Volvo

Despite strong lap times at the end of the race, Dahlgren finished fifth and Rustad sixth after an unfortunate pit stop

Aug. 18, 2008 -- This years eight race at Karlskoga looked like being Volvos weekend. Drivers Robert Dahlgren and Tommy Rustad were fastest and next fastest on both the test session and the preliminary qualification. During super pole, the Volvo drivers were even more impressive. Dahlgren claimed pole one tenth ahead of his team mate Rustad who in turn was five tenths faster than third placed Thed Björk.

August 11, 2008 -- On August 8, the four millionth car was built at Volvo Cars Gent. It was a Volvo V50, a sporty R Design version, ordered by VDL, a customer from Breda in Netherlands. Volvo Cars Gent has been building cars in Belgium since 1965. Initially the plant was set up to avoid the country's high import taxes on finished cars, but over the years Volvo Cars Gent has, together with Volvo Cars Torslanda, become one of the two main Volvo Cars factories.

The first model assembled in Ghent was the Volvo 120, better known as the Amazon. Other models followed: the Volvo 140 and 240 -series, the Volvo 740 and 940, the Volvo 850, the Volvo S70 and V70, and today the Volvo C30, S40, V50 and S60.

Volvo Cars Gent has more than 4,000 employees who built about 200,000 cars 2007.

Robert Dahlgren returns to his old training ground, driving Volvo's new C30 Green Racer

July 17, 2008 -- Volvo Car Corporation has decided to enter its new ethanol powered Volvo C30 racer in the WTCC (World Touring Car Championship) at Brands Hatch on the 26-27th of July.

Volvo C30 Green Racer

The car, which is in its first year on track, races in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) as the only ethanol E85 powered car in that series. In STCC, the car has so far secured three out of seven pole positions and has lead close to half of all laps driven.

Now Volvo wants to evaluate the car against the strongest of competition on the circuit at legendary Brands Hatch, Kent, England.

In 1958 Volvo Cars had two models, today there are ten series and 84 model variants

July 8, 2008 -- 50 years of Volvo in Germany - a success story from the "economic miracle" until the 21st century. This year sees Germany holding the position of third largest market in the world for Volvo Car Corporation, following the USA and Sweden, Volvo Cars' home market. The fate of the Swedish, premium-brand automotive manufacturer, which celebrated its 80th birthday last year (2007), is controlled in Germany by Volvo Car Germany GmbH based in Rodenkirchen in Cologne.

Volvo's biggest car news from 1968

July 2, 2008 -- After more than ten years without a six-cylinder model to offer customers, it was time in August 1968 for Volvo to unveil its 1969 model range which included a new large car for the more prestige- and luxury-oriented segments. The model was called the 164, with the figure "6" in the middle denoting that unlike the cars in the 140 Series, this model featured a six-cylinder engine.

Stylish, elegant and comfortable

Volvo C70, Volvo S40, and Volvo C30 are top rated in AutoPacific's 2008 Ideal Vehicle Awards

July 01, 2008 -- The automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific announced yesterday its annual Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA), of which three category winners were Volvos. An "ideal" is defined as an excellent or perfect example. So, in search of the ideal vehicle, AutoPacific asked owners to rate their model year 2008 cars and trucks using a measurement of 15 key vehicle attributes.

2008 Volvo C30 - front/side

DEARBORN, Mich., July 1, 2008 -- In the first half of 2008, sales of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and crossovers to retail customers were higher than a year ago. Retail sales for cars increased 3 percent and crossovers also were up (less than 1 percent). Together, cars and crossovers accounted for 59 percent of Ford's first half retail sales compared with 49 percent in the first half 2007.

2009 Lincoln MKS

Highlights:
June:
- Ford, Lincoln and Mercury June sales totaled 167,090, down 28 percent versus year ago.
- Ford Focus' sales to individual retail customers were 9 percent higher than a year ago.
- 2009 Ford Flex and 2009 Lincoln MKS debut.
First Half:

June 25, 2008 -- As part of an extensive cost reduction programme, Volvo is planning to reduce its workforce by 1,400 white collar (consultants included) and 600 blue collar members of its workforce. The company is today handing in a notice of these actions to the Swedish authorities (the Swedish Public Employment Service).

The notice includes 1,200 employees at Volvo Car Corporation in Gothenburg (1,105 employees), Volvo Car Sweden (45 employees) and Volvo Cars Body Components in Olofström (50 employees). Also, contracts with around 500 consultants will be cancelled. The company is also planning to reduce its workforce by 300 people abroad.

Volvo Event Management launches its new global portal and brings Sponsorship - to Life.

June 24, 2008 -- Dedicated to providing the most comprehensive coverage of Volvo's global, regional, national and local sponsorship portfolio, in sports, in the environment and in culture, volvoinsponsorship.com delivers news, views, information and results from all points of the compass.

From prestigious professional golf championships such as the Volvo China Open and the Volvo Masters to the worldwide enthusiasm of the Volvo Masters Amateur, the sponsorship portal augments tournament site-specific websites, giving a flavour of the on-course drama, meets the men and women at the centre of the stories with exclusive insights behind the scenes.

Qualified customers may delay payments

DEARBORN, Mich., June 23, 2008 – Ford Motor Credit Company is offering customers affected by the devastating floods in the Midwest the option to delay some car payments. Ford Motor Credit’s Disaster Relief Program allows qualified customers to delay one or two monthly payments, resuming their regular payment schedules when their situations improve.

"We understand that some of our customers have been affected by the terrible flooding in the Midwest. We hope our Disaster Relief Program will give them one less thing to worry about as they recover and rebuild,” said Mike Bannister, CEO and chairman.