“Volvo was originally started after Asaar Gabrielsson's wife died in an auto accident. He then vowed to produce the safest cars possible. The Volvo Group has its origin in 1927 when the first Volvo car rolled off the production line at the factory in Göteborg. Only 297 cars were built that year. The first truck, the Series 1, debuted in January 1928. In 1930, Volvo sold 639 cars, and the export of trucks to Europe started soon after; the cars did not become well-known outside Sweden until after World War Two.
Marine engines have been part of the Group almost as long as trucks. Pentaverken, founded in 1907, was acquired in 1935. As early as 1929, however, the U-21 outboard engine was introduced. Manufacturing continued until 1962.

The first bus, aptly-named B1, was launched in 1934, and aircraft engines were added to the growing range of products at the beginning of the 1940s.
On January 28th, 1999 Volvo Group sold its business area Volvo Car Corporation to Ford Motor Company for US$6.45 billion. The focus of Volvo Group is now largely set on commercial vehicles. The Group’s position in the area of commercial vehicles was further consolidated with the acquisition of Renault Trucks and Mack Trucks in 2001, and thus the roots branched off to both France and the US. The last ten years the company has undergone rapid growth in the service area with, for example, financial solutions supporting the sales of the manufacturing business units.

In the year of 2007 the Volvo Group acquired the truck division Nissan Diesel of Nissan Motors to support its expansion in the asian region.”
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Saab News