The first Volvo OV4 car was made by Swedish businessmen Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson on April 14, 1927. The open-top car started to slide backward after it left the assembly line and was put into first gear by an engineer. A young, ambitious company that may have been moving too quickly was thought to be the formal cause. The stated reason was that the rear differential wasn’t put in correctly. Even though it got off to a bad start, Volvo made money in its third year of business and has since become known for stability, style, and, most importantly, safety innovation. Volvo is marking its 97th birthday by opening the “World of Volvo” in Gothenburg, Sweden, which is where the company was founded. I was asked to learn more about this joint business that Volvo Group and Volvo Cars run. They are the ones who make semi-trucks, diggers, and other cool cars. It is what the company calls a “brand experience center,” and it’s a mix of a business museum and an event hall full of pine trees. Think of BMW Welt but with bigger trees and more natural light. The most interesting part of the experience for car and engineering fans like us is the exhibition, which starts with an interactive section and then goes through Volvo’s past. In the interactive hall, you can dock a virtual reality boat, pretend to be a driver who isn’t paying attention or is tired, and learn about some of Volvo’s new products, like the oxygen sensor and three-point straps. I was there for the cars, though. There are still about fifty left, which shows Volvo’s past from the first V4 design to the present day. Some of the most famous is Irv Gordon’s P1800, which has been driven three million miles; the Environmental Concept Car, which showed how the P2 S80 would look with an unusual turbine-hybrid powertrain in 1992; and the Iron Maven, a PV544 that had the interior and drivetrain of a modern S60 T8 carefully changed to fit. It was connected to a Mitsubishi display in the dash and had a reverse camera in the shape of a big lens where the license plate would normally go. Other things you may have yet to hear of are the King of Sweden’s car, which he uses once a year in a vintage rally, and an electric concept from the 1980s that was meant to carry mail in cities. In fact, Volvo showed off a concept car with impact shields, a frontal airbag, and a working rearview camera at a time when other automakers were still getting around to the three-point belt. Even though the display is small, each car shows a significant event or minor detail in the company’s past. Together, they tell an interesting story that both casual viewers and die-hard fans can understand. The company plans to switch out these fifty cars, which are only a small part of Volvo’s historic fleet, with displays that have a similar theme. Because of the big investment, World of Volvo is now more than just a website for car fans. The five-story building has a restaurant designed by famous chef Stefan Karlsson, a meeting center with lots of natural light and an event hall. There is no doubt about it—this is the only car museum whose resume has the words “Michelin-star chef.” American customers who use Volvo’s popular European delivery service will come here to pick up their cars, eat dinner, and learn more about the company’s past before going on a once-in-a-lifetime European road trip. That makes it a great place to be. On April 14, people can go to the World of Volvo. Gothenburg is a great place to visit if you’re ever in the area. Here are some more pictures to pass the time.
