Monday 1st December 2008

Volvo 'Doesn't Want Volvo'

Volvo Group says Renault would be better at running Volvo Cars

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Could Volvo go up for sale?

Volvo Group – the Swedish company that builds buses, trucks and construction equipment – has no interest in buying back Volvo Cars from Ford, it has been reported. The American carmaker is rumored to be considering selling the brand in a bid to save money.

But despite pressure to bring Volvo Cars back to Sweden chairman of Volvo Group Finn Johnsson said: ‘We absolutely do not want to buy Volvo Cars.’ He is said to believe that nationalising the carmaker would be a bad idea.

‘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,’ he told the Swedish financial daily Dagens Industri. He even went on to suggest Renault would be better suited to buy Volvo.

However he would ‘help’ Volvo Cars out, adding: ‘We would gladly finance joint projects, such as sponsor projects or research projects, and could consider being part of various consortiums without becoming the main owner.’

[Mr Gear]

Sounds logical to me.

[munk]

Perfectly logical, in the current economic climate they'd be gambling an awful lot if they took a risk on anything more than they knew was sustainable.

[Bladedancer]

Ford's ownership was bad enough. Renault ownership would be a complete disaster.

[B10]

Why would Renault ownership be a disaster? Have they been bad for Nissan?

[G0ldfysh]

[redacted]

[loose cannon]

Bladedancer said:

Ford's ownership was bad enough. Renault ownership would be a complete disaster.

well considering they used to be mainly powerd by renault engines and know how when volvo were at there height of popularity so i think you maybe wrong there also, as said previously they pulled nissan out of the depths off financial melt down as they would of gone bust nobody else was interested in saving them

Edited by loose cannon on Monday 1st December 14:25

[Team Sizoo]

Theres alot of renault bashing on this forum,
I dont own one currently but have in the past with no probs!

[abu-bakr]

The 'Renault Bashing' maybe down to some poor quality cars in the past and a wierd car advert at the moment suggesting that people 'don't want' to buy renaults and that the new Megane is here to change all that, so presumably the rest of the Renault range is still undesireable then?!

They haven't done bad in F1,

Anyway my main point, Renault DID rescue Nissan, They Have chopped the dismal Primera, and the Almera, and most of the Nissan range is now off road and suv type vehicles and are all quite desireable in their own markets including the new Qashqai which isn't doing too bad at all!!

Abu-bakr

[don kalmar union]

I have had the view for many years that Renault would make the best of ownership of Volvo Cars if indeed Ford are selling. There seems to be some ignorance of just how good a range of cars Renault now have and I am sure that there is very little of Ford's components present in today's Volvos that cannot be replaced in the future as and when all parties see it contracturaly reasonable. I doubt that Volvo's latest I6 made by Ford in Bridgend will not be available to Renault or any other future Volvo owner....it is afterall already in the Freelander and expected in future Jaguars, Renault may very well have a sound replacement for the venerable 5 pot Volvo T5 turbos that are not going to be available after 2010. Ford have already disposed of some part of Volvo's Skovde transmission plant to Getrag who now I understand make more specialist transmissions there having moved production of some original 'Volvo' stuff to Germany, again those products now being in Volvo, Ford and LR vehicles.

There is a very long history of cooperation between the two companies and Volvo AB now also control Renault's old bus and truck business.

Better to see the deal done quickly....

Regards, Don.

Edited by don kalmar union on Monday 1st December 17:14

[Dr S]

I can fully understand them. Who wants a Volvo anyway

[Bladedancer]

loose cannon said:

Bladedancer said:

Ford's ownership was bad enough. Renault ownership would be a complete disaster.

well considering they used to be mainly powerd by renault engines and know how when volvo were at there height of popularity so i think you maybe wrong there also, as said previously they pulled nissan out of the depths off financial melt down as they would of gone bust nobody else was interested in saving them

Edited by loose cannon on Monday 1st December 14:25

Financial breakdown - true but remember that many Jap car manufactures had major problems somewhere in their history - look at Mazda. They had to sell themselves back in the 70s. Poor managment and maybe not enough cost cutting (and incredibly dull interiors as well).
Let's be honest - french cars aren't famous for their build quality OR reliability and on top of that Renault represents rather... unique styling.
I know quite a few people who own or owned french cars in the past. Pug 206 was all throuble for one of my mates who at one point was faced with electronics repair costing more that the car was worth - and thats after he changed entire suspension and barking system. I know people who had Megane 1st and 2nd get, Pre and Post facelift Lagunas and none of them could say they would recommend the car. Although they would describe it generally as 'good' the list of faults they gave indicated otherwise.Funny enough most trouble-free was an old Renault 19 I believe it's still up and running.
Reliability apart, Volvo has already lost it's character and styling. If Renault was to take them over they would probably turn into a picasso painting.

[D4 VEY]

Dr S said:

I can fully understand them. Who wants a Volvo anyway

Hit the nail on the head there mate!

[abu-bakr]

Bladedancer said:

Reliability apart, Volvo has already lost it's character and styling. If Renault was to take them over they would probably turn into a picasso painting.

Yuu Must be JooOokin man!?

I love the new Volvo's they'rre Gorgeous! the V50, purrfect and the new XC60 - I bet my HOUSE on its success!!

(I am a car dealer by the way if it counts for anything ..lol)

Edited by abu-bakr on Monday 1st December 19:55

[robbo_rs]

Renault cannot be allowed to buy Volvo, they will completely ruin their reputation and quality just look at Nissan they are already on the slippery French slope.

[robbo_frtdi]

TVR Moneypit said:

Whats with all the Renault bashing?

I had one of the very first MK2 Clios on an 'R' plate. 46'000 miles in 16 months, and the only failure was a coil pack. Believe me, that car got driven very hard.

well i used to work for a Renault Dealer as a mechanic and sounds like u got off very likely. The Clio is easily the best car they made not sure bout the new clio 3's though as i left the dealer just after they were launched. Laguna 2 is easily the worsed i ever worked on.

[abu-bakr]

robbo_frtdi said:

TVR Moneypit said:

Whats with all the Renault bashing?

I had one of the very first MK2 Clios on an 'R' plate. 46'000 miles in 16 months, and the only failure was a coil pack. Believe me, that car got driven very hard.

well i used to work for a Renault Dealer as a mechanic and sounds like u got off very likely. The Clio is easily the best car they made not sure bout the new clio 3's though as i left the dealer just after they were launched. Laguna 2 is easily the worsed i ever worked on.

Definately agree with you there!!

I have sold dozens of Clio's from 1996 to 1998 shape and they are highly reliable (not much on them in the first place to go wrong!)

Megane = rubbish
laguna 1 = rubbish

I just had a Scenic Auto go out recently on a 1999 and I repaired nearly EVERYTHING on it !!!

new Flex plate and ring gear (flywheel), new plugs, new door locking solenoids for both front doors, new starter motor, new gearbox linkages, and now the guy who has it has just had to replace the door stopper hinges at £110 plus labour per side!

Bought the car for £600, sold it for £1200 and didn't make a penny on it!!!

[robbo_frtdi]

abu-bakr said:

robbo_frtdi said:

TVR Moneypit said:

Whats with all the Renault bashing?

I had one of the very first MK2 Clios on an 'R' plate. 46'000 miles in 16 months, and the only failure was a coil pack. Believe me, that car got driven very hard.

well i used to work for a Renault Dealer as a mechanic and sounds like u got off very likely. The Clio is easily the best car they made not sure bout the new clio 3's though as i left the dealer just after they were launched. Laguna 2 is easily the worsed i ever worked on.

Definately agree with you there!!

I have sold dozens of Clio's from 1996 to 1998 shape and they are highly reliable (not much on them in the first place to go wrong!)

Megane = rubbish
laguna 1 = rubbish

I just had a Scenic Auto go out recently on a 1999 and I repaired nearly EVERYTHING on it !!!

new Flex plate and ring gear (flywheel), new plugs, new door locking solenoids for both front doors, new starter motor, new gearbox linkages, and now the guy who has it has just had to replace the door stopper hinges at £110 plus labour per side!

Bought the car for £600, sold it for £1200 and didn't make a penny on it!!!

Well good buy for someone thou, got brand new car. unfortunatley im sure they will still have problems though

[Ginger2003]

Now if GM would just sell Saab to someone who actually wants to build a new model, that would be just dandy.

[Basil Hume]

As people have rightly pointed out, there's a long history of collaboration between Renault and Volvo. For example, Volvo 5-pot engines in the Safrane and many Renault engines in the smaller capacity Volvo cars (even diesels and petrols in the Mk1 S/V40). I also understand that Volvo and Renault were on the brink of merger in the mid 1990s.

Renault make a deservedly popular range of cars - doing especially well with smaller models, diesels and sporting hatches. Volvo bring a very different range and strangely complementary philosophy to the party. Good luck to them I say.

[Tin Basher]

abu-bakr said:

Bladedancer said:

Reliability apart, Volvo has already lost it's character and styling. If Renault was to take them over they would probably turn into a picasso painting.

Yuu Must be JooOokin man!?

I love the new Volvo's they'rre Gorgeous! the V50, purrfect and the new XC60 - I bet my HOUSE on its success!!

(I am a car dealer by the way if it counts for anything ..lol)

Edited by abu-bakr on Monday 1st December 19:55

Volvo Dealer