soon
now that ford are selling volvo to a geely good company
are so
bless you
Edited by Pugugly on 23/12/2009 at 12:41
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Aren't Geely the outfit that do a Rolls lookalike and Rolls-Royce are saying something about copyright infringement ? I was looking at a pic of it recently with a horrible faux Rolls radiator.
Imitation the sincerest form of flattery surely ?
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I'm struggling to see how this could be good for Volvo. Especially given that Geely are indeed, the rip off merchants as is said here.
Perhaps another Chinese car firm would be OK, like one that has it's own range of original cars, but Geely...
I can only see this benefiting Geely by them selling Volvos in China, but will Volvo be seriously able to continue developing new platforms and technologies without the backing of a "real" car company like Ford? I hope so, but I doubt it.
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"The prospective sale would ensure Volvo has the resources, including the capital investment, necessary to further strengthen the business and build its global franchise, while enabling Ford to continue to focus on and implement its core ONE Ford strategy.
While Ford would continue to cooperate with Volvo Cars in several areas after a possible sale, the company does not intend to retain a shareholding in the business post-sale."
IPP appeared to be the stumbling block but Volvo will retain that following the sale.
As reported on Just-auto.com
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Perhaps another Chinese car firm would be OK like one that has it's own range of original cars but Geely...
And that would be?
Actually I find some of the copies produced by the Chinese car companies entertaining for that something-not-quite-right effect. There's a not quite X5, an almost Smart and an if-you-squint-it-could-be-a CRV.
I wish they would import the Rolls Royce thing, I'm sure there's a big market for a chauffeur driven car with only one rear seat for all those egos in the City of London.
I think Volvo would have gone under anyway if they'd stayed with Ford. The Swedish individuality that people were prepared to pay a premium for in the past is vanishing fast and both Volvo and Saab have seen their products migrating towards the bottom of the German reliability reports. Ford can presumably profitably sell Focus platforms to the Chinese for the present Volvo line up and make money like that.
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I don't remember any comments like this when Tata bought Jaguar. Is this so very different?
That said, does it make me a little less sure than I was this morning that I'll replace my Volvo with another Volvo? It does.
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The Chinese car industry is still in its infancy and feeling its way. Its products are likely for some time to be varied, sometimes eccentric, not always good. But with a colossal economy to spur it on it is highly likely to improve. We may all be driving Chinese cars in twenty or thirty years' time.
Just as Tata has so far saved Jaguar (and no one is complaining about the product, are they?), so Geely may save Volvo. Perhaps the company will even hire some Swedes to bring back the marque's old virtues.
'Perseverance brings good fortune' (I Ching).
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That said does it make me a little less sure than I was this morning that I'll replace my Volvo with another Volvo? It does.
I made my mind up on that back in September when things started going wrong with my 58k mile S60 D5.
They don't make 'em like they used to apparently.
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Like when they made mine, you mean? That was 2002 and I've no complaints so far.
}:---)
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Many chinese companies and joint ventures make cars for major marques in that country. So they can build cars but need help designing. This is probably good news for Volvo and Ford. Alternative could be the GM/SAAB tragedy.
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Yep, the originals were fine, then Ford made some "improvements" for the 2005 year facelift model.
Rattling belt tensioners which are not uncommon before they seize throwing the cambelt...Belts are good for 96k miles or 8 years unfortunately the bits they hang off are not so long lived.
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Volvo had their own very excellent strategy with a sensible one basic platform for their large cars (S60/V70/S80/XC90) and very focused point in the marketplace. Then Ford came along who decided they wanted 600000 cars but then they decided 400000 cars but more upmarket, couldn't work out how to replace the XC90, failed to replace the (very succesful) S60 on schedule and generally made a mess of the whole thing.
Volvo has undoubtably benefited from some Ford technology but they've chopped and changed too much. Volvo isn't hard to manage. All you've got to do is make a car which looks and goes like a Volvo and is reliable and you'll sell 400,000 cars a year to a loyal customer base who is on their 28th Volvo. Most companies would kill for that. Ford spent too long looking for the extra 200000 units per year they took their eyes off the 400000 guarenteed sales.
If Geely have any sense they'll let Volvo just get on with things.
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There is inderstandable comparison between Tata taking over Jaguar/Land Rover and Geely taking over Volvo. Just remember that Jaguar/Land Rover production is still in the UK.
I have a V50 and my wife a C30 and as sure as eggs is eggs, there is no way either of us would buy a Chinese built Volvo. Will just run them in to the ground. Mind you they will probably see us out!!!
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If you want to know about Chinese vehicle quality, ask any motorcycle dealer. A close friend of mine works for one of the largest independent importers in the UK, and his advice is to avoid anything Chinese like the plague. They may look good on the surface, but have vastly inferior component and build quality.
If the Chinese are serious about cracking the UK car market they would do well to pay heed to this.
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these imports are just copies of tried and tested proper bikes though (see puguglys link to ebay for a good example)
if the chinese do take over volvo then in the bigger picture as Lud quite rightly says in the future all you youngunns will indeed be driving something chinese (lets just hope you are allowed to wear your own type of clothes WHEN it happens though)
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Well I guess that ticks Volvo off the list for a new car purchase in the future. I really like the C30 and V70. But I can't see Geely maintaing high quality/reliability levels.
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There's also understandable comparison between the original Ford takeover of Volvo and GM's acquisition of SAAB.
Both makes had a deserved reputation for sturdiness and reliability; Volvos in particular became much better to drive without losing traditional Volvo virtues. But it seems that common sourcing of components brought Volvo and SAAB down to the 'some good, some not so good' level that you get with Fords and Vauxhalls.
The new owners of Volvo (and SAAB, if there's a last-minute buyer) need to think long-term and maybe make their USPs safety and solidity without losing driveability. Continuing to make them in Sweden would help them, to keep loyal customers like ex-Triumph man on board.
Thinking about it, people who liked the quality inbuilt in Triumphs (and older Rovers) are just the sort who need to be retained by the Swedes. Many must have gone over to BMW and Audi.
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Now there's a coincidence. When Saab first brought out the 99, it had a slant 4 engine made by Triumph at the Canley plant. It later became the power plant for the Dolomite 1850 and Sprint models.
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touche trummy....nice one
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Not only that. But who would ever have thought the day would have dawned when Land Rovers come off the track at Solihull with Ford Transit engines!!!
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"I have a V50 and my wife a C30 and as sure as eggs is eggs, there is no way either of us would buy a Chinese built Volvo".
Are the V50 and C30 not made in Belgium ?
Why do some people not have a problem with where their TV's and computers come from but do have a problem where their cars originated from?
A Belgian built VW or Audi for that matter is bound to have some Chinese stuff in it already.
As mentioned elsewhere it is generally American companies that start fiddling with the cost of components.
Edited by mr.freezer on 24/12/2009 at 11:53
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Tata have been good for JLR so perhaps Geely should be given the benefit of the doubt ?
I have to admit that I haven't seriously considered a Volvo since about 2003 when I realised the Ford Mondeo Estate was a cheaper (purchase and lifetime costs), roomier and better handling alternative to the V70 I was considering. Since then I don't think their products have stood favourable comparison to BMW, Audi or even their cheaper Ford brethren - certainly not worth a price premium. Possibly an argument against the overall component sharing strategy of Ford ?
I guess this means I personally won't consider Volvo in the future either, although by putting a 1.6D in the V70 they'd lost the plot imho anyhow.....
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