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Volvo eyes uncertain future By Nigel Cassidy Business reporter, BBC News, Gothenburg, Sweden Gingerly, I slide into the drivers seat, engaged - OK crunched - the clutch and edged a shiny red Volvo Amazon down the test track at a stately pace. Driving a mint condition 1957 Amazon - or Volvo 121 - is my little treat after a busy day of filming for BBC News at Volvo's Gothenburg headquarters in Southern Sweden. With its extended rear wings, padded dashboard and European-meets-American styling, the Amazon was the vehicle that cemented Volvo's global reputation for making safe and solid cars. It also helped build a profitable export business. Forty years on, and the global car market is much tougher. Yet, incredibly, Volvo Cars remains profitable. with record exports to Russia and China. Possible sale In 1999, Volvo was heavily burdened by the prohibitive cost of developing new cars. It was sold to the US automotive giant Ford Motor, and soon became the company's premier flagship in Europe. There are really three alternatives for Ford Claes de Neergaard, Industrifonden Volvo also gained access to Ford engines and drive trains. It helped Volvo bring on a whole new generation of vehicles, like the best selling XC90 sports utility vehicle, or its C70 convertible. But now Ford is determined to put the wheels back on its struggling core business in America. Volvo is a sacred cow that may have to be sacrificed. That means Volvo must plan ahead, without knowing whether it will have to work with a new partner and replace every single element it shares with Ford. Mutual benefits I walk the production line with chief operating officer Steven Armstrong. From what he shows me, it is clear that separating Ford and Volvo cars would be a vast undertaking, and take several years. But it was also clear that Ford has become reliant on some of Volvo's sophisticated Swedish engineering. "Ford have been extremely supportive in the years they have owned us," Mr Armstrong explains. "For example, we've had access to technology and a great range of small diesels. "But Ford has taken advantage of electrical wiring architecture we have developed, and we've taken the lead with new climate control systems for Ford." Balancing act But Volvo Cars is seemingly not going back to the future. The car maker used to be owned by Volvo AB, still a Swedish company making trucks. Just up the road, also in Gothenburg, the chief of Volvo AB says that contrary to recent press reports, he is not interested in buying back Volvo cars. The credit crunch may have put off other possible trade buyers. Stockholm financier Claes de Neergaard, of the leading Swedish investor Industrifonden, predicts that any private buyout of Volvo cars was now far less likely because of the global credit crunch. "There are really three alternatives for Ford," he reasons. "To sell to an industrial buyer, to sell to a private equity player or to list the company (on the stock market) with a long term agreement that can build on the relationships Ford and Volvo already have. "My view is that the last option is the most attractive." Events unfolding in Detroit suggest Ford still badly needs the $6bn to $8bn (£3bn to £4bn) it could raise from a sale. Ford's new chief executive, Alan Mulally, is determined to put all his energies into reviving the core Ford brand. The tricky bit is trying to arrive at a deal that maximises the cash raised but does not wilfully destroy a business relationship both sides have come to depend on. Volvo expects to discover its fate by the end of the year. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/7015760.stm

Pras the car looks simply incredible, the best looker on VS I'd say even with it not being 100%. You should be very proud, hopefully you can enjoy it when you get back from India. Also, if you have any insight on tapping that ABS sensor let me know, I'm looking to do it as well since my speedo doesn't work either.

That makes me sick to my stomach reading that pras, I feel your pain man. Good luck in India!

WTF are you on? I can reassure that I am definitely NOT a liberal (not that it would matter anyways). Here is the quote from Reagan in 1975 from Reason magazine: "If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals–if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is. Now, I can’t say that I will agree with all the things that the present group who call themselves Libertarians in the sense of a party say, because I think that like in any political movement there are shades, and there are libertarians who are almost over at the point of wanting no government at all or anarchy. I believe there are legitimate government functions. There is a legitimate need in an orderly society for some government to maintain freedom or we will have tyranny by individuals. The strongest man on the block will run the neighborhood. We have government to insure that we don’t each one of us have to carry a club to defend ourselves. But again, I stand on my statement that I think that libertarianism and conservatism are travelling the same path." The two major issues that could be construed as Conservativism today by most of the current Republicans in office is their fighting of gun control and their favor of traditional (religious) values.

You are incorrect. Ron Paul is Conservative in the most truest sense. Conservatism was and is based on Libertarianism, Ronald Reagan said this himself. The difference between Fred Thompson and Ron Paul is that Thompson is a REPUBLICAN but Paul is a CONSERVATIVE. There is a difference nowadays unfortunately.

Hey Jena, Ron was on the Daily Show last night, the clip is already on Youtube. Here is the link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=sUf_CawuPag I got pissed off in this thread because it's unfair when people like Grant come in here and just make ASSUMPTIONS before doing any sort of research whatsoever. If you look at Ron's history, his voting record is the most clear cut in all of Congress. His message has stayed consistent since he entered politics: follow the Constitution. I agree with his assessment of himself as being the most Conservative member of the people running for office. The difference between him and the others is he is not a true Republican. He is a true Conservative. It's going to be tough for him to get the nomination nowadays though because the Neo-conservatives control the party now. But Ron has a huge following online amongst young people and it's going to be interesting I think if Ron keeps stirring the pot and getting attention. Another GOP debate is tonight and I hope Ron makes another impact. Hope this helps, Jena. Matt

Cool, so money is greater than contributing to the actual conversation on the forum? Because you really don't do that at all. I'm a supporting member on TB because that is the site I frequent the most. Besides, why should I donate money to the site when guys like you troll around 24/7?

Well, your opinion is null and void until you actually say something worth while and actually contribute on here, Grant.

Enjoy voting for any of the rest of the soul-less candidates that are running. This guy wants to bring our country back to what it really stands for and what the founding fathers envisioned our country as.

This guy has my support 100%, he is by far the most sane candidate out there and actually has a plan to fix the problems with our country. I really hope he gets the Republican nomination.

What a lucky guy. This was by far the coolest promotion I've EVER heard of, and it sure was fun participating. Hopefully we see another one next year with the new POTC movie.

What incredible pictures and locations!!

Awesome! And unijoe, I think I may join you in repping the D50 around here soon...:)

Those look wonderful! If I may ask, what camera were you using? In the reflection photograph it looks maybe like a Nikon, a D50 perhaps?

Awesome news. GET SOME!