Confusion at Volvo

[JMeissner]

Confusion at Volvo
ETCC 07/02/03

The confusion still seem to be big at Volvo. One day the message is that Volvo is pulling out of all kind of Motorsport, the other day the opposite. Today this message is supposed to be on the Volvo Intranet:

"Volvo has today no plans of resuming the funding of Motorsport. This in contrary of what the motor magazine Auto Motor & Sport and Dagens Nyheter claimed. The confusion comes from that Volvo MD Hans-Olov Olsson was quoted wrong in an article from the latest issue of Auto Motor & Sport. From that text Dagens Nyheter yesterday did an own article where they referred to the faulty quotation.

In the article Dagens Nyheter claims that Volvo is to invest one billion Kronor in a new racing series with start 2005. No such plans exist. Volvo is standing firmly by its decision, which was taken during the autumn 2002, not to fund Motorsport."

So, who is to believe? Motorsport boss Olle Odsell? "...Olle Odsell from Volvo underlines: "Touring car racing is our niche," and points out that the owners of Volvo, Ford, has a general policy that manufacturers will race with their products." (From the Dagens Nyheter article) Or this latest message from Volvo?

Remember earlier messages from Volvo. No Volvo S60's were to be raced. They were going to be locked up and certainly not be raced. Well, two S60's are currently confirmed in the ETCC and probably one or two more for the STCC. Perhaps its time for Volvo to give a clearer message. As said in a Teknikens Värld article, does the left hand know what the right hand is doing?

Johan Meissner
johan@meissner.se

[MaxSport]

Thanks. Keep us posted,Johan.

The talked about coupe series sounded like the answer to the question that no one asked.

I do hope that Volvo can at least give some support to teams wanting to run in ETCC and STCC.

[kmchow]

Yeah, I wonder if there is an internal struggle or debate raging within Volvo management regarding whether or not to fund a motorsport programme? Will anyone debate or disagree with me if I were to say that Volvo's return to motorsport played a significant part in building up Volvo's reputation???

[touringlegend]

Seem's to me that Volvo could well have two motorsport bosses...

[mac]

ART will still run S60s in 2003 - just without factory support.

[Speeddemon555]

Mixed messages from Volvo and customer S60s this year in the ETCC. Rydell is the most loyal driver for Volvo.

[Nina4u]

axophone:
Im just testing ...he he ...Hi by theway ....

[BSchneiderFan]

Volvo's heart never seemed to be in the ETCC last year - don't know why. Perhaps they should come back to the BTCC - hell, run an estate if it'll make them feel more at home!

[V6.]

I hope they stay, its good to have variety of engines like the 5 cylinder.

[BSchneiderFan]

I agree, and Volvo's devotion to the five-pot means that the DTM is out, 'cos they insist on V8s. So let's hope Volvo get back into the swing of things for 2004.

[kmchow]

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
Volvo's heart never seemed to be in the ETCC last year - don't know why. Perhaps they should come back to the BTCC - hell, run an estate if it'll make them feel more at home!

To be fair, wasn't Volvo's heart always on S2000 rules? And then at the last moment, the ETCC caved into BMW demands and went Super Production? This left Volvo having to scramble to redesign their car! Considering that, is it no wonder that Volvo is a bit disillusioned with the ETCC?