Volvo came into being in 1915 as a ball bearing manufacturer. It wasn’t until 1927 that the Volvo Group and the company started making vehicles, in Gothenburg, Sweden. Safety has always been a key factor of Volvo’s cars; innovations include the three-point seatbelt - which was introduced as standard equipment in 1959 - Side Impact Protection System (SIPS), 1991, the Whiplash Protection System (1998) and Blind Spot Information System (2007). Volvo Cars was owned by AB Volvo until 1999, when Ford took ownership and it became part of the Blue Oval’s Premier Automotive Group. Volvo Cars was taken over by Zhejiang Geely Holding of China in 2010. Its most popular models include the Volvo Amazon, P1800, 740, V70 and XC90. Volvo has also competed in motorsport since 1959 - with success in the European Touring Car, German Touring Car and British Touring Car Championships - and sponsors the Volvo Ocean Race. At Haynes, we have an extensive range of Audi repair manuals and online procedures available for professional mechanics and DIY car enthusiasts alike. We can give you all the guidance you need.