The two car producers, Volvo and Saab, are well-known all over the world for their quality, record of security and advanced design. Today, vehicles produced by the two car industries are equally becoming high-tech machines, integrating traditional manufacturing with Swedish high-technology.
Today, Saab is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, while the Volvo Car Division in 1999 was purchased by Ford Motor Company. The North American headquarters of Volvo Cars will soon move to the city of Irvine in southern California.
However, Volvo is about more than cars. Trucks, buses, construction equipment, marine engines and air craft engines are also produced by the Volvo Group (not owned by Ford). While the car company is a small niche producer, in other sectors, Volvo is a global leader, supplying 25 % of the world market for trucks (after a recent purchase of Renault-Mack), heavy construction equipment, marine engines etc. Another producer of high quality trucks and buses is Scania, located in Södertälje.
SAAB and Volvo have also spawned several sub-suppliers. The most well-known perhaps is Autoliv, a company dedicated to improving vehicle safety.
The Saab Group (not part of General Motors) is finally the producer of advanced military aircrafts. Saab JAS 39 Gripen is presently making inroads into several foreign markets.
To learn more about the Swedish automotive industry, please visit the following websites: