Volvo Car Australia

Head Office
65 Epping Road
Macquarie Park
NSW 2113
T: (02) 9020 1600
F: (02) 9020 1690
W: www.volvocars.com.au

Media Enquiries:
Greg Bosnich
Director Corporate and PR 
Volvo Car Australia
T: (02) 9020 1673
M: 0419 620 995
E: greg.bosnich@volvocars.com 

Senior Management:

Acting Managing Director: Stephen Connor 
Finance and Business Services Director: Samantha Johnson
Aftersales Director: Phil Larmour
Director PR and Corporate: Greg Bosnich

Volvo Car's Milestones:

2015

• Mark Kebblewhite joins Volvo Car Australia as Sales Director
• Announcement of Drive-Me project amplification – 100 self drive cars in normal traffic in Goteborg by 2017
• John Davis Volvo named Volvo Dealer of the Year for 2014
• All-New XC90 wins Red Dot Best of the Best Product Design
• Volvo's  Intellisafe Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection system wins Canstar Award
• Unveiling of All-New XC90 Excellence Edition and Lounge Concept
• All-New XC90 Avicii brand campaign launched
• 25th Anniversary of the Integrated Booster Cushion
• Volvo Cars earns 2015 Engine of the Year Award from Digital Trends for T6 Drive-E powertrain
• Volvo Cars wins prestigious Telematics Update Car Maker of the Year Award
• Volvo Cars' Robin Page voted Interior Designer of the Year at the 2015 Automotive Interiors Expo
• Volvo Cars' Sensus interface voted most innovative HMI system
• Volvo Car to support first ever road tests of autonomous driving technology in Australia with the All-New XC90 with the South Australian Government and ARRB

2014

• World First safety systems announced as part of All-New XC90 – Run Off Road Protection and Auto Brake at Intersections
• V60 Cross Country announced
• Kevin McCann joins Volvo Car Australia as Managing Director
• Volvo Cars opens Astra Zero proving ground in Goteborg. The world's first full-scale proving ground for future traffic safety solutions
• Volvo celebrates donation of $1,000,000 to the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation
• Global reveal of All-New XC90. Initial 1927 First Edition vehicles sold online only, and sells out in 48 hours with 10 Australian orders
• Class leading Drive-E petrol and diesel engines launched in Australia in S60, V60 and XC60
• Volvo Car Australia in collaboration with Polestar Racing and Garry Rogers Motorsport, re-enters racing in Australia, participating in the V8 Supercars with the S60. The team scores a podium in the first meet at the Clipsal 500, secures a first Volvo win in Australian motorsport in 17 years at Melbourne Grand Prix event, and race wins at Barbagallo, and Sydney Motorsport Park.
• Volvo Car Australia wins prestigious Roy Morgan award for Customer Satisfaction for 2013
• Premier of the Volvo Concept Coupe XC, and the Concept Estate

2013

• World first S60 Polestar production car piloted in Australian market
• Introduce V40 and V40 Cross Country to the Australian market
• Introduce updated MY14 S60, V60, XC60 to the Australian market
• Announcement of new engine architecture for future models, Drive-E
• Volvo Car Australia announces intention to compete in V8 Supercars during in season 2014 with the S60, in a collaboration between Polestar Racing and Garry Rogers Motorsport
• Volvo Car Australia becomes leads sponsor of the NSW Waratahs
• Volvo Car Group initiates pilot project with self-driving on public roads
• Volvo Car Group reveals world first Cyclist Detection system
• Volvo Car Group reveals world class safety and support systems: Pedestrian Detection in darkness; Animal Detection; Road edge and barrier detection with steer assist; Adaptive Cruise Control with steer assist; Car 2 Car Communication; Autonomous Parking
• Volvo Car Group completes successful study of cordless charging for electric cars
• Volvo releases Volvo Concept Coupe – next generation P1800
• C70 ceases production in Udevalla

2012

• Håkan Samuelsson, appointed President & CEO of Volvo Car Group
• Volvo Car celebrates 85th anniversary
• Volvo Car releases new V40 and V40 Cross Country
• Volvo Car Group previews and showcases new technology and safety initiatives: Pedestrian airbag; Road train project; Autonomous driving technology; Car to car communication; Traffic jam assist; Connected cars
• Volvo Car Group and Polestar release S60 Performance Concept
• Volvo Car Australia announces partnership with Formula Group at Sydney Motorsport Park

2008 

• Volvo Cars enters a new segment with the Volvo XC60 and introduces City Safety - the world's first low-speed crash avoidance technology as a standard feature
• Pre-Prepared Restraints introduced on the Volvo XC60, adjusts the seat belts and airbags to suit the force of the impact
• Volvo's integrated Alcolock – Alcoguard – is introduced

2007

• Third generation Volvo XC70 & V70 are launched
• Volvo unveils its ReCharge Concept Car, a plug-in hybrid with one motor in each wheel
• Driver Alert Control and Lane Departure Warning System introduced
• Child safety: extended inflatable curtain and two-stage integrated booster seats introduced

2006

• Launch of the new compact two-door Volvo C30
• Second generation Volvo S80 introduced with new preventative safety features

2005    

• Volvo C70 introduced with three-piece hardtop (arriving in Australia)

2004    

• In May, Volvo Car Australia introduces the all-new S40 sedan and new V50 wagon powered by Volvo's five-cylinder engines: a 2.4-litre and a turbocharged 2.5-litre.
• The YCC concept car dominates the Geneva Motor Show in March. The creation of a team of nine women, the YCC features gull-winged doors and a radically clever interior with interchangeable interior trims. The sports car's exterior features winglets along the rapidly racked rear glass - reminiscent of the classic 1800 sports car.
• Volvo Cars' first V8 engine launched in the Volvo XC90
• Volvo Car's Koping plant in Sweden becomes Ford Motor Company's Centre of Excellence for all-wheel drive as part of the Volvo Car-Getrag AWD AB joint venture.
• Two world-first safety systems - BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) and Inflatable Curtain for convertibles - are shown at Detroit Motor Show in January.

2003    

• Volvo Car reveals the dynamically-improved S40 sedan at Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Floating Centre Console is a breakthrough in design. S40 and V50 wagon variant (revealed at Bologna Motor Show in December) are built at the renovated Ghent factory in Belgium. Volvo also introduces IDIS.
• XC90 makes a July introduction into the Australian market. The XC90 becomes the first SUV in the world to receive full star rating for impact protection. XC90 debuts five world-first safety features (for an SUV) including RSC and ROPS.

2002    

• The Volvo XC90 is revealed at Detroit Motor Show in January. In April, Volvo Car Australia joins Land Rover Australia and Jaguar Australia to from Premier Automotive Group Australia. Volvo decides to change V70 XC name to XC70 to keep continuity with XC90.

2000    

• Volvo Car introduces three all-new models on its P1 large platform: the S60 sedan, the V70 wagon and the all-wheel-drive V70 XC wagon. 

1999    

• Volvo Car is acquired by Ford Motor Company. Volvo Car HQ remains in Gothenburg, Sweden. 

1998    

• The S40 wins the Bathurst 1000 and BTCC championship. The luxurious and powerful S80 arrives and sets a new benchmark for occupant protection with standard safety technology such as the Inflatable Curtain (IC) protecting the head during an impact.

1997    

• All-wheel-drive V70 XC is introduced globally, arriving in Australia in 1998. Name changes to XC70 in 2002.

1996    

• The C70 Coupe is introduced. The soft-top C70 Cabriolet arrives soon after. Both are built at TWR-Volvo jointly owned plant in Uddevalla, Sweden. 

1995    

• S40 and V40 are revealed. The two compact Volvos arrive in Australia in 1997. Built in Born, Netherlands, the S40/V40s are a definite sales success.
• Volvo safety engineers develop the world's first side impact air bag

1991    

• Volvo's Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) is introduced on the new 850 sedan and wagon. SIPS is a world-first safety technology and is the result of Volvo's on-going real world crash injury research.

1990    

• The 960 and 940 are introduced.

1986    

• Volvo 240 Turbo wins Australian Touring Car Championship.

1982    

• The 760 is introduced, soon followed by the 740. 

1978

• Establishment of Volvo Car Corporation.

1976    

• Volvo becomes the first manufacturer to introduce catalytic converter and Lambda sensor, removing up to 90 per cent of hazardous substances from exhaust gasses.

1974    

• The enormously successful 240 is introduced. Volvo will build a total of 2.8 million 240s by 1993 when production is terminated. 

1972    

• Volvo's first environmental policy formulated by Pehr G. Gyllenhammar.

1970    

• Volvo establishes Volvo Australia. Local Volvo assembly in Clayton, Victoria starts in 1972 and continues until 1988.
• Volvo forms the world's first automobile crash investigation team. The team is still active and their real crash data is used to assist Volvo Car engineers in developing occupant safety systems.

1969   

• Inertia reels enhance the effectiveness of the three-point belt 

1967    

• First rear-facing child seat

1966    

• Volvo 144 is declared 'World's Safest Car'. Volvo begins research and development of crumple zone body technology.

1965    

• Volvo wins the world rally championship.

1964    

• One million Volvo cars produced

1961    

• First Volvos are imported to Australia - 120s and 1800s.

1959    

• Nils Bohlin designs the three-point seat belt and Volvo is the first in the world to provide the three-point safety belt as standard in a series manufactured car. Millions of lives have been saved as a direct result. 

1953    

• The Duett wagon is introduced and thereafter the functional family wagon becomes a trademark of the Volvo brand. 

1944    

• Laminated windscreen installed as standard – an industry first. The rest would follow 15 years later. 

1936    

• Gustaf Larson formulates core value of Safety

1935    

• Volvo listed on Swedish stock exchange

1933    

• Volvo's first concept car, the Venus Bilo, is unveiled

1927    

• On April 14, the first Volvo car - the ÖV4 or 'Jakob' - is driven through the factory gates by sales manager, Hilmer Johansson.

1924    

• July 25, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson while dining at the Sturehof Restaurant in Stockholm agree to design and build a new Swedish car. The young company adopts the Volvo name in August 1926.