The mentioning of passenger safety and car reliability often conjures up only one name: Volvo. A car company that has been recognized around the world as one that produces some of, if not the safest, cars on the market, past and present. The numerous deals on Volvo cars play to this fact, attracting car buyers that place safety and performance at the top of the requirements list for buying cars.
Volvo started life as an idea between two men, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustav Larson, who worked together in one company, AB SKF, back in 1924. They decided to create a vehicle that would be able to withstand Sweden’s cold climate, as well as be able to travel down Sweden’s roads, which were rough at the time. 3 years later, the first car, the Volvo ÖV 4, rolled out.
This first car, which means Öppen Vagn 4 cylindrar” (open carriage 4 cylinders), became very popular, even if it had some setbacks in its construction and even if the close carriage version didn’t shine. What’s significant about this car though is that it set the stage for Volvo’s dedication for safety and reliability, almost above everything else.
The 40s and the 50s would be critical decades for Volvo, as the company introduced many safety features that were cutting-edge at the time. So much so that many of these features are now standard today. Features such as safety cages, defroster vents for the windshield, the modern day 3-point safety harness, body crumple zones to absorb vicious impacts, and zonal impact protection systems such as the SIPS (side impact protection system) and the WHIPS (whiplash protection system).
These systems are now considered to be “must-haves”, and any car without them are seen by many as risks, and unsafe. Today, almost every Volvo for sale has most, if not all of these safety features equipped, which is why Volvo cars are considered to be among the safest in the industry.