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Go on a Journey for Life
The Volvo Overseas Delivery Program (OSD for short) was created over
fifty years ago to meet the needs of American travelers to Europe, along with
US military and diplomatic personnel who wished to have their new
Volvo cars delivered throughout the world, as their individual work
or travel plans dictated. The program is also known as Volvo Tourist & Diplomat Sales
(TDS), Volvo European Delivery and Volvo Car International Customer Sales (VCICS).
Volvo Amazon in New York
Since the program started Volvo has delivered over 300,000 vehicles
via Overseas Delivery.
Collecting a
new car
directly from Swedish carmaker
Volvo
at the factory
is a unique way of buying a Volvo that has proved popular for customers such as
diplomats, members of the US Armed Forces, and tourists from
America.
Volvo Cars
sales
company VCIC
has over 50 years of successful business in overseas delivery.
Volvo
PV444 in San Francisco
Over 50 Years of Volvo Overseas
Delivery
It all began when some
people at Volvo became aware of the "love affair" between American
diplomats, military personnel and tourists with Scandinavia.
Goteborg, Sweden was home to an unknown carmaker and the company's
attractive P120 (Amazon) model was proving a popular Swedish
"souvenir" among foreign visitors.
The year was 1956 and
Volvo was the first among its competitors to discover
that it could
sell cars profitably to international customers.
However,
the company first had to solve the relevant customs clearance, tax
and registration issues:
"The
cars had to be driven to Norway or Denmark for registration, then back
to Sweden for shipment,"
recalls Torben Eckardt, CEO of the VCIC (Volvo
Cars International Customers) sales company.
Vintage Volvo European Delivery Poster
Since then, the business has expanded at an increasing rate, with
sales growing by 5-10 percent annually in recent years.
The Volvo XC90,
is the model that has had perhaps the greatest impact on sales.
However, the redesigned flagship S80 sedan, the compact C30 and the
new XC60 have generated even more traffic to the VCIC
offices adjoining the Torslanda plant in Goteborg.
"We
have completed 50 years and we are hoping that the next 50 will be
equally successful,"
says Torben Eckardt.
1927 saw the birth of the first Volvo. It also marked the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean when Swedish descendant Charles Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis captured the imagination of America. Now we would like you to imagine yourself on a flight (much more comfortable than the Spirit of St. Louis) to Europe to pick up your new car, compliments of Volvo.
The Spirit of St. Louis
View the
Volvo Overseas Delivery Program brochure online. Over the
past fifty years, thousands of people have "Gone on a Journey for
Life" and become Volvo owners. Then take a a few moments to meet a few of
these people and hear
their stories in the
Volvo Overseas Delivery Program video. Now look at some
of the many photos, notes and cards we have
received from people across America
who have earned their Volvo wings
on a trip of a lifetime in
Flyvolvo Journals.
Next: Benefits
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