Oh yes , indeed they did say that about Jaguar (we just say Jag by the way)and you're absolutely right about what they did to Jaguar and ironically enough I was just reading an internal memo from Mr. Fields(at work on Friday) about the Jaguar situation and his pledge of not repeating the mistakes of 2002. which ,I discussed in my post to you and that you have reinterated in your post as well. oh boy , was Jag messed up when Ford acquired them, they had over 400 TGW per 100 cars when Ford acquired them . now they are in the 120's - 130's which is on the high side(2002) due to some botched new product launches. Jag was in the top 10 of the J D Power intial quality survey for 2001 and so they've fallen a bit. ((sigh)) so I do understand your skepticism and frankly, at times, I wonder where we (Ford,PAG, et al.) are heading as well.

Volvo will continue to be marketed as a luxury car with the only exception being the new S/V 40 series which actually will be marketed as an "entry level" luxury car. which, perhaps itself is an engima but that is the plan.

In fact I 'd say that Volvo is in a brand transition right now and has had conflicting marketing strategies for the brand. i.e. fast ,sporty S60, luxurious- S80, V70 safety, versatile. what does the Volvo brand represent? a fast sporty car?, a luxury car?, a safe family car ? yes, it is rather confusing to as what a Volvo is these days. I do know that Volvo will go back to it's SAFETY roots in it's marketing of the brand, emphasizing safety in it's advertising. but Volvo's will be marketed as a luxury car ,afterall Volvo was not making money producing basic , no frills transportation, even though it makes for a more reliable, trouble free automobile. so luxury it will be, that is where the money is and yes, it will alienate a certain core of Volvo enthusiasts and that can be a painful process but as I've said several times before, it is a business and you will lose some loyal customers who coveted the previous generations of Volvo products .(which did not provide sufficient revenues to sustain Volvo as an independent automobile manufacturer. again,is unfortunate but true. I am a perfect example of the new Volvo customer, I want reliability,durability, safety and STYLE which up to this point Volvo did not offer to me and therefore I never considered a Volvo because of the absence of an appealing style (for my tastes) so now I have it all, reliability, durability,safety and style and...it's a Volvo. I am not alone in these needs when it comes to purchasing an automobile as evidenced by record Volvo sales in 2001 (which is what I said in my post to you)so that shows a wider acceptance of Volvo products in the marketplace. sales are down for 2002, again that is in comparision to the record sales year of 2001 and also, Volvo did not hop into the incentive game until October of 2002 ,they didn't want to devalue the Volvo brand with incentives and they suffered some lost sales as a result.

Indeed we both have a passion for our Volvo's ,it's just that our definitions of what a Volvo should be are different. Volvo has already repositioned itself as a luxury brand (for the most part) and that is the direction that they will continue to follow and that just suits me just fine. otherwise, Volvo would cease to exist as a car company, they must have a broader appeal to sell more cars to remain profitable. I am sorry if that leaves you feeling alienated or betrayed. I really am.

p.s. if you ever change your mind about Volvo's and want a discount on any Ford product(including Volvo) just e mail me David and I can arrange a discount for you. my e mail is in my profile. If you really like the current Mustang, better hurry up now and get one because the "all new Mustang" will be her before you know it and even though the new 'Stang has awesome styling, I know you prefer the current bodystyle. perhaps you can put some Volvo seats in a Mustang.lol






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You will never leave where you are until you decide where you would rather be - 2002 V70 stk, /w /tinted windows