WORD this week that Volvo is on the verge of becoming a Chinese takeaway has got to be a worrying way forward for the Swedish company.
I've always had a fondness for the Gothenburg firm; after all, the first vehicle I ever travelled in was a Volvo 340. Stylish it wasn't, but it was safe and dependable in a stodgy sort of way, which is exactly what you'd want if you were a newborn baby.
Everything from the turbo-nutter craziness of the '90s V70R to the C30's annoyingly cool darkened glass bootlid has left me with a liking for Volvo's products, even if some of them look a bit strange. Yet that's the problem; people only like them.
I can't think of any Volvo, past or present, which I'd buy over its immediate - and better - rivals. Even my mechanically minded flatmate, who usually buys anything if it's cheap enough, turned down the chance to buy an S40 for a paltry £100, because better cars were on offer.
And you can forget any illusions of throwing wardrobes in the back; since the Citroen Berlingo and its ilk were invented a decade ago, antique dealers no longer need Volvo estates.
Personally, I hope Chinese car giant Geely gets a better deal out of Volvo than Ford did (although a surprise buyout by IKEA would've been hilarious). Even if it's only for the safety innovations and appeasing frustrated police officers, the world still needs Volvo.
I've always had a fondness for the Gothenburg firm; after all, the first vehicle I ever travelled in was a Volvo 340. Stylish it wasn't, but it was safe and dependable in a stodgy sort of way, which is exactly what you'd want if you were a newborn baby.
Everything from the turbo-nutter craziness of the '90s V70R to the C30's annoyingly cool darkened glass bootlid has left me with a liking for Volvo's products, even if some of them look a bit strange. Yet that's the problem; people only like them.
I can't think of any Volvo, past or present, which I'd buy over its immediate - and better - rivals. Even my mechanically minded flatmate, who usually buys anything if it's cheap enough, turned down the chance to buy an S40 for a paltry £100, because better cars were on offer.
And you can forget any illusions of throwing wardrobes in the back; since the Citroen Berlingo and its ilk were invented a decade ago, antique dealers no longer need Volvo estates.
Personally, I hope Chinese car giant Geely gets a better deal out of Volvo than Ford did (although a surprise buyout by IKEA would've been hilarious). Even if it's only for the safety innovations and appeasing frustrated police officers, the world still needs Volvo.
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