AB Volvo is a Swedish company that manufactures various types of vehicle. It was initially incorporated in 1915 by a ball bearing manufacturer, but regards its official history as starting in 1927 when its first car, the Volvo OV4, was produced. The premise behind the first car was that it would be able to cope with the cold temperatures and poor road conditions in the country, a feature maintained to this day in all Volvo cars. In 1944 a new small car was produced, the PV444, which incorporated aspects of American car design but with an emphasis on smaller size to suit the European market. This shrewd move resulted in a very successful car that remained in production for over 20 years. The company introduced the Volvo Sport in an effort to move away from its image of being a manufacturer of reliable, but perhaps slightly boring vehicles. This attempt failed, but the company's reputation means a used Volvo is still a solid investment. In the sixties the P1800 was introduced, this was the type of car driven by Roger Moore in the TV series 'The Saint', which did improve the company's image. In the 1990's new models continued to build on Volvo's reputation for building safe cars, for example the 850 GLT, which featured side airbags, combined with a structural side-impact protection system. In 1999 Volvo cars was sold to Ford, though they retained the manufacture rights to other vehicles. In 2000 Volvo sales increased to over 400,000 cars, but by the end of the decade profitability dropped and Ford sold the company to a Chinese car manufacturer. It is for its reputation for making high quality, safe and reliable cars that Volvo is best known. Perhaps the Volvo 850 GLT, which won over 40 awards, is a great example of this. A nearly new Volvo is a highly desirable car for anyone looking to own a pre owned vehicle they can trust.