webster's Online Dictionary, "Accessorize" is defined as: to
provide or complement with a fashion accessory.
synonyms: complement, enhance, set off, go with, accompany, decorate, adorn, ornament, trim.

Usually, that means a woman who adds jewelry to her outfit to complement her dress.

However, we're not talking about dresses in this case. We're talking about Volvos.

Yes, you can accessorize your Volvo as many Volvo owners have done that to their…

When Volvo announced last month that is was outsourcing its app development to InfoSys, a renowned IT and consulting firm based in India, to develop applications for its marketing, sales, consumer service and other functions, the auto industry was given a heads-up on the seriousness of its intentions. The Swedish car manufacturer was not content on just developing mobile phone apps, it wanted to lead the way.

Hiring them was a brilliant move and Infosys…

To say that the 1950's was a pivotal decade in the history of automobiles in the United States would be a massive understatement. From automatic transmissions to V8 engines to unibody construction, car innovations sped way ahead of the relative stagnation of World War II era.

Volvo, however, moved into the fast lane as it saw the US economy expand and the post-war blues finally disappear as Americans interest in fancy cars for both work and play increase along with their take-home pay. The PV444 sales were hot as Elvis' record sales and the execs back in Volvo's…

The Urban Dictionary (www.urbandictionary.com) defines "street cred" as: "commanding a level of respect in an urban environment due to experience in or knowledge of issues affecting those environments.'

When you hear someone say you have "street cred", take it as the highest form of compliment. It means that you have arrived and have earned the respect of friend and foe alike. Frank Sinatra certainly had street cred in the entertainment world. His albums still entertain decades after being recorded.           

It's not a stretch to say that the Volvo brand has "safety street cred" as it has proven…

"It looks like a tank."

How many times have you heard someone use that term when looking at an older model Volvo? (It was this blog author's first thought when I saw a 1982 Volvo DL Wagon many years ago.) 

Volvo's boxy style and heavy body elicit those kinds of remarks. Most of us Volvo owners take the "tank" remark as a compliment.

However, when people saw this Volvo (pictured) they would say: "It looks like a sow (female pig)."

That may not exactly be a compliment but how true it is! But, the Sugga's evolution to…

Concept cars have a long history, truly stretching back to the beginning of motor-powered vehicles.  

From the Ford Model T to the Volvo Concept Sport, concept cars are not just for car shows, they have a real purpose. Car manufacturers use them to showcase new features, new technology and even new paint schemes. They are also a way to market-test reactions to radical designs and changes in manufacturing philosophy.

And, let's face it: Concepts…

World War II had ended five years earlier and the United States was still recovering from the physical, economic and cultural damage that it had caused.

Many women left the service and the assembly line and returned home to take care of their husband and children.

Businesses were restarting and the military was paring down to peacetime levels. People were buying fun items again and traveling often.

And what of Volvo, more than four years removed from the war? Re-enter the PV444. Volvo's new "B Series" was introduced and it had many innovative features: new dashboard with a round…

All along life's journey we learn certain lessons.

We learn never to place our hands on a hot oven or we'll get burned.

We learn that eating fruits and vegetables means that we'll be healthier..

We learn that driving too fast may cause an accident.

We learn that working hard at our profession may mean a higher salary.

Those lessons may seem like common sense and they are just a few simple…

We've been hearing these stories all our lives:

• You can dissolve a tooth in a glass of Coca Cola. (Impossible.)
• There are alligators in the New York City sewers. (Never happened.)
• The father who, dressed as Santa Clause, got stuck in the chimney on Christmas Eve. (Pure fiction.)
• JFK botched the diction in his 1963 speech to Berliners when he said “Ich bin ein Berliner” and that they heard him say “I am a…