| 1915 | The Swedish SKF-Kugellagerfabrik establishes company 'Volvo'. 'volvere' in Latin means 'roll' and 'volvo' then accordingly 'I roll'. There are many possible production targets being considered in the automotive sector. The First World War interrupts, however, the planning. |
| 1922 | Sweden imports almost 9.000 cars. |
| 1924 | Engineer Gustaf Larson and sales manager Assar Gabrielsson, two former colleagues with different characters,join together to deliver to the (apparently existing) Swedish market with own products. |
| 1926 | Schweden imports just under 19.000 cars. |
| 1926 | Ten prototypes, mostly open, of which a limousine. Larson and Gabrielson achieve in their company SKF a participation and the possibility of using a factory building as a production facility. The company Volvo is newly created as an auto producer. As logo is selected the ancient chemical symbol for iron, a circle with an right emerging arrow. The diagonal beam is necessary due to the cooler mounting. |
| 1927 | First car 'ÖV 4' from the factory Hisingen, engine from the Penta-Motorenwerken. |
| 1928 | Beginning of truck production |
| 1929 | PV 651 with six-cylinder in-line and American design |
| 1929 | Volvo magazine Rats (steering wheel) |
| 1929 | First business year with profit |
| 1930 | PV 652 with hydraulic drum brake, TR-version ('trafikbil' - truck) with an extended wheelbase for Taxi companies, majority of the Penta-Engine Plants and taking over the factory of SKF |
| 1931 | Advertising with 'cars from Sweden' |
| 1933 | PV 653 with less edged body and free-wheel for reducing consumption |
| 1934 | TR 676 with more height of the roof |
| 1935 | Transformation into joint-stock company, complete takeover of the Penta-Motoren Werke, PV 657 with streamlined body, PV 36 ('Carioca' - Fashion dance) with all-steel body and front wheel suspension, bus production |
| 1936 | PV 51 derived from PV 36 |
| 1937 | PV 52 derived from PV 51 |
| 1938 | PV 53 with forward extended front, PV 56 |
| 1938 | PV 800 successfully as a taxi |
| 1939 | PV 801 with wood gasification |
| 1940 | Prototype PV 40, larger model with four-cylinder raial rear engine |
| 1941 | 800 series with independent front suspension |
| 1941 | Volvo Aero, before Svenska Flygmotor |
| 1942 | Takeover of previous gearbox supplier (Köpings Mekaniska Verkstad) |
| 1944 | PV 444, Safety passenger compartment, windscreen of laminated glass, no more brand mark (cars), TVP (Terräng Person Vagn - off-road vehicle), PV 60 as the last Volvo with side controlled six-cylinder |
| 1947 | PV 444, Start of delivery in greater numbers |
| 1949 | More cars produced than trucks and buses |
| 1952 | Retirement for Gustaf Larson |
| 1953 | PV 445, estate car of the 444 with the name 'duet' on box frame, luxury model PV 831 |
| 1954 | Five-year warranty on engine failure |
| 1955 | U.S.-exports, test facility near Gothenburg |
| 1956 | 120 ('Amazon'), upholstered dash board, management board changes to Gunnar Engellau |
| 1957 | 1,6 liter and 44 kW (60 hp) in PV 444, preparation two-point belt, sign of iron as a brand symbol reappears (US-version PV 444), PV 445 ('Duett') estate version |
| 1958 | PV 544 with a through windscreen, Volvo Germany |
| 1959 | P 1800, fixing points for three-point belts in front, new factory created on the island Hisingen |
| 1961 | Standard in the front seat belts, 1,8 liter engine (B 18) with two carburetors |
| 1962 | Cavity conservation, Amazon estate car |
| 1963 | PV 445 Duett |
| 1965 | Victory in the East African Safari Rally (Singh, PV 544), mounting plant in Belgium |
| 1966 | 140, two-circuit brake system with dual front axle circuit, only disc brakes, front and rear crumple zones, integrated roll bar |
| 1967 | P 140, safety belts for rear seats |
| 1968 | Front head restraints |
| 1969 | B18-engine with D-Jetronic, automatic seat belts, rear window heating, end estate car Duett |
| 1970 | Research group for traffic accidents, end Amazon |
| 1971 | P 1800 ES, 'Snow White's Coffin, ' change in management board to Pehr Gustav Gyllenhammer |
| 1972 | 760 with very edged body, rear seatbelts, child seat against driving direction, child protection, rear hazard warning flashers |
| 1973 | New plant in Kalmar, abolition of the assembly line, energy-absorbing steering column and bumpers, headlamp washers, the first Volvo Ocean Race (all 4 years) |
| 1974 | 240 with B21 engine, now OHC, 260 with B27 (V6 developed together with Renault and Peugeot), new plant in Kalmar, abolition of the assembly line, tank away from the impact area, safety steering |
| 1975 | 265, takeover of DAF passenger cars as Volvo 66, plant in Born (NL) is now Volvo Car BV |
| 1976 | Volvo 343 as new middle class, 1.4-liter four-cylinder with variomatic, 3 year service warranty |
| 1977 | 262 Coupe |
| 1979 | 343 and 345 with manual transmission, six-cylinder diesel engine from VW, wide-angle exterior mirrors |
| 1980 | 240 Turbo with 114 kW (155 hp), 340 with a two-liter engine, 70 kW (95 hp) |
| 1982 | New: 760, 300 series with improved interior features, all models with reinforcement of the front seat edge, protection from diving through case of safety belts, warning lights on the interior door edges |
| 1983 | 760 GLE, 245 with Turbo engine |
| 1984 | 780, 740 with four-and six-cylinder, the number of cylinders in the second place shall no longer be, front-wheel drive at Volvo, 740 and 760 as station wagons, ABS |
| 1986 | Volvo 480 ES with pop-up headlights due to U.S. minimum height, lambda control, catalyst, anti-slip control and traction control with engine intervention, auxiliary brake light, wind tunnel |
| 1987 | 760, Multi-link rear suspension, digital electronic climate control, ABS, car radio with traffic information, seat belt, driver's air bag |
| 1988 | 440, 740 GLT, strike in Sweden, new paint shop (Torslanda), Uddevalla final assembly plant |
| 1989 | 740 GLE, new turbo engine 147 kW (200 hp), rear bench seat with integrated child seat (prototype), child seat, side impact protection |
| 1990 | 940 replaces 740 except 740 GL, 960 instead of 760, own in-line six-cylinder, driver airbag (option) |
| 1991 | 850 and 850GLT, five cylinders (cross), front wheel drive, reinforced sides construction, belt height adjustment, participation of Mitsubishi and the Dutch government at factory in Born |
| 1992 | 850 GLE, passenger airbag, side impact protection also for 740 and 900 models, Environment concept Car, rear head restraints also |
| 1993 | 850 Estate and Turbo, air conditioning CFC-free, production end 240, Uddevalla closed |
| 1994 | More compact six-cylinder, 960, 850T-5R, side airbags, factory Kalmar closed |
| 1995 | S40 and V40 (suitable for Mitsubishi Carisma), 'V' is now versatility, 'S' sedan, the end 480 |
| 1996 | C70, 850 Bi-Fuel and all wheel drive, S70 and V70 replace 850, from 960 will S90 and V90, more powerful engines for 40 series, plant in Uddevalla, cooperation withTWR |
| 1997 | C70 Cabriolet, 40er with turbo, 70 with gas or methanol-drive, AWD V70 and V70XC (Cross Country) |
| 1998 | S80, whiplash protection system, S70 AWD, only Volvo with front-or all-wheel drive, closed factory in Halifax, the end of the 90-series |
| 1999 | Takeover by the Ford Group, now 50% share in the factory Born, S80 T6 with 200 kW (272 hp) |
| 2000 | S60, V70, Cross Coutry, Safety Centre in Gothenburg, Adventure, Performance und Savety-Car concepts |
| 2001 | Aluminum diesel engines, improved bi-fuel engines, sale of 50% share in Mitsubishi-Born, AWD Haldex coupling, Xenon headlights, Volvo Ocean Race |
| 2002 | XC90, improved Pre-Safe System, tests with "pregnant" dummy, automatically controlled damping as concept |
| 2003 | XC 90 as the first SUV with 5 stars at NCAP-Test |
| 2006 | C30 |
| 2007 | XC 70 (D5) |
| 2008 | V50, XC 60 |
| 2009 | S80 |
| 2010 | Takeover by Geely Holding (China), V60, XC90, cooperation with HDI direct insurance |
| 2011 | C30 Electric |
| 2012 | V40, V60 Hybrid |
| 2013 | Concept glider automatic |
