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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…

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…

"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…

For many US companies, the end of World War II meant the return to normal business again. It meant a return of employees who had served were back at their machines or desks or fields, doing what they did before their country called.

Except for Volvo: A long engineer's strike in Sweden delayed the research and assembly of engines hurting both its sales and development. Two test Volvos were driving around the back roads and on test routes to see if they were ready for debut there and in the US.

1946 came and even though the engineers strike…

(This is Part Two of a continuing series of the history of Volvo in the United States.)

World War II had begun in Europe and would soon make its way to the United States. Gas rationing had begun overseas and citizens would be limiting their travel so the military would have the fuel it needed to participate in the war.

Volvo sales suffered because of the war. Its sales dropped to a paltry 5,900 units in 1940. But, was saved by the order of new ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) to the military.

The following year, 1941, was a continuation of…

Obviously, you like reading about your favorite car, Volvo, because you're reading our blog right now. 

Thankfully, when it comes to Volvos, we have plenty of choices on the web. Just Google "Volvo Blogs" and you get 40,900 results. Of course, not all of them are blogs or websites but this we know for sure: there is a lot of chatter amongst Volvo aficionados.  

From long-time Volvo owners to Volvo collectors to Volvo…

Everyone has favorites in something: ice cream, movie, book, restaurant and team.

You name it and someone has a favorite of it.

Volvo owners are no different. We cling to that favorite all our life and tell anyone who listens how great that Volvo was to drive and how she endured hundreds of thousands of miles before we finally traded her in…for another one. 

The same goes for Volvo Cars. This incredibly popular car has…