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The Swedish British
Page 85
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FOR MORE than a decade Volvo has exported vehicles to the UK. During the same period Ailsa Trucks imported Volvos to the UK.
The arrangement worked like clockwork. The manufacturer, the concessionaire, and the customers were all happy — well, almost. One aspect gave cause for unease. Was the vehicle a foreigner or a home-spun product? Could it really be classed as imported when so much of its content was British? Was it right to call it a foreigner when it was built in Scotland by Clydeside engineers?
Despite Ailsa's best efforts to convince the market differently, the view was still held that the vehicle was Swedish.
Volvo wanted to be a British national and now the move has been made. The name Ailsa has been replaced by Volvo Trucks (Great Britain) Limited. The 6x4 and eight-wheeler F7s replacing the F86 will be built in Scotland and Volvo's world distributors were introduced to the F7 in London. Volvo has become British.