Here’s Why Volvo Goes Sentimental Over Crayfish

Volvo might be celebrating the anniversary of its very first model, the Volvo ÖV 4, every year--its 91st this year, incidentally--but little do people know how it's all because of a shared love of crayfish and automobiles that started it all.

Engineer Gustaf Larson--who would become the founder of Volvo--went to the Sturehof seafood restaurant in Stockholm to try its crayfish menu. When he went inside, he noticed a familiar face--his former colleague at Swedish ball bearing company SKF, Assar Gabrielsson. Gabrielsson, who would later be the other founder for Volvo, was also there to try the crayfish like Larson.

The two ate together, and their discussion turned to cars. During that time, almost 15,000 vehicles were imported into Sweden--and many of them were from the U.S. This made them wonder if it was possible for Sweden to produce its own cars instead of importing them. And that's when the idea of a Swedish car started to take shape.

One month later, the two were looking at their first-ever car design. They started construction in 1924, with the goal of building cars that could handle the rough roads of the countryside plus the cold Swedish winters of the year.

They decided to name their company "Volvo" which, in Latin, is a conjugated word of "volvere" which means "to roll." Their first-ever car was built in 1927: the Volvo ÖV 4. Only 280 of them where built during that year. And the rest, they say, is history.

So the next time you see Volvo Philippines participating in the annual Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (NordCham) with a huge crayfish party for the entire guests at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, then you know the story behind it. Just don't get confused when you see celebrities--and even foreign dignitaries--come in strange costumes.