The Volvo 300 Series: The DAF That Was a Volvo

On February 19, 1976, Volvo introduces the 300 Series. It is the first Volvo to be entirely developed and built in the Netherlands. The Swedes expect great things from it: this car will put Volvo on the map in the popular mid-size segment. But that doesn’t happen. The launch fails, sales are disastrous, and Volvo’s Dutch division gets into serious trouble. Then, in the early 1980s, the tide turns in an almost miraculous way, and the Volvo 300 Series becomes an absolute bestseller.

'The DAF That Was a Volvo' tells the story of the last DAF, which came onto the market as a Volvo. It is a story of soaring highs and deep lows, inextricably linked to the end of DAF as a passenger car manufacturer and the start of the company that would later become NedCar. 'The DAF That Was a Volvo' is therefore more than a book about the Volvo 300 Series; it is also a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the Dutch car industry in the 1970s and 1980s. The book is based on interviews with people directly involved and richly illustrated with unique images.