Volvo

In 1956, a prototype of a new passenger car from Volvo was presented. It became known as the Amazon in Sweden and the 121 and 122S in export markets, the latter denoting a more sporty derivative. However, despite its substantial appearance, all Amazons were surprisingly fleet of foot - this was one of the most sporty European saloons of the 1960s. With its elegant, timeless styling the Amazon broke new ground for Volvo - and for passenger cars as a whole. This new book covers the complete story of the Volvo Amazon, from 1956 onwards, including full production histories, comprehensive specification details, and over 250 photographs. The book covers the history of Volvo before and after the Amazon, and development and production of all Amazon derivatives from 1956-1970, including the 121, 122S, 123GT and all of the estate editions. There are biographies of key Volvo personnel, including the company's first designer, Jan Wilsgaard. Also included is the Amazon in motorsport, plus driver biographies: Tom Trana, Sylvia Osterberg and Carl-Magnus Skogh. There is a full buying guide along with tips on tuning and modifying, including rally preparation, and an insight into what the press thought of each Amazon derivative, with pages also devoted to how the car was marketed in period. An ideal resource for owners, or anyone with an interest in the evolution of these classic cars, which is superbly illustrated with 250 colour photographs.

In 2022, Volvo Bus UK celebrated fifty years of trading in the UK and Ireland. The first right-hand drive B58 chassis arrived on these shores at the end of 1971. The double deck front engine Ailsa came in 1973. Over the next fifty years, the various different models have been upgraded, redesigned, lengthened and fitted with bigger more powerful engines. And now, in 2023, Volvo electric single and double deck models are beginning to appear on UK roads. Volvo Bus is a subsidiary of the Swedish Vehicle builder Volvo AB, with a global presence worldwide. MCV is based in Salheya in Egypt. It was established in 1994 and has the capacity to build up to 6,000 buses and coaches per annum, with up to 5,000 employees. MCV and Volvo are collaborating in the development and building of the electric bus for the UK marketplace.

The book invites the reader, both Volvo fans and those with a more general interest in motoring – on board the company's landmark cars. Volvo Model by Model brings Volvo to life with the feel of the cars from behind the wheel, from the side-valve ÖV4 to the electric C40, with legends like the 240, the XC90 and the 850 in between. Volvo's marketing strategies from safety to sporty and back again are examined, with thoughts from contemporary road tests. So buckle up your Volvo-patented three-point safety belt, and prepare for the ride. In the 2020s Volvo is undergoing a resurgence, gaining mainstream desirability with record sales for six consecutive years. There is also huge interest in wider Scandinavian culture and design. Volvo Model by Model is a new look at the cars and cultural impact of Volvo. Always daring to be different, no other car manufacturer encapsulates its home nation so completely, accounting for one third of the Swedish dream Villa, Volvo, Vovve. Volvo started in 1927 but the open-topped ÖV4 didn't sell well in the harsh Swedish climate. This was a rare misstep, although there have some challenging aesthetics on the way like the 760. Volvo survived a failed marriage with Ford, which still produced one of the company's all-time best sellers. Volvo now has another home, China. Parent company Geely enables Volvo to freely express its Scandinavian style, and today's slick Swedes were voted the best-designed range of cars by British motorists. Concept Recharge points the way to an electric future.

A dedicated publication that explains the history of the world’s most versatile station wagon, a global workhorse and comfortable family vehicle. Sweden’s answer to Germany’s people’s car arrived some 20 years earlier, and quickly paved the way for safe and dependable vehicles. This book chronicles the evolution of the Volvo estate car, with every model featured. Whether you are a Volvo lover or just have a general interest in cars, this book offers an informative and interesting look into a car that has had very little media coverage, despite its vast global sales success and the affection with which it is held by so many. This new edition has been updated with details of the latest models in 2019.

Utilising previously unpublished photographs, Howard Berry tells the story of Volvo buses and coaches.

From an “imaginatively twisted and fearless” writer (Los Angeles Times), a hilarious memoir of middle age. In a voice that is wry, disarming, and totally candid, Sandra Tsing Loh tells the moving and laugh-out-loud tale of her roller coaster through "the change." This is not your grandmother's menopause story. Loh chronicles utterly relatable, everyday perils: raising preteen daughters, weathering hormonal changes, and the ups and downs of a career and a relationship. She writes also about an affair and the explosion of her marriage, while managing the legal and marital hijinks of her eighty-nine-year-old dad. The upbeat conclusion: it does get better.

The Nordic Tractor traces the history of tractor production in Sweden and Finland. The story goes back over 200 years to the 19th century when the industrial revolution was sweeping across Britain, and Sweden wanted to establish their own manufacturing powerhouses. This was an exciting and fast moving time for engineering and this book traces the ups, downs and eventual demise of some of the first manufacturers working to serve the particular needs of the agricultural and forestry industries in this densely forested and mountainous region. It then looks in depth at the companies who emerged from this, who learnt from their own and others' mistakes and built on the widespread technological advances of the time to build up names for themselves in Northern parts of Europe. Today, Valtra - now owned by AGCO - stands proudly as the last remaining agricultural tractor maker in Scandinavia, but The Nordic Tractor shows where their roots lie in the establishment and history of companies such as Bolinder, Munktells, Volvo and Valmet, who all stood out as being major players in the Nordic region. Including over 100 photos, many of which have been previously unpublished, this book will appeal to those with a specific interest in Nordic tractors, Nordic engineering and general Nordic history as well as the general tractor enthusiast.