Volvo Car was first to make cars fitted with three-point safety belts; even before the 1959 rollout, safety has been fundamental to its brand identity. In 2011 VCNA launched the S60, a midsize sports sedan styled as "naughty", to take the brand to the next level and turnaround sales. Targeting the under-40-year-old driver looking for a reliable but edgy model, the company offered, for a limited time, goods, such as a virtual sedan, Volvo tire, steering wheel, or its logo, on the iPhone app, MyTown (created by Booyah).

After more than a year of negotiations, Ford Motor completed its sale of Volvo Car Corporation to Geely in mid-2010. The $1.8 billion deal preserved Volvo Car's headquarters and manufacturing operations in Sweden and Belgium.

Ford Motor purchased the Volvo automotive brand from Swedish truck maker AB Volvo in 1999. A decade later, jettisoning its overseas brands to return to profitability, Ford put Volvo on the auction block.