Brad's new Volvo S60,
2011 Volvo Factory delivery trip!

Here are a number of interesting photos of Brad and his family's European Delivery Experience. If you have any questions on the joy of this experience for your self feel free to contact Brad @ 808.521.5151.
       
  

Too good to be true, that's what owners who have purchased their Volvo through Volvo's Over Seas Delivery program say.  Buy a Volvo, get a trip of a lifetime for two to Gothenburg, Sweden (home of Volvo factory)  AND one night accommodation included in the purchase price!  Besides getting a great price on our S60, we were able to make a family trip out of it with my wife and two adult daughters joining us.  After flying from Honolulu to Newark, New Jersey; then to Copenhagen, Denmark, we finally arrived in sunny, but chilly Gothenburg Sweden.  We were greeted by a driver from Volvo who transported us in a stretched S80 limo (cool) to the Radisson Blu Hotel located in a convenient area of Gothenburg.  Before checking in we explored the area around the hotel and found many cafes, shops and bakeries as well as a town square where that day they had some kind of rally with balloons and speakers (don't know for what).  

Once checked into our room, we enjoyed the clean and comfortable beds and crashed for a while, which we needed after such a long journey.

The next day, we explored more of Gothenburg by walking some more.  We went to a museum called Universeum ( kind of like the San Francisco Academy of Sciences) , a historic area called Haga and everything in between.  There's a lot more to see but after a nice dinner we were ready to picking up our new S60 the next day!

Following a great buffet breakfast (included), our driver promptly picked us up at 10 AM and off were to the Volvo Factory Delivery center.  It took about 15 minutes to reach our destination and was greeted by the receptionist who knew our names! We were told to relax and enjoy the amenities provided before it was our turn to take delivery.  It was a busy day that day (as most days are, they say).   We checked out the displays, had some cappuccino, wrote out some postcards to friends and family (free, with free postage!) and looked around the Volvo store.  

Soon it was our turn, and there it was our new Saville Gray T5 S60!  Leif, our Volvo Representative, went over all the features and functions of the S60 with us and then handed us the keys.  Love that new car smell!

Next, Volvo invited us to have lunch with all the other owners (about 6-7 families).  They served Swedish meatballs, of course!  It was very good. 

After lunch we had some time to test drive our S60 right outside the delivery center and then we loaded onto a small tram to take a tour of the factory itself where the Volvo's are built.  It's an amazing facility, where Volvo's are put together from ground up.  We saw the raw materials being stamped into actual body and frame parts, painting of parts, assembly of electrical and interior parts, drive train, wheels; everything coming together in the end with a completed Volvo.  We saw XC90's, S80's, S60's, V60's (not available in US) all being built on the same assembly line.  It was very interesting to see how our car was put together at that very factory and how efficient the process is.

Next, we were now venturing into unknown territory, driving from Sweden to Denmark, then to Germany and back to Gothenburg. We put over 800 miles on our new S60.  With my daughter riding shotgun, we traveled south until we reached Malmo, Sweden where we crossed the Oresund Bridge into Copenhagen, Demark.  We spent the night in an old historic hotel called the Palace Hotel. Apparently, in the day, famous celebrities and dignitaries stayed at this old but updated hotel.  The next day we were off to Germany.  But first we had to drive about 2 hours to catch a ferry from Rodby,Denmark to Puttgarten, Germany.  Another first!  The ferry was very efficient in loading and unloading all the vehicles, the ride was about 45 minutes in which we went upstairs and had lunch in the restaurant.  There's stores, snack bar, sitting areas also, making it a very enjoyable experience (smooth ride also).

Once off the ferry, were in Germany and on the Autobahn!  NO speed limit in some areas, but I didn't go over 90 MPH.  Most drivers keep to right and let all the fast cars pass on the left (it is illegal to pass on the right); average speed is about 75 MPH. There were only a handful we saw that were going about 120 +.  Amazing roads though, no potholes!

We stayed two nights in Hamburg, a beautiful city full of culture and history.  We then turned around and did the same route back to Copenhagen then to Gothenburg to drop off our S60 to shipped (included) back home.  Volvo arranged to take me back to our hotel to pick up my family and on to the airport to begin our journey back to Hawaii.

Besides getting lost a couple of times (missed turn offs, wrong turns, etc) it WAS a trip of a lifetime, and really too good to be true!  We and all the Volvo owners were treated like VIP's throughout the process.

Check it out, maybe we'll be going on another trip of a lifetime in the future!

Aloha,

Brad