Q: My friend owns a Volvo, which I think is manufactured in Sweden. This individual's husband was driving along and someone hit him smack broadside on the driver's side. She says if he hadn't been driving a Volvo, he and their daughter would have been killed. I would like your comments on car safety like Volvo's. Personally, I have a 1978 Pontiac and it still drives like a dream. We enjoy your column very much. Marie A. R, Olean, N.Y.
A: Thanks for the nice comments, Marie. Volvo's structural integrity is respected worldwide. The cars are indeed built in Sweden, and some are built in neighboring Belgium, too. Volvo, along with Mercedes-Benz, is respected as one of the leading safety innovators in car manufacturing. The company can be proud of its passenger safety accomplishments. I'm having the folks at Volvo send you a book on the 40-year history of Volvo in the U.S., so you can pass it along to your friend. You'll be interested to know that Walter Cronkite, the famous network news anchor, raced Volvos in the Fifties and Sixties. It's all in the book, so keep you eye on the mailbox. You'll also receive a brochure for your friend to enroll in the "Volvo Saved My Life Club," which he and his daughter are now eligible to join. If any readers out there have a Volvo life saving experience, call the toll-free Volvo number at 1-800-458-1552 and speak to a representative.