http://www.hotwired.com/Coin/Spnsrs/Volvo/Safety/design.html (The Risc Disc Volume 2, 10/1995)
Classic Volvo
Every Volvo fan has a personal favorite: a car design that holds its
freshness in memory, and makes the heart beat a little faster. The original 544. The classic 122. The first-generation 240 wagon. The P-1800 sports coupe.
Room
Many contemporary automobiles, even ones that are quite large when measured on the outside, may have a cramped, close feeling on the inside. Tops have been lowered. Doors have been lengthened and thickened. Seats have been stretched out, and forced to lean back.
Volvo designers and engineers, on the other hand, have worked to retain the spacious, common-sense interior arrangement that makes Volvos easy to drive, easy to ride in, easy to climb in and out of, and easy to load.
Tradition
Volvo automobiles have been around since 1927. We're proud of a tradition of safety engineering and excellence that began more than a half-century ago and continues undiminished to this day. In the fast-paced world of the 1990's, traditionalists might seem like an endangered species - but the opposite is true. Volvo has survived so long because we don't change designs just to change them. Instead we test, modify, refine, and evolve our cars slowly and carefully over time. That way, we nurture the best new ideas without sacrificing the old ideas that really work.
Continuity
When other car companies carry over the same model for more than a year or two, they make news. When Volvo does it, we make friends. Volvo designs continue to look fresh - so a Volvo that may be years old can pull in alongside a new Volvo, and the family resemblance will give both cars a gratifying sense of timelessness.
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