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The Rise And Fall of Volvo (And Polestar)

Wall Street Millennial | November 8, 2026



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In this video we look at the rise and fall of Volvo as well as its sister company Polestar.

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0:00 – 0:47 Intro
0:48 – 5:38 History of Volvo
5:39 – 13:27 Polestar
13:28 Fall of Volvo

Written by Wall Street Millennial

Comments

This post currently has 32 comments.

  1. @insightmeter

    November 8, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    The Ford-to-Geely arc lands hard when you stack the numbers from the intro: a $6.45B Ford acquisition in 1999, then the 2021 IPO followed by an 80%+ share-price drawdown — with Polestar down about 99% and flagged as near bankruptcy. How much of the "Fall of Volvo" chapter do you pin on tariffs and China-ownership optics versus the earlier product-mix shift away from the station-wagon identity that built the brand's U.S. franchise? Educational, not advice.

  2. @ANODOPTIA

    November 8, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    The pivot to EVs sounded great on paper, but cash flow and margins don't lie. Brilliant case study on why brand legacy isn't enough to protect against execution risk

  3. @Studeb

    November 8, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    It's a shame, but probably victims of USA and China politics, Sweden can't protect its brands in the same way. A friend switched from Tesla to Polestar and loved it, even though he was and Elon Stan.

  4. @Sieczkobrzek

    November 8, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    I think Volvo was “lucky” to have its last generation of gas powered cars being such universally appreciated designs, despite tech shortcomings, especially powertrains. Otherwise, they’d be in trouble a long time ago.

  5. @HowDealsWork

    November 8, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    The hardest part of valuing a carve-out like Polestar is that it was never fully on its own. When a young company relies on its parent for factories, parts and engineering, the related-party agreements shape its margins as much as its customers do. Before trusting any valuation, read those intercompany contracts: who sets the price, how long they run, and what happens if the parent walks away.

  6. @Christian_303

    November 8, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    Judging the Ford–Volvo deal purely on the sale price ignores the macroeconomic context. Ford bought Volvo in a 1999 market high ($6.45B) and sold it in 2010 ($1.8B) while fighting for survival right after the 2008 financial crisis. Liquidating the Premier Automotive Group (Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin) was a liquidity-driven fire sale, not an indicator of Volvo’s intrinsic value. Without Ford’s capital and shared platforms during the 2000s, it’s entirely possible Volvo wouldn’t have survived independently to begin with.

  7. @EskiZagra

    November 8, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    There is absolutely nothing in a Volvo that makes it luxury. Nothing to distinguish them from other brands, no features, no proper tech, no performance, nothing to justify the price. While looking for a big SUV, I always forget Volvo exists. 😮

  8. @VM-is8by

    November 8, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    Worked in volvo cars for an year…and got surprised by woke mangers trying to save world by going fully EV without knowing market reality. Eventhough major revanue coming from petrol cars…sad news for a great company 😢😢😢😢😢

    BS minimalistic interior for premium car

  9. @RiseAndRuinNow

    November 8, 2026 at 3:44 pm

    Ford paying $6.45 billion in 1999 and selling for $1.8 billion in 2010 really sets up the whole story. The EX90 detail stood out too, an $80,000 flagship with software problems bad enough for a public apology is a hard way to lose trust.

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