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| Volvo logo 1927 |
Nickname: "Jakob"
Category: Cars
Subcategory: Cabriolet
Designer: Jan G. Smith
Producer: Volvo Car Corporation (founded by Gustaf Larson as technical manager and Assar Gabrielsson as managing director on April 14, 1927)
Prototypes made in: 1926 (10 produced) - Stockholm, Sweden
Production start: April 14, 1927 - Gothenburg, Sweden - A total of 996 models were produced
Discontinued: April 1929
First price: 4,800 Swedish kronor (5,800 for the covered version PV4)
Features: The body of the Volvo ÖV4 had four doors and was covered in sheet steel on a frame of ash and copper beech. The upholstery was made of leather. Engine: In-line 4 cylinder with side valves, 1,940 cc (118 cu in) 75x110 mm; 28 bhp at 2000 rpm. Transmission: 3 speed with direct action floor lever. Brakes: Mechanical on rear wheels (optional four wheel brakes from 1928). Dimensions: Wheelbase 112 in; weight 2580 lb. Cruising speed 37 mph and top speed 55 mph. The body of the sedan version PV4 was based on the Weymann principle, with an insulated wooden frame without wood-to-wood contact between the components and covered with artificial leather instead of steel.
Interesting facts: Volvo was established in 1915 as a subsidiary of SKF, the ball bearing manufacturer; the company as an automobile company was born on August 10, 1926; however the Volvo Group and Volvo Cars consider themselves to have been officially founded on 14 April 1927, when the first car, the Volvo ÖV4 series, rolled out of the factory in Hisingen, Gothenburg. The trademark Volvo (which is Latin for I roll) was first registered by SKF on May 11, 1915, with the intention to use it for a special series of ball bearing for the American market (however in the application for the trademark, it was also designated for the purpose of automobiles), but it was never used for this purpose. The designation ÖV 4 stands for "Öppen Vagn 4 cylindrar" in Swedish, which means Open Carriage 4 cylinders. The model ÖV4 was often referred to as "Jakob" but that was just a name for one of the 10 pre-series ÖV4 that was ready on 25 July, Jakob's name-day. All 10 prototypes (9 cabriolet and 1 sedan) were assembled in Stockholm at the company AB Galco, where Volvo co-founder Gustav Larson worked at that time. The ÖV 4 engine was designed by Gustaf Larson and its main chassis components by Jan G. Smith, a designer who had worked many years in the American automobile industry and returned to Sweden in 1924. In 1927 Volvo made 280 cars. The covered version, Volvo PV4 (Personvagn-4 cylindrar), designed to hold strong in the Swedish climate and terrain, was introduced in the end of 1927. Between April 1927 and April 1929 (discontinued) a total of 996 cars were manufactured.
Quote (Gustaf Larson and Assar Gabrielsson, 1927): «Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety».
Property: Volvo Car Corporation
Producer website: http://www.volvocars.com
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Volvo ÖV4, Volvo's first ever produced car (1927) |
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Volvo ÖV4, the only available color was dark blue with black wings |
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Volvo PV4, the covered version of the ÖV4 (1927). Volvo's first sedan car appeared in the summer of 1927 and an alternative "Special" version was introduced the following year. The seats could be converted into a comfortable bed for two people. |
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Volvo celebrates 85th anniversary (1927-2012) by recreating historic photograph with new executives who pass through the same gates in the same historic ÖV4 car. |
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Volvo founders: Erik Gustaf Larson (July 8, 1887 - July 4, 1968), automotive engineer, and Assar Thorvald Nathanael Gabrielsson (Aug. 13, 1891 - May 28, 1962), industrialist. |
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| Volvo XC40 Recharge, Volvo's first all-electric car (2017) |
