Volvo Cars’ subsidiary in Finland is celebrating its eightieth birthday; OY Volvo Auto AB was first registered on July 10, 1928.. Click image to enlarge

Göteborg, Sweden – Volvo Cars’ subsidiary in Finland is celebrating its eightieth birthday; OY Volvo Auto AB was first registered on July 10, 1928. The company has also moved up this year to third place from fifth in Finland’s new-car registration rankings, with a market share of seven per cent.

OY Volvo Auto AB was Volvo’s first foreign subsidiary, established only slightly more than one year after the first production Volvo models were built in April 1927. The company’s strongest initial sales were buses and trucks, but tight import controls and a steep incremental taxation scale hampered Volvo’s car growth.

“In the first instance, it is our customers we have to thank for Volvo’s success, but also our dealers, who have worked hard to develop their customer service,” said Pekka Tefke, Managing Director of Volvo Auto. The company’s best-selling model is the V70, accounting for 36 per cent of all new Volvos registered in Finland in 2007.