Volvo's best year
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PROVISIONAL figures released by Volvo show that 1984 was a record year for this manufacturer. Some 42,000 chassis were delivered in 1984, of which 33,000 were Volvos and 9,000 White or Autocar chassis.
That total is 25 per cent up on 1983 and even exceeds the optimistic forecast made by Volvo Truck Corporation's president, Sten Langenius, when he spoke to CM at last year's Motor Show (CM November 3, 1984).
Commenting on the provisional total 1984 delivery figures, Mr Langenius noted with satisfaction that Volvo's level of profitability had also increased during the year. "Volvo has been a profitable truck manufacturer since 1970," he said.
The company reckons to spend some seven per cent of its sales revenue on product development and some of the results of that expenditure were also revealed at Brussels.
In addition to the adoption of a new Lucas Girling Z-cam brake which was described in last week's CM, Volvo has redesigned its factory fitted air sus
pension to give better ride characteristics and greater scope for height adjustment.
It has also introduced the option of a factory-fitted sliding Fischer fifth wheel which is mounted low on inverted channel section rails.
However, neither of these new options is likely to become available in the UK for some time.