Volvo's Foreign Assembly Plants

NO. 2 - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019. VOLUME 30 www.nvak.no This article was first published in AmazonPosten, the club magazine for the Norwegian Volvo Amazon Club AmazonPosten No. 2 August/September 2019 1 Preface 71 The last pieces of the puzzle 2 The idea of a chronological order 72 From Dartmouth to a new plant in Halifax 3 The author’s competence before and after December 2016 73 Moving the plant 4 The assembly plants are identified 74 Politics 5 Why not concentrate on Sweden? 75 The introduction of the 140-series put an end to the further assembly 6 Definitions of Amazon 7 What the digit «9» means 76 The US says no to further import of the Amazon 8 General information about assembly plants 77 Late US model in Norway 9 Foreign assembly before both the Amazon and the KD term 78 Amazon still popular in the US also after importation ended 10 Common knowledge 79 Volvo Canadian – with right-hand steering? 11 Archive visit brings surprises 80 The digit «9» disappears on Canadian cars 12 A new, big surprise 81 Did Volvo Canadian exist as a 1969 model? 13 CKD – in Mexico, among others 82 Gustaf Östergren – another welcome contact 14 Sensational discovery in pile of press releases 83 The definitive end 15 «Foreign Assembly, Coordination, 1170» was founded on October 84 Belgium produced SKDs in the time before the Ghent factory 1st, 1964 85 Ghent – Belgium 16 Nomadic life ceases 86 Amazon was the first car from «Volvo Europa Naamloze Ven- 17 Norway is specially mentioned, but not particularly positively nootschap» in Ghent 18 Growing market in South Africa 87 Celebrity visit 19 The order 88 Early end with 4-door from Sweden 20 The district numbers changes 89 1969 – the last model from Ghent 21 Dilemma 90 Volvo Amazon – towards the definitive end 22 International initiative and commitment 91 Rare 1970 USA model 23 Internationally produced P1800 92 Batu Tigu in Shah Alam – Malaysia 24 Lars Gerdin is on the alert 93 The assembly plants have been presented 25 Brussels – Belgium and The Hague – Holland 94 Not only the factories have historical interest 26 Several unknown factors 95 Lars Malmros, the father of the Ghent factory 27 A lot happened in four hectic weeks 96 Gustaf Östergren – very important also in Ghent 28 The order – considered on different terms 97 Wrong ID series in South Africa 29 The analysis 98 A reflection – two cars with the same identity 30 Belgium – Forest or Alsemberg 99 Volvo Amazon in Chile 31 SBMA in Belgium 100 Color code 86 – the unknown color 32 Holland – from terra incognita to groundbreaking 101 The revelation 33 Beijnes creates history – a summary of the article in Volvodrive Mag- 102 The reminder note that re-appeared after several years azine 103 Alberto Averill is updated 34 Volvo and Beijnes 104 Volvo Canadian had rust issues 35 The assembly process at Beijnes 105 Gustaf Östergren – a note on the plant in Malaysia 36 Among the very first 106 Ghent – a complete factory 37 Mexico became #3 107 Volvo 133GT 38 First a contract – then full throttle 108 A badge of its own 39 Type plate of a special kind 109 Sunroof 40 Color code 42 stated for a Mexican built car 110 Not original 41 No information about the plant in Mexico 111 Package cars in Norway 42 From full speed to full stop 112 Volvo type approvals no. 108, 110, 112/68 T 43 Wentworth – South Africa 113 Not quite by the book 44 Not «shot out of a cannon» 114 Upholsteries 45 Freeing up production capacity 115 Exterior 46 From South Africa, via Latin America to North America and back to 116 4-door package car in Norway South America 117 Volvo grows in the US, but no factory there 47 Nova Scotia – Canada 118 Parts catalog «trouble» 48 Not in Halifax, but in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 119 Plans to export to the United States existed 49 Robert Lorne Stanfield 120 South Africa produced Amazon in Norway 50 Good stuff for the newspapers 121 Amazon model year 1971 – an oversight 51 Volvo was a pioneer – also in Nova Scotia 122 Last Amazon ever was built in South Africa 52 The first KD cars to Canada 123 The very last Amazon 53 The inauguration – great festivities with a royal touch 124 Rumors are proved wrong 54 Sweden’s «Motor Prince» 125 Fair distribution 55 Canadian advantage 126 Amazon – first registered in 1972 56 US edition and «package car» 127 Volvo Amazon 223GT – did such a car exist? 57 Modest local production in the beginning 128 The hunger for sensation 58 Not only roses, honor and praise 129 Amazon Globetrotter – a car from Motor Assemblies 59 You give and you take 130 Politics and mutual benefit 60 High-set goals 131 Significant need of foreign assembly 61 Export of Canada-assembled Amazons to the United States 132 Kelab Volvo Klasik Malaysia 62 Volvo Canadian was only sold in Canada 133 Amazon along the road in Malaysia 63 The right of the strongest 134 The documents that almost disappeared 64 Volvo was hoist on its own petard 135 Analysis at an early stage 65 Offensive play and breach of contract 136 A preliminary line of reasoning 66 Arica, Chile – South America 137 Analysis at a later stage 67 Gustaf Östergren – a good contact 138 The hunt for information 68 Local production 139 Not quite over the finish line 69 Volvo Cars in Belgium – before the factory in Ghent 140 Theory, speculation and questions – based on a small internal memo 70 SBMA – a significant player also after selling the factory and a statement 2 AmazonPosten No. 2 August/September 2019 Author: Arve Larsen • Neville Britto (Volvo Club of • Tommy Joelsson (Swedish Volvo The many parts that an Amazon Photo: See captions British Columbia) who is car his Amazon Club), who has been consists of, and which is illustra Translation: Fredrik Lofter torian and specialized in Volvo’s invaluable support in the archive tive of the «package» that assembly Canadian business. He’s currently visits. plants received. This text is not allowed to be writing a book on Volvo’s Halifax • Fredrik Lofter (Volvo Amazon Source: Volvo’s Historical Archive. reproduced in whole nor in parts plant. He has been an important Picture Gallery) and Arnt without the consent of the author, contributor to this section of Willy Aardal (Norwegian Volvo Sources and when done so should be cred- the article and also contributed Amazon Club) who have been of • «Les hommes font l’histoire» ited to the author. Pictures that are with facts on the production in very much help along the way, – People create history (Volvo used in the article could be protected Canada. and who have contributed both Europa N.V.). by copyright laws and copying is • Stoffel Mulier who has contrib with important information and • M. Compton and T. J. Gallwey’s not allowed, neither with or without uted with very important infor pictures. article on Motor Assemblies Lim- captions, without the consent of the mation especially regarding the • Thomas Meacham who has ited. author. Coune cabriolets and the Amazon assisted greatly in proofreading • «The New Domestic Automakers As the reader will understand 133GT. this translation. in the United States and Canada: from this article a lot of reviews • Gregg Morris (Volvo Club of • Alberto Averill, Fernando History, Impacts, and Prospects» and checks are necessary to confirm British Columbia) Garetto Vives and Hugo Tagle (Andrew James Jacobs). information and to dismiss rumors • Gustaf Östergren (Volvo Cars from Club Volvo Chile who have • «Missing the Road: Working Life and other inaccuracies. Such inves- Corporation) who has contrib contributed with important infor at Volvo Nova Scotia» (Anders tigations are not something that uted with important information mation on the plant in Arica. Sandberg). can be done singlehandedly, as it and special stories. • Noel Chua who have contributed • «Building a New Nova Scotia: requires access to various archives, • Volvo Cars and Per-Åke Fröberg with clarifications on the assem State Intervention, The Auto both private/corporate as well as at Volvo Cars Heritage who have bly plant in Malaysia. Industry and the Case of Volvo public. The author would therefore contributed with invaluable infor • Debra NcNabb (Nova Scotia in Halifax 1963-1998» (Dimitry like to extend sincere gratitude to mation. Museum of Industry). Anastakis). those who have assisted in this and • Guy Vermant who put the author • Stein Christian Husby who has • Thanks to Fredrik Lofter for tip- would like to mention the following in contact with contributed with important infor ping the author on the books on in particular: • Paul van Vugt, editor of Volvod mation. Nova Scotia by A. J. Jacobs, A. • Lars Gerdin who works at Volvo’s rive Magazine. • Jo Mæhle who has assisted the Sandberg and D. Anastakis. historical archive at VAK (Volvo’s • Erik Endre who translated the author with proofreading. • Archive clips from Swedish Administrative Office) in Tors article from van Vugt in Volvod • Lars E. Kielland who has assisted newspapers Svenska Dagbladet landa rive Magazine. the author with proofreading. and Dagens Nyheter. 3 AmazonPosten No. 2 August/September 2019 • Own visits and research in Vol- vo’s historical archive. 1 - Preface A lot has been written and even more has been said, meant, assumed and believed about Volvo’s foreign assembly plants throughout the years. While the production plants of today are both well-known and well documented, the history of the assembly plants of earlier days has not been documented and preserved for the future. So called facts in various encyclopedias often contain deficient and also sometimes inac- curate information.

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