It sounds a little ironic when the quotation is taken out of context.
Volvo Chairman: We absolutely do not want to buy Volvo cars.
When it’s just like that, I don’t think that they have faith in their own cars.
Of cours, that’s not the case.

The Volvo Group “absolutely does not want to buy Volvo cars.” I wouldn’t buy their cars either.

YO ME GUSTA VOLVO 240 CON RWD Y 4 CYLNINDERIO

EL 850 ES BUENO EL 240 MAS

Now this is really funny:-)) From Sweden nevertheless, the Vanguard of social democrats world wide (see Howard Dean, Pelosi, Frank, Gore and the rest of left-wing establishment)… “The state knows nothing about the car industry and Volvo needs an owner that can increase sales and cooperate with suppliers on components and development,”

As I said, Declare Bankruptcy, Get the unions of the back of GM and Ford (Chrysler is dead – sorry). Make prearrangements with secured debt holders and transfer warranty issues to a third-party a la the banking sector bailout! Then rationalize and reorganize! If not, you are going to have a very Left Leaning Congress dictate car design and engineering. The result; GM is dead – market share drops to 10% or less from the current 20! Looks like Mulally mortgaging Ford’s assets before this mess turns out to be a lucky break…gives them more time.

As long as GM and Ford are strapped down with exorbitant Legacy costs ($2000+ per car) there is no long-term solution! The credit crisis provides the environment to finally end this mess. No other country would allow their domestic industry to be saddled with these Costs while at the same time allowing competitors to set up shop and have free access to their domestic market with no such constraints!

Wagoner thinks he has time; that all he needs is bridge financing till the market comes back and the new labor agreements come into effect in 2010 – He Doesn’t! The labor agreement stipulates payments from Gm (the VEBA). The first of which is due 2010 and is about $7Billion – money that GM doesn’t have! I guess they think the market will come back and save them – forget it! The era of easy credit is over!

DB9

Why is it that nobody has any vision for Volvo cars? A little sexier design, sportier options, and a transition to RWD is the magic trifecta that would turn Volvo into a goldmine.

they should be sold to Mercedes-Benz and be a a sub-luxury vehicle. I think itll work perfectly. Still wouldnt change my perception towards the brand. Still hate them

I think someone from Ford’s North American operations needs to commandeer one of the company’s corporate jets and immediately fly to Sweden in order to investigate this matter further.

of course they wouldn’t want to buy it back, nobody wants a brand that is about to go down with ford which is really in sync with volvo on the most ugly car category. let both ford and volvo crash and burn!!!

I hate those FORD and GM, they ruin everything they put their hands on !!

^ ignorance<3

Anyway, this Volvo Group guy is someone that we need more of. He seems very open and clear about his position on things. Unlike most other executives, he doesn’t just hint at the answer or avoid the question entirely but openly lays out his viewpoints and intentions in regards to the issue at hand.

“Now this is really funny:-)) From Sweden nevertheless, the Vanguard of social democrats world wide (see Howard Dean, Pelosi, Frank, Gore and the rest of left-wing establishment)… ‘The state knows nothing about the car industry and Volvo needs an owner that can increase sales and cooperate with suppliers on components and development.’” – DB9

You are assuming that ownership = management, which is totally untrue. I doubt that they are going to create a cabinet to just run the two brands. So state ownership means just that, they can still be run by someone familiar with the auto industry. Remember who used to own the controlling stake in VW (Wait, they still do until Porsche gets its act together)? How about the State of Lower Saxony, a government entity. Maybe all Sweden needs to do is to buy back some shares but allow Ford and GM to manage the brands, or allow the brands to run their own businesses.

Sure government interference into a private company should be the last resort, but if it is between the Swedish government and Tata, or China’s SAIC, who would you prefer? First the British, now the Swedish, next the Italian? I am only saying that nationalizing should be an option on the table at this point.

@sharpie

Over the last couple of weeks the Congressional leadership has been in front of the cameras waxing about what products the Industry should build. They are already trying to make political hay out of this by playing to their core constituencies. Think about this: financing and/or facilitating their reorganization is one thing. Actively dictating the design and engineering of their products is another – Lada Anyone, I’m being facetious.

DB9