History - Automobiles : Volvo

Volvo has built a reputation building safe, rugged, dependable automobiles--the kind of car that can always be counted on. But for years, Volvo's insistence on producing just this sort of vehicle had the company flirting with bankruptcy. This is the sagaof the oh-so Swedish vehicle that has changed automotive history. See how the vision of two men shaped everything that Volvo has become, and showed the world that there is more than one way to build a successful car. Discover how trucks kept Volvo in business for years, and how the landmark "Triple Four" finally paved the way for Volvo's emergence as a car company with the revelation that it held its value five times better than American cars at that time. Volvo sales exploded as the qualities that it had championed for years were finally embraced by a growing number of consumers. From its origins as a ball-bearing company through the uncharacteristically sporty 840, VOLVO is the complete history of the cars famed as "Swedish Iron."

• documentary