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"did you buy that Volvo because you appreciate quality and a vehicle not planned to be obsolete in 5-10 years?" Conservative buyers may have sustained Volvo from the 1940s through the 1980s, but Volvo was having more and more trouble remaining an independent company in the 1990s, which is why Ford was able to buy the automotive portion of the company.
Consider what we are like as a society: most people talk quality but they really don't care about the product lasting a decade; most want a reason to buy another product with more "features." Especially with cars, they want something suitable for their social class, something to look good in the McMansion driveway. Ford tried to market Volvo as a luxury wannabee, but too many other manufacturers were also trying to market to that demographic. Volvo NA's rotten customer service didn't help, either.
As for the future, I just can't guess how the new owners can make a success of Volvo. Maybe an aging baby boom generation will lose interest in buying the latest and greatest every few years and a conservative durable car will appeal to them again. I wish the new owners luck. I hope they can find a formula.
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