Truckin’ Snapshot: The beginnings of Volvo

Volvo began designing their first truck in December, 1926 - the “Series 1”.
In February, 1928 the first Volvo truck left the factory in Gothenburg, Sweden. It had a four-cylinder petrol engine delivering 28bhp; a 3 speed gearbox, and a payload of 1500kg.

The “Series 1” was an immediate success, and the first 500 trucks sold very quickly. Volvo had expected this stock to last for up to 2 years, yet it sold out within 6 months.

Volvo “Series 1” truck

Volvo “Series 2” truck

To meet demand, Volvo needed to make another batch of 500 trucks, and quickly.

Several modifications were made to the truck design, and Volvo released its “Series 2” model.

There hadn’t been enough time to increase engine power, but the two rear axle ratios were reduced to a single, slower axle. This gave a slower top speed, but improved drivability.

Moving into the 1930s, Volvo began to produce trucks that ran on diesel fuel, with steel wheels instead of wooden, and with efficient hydraulic brakes.

Volvo soon became the dominant truck manufacturer in the Nordic countries, and great innovation followed…

Read the full history here:
https://www.volvotrucks.com/en-en/about-us/who-we-are/our-heritage.html

Volvo truck 1930s