Some (more) Interesting? Volvo Stats (Part 2)

[DaveC19]

This is the second in what may (or may not) turn out to be a series of posts on Volvo stats.
If you missed the first its here:
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=148857 (plus attached spreadsheets)
That dealt with an intro to the DVLA database, the numbers of Volvo models (Model Ids) and vehicles, the most popular/numerous current models, numbers of new models in 2011, the rarest Volvo/s and "disappeared" Volvo models.

This post has a look at the SORNed models and the possibilities of some of the "disappeared" models (off the road that is) coming back again. Then an in depth "mathematical" examination of what is the "best" (longest lived) and/or "worst" (fastest dying) Volvo models has an interesting (and unexpected) result. Having looked at the rate of disappearance of various models we are then in a position to examine the effect of the recent Scrappage Scheme on older Volvos and again the result is possibly surprising. Finally for this effort I've answered a query from a forum member about the percentage split between the various newer models.

Again it's a long post (sorry - unavoidable if you want the detail) but again I've put a short summary here at the start for those of you who don't want to plough through the rest of it. The spreadsheets I've built and used are attached at the end in "zip" files and you may feel free to take copies and play around with these to your heart's content.

SUMMARY (data source: DVLA database)

Q. How many Volvos SORNed?

1,798 (Model IDs) from a total of 2,366 = 76% (of all models have SORNed examples).
30,464 (vehicles) from a total of 573,789 = 5.3% of licenced vehicles or:-
from a total of 573,789 + 30,464 = 604,253 = 5.0% of all Volvo vehicles = 1 in 20 (of all Volvos are SORNed).

Q. Top Ten SORNed models:

960 24V Auto, 305
340GL, 285
850SE, 279
240GL, 275
740GL, 270
850GLT, 243
S40XS, 222
850GLT Auto, 220
V40XS, 186
S40 1.8I, 185

(This list is a first approximation taken from the raw data and these numbers are not strictly accurate as some models have further examples in other Model IDs and there are some errors in recording some model names).

Q. For the previously identified current 3 most popular models (see last post) how many are SORNed?

XC90 DS SE AWD SEMI-AUTO (9,344 licensed) has 47 SORNed;
V50 SE D (E4) (5,650 licensed) has 25 SORNed;
XC90 SE D5 Auto (5,638 licensed) has 25 SORNed.

Q. For the previously identified 35 disappeared models (see last post) how many have a chance of reappearing?

There are 21 of these models which never had any SORNed examples and must be considered truly gone!

There are 8 Model IDs where there were SORNed examples at some point but not recently (i.e. have not been SORNed in the past twelve months, i.e. 2010q3 or later, and considering SORN has to be renewed every twelve months these must be considered to have also now gone). They are: 265DL Auto, 363GLS S/R, 440CD Turbo Auto, 440SE Turbo, 760GLE S/R, 940GLE LPT Turbo, V70 VOR 238 AWD Auto & V70 Sport SE D5 AWD Auto.

There are 4 Model IDs which currently have SORNed examples in 2011q3, and which therefore have a chance of reappearing. These are:

144GL Auto (1 SORNed)
264GLE (3)
340GL Special Edition (1)
460S Turbo Diesel (5)

Along with these there are two more Model IDs which were last SORNed in 2010q4 (and therefore still have a chance of appearing SORNed in 2011q4 - when the data comes out).

These are: 245E Auto & 460SE Turbo.

For the last six mentioned models (or indeed any of the others mentioned in this section - if they are still around) if anyone has the opportunity of putting one of these back on the road then that would be great. There are no licensed examples of these models and they are extremely rare even SORNed, and as such they are potentially quite valuable.

Q. Next, arising from a passing observation in the last post we can examine two questions here:
What is the "worst" (or fastest dying) Volvo model;
and conversely what is the "best" Volvo model (in terms of longevity)?

This is based on general terms and not on specifics like some guy has kept his Volvo going for 50 years. It involves the older models which were around in relatively high numbers in 1994 when the stats began and does not include newer models because there is not enough data to judge these as yet.

The answer to both questions - after a humongous amount of "spreadsheeting" is that there isn't one!!
To a first approximation they are all about the same!! (which is a bit of a surprise - or maybe not!).

If one wants to get really precise and picky the 400 series models are at the average of the range (in terms of longevity) whilst the 300 series are slightly worse and the 700 series are slightly better, with the 200 series models interspersed through the range. (the 850 series and some 400 models which peaked in numbers later than 1994 seemed to distort the data somewhat and were left out at the end of the analysis, and the 900 series weren't examined because the initial numbers were much lower than the other models).

After graphing the data for some of the models (looking at the rate of disappearance) an interesting question which came to light was:

Q. What was the effect of the Scrappage Scheme on Volvos?

The answer, looking at the rate of disappearance of 4 specific models graphically over a blown up or magnified time period from 2007 to present, is that the scrappage scheme in 2009/10 had no effect on the rate of disappearance of Volvos (or at least the ones specifically looked at). If there had been an effect there would have been a downward dip in the graph as the numbers disappearing increased over what was otherwise normal. No such dip was seen. It seems Volvo owners largely ignored the scrappage scheme and although some may have benefited because they were going to change their vehicles anyway there was certainly no rush to get rid of old vehicles and get new ones as the Government was perhaps hoping.

Finally for the lovers of the newer models, a question posed by popular request (well by one person anyway - Bernard333 ) was:

Q. What is the split in % between the various newer models (C/S/V/XCxx)?

Well I split the Volvo data first in to newer and older models and then split up the newer data in to separate spreadsheets for each base model. This gives the number of Model IDs and vehicles for each base model and then it is possible to calculate percentages. Percentages can be calculated for each base model versus current models or versus all newer models or versus all Volvo models and this has been done (for the detail see below and in the attached spreadsheets).

Just a few tasters here:

In terms of current models the V70 is way out ahead with 25% of all current Model IDs and 24% of all current model vehicles. This is followed in vehicle numbers by the S40 with 19.5% in second, the V50 with 12% in third and the XC90 in fourth with almost 11%. In terms of Model IDs the V70 is followed again by the S40 with 13%, but the S80 sneaks in, in third place, with 12%, pushing the V50 in to fourth place with 9%.

In terms of all newer models (now including the S70, S90, V40 & V90) the other models slip back a tad in percent to make room for the inclusions. The S90 & V90 not surprisingly make little impact with a combined 1% of model IDs but only 0.17% of vehicles. The S70 has 3.2% of model IDs and 1% of vehicles but the V40 takes a sizeable chunk of the action with 4.4% of Model IDs and a very respectable 11.2% of vehicles.

In terms of all Volvos the newer models take 78% of all Model IDs and 89% of all vehicles leaving the older models with 22% of Model IDs and 11% of all vehicles.

-----------

Want more detail? Read on!

-----------

Hi All,

After posting an article recently on Volvo stats, mainly concerning currently licensed vehicles, my thoughts turned to those vehicles and models which had disappeared since the beginning of the statistical data and what the chances were, if any, of ever seeing any of these back on the road again. As most people know, as the law stands, vehicles not on the road (i.e. taxed & insured) which have not been scrapped must be SORNed (Statutory Off Road Notice). Therefore to throw light on the question we need the SORN data. So off to the DVLA website again and download it (veh0121.zip). It’s a 2 MB file and unzips to a 7 MB Excel file listing all SORNed vehicles in the UK (veh0121.xls). Once again we can click on "Make", select "Volvo" to highlight the Volvo entries and then copy and paste this to a new Volvo only data file (Volvo_SORN.xls).

Looking at this file we see that the data only begins in 2007q4 and is available quarterly from 2009q1 and thereafter. The first entry is a P1000 a Volvo "missing". We saw in my earlier post that this is a category for cars which never had a Model ID or haven’t yet received one. The top ten most SORNed models in 2011q3 are then: P1357, the 960 24V Auto with 305; P1115, the 340GL with 285; P1331, 850SE with 279; P1187, 240GL, 275; P1194, 740GL, 270; P1315, 850GLT, 243; P1812, S40XS, 222; P1316, 850GLT Auto, 220; P1136, some more 740GL, 194 (note the earlier 740GLs in P1194; duplication of Model IDs again rears up here); and P1477, 850, 193 (again we see the 850 "nothing"; these should be 850 "somethings" in other categories but the variant has not been recorded here). So perhaps the ninth in the list should be the next entry, P1810, the S40 I with 188 vehicles, but I don't think this is a proper model name (shouldn't this be a S40 "something" I ?), so the next is P1818, V40XS with 186 and the tenth (with a proper model name) then would be P1498, S40 1.8I with 185. Confusing isn't it .

Using the "COUNTA" function at the bottom of column A (Model ID) we can determine there are 1,798 Model IDs with SORNed vehicles. This is out of a total of 2,366 Model IDs for all Volvos, which is 76%. Using the "SUM" function at the bottom of column D (2011q3) we can determine there are 30,464 SORNed vehicles at end 2011q3, which is 5.3% of licensed Volvo vehicles (573,789, see last post) or more meaningfully 5.0% of all Volvo vehicles in the UK (573,789 + 30,464 = 604,253). To summarize, three quarters of all Volvo models have one or more vehicles SORNed and 5% (or one in twenty) of all Volvos are SORNed.

Curiously, while we are at the bottom of the spreadsheet, we find that there are 32 models at the bottom of the list, including the very old 145E, but mainly newer models with QVxxx Model IDs, which have between 1 & 4 vehicles SORNed in 2011q2 but never before and not afterwards in 2011q3. Bit weird that; I’m sure there is an explanation for this but I have absolutely no idea what it is! (What was special about 2011q2 - was it a blue moon or something? ).

What of the previously identified 3 most numerous/popular models (with regard to SORN)? The most popular, PR147, the XC90 DS SE AWD SEMI-AUTO (with 9,344 licensed) has 47 SORNed. Next, PR244, the V50 SE D (E4) (with 5,650 licensed) has 25 SORNed, and the third, PR331, the XC90 SE D5 Auto (5,638 licensed) also has 25 SORNed.

Volvo_SORN.xls is sorted by numbers listed in 2011q3 but a sort on column A (Model ID) gives the data listed by Models in roughly chronological order (i.e. by Model ID) (Volvo_SORN_Model_ID_Sort.xls) if you want the data in that form.

All very interesting (for us geeks and anoraks ) but none of this gets us closer to an answer of the initial question posed. For this we need to identify what SORNed vehicles are around for the 45 categories (Model IDs) which have previously been identified as disappeared (or extinct). We could check them out one by one but that’s a bit tedious. Instead we can open Volvo_Gone.xls (from Part 1 of these posts), insert another column between C & D and put 1 in this column for all 45 entries. This is then a marker for the disappeared models (Volvo_Gone_marked.xls). After also inserting an extra column between C & D in Volvo_SORN.xls we can then copy and paste the 45 extinct models, with their markers, (from Volvo_Gone_marked.xls) in to here and then do a sort on column C (Model) to give a file with cars listed by Model which combines models disappeared & SORNed vehicle models. You can then go down the list & block delete models not of interest, using the marker in column D to find the next disappeared model and looking below it to find the equivalent model name for the SORNed examples (which may or may not be present). At the end of this we have all the disappeared models and their SORNed equivalents (Volvo_SORN_&Gone_marked.xls), having deleted all other entries not of interest.

In this spreadsheet we now find 73 categories (Model IDs or Models) listed. We know 45 are the extinct models (shown by the "1" marker in column D) so 28 entries are the SORNed categories of interest, i.e. relating to the disappeared models.
Firstly we note that there are entries (e.g. P1281, 240 Auto) for disappeared models where there are no equivalent SORNed entries below them (this is to be expected as there are 45 extinct models with only 28 SORNed entries). In the spreadsheet these have been highlighted in light blue. These Models have disappeared and never had any SORNed examples – these models are well and truly gone and will never be seen again except in the literature or in virtual reality on the Web
We can next see that most other disappeared models have a SORNed model below them with the same Model ID. However there are exceptions, highlighted in yellow. The 345DL Auto and 480 Celebration Auto have different Model IDs for disappeared and SORNed models. The 440 Turbo and 480 Celebration have 2 SORNed Model IDs and the 760 Turbo Auto has 3 SORNed Model IDs. This is the old problem of multiple Model IDs messing up the data and we need to sort this out before proceeding further. We have 5 models which are extinct in one Model ID but SORNed in another. Maybe they are not actually extinct in the Model ID they are SORNed in and maybe this situation means that some apparently extinct models may not be either!

Just to summarize before proceeding we have 21 Models with no SORNed vehicles and 24 with SORNed vehicles (21+24=45 total, which is correct). Also 21 models with 1 SORNed, 2 with 2 SORNed & 1 with 3 SORNed (21 x 1 + 2 x 2 + 1 x 3 = 28 SORNed and 28 + 45 extinct = 73 total, which is also correct).

We need to compare the marked "Gone" data (45 Model IDs) against the total licensed vehicle data to determine if any of the disappeared models have vehicles still existing under different Model IDs. After opening Volvo_All.xls (from Part 1) and inserting a column between columns C & D (to accommodate a marker) we can then add in the data from Volvo_Gone_marked.xls (with markers) and after a sort on column C we have a list based on model name. This is saved as Volvo_All_&Gone_marked.xls and we can now look down to find the markers (in column D) and determine if the particular model has duplicate (or triplicate) Model IDs (in this case just above the entry with the marker signifying it as a “disappeared” model).

It transpires that in fact there are some 10 categories (marked here in yellow), initially thought of as extinct, which in fact have examples of the model with different Model IDs, which are not extinct after all, but are alive and well and still running around. Rather than detail these here I have put them in a separate table (Volvo_resurrected.doc - attached). These are not plentiful models but rather scarce, rare or very rare (only one 264GL left) but they still survive.

[Aside: this was why it was necessary to make the correction in Part 1 from 45 to 35 disappeared models]

Going back to Volvo_SORN_&Gone_marked.xls we can delete the 21 models (marked in blue) where none were ever SORNed as these have truly gone, never to be seen again, and also the 10 models which have been found to have surviving examples under other Model IDs (the 5 marked yellow as before and now 5 more marked in green, which were found to still have models under other model IDs). Saving this as Volvo_SORN_&Gone_marked_revised.xls leaves us a list of 28 entries, i.e. 14 Model IDs that have no vehicles currently on the road (with marker "1" in column D) and the equivalent SORNed Model IDs.

There are 4 models with currently SORNed examples (marked here in yellow).
The last 2 144GL Auto disappeared off the road after 2006q4 but after a gap of 2 1/2 years one appeared as SORNed in 2009q3 and remains around as of 2011q3.
The last 264GLE managed to survive on the road until 2011q2 and there are currently 3 SORNed.
The last 340GL Special Edition disappeared off the road after 2009q1 but one still currently remains as SORNed.
Lastly the last 460S Turbo Diesel disappeared off the road after 2011q1 but 5 remain SORNed at present.
Hopefully some of these cars will make it back on the road. Well done those owners for keeping these examples around, if not on the road .

For the remaining models the picture is rather bleaker. As vehicles have to be SORNed every 12 months then any not SORNed for longer than this have probably gone forever.
The last 245E Auto disappeared off the road in 2011q2 but the last SORNed example was in 2010q4. Maybe there is still one around, it depends what appears when the 2011q4 numbers come out.
The last 460SE Turbo finally disappeared off the road after 2010q1, after being the only one of its kind since 2007q4; it was immediately SORNed and remained so up to 2010q4 after which who knows – it could pop up again in 2011q4.

Apart from these last two slim chances of surviving the rest look pretty dead and gone .
The last three 265DL Auto haven’t been on the road since 1998q4 and none were SORNed until curiously one popped up for 2008q3 & q4 and 2009q1 after which it disappeared again.
The last 363GLS S/R disappeared off the road in 2010q2 and curiously one was SORNed for 2007q4 only but not since.
The last 440CD Turbo Auto disappeared off the road in 2009q2 with one being SORNed in 2007/8 but not since.
The last 2 440SE Turbo disappeared from the roads after 2010q3; there was one SORNed between 2008q4 and 2010q2 but not since.
The last 760GLE S/R survived on the road until 2009q2 after which it was SORNed for 12 months but disappeared after 2010q2.
The last 940GLE LPT Turbo survived on the road until 2010q1 and the last SORNed until 2009q4 after which all traces vanish.
A couple of curious examples in the list are 2 of the newer models. The 2 and only 2 ever V70 Sport SE D5 AWD Auto appeared on the road for 2006 & 2007q4 after which one was SORNed. The last one on the road disappeared in 2009q2 and the last one SORNed disappeared in 2009q1.
The one and only ever V70 VOR 238 AWD Auto appeared firstly on the road for 2008q3 and q4; it was SORNed for 2009q1, got back on the road for 2009q2 and then promptly vanished!

In summary, of the 35 models disappeared off the road, 21 were never SORNed and of the remaining 14 that were, only 4, or optimistically 6, have any chance of getting back on the road! So there we are – a bit long winded, but now we have the indisputable facts from the DVLA database. Of some 2,366 Volvo models 30 or so have totally disappeared, with around maybe another 5 which may have a chance of coming back.

So much for that, so while we’re in the mood why not have a look at some more stats! I got to thinking again about the fastest dying (or "worst") Volvo and maybe this is a good time to investigate that further to determine the facts. First we need to find the most numerous models so opening Volvo_All.xls (from Part 1) and using the "MAX" function under all the columns (which finds the highest value in the column) starting from row D7 (not D6) to avoid the P1000 "missing" general category, we find the greatest number of any model in 1994q4 is 77,710.
Then using the "Find" function from the drop down menu (Edit, Find) we can see that 77,710 is our old friend, P1115, the 340 GL and copying the numbers for the 340GL down to the bottom we can see that it was the most numerous model until after 2003q4 (at 8,112) when it was overtaken (using "Find" again) by P1300 (with 8,684), the 440LI (which had much smaller numbers in 1994 but was obviously surviving much better). We can save this as Volvo_All_Numbers_1994.xls. This is beginning to confirm the initial suspicions that the 340GL dies the quickest, but we need more data. After copying this Sheet 1 to Sheet 2(so as not to lose this data in Sheet 1) and then doing a sort on column AD (1994q4) (in Sheet 2) this gives the models with highest numbers in 1994q4 at the top (saving the spreadsheet again under the same name).

Working now on Sheet 2, the top 15 entries all had more than 10,000 vehicles in 1994q4 and, a little lower down, P1302, the 440SI also had >10,000 in 1995q4.

[Aside: There are no other models with >10000 vehicles. To check this type the following equation in cell AE6, (i.e. the empty cell next to the first entry in the list):
=IF(OR((D6:AD6)>10000),1,"") and press "CTRL", "SHFT" and "ENTER" all together (not just "ENTER" – this is an array formula and pressing "Enter" on its own won’t work). What this equation says is: If any cell in the row D6 to AD6 has a value of greater than 10000 then put a "1" here otherwise leave it blank. Using "Copy" & "Paste" copy the equation all the way down to the bottom of the data in column AE and look for the instances of "1" in this column. There are none, other than those already mentioned. A count at the bottom of column AE confirms there are 16 entries in this marker column. A similar exercise in column AF looks for values in the rows of >5000 vehicles in any cell [the equation is: =IF(OR((D6:AD6)>5000),2,""] - using "2" as a marker instead of "1" (again press "CTRL", "SHFT" and "ENTER" all together ) and again a count at the bottom of this column reveals 54 entries - so there are 54 - 16 = 38 entries with >5000 but <10000 vehicles.]

The 16 (with > 10,000) entries are the most numerous of any models produced for (or licensed in) the UK since 1994. But, some caution is needed here. The 2nd entry is the general P1000 "missing" category and can be ignored here, as can row 16, P1184, Volvo 340 "nothing" - the variant is not specified here and these could be any 340 variant and should have been included in other categories of 340 "somethings" but weren't - all we can do here is ignore these.

Furthermore Model ID duplication rears its ugly head again here. Rows 12 & 17 are both 740GL (P1136 & P1194) and need to be added together. Row 8 is the 340DL, but there are more in row 40. Row 24 is the 240DL, but row 10 is the 244DL (which are 240DL saloons) and row 13 is the 245DL (which are 240DL estates) so these need to be added together for fair comparison with other models where saloons and estates are not differentiated. In order to be accurate then it's necessary to check the top 30/40 models for duplication to get accurate numbers for each model .

From Volvo_All_Model_ID_Sort.xls (from Part 1) we can do a sort on column C to give a listing by Model (Volvo_All_Model_Sort.xls) and can then use this to check for model duplication. Working from Volvo_All_Numbers_1994.xls, Sheet 2, we can copy the first row, which has the highest numbers of vehicles in 1994q4, (P1115, Volvo 340GL) to a new spreadsheet (Volvo_Longevity.xls) and then look in Volvo_All_Model_Sort.xls for other entries of the 340GL and copy those rows under our first row in Volvo_Longevity.xls (there aren't any more in this instance). Then we can also copy the rows for 343GL and 345GL models from Volvo_All_Model_Sort.xls as well (only one instance of each) so we end up with 3 rows of 340GL models. Next in Volvo_All_Numbers_1994.xls, ignoring the 2nd entry of the Volvo "missing" we take a copy of the 3rd row, which has the next highest numbers of vehicles in 1994q4, the 340DL (P1113) data, to Volvo_Longevity.xls and look for further instances in Volvo_All_Numbers_1994.xls. We find 2 more 340DL in P1185 & P1222 along with one 343DL in P1075, and two 345DL in P1084 & P1086, giving 6 rows of 340DL models. Next highest number of vehicles in Volvo_All_Numbers_1994.xls 1994q4 is the 340GLE of which there is only one model (there is no 343GLE or 345GLE). Next model is 244DL, P1023, and to continue with this we can further find P1037, 244DL as well as P1027, 245DL, and 240DL in P1121, P1144 & P1193, giving 6 rows of 240DL models. We then find 3 entries for the 360GLS (the 360, 363 & 365), 2 entries for the 740GL, and one entry for the 440 LI. The next in the list would be the 340 "nothing" but as already seen we can ignore this as it should be a 340 "something" and could contain any 340 model (we also ignore the 440 "nothing" a little lower down). This sounds a bit complicated but it actually takes less time to do it than to explain it in writing!!

We continue building this list in this way (ensuring that there is no duplication of stuff lower down which we already have higher up) down as far as the 850GLT Auto, P1316 (one entry) which peaked at 1999q4 at 6,267 vehicles. Below this entry no model ever had >5000 vehicles at any time point in the rest of the list. We now have a list of 89 models by variant and sub-variant (ignoring body style) with which to examine longevity.

We can now use columns AE and AF and the "SUM" function to consolidate the data by model (i.e. all 340GL, all 240DL, etc.). Click on cell AE6 and put in the equation =SUM(AD6:A8) and press "Enter" (or use the AutoSum feature and the mouse to highlight the desired cells) and this returns the total number of vehicles from 1994q4 for the three 340GL models (90,292). Similarly in cell AE9 the equation =SUM(AD9:AD14) returns 62,600 for the six 340GL models, in cell AE15 the equation =SUM(AD15) returns 15,435 for the only 340GLE model and in cell AE16 the equation =SUM(AD16:AD21) returns 46,226 for the six 240DL models. Continuing this to the bottom of the data gives the totals for all the various models. For a few models the peak (max) numbers were not in 1994q4 but later (these are highlighted in red) and here the equations are modified slightly to reflect this, e.g. in cell AE49 the equation is =SUM(Y49:Y50) returning 11,978 the total vehicles for the 440SI from column Y (1999q4) where it peaked. Data for the 850GLT and 850GLT Auto are also taken from column Y. Data for the 440GLT and 440SE are taken from column AB (1996q4), and data for the 850SE is taken from column X (2000q4).

At the bottom of column AE we can then work out that there are 38 models (using the "COUNT" function) ranging in numbers (including their duplicates and variants) from a maximum (using "MAX" function) of 90,292 (340GL) to a minimum (using "MIN" function) of 3,705 (480 ES S/R) vehicles.

Column AF is used to sum the numbers of vehicles left for each model in 2011q3 so in cell AF6 the equation =SUM(D6:d8) returns the value of 437 left in 2011q3 for the 340GL models. Continuing this down to the bottom of the data gives the numbers left in this column for all of the models.

In column AG we can then subtract the value in AF from AE to find the number of vehicles lost for each model. We can use the equation in cell AG6: =IF(AE6="","",AE6-AF6) which says "if AE6 is blank leave this blank, else subtract AF6 from AE6 and put result here", and then copy this equation down the rest of the data.

Now we are beginning to get somewhere. From 1994q4 to 2011q3 is 67 quarters so we can calculate in column AH how many vehicles of each model disappeared per quarter [equation in column AH6: =IF(AG6="","",AG6/67) which says "if AG6 is blank leave this blank, else divide AG6 by 67 and put the result here", and again copying this down to the bottom of the column].

We now need to find the red marked data and make adjustments to the equations for models which were around for shorter periods, e.g. 850GLT from 1999q4 was around for 47 quarters from its peak numbers not 67 as most of the rest. So for the 850GLT, 850GLT Auto and 440SI the 67 in the equation needs to be changed to 47; for the 440GLT and 440SE it should be 59 and for the 850SE it should be 43.

The numbers calculated in this column (AH, numbers lost per quarter) is still a bit unrepresentative as some models started out with a lot more than others to begin with, so it would not be fair to compare these numbers with each other. A fairer comparison is the rate of disappearance or losses per quarter as a percentage of the number they originally started with (or peaked at). So in column AI, cell AI6 we can use the equation =IF(AH6="","",AH6*100/AE6) (which says "if AI6 is blank leave this blank, else return the percent AH6 of AE6") and again copy the equation down to the bottom of the data.

Now we have the numbers and can now answer the question: what is the fastest dying or "worst" Volvo model?

The answer is there isn't one!!

Or the question: what is the longest lived or "best" Volvo model?

The answer is again there isn't one!!

The fact is, as it turns out, that all the models are around 1.5% (loss per quarter as % of original number). The average for the 38 models is 1.49%, and the range is 1.39 - 1.97%. If we want to be really picky we could say that the best, or longest lived, is the 740SE at 1.39% loss/quarter but this is not significantly different to the average of 1.49%. Also we could say the worst is the 440SI at 1.97% but the data for this model only extends over 47 quarters (from 1999q4) and the figure would be expected to drop over the next few years in line with the trends from the other models. The 850SE (from 2000q4) and 850GLT (from 1999q4) are also a bit high at 1.64% and 1.56% respectively, but again these would be expected to drop a little with time for the same reason.

If we knock out the numbers for the six models peaking later than 1994q4 and only deal with the 32 models with data from 1994q4 (in column AL) then the average is 1.46% with a range of 1.39 - 1.49% (so it would appear that there is a slight distortion caused by the inclusion of the later peaking models), with again the 740SE being the minimum at 1.39% and several models at the maximum of 1.49%. For those who like to be picky, precise or are just maths geeks, the standard deviation here is 0.03% so the precise average is 1.46 +/- 0.03%.

Copying the data to column AO (with the names to column AN) and doing a sort puts the models in numerical order in % terms. Here (in column AO) we find that the 440GLI, 480ES, and 480ES S/R (I have a feeling that should be 480SE not ES but I could be wrong and I'll leave that for another day) are bang on the average of 1.46%, with all the 300 series models, along with the 240 DL, DL Auto & GLE, and the 440GL slightly worse than average and all the 700 series, along with the 240GL, GL Auto, & GLT, and the 440XI & LI slightly better than average. But we really are splitting hairs here, and very fine hairs at that .

Turning away from maths for a moment and turning to logic (which for some of us is easier to understand ) and going back to the first approximation of a rate of disappearance (or death rate) of 1.5% then we can see that if the 340GL, the 340DL and the 340GLE all have a death rate of 1.5% then all 300 series models have a death rate of 1.5%. Similarly all 200 series have a death rate of 1.5% and so do 700 series and some 400 series. Since the other (later) 400 series and the 850 series are also there or thereabouts (and the 900 series are probably thereabouts as well, although they weren't examined in this data because their numbers weren't big enough) then logic tells us that all (older) Volvo models have the same rate of disappearance of approx. 1.5% (of their original numbers) per quarter. This is a testament to Volvo engineering and build quality in that the quality and longevity is the same for all models. (We have to say here that the newer models have not been examined in this regard because they haven't been around long enough to produce enough data).

We have to be careful here not to attach too much significance to the numbers above - we got numbers over 67 quarters because we looked for numbers over 67 quarters - the main significance of these is to compare various models and not to assess absolute lifespan. It is generally held that Volvo's policy is (or was) to manufacture it's vehicles with a life expectancy of 20 years (or so I am led to believe). If a Volvo model was to completely disappear after 20 years (80 quarters) then the rate of disappearance would be expected at 100 (%) / 80 = 1.25%, so the figure above of 1.5% (or 1.46% to be precise) is not quite as good as that but not far off. On the other hand, for another manufacturer building vehicles with a projected lifespan of say 10 years (40 quarters) then the expected rate of disappearance would be 100 (%) / 40 = 2.5% which is substantially worse than the figure for Volvos!!

Rather than looking at numbers we can look at the disappearance rates of models graphically - it's much easier to see what's happening with a picture (a graph) than looking at a whole dose of numbers which are at first glance pretty meaningless and tend to send you boggeldy eyed!!

OK so in Volvo_Longevity.xls we simply copy Sheet 1 to another sheet "Sheet 2". We can delete all the columns from AE on 'cause we don't need that info here. We need to get the totals for each of the models at each point in time so we insert a blank row between the 340GL & 340DL data and use the new row (now row 9, called All 340GL) to add up the numbers for the 340GL at all time points. So put the equation =SUM(D6:d8) in cell D9 and copy that all across the row to AD9. We can insert another blank row between the 340DL data and the 340GLE and repeat the exercise to get the 340DL totals across all time points. Insert another row between the 340GLE & the 240DL data (although not really needed as the 340GLE data is a single row) and another between the 240DL data and the 360GLS data to add up the totals for the 240DL across the row. Now we can use the empty row 3 to insert the time points; so in cell AD3 we put 0 (zero quarters at 1994q4), in AC3 is 4 (4 quarters at 1995q4), AB3 is 8, AA3 is 12 and so on back to D3 which is 67 (2011q3).

Now we can plot the graph of D9:AD9 versus D3:AD3 which shows the rate of disappearance of the 340GL. We can also add D16:AD16 to the same graph showing the rate for the 340DL and also D17:AD17 for the 340GLE and D25:AD25 for the 240DL. This graph ("Rate of Disappearance 1994q4 on") is shown on the far right. It shows the rate of disappearance of the four most numerous models over the time period to present. The top (dark blue, 340GL) line has a bit of a kink at the start before dropping fairly steadily. The green (340DL) line and the light blue (240DL) line drop fairly smoothly but the yellow (340GLE) line remains steady for the first several quarters before starting to fall off. We can't see what happens before 1994 as we don't have the data and that will have an effect on what happens with the lines in the early part of the graph. We can't see what happens in the later (recent) years as the numbers remaining get small and the data converges in to an indistinguishable splodge over this period on this scale.

[Aside: just for the fun of it I fitted a trendline (shown in red) to the 340GL data. (A trendline is the best fit line through a set of data points - generated or calculated by the software, not me, and the equation of the trendline along with the R2 value is displayed on the graph). I chose a polynomial fit rather than another of the possible choices because that seemed to offer the best fit (its obviously not linear for instance) and I gave it an order of 5 to give it the best chance to fit the data. The R2 (which is "R squared" but the typing here doesn't do superscripts) is known as the coefficient of determination and gives an indication of how well the calculated trendline fits the actual data points. It has a value range of 0 - 1, 1.0000 being a perfect fit and anything less than 0.9 being a pretty poor fit. Maths and Science guys usually look for values of better than 0.98 to indicate a good fit, and here we see a value of 0.9991 which is pretty near perfect.
What does this equation mean then for the 340GL data? Well nothing really - it's possible to find an equation to fit any set of data points if you allow it to be as complicated as it needs to be to fit but it doesn't necessarily mean anything - that's just maths ]

If we chop out the first 6 years (to remove any anomalies in the early data) and look at the data from quarter 24 (2000q4) on then we see nice smooth curves ("Rate of Disappearance 2000q4 on" - to the left of the previous graph) for all 4 data sets, which is what might be expected. This shows the rate of disappearance is exponential decay (which has nothing to do with rotting but rather is a mathematical term which roughly, in words of one syllable, means the more you have the more you lose, and the less you have the less you lose (proportionally) - as opposed to a linear relationship where you might lose a fixed amount every year/quarter). The exponential relationship is confirmed by the trendlines (using the exponential choice this time - shown in red) which fit the data points quite well and the R2 values which are 0.995 or better for all 4 data sets. Again however it is not clear what happens in recent times as the data converges to an indistinguishable mass once again.

To look at what happens in recent years we can look at the data from quarter 52 (2007q4) on ("Rate of Disappearance 2007q4 on" - just below the last graph). Now the scale of the number of vehicles is smaller so we can see what has happened over this period. Again we have smooth curves, an exponential relationship between y (the number of vehicles) and x (the point in time) shown by the exponential equations of the fitted trend lines and R2 values of 0.99 or better.

There are now a couple of interesting points to note from this graph. Firstly the 240DL now has higher numbers than the 340DL in quarter 52 (and thus overtook it sometime earlier) and that the 240DL crosses over with the 340GL around quarters 61/62 and becomes the model with the highest number of the four. This may indicate the 240DL is lasting better than the 340DL or GL, or this may just be the case of splitting hairs, as seen earlier, because the numbers left for any of the models are quite small here.

Secondly, and more importantly, I think, is what was the effect of the UK Scrappage Scheme?

The scrappage scheme, as everyone knows, ran in 2009/10 and was designed to remove the older stock of vehicles by providing monetary inducements (grants) to purchase new vehicles and scrap old ones. In the case of Volvo the scrappage scheme apparently had no effect whatsoever (zero, nothing, zilch ). Had there been any increase in the rate of disappearance of Volvo models over this period (quarters 57-64) there would be a clear dip in the graphs over this period (this is indicated on the graph by the dotted blue line for the 340DL) but there is no such dip for any of the four models on the graph!!
Seems Volvo owners pretty much ignored the scrappage scheme and just went about their normal business of changing or scrapping their cars as they would have without the scrappage scheme!

Having done the graph/s for four models I will leave it to the reader (for a bit of homework) to do the rest of the graphs for the other thirty odd models in the list and confirm the effects are the same as those just seen You would need to do several sets of graphs because putting more than around 5 or 6 lines on any one graph just gets too confusing. Seriously, if anyone wants to see a graph for specific models in the list and can't manage it then give me a shout and I will help you out (I've just done quite enough for now )

Finally for this post I will take the opportunity to answer a question posed by popular request (or at least by one individual, forum member Bernard333 ).
What is the split in % between the newer models (C/S/V/XCxx)?
Well we can do this by model (Model ID) or by vehicle numbers but its just as easy to do both at once so I'll do that. The spreadsheet for this is already done, its Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model.xls (in Part 1), which lists all the newer models in alphanumeric order, and has 1825 Model IDs (models) with a total of 518,087 vehicles. From this we can cut out all the C30 (lets call this a "base model") and paste to a new spreadsheet, also then the C70, S40, etc.

Taking the first one of these (the C30 base model, introduced 2006) we can name the new spreadsheet Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_C30.xls. Using the function COUNTA (which counts text entries) under column A, i.e. using the equation (in this case) =COUNTA(A6:103) returns 98 Model IDs (or models/variants) and the function SUM (which totals numerical entries) under column D, i.e. =SUM(D6103) returns 24,541 vehicles. There is one Model ID here which has no entry in 2011q3 (i.e. it's disappeared) so we delete that so that we are working with "live" Model IDs which gives us 97 Model IDs.

If life were simple we could do this for all the base models and quickly find the answer. However life is never simple and we find that although, while the number of vehicle totals is accurate, the number of variants or models is not due to incorrect names and duplication of models (i.e. same model with more than one Model ID). Take, for example, the C30 data. The first 5 entries are: C SE LUX 170 A, C30 ES, C30 ES D2, C30 ES DRIVE START/STOP, and C30 LUX T5 A. The first, I'm pretty sure, should be C30 SE LUX 170 A (A for Auto) because there is a C30 SE LUX 170 (and there is not a C70 SE LUX 170 - the only other possibility it could be). The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th are OK, even though it may look wrong and rather confusing having ES & SE models, it is in fact correct, but the 5th should be a C30 SE LUX T5 A (Auto) because there is a C30 SE LUX T5 and there are not any C30 LUX "anythings" - all C30 LUX are C30 SE LUX "somethings".

Whilst the incorrect naming does not affect the numbers of Model IDs (in general, but there are exceptions), duplication does. For example there are two C30 S in Model ID QV236 & PR470, there are two C30 S D DRIVE in Model ID QV235 & PR787, and there are three C30 SE in Model ID PR571, PR867, and PR471, etc., etc.

Unfortunately this is the sort of rubbish you have to deal with when working with these DVLA stats!! For the purposes of the moment I am going to ignore duplication and assume that the same proportion of errors are in all categories and therefore work on the initial data, as found, which should give a reasonably accurate picture for model numbers - to a first approximation - because when we do the maths the errors cancel out (I may refine this later - or maybe not if my brain explodes sooner) .

For the second set of models (the C70s) the same procedure gives Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_C70.xls which shows there are 127 Model IDs and 17,895 vehicles. The C70 was introduced in 1997-2002 as a coupe (only a dozen or so vehicles appeared in 1997 - most began in 1998) and 1999-2006 as a soft-top convertible (cabriolet). The second generation was introduced in 2006 as a retractable hardtop convertible (source - Wikipedia). The DVLA data does not differentiate between these three types nor does it differentiate the various engine options (which is generally the case). Once again there is much duplication and possible errors in the model names. I strongly suspect that the three Model ID entries for the C70 T GT should in fact be the C70 T5 GT (of which there are also 3 Model IDs) and that the three Model ID entries for the C70 T GT AUTO should in fact be the C70 T5 GT AUTO (of which there are also 3 Model IDs), i.e. there are in fact 12 entries for 2 models!! (Dohhhh!!). Curiously there is one Model ID, P1792, the C70 20V GT AUTO which had one vehicle listed from 1994q4 until it increased to 9 in 1999q4. How this one car appeared some 3/4 years before the rest is unknown; I would have to assume its some kind of mistake/typo as the model was only first seen at the Paris Motor Show in 1996!!

For the S40 the same procedure gives Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_S40.xls which shows there are 213 Model IDs and 74,841 vehicles. The model was introduced in 1995 but did not appear in the DVLA stats until 1996. Once again although the vehicle numbers are correct the number of models (Model IDs) is not. Here one S40 SPORT & one S40 T4 SPORT LUX AUTO were recorded in 1994q4 where after the SPORT didn't appear again until 2001q4 and the T4 SPORT until 2002q4!! The second generation models appeared in mid 2004.

For the S60, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_S60.xls shows there are 128 Model IDs and 35,876 vehicles. The model was introduced in 2000 with a second generation in 2010. In this case there are no 1994q4 listings but problems with model names are here again!

In the case of the S70, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_S70.xls shows there are 58 Model IDs and 4,002 vehicles. The model was introduced in 1998 and discontinued in 2000. Problems with model names are here again! There is also one empty 2011q3 Model ID so we delete that and use 57 Model IDs here.

For the S80, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_S80.xls shows there are 198 Model IDs and 22,394 vehicles. The model was introduced in 1998 with a second generation in 2006. Problems with model names appear again!

In the case of the S90, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_S90.xls shows there are 9 Model IDs and 282 vehicles, some of which are now very rare. The S90CD 24V & the S90 EXECUTIVE AUTO each only have 3 left, and the S90SE 24V only has 2 left! The S90 (& V90) replaced the 960 in late 1996 and was discontinued in early 1998.

For the V40, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_V40.xls shows there are 79 Model IDs and 49,297 vehicles. The model was introduced in 1995 but did not appear in the DVLA stats until 1996. Once again although the vehicle numbers are correct the number of models (Model IDs) is not. The second generation models which appeared in mid 2004 were renamed as the V50.

For the V50, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_V50.xls shows there are 148 Model IDs and 46,442 vehicles. The model was introduced in mid 2004 to replace the V40 and will be replaced (along with the S40) with the new V40 in 2012. Problems with model names again appear here!

For the V60, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_V60.xls shows there are 46 Model IDs and 2,497 vehicles. Introduced mid 2010 but still has mistakes in the model names (who is recording this stuff in the DVLA?? ) The V60 was introduced as the estate version of the S60, as the previous estate companion of the S60, the V70 had been promoted (for its 3rd generation) to be the estate companion of the 2nd generation S80.

For the V70, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_V70.xls shows there are 418 Model IDs and 92,262 vehicles. There are four instances of blank 2011q3 entries which are deleted and we then have 414 Model IDs here. The V70 was introduced in 1997, with a second generation in 2000 and a third generation in 2007. A V70 plug-in hybrid is due to be launched in 2012.

[Aside - (sourced from Wikipedia and open to correction): In the 1st generation V70 high performance models the T5 came with a 2.0 or 2.3 L engine & HPT with max boost at 10.5 psi (72 kPa) giving 230 & 240 hp respectively (whereas the 2.0T or 2.4T with LPT set at 6-7 psi (41-48 kPa) gave 180 & 190 hp respectively). The 1st generation V70R came in 3 phases; P1 with the 2.3 L I5 engine and 16t/18t turbos (1997-1999, P to S reg) had FWD/AWD and manual/auto versions (240/250 hp), P2 with 2.3 L engine & 18t turbo (1999, S & T reg) was AWD auto only (265 hp), as was P3 (1999-2000, T to W reg) with the larger 2.4 L engine and 19t turbo (265 hp).

The 2nd generation V70 T5 had a 2.4 L HPT 5-cyl engine with 260 hp, whilst the ultra high performance AWD V70R used a 2.5 L I5 engine producing 300 hp (making it the most powerful (production) estate Volvo ever built).
The 2nd generation AWD V70XC (cross country) off-road version got upgraded, raised suspension with a minimum 8.2" ground clearance and plastic body cladding and was renamed the XC70 which appeared in the DVLA stats in its own right in 2002 (no new V70XC models appeared after 2001).

For the 3rd generation the V70 got promoted to being considered the estate companion of the 2nd generation S80 rather than that of the S60 as previously.
Sadly, for the 3rd generation, the V70R AWD and the 5-cyl turbo engine range mated to 5-speed Geartronic automatic transmissions from the previous V70 generation were discontinued. There are no known plans for a high performance AWD V70 (in the US the V70/XC70 are only available with the S80 3.2 L straight six and 6-speed auto box (235 hp)).

You have probably gathered by now that I rather like big estates, especially high powered ones - there's nothing like a turbo brick! . But I digress - back to business ].

In the case of the V90, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_V90.xls shows there are 8 Model IDs and 463 vehicles. The V90 (& S90) replaced the 960 in late 1996 and was discontinued in early 1998. Amazingly for these 8 models the DVLA appears not to have made any mistakes in the model names!! .

For the XC60, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_XC60.xls shows there are 89 Model IDs and 12,802 vehicles. The XC60 was introduced in 2008 and is reputably (Wikipedia) Volvo's best selling car since 2009.

For the XC70, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_XC70.xls shows there are 96 Model IDs and 13,621 vehicles. The XC70 first appears in the DVLA stats in 2002. It began life essentially as the 2nd generation AWD V70XC (from 2000) which was upgraded and renamed as the XC70 (there were no new V70XC models after 2001).

Finally in the case of the XC90, Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_XC90.xls shows there are 88 Model IDs and 41,653 vehicles. It was introduced in 2003 and updated and restyled in 2007. The 2nd generation model is due 2013.

All this info is gathered on a new spreadsheet (Volvo_Modern_Numbers.xls) which when opened shows at top left the DVLA totals for Model IDs & vehicles (at 2011q3). Under this is the breakdown for modern & older models along with disappeared ones ("gone") and the "missing" entries. The check sum total (which adds up all the bits) agrees with the DVLA figures so I must be doing something right . Below this is the list of modern base models along with the number of Model IDs and vehicles for each taken from the individual spreadsheets (there are a few comments and a bit more info for reference but thats not important now).

[Full details of the "missing" vehicles can be found in Volvo_Missing.xls. The numbers for the older models is found by taking Volvo_Rare_Model_Sort.xls from Part 1 and removing the disappeared models giving Volvo_Old_Model_Sort.xls which is a list of "active" older models (not including missing, no model text, unknown model or disappeared models but still including the "one only left" models). This contains 502 Model IDs and 55,700 vehicles.]

So now we can do some maths (or rather Excel can - I hate maths) . To avoid (or perhaps minimise) confusion I copied the base models and numbers for Model ID & vehicles to a new sheet (Percentages) so if we click on that we find, to the right of the base model data, three pairs of columns of percentage calculations. You can pick and choose as you fancy! The totals at the bottom of the columns should add up to 100% and do - so that's good - it means we haven't missed anything and the calculations are good!

The first pair of columns show the percent for each base model as a percentage of current models (i.e. excludes S70, S90, V40 & V90). This shows the V70 way out ahead with 25% of all current Model IDs and 24% of all current model vehicles. This is followed in vehicle numbers by the S40 with 19.5% in second, the V50 with 12% in third and the XC90 in fourth with almost 11%. In terms of Model IDs the V70 is followed again by the S40 with 13%, but the S80 sneaks in, in third place, with 12%, pushing the V50 in to fourth place with 9%. Curiously (or maybe not) some models have a higher % of Model IDs and lower % of vehicles whereas other models have a lower % of Model IDs and higher % of vehicles (e.g. the C70 has 7.73% Model IDs & 4.65% vehicles whereas the S60 has 7.79% of Model IDs and 9.32% of vehicles - dunno what to make of that!). The claim in the Wikipedia pages for the XC60 being the best selling Volvo model since 2009 is not really showing in the numbers here with only 3.3% of vehicles but many of the others have been around a lot longer so maybe it is a fact. The XC70 with 3.5% of vehicles doesn't seem to be doing too well since it's been around since 2001 or so, whereas the XC90 took off like a train with almost 11% of all current models at the mo'. This agrees with the fact that one of the XC90s was the most numerous model in 2011q3 (see my last post - Part 1 - if you missed that). True, the V70 has 24% of all vehicles but it has 414 models compared with the more modest 88 for the XC90. The V60 with only two thirds of one percent of all vehicles looks a bit sad but it's only been around a very short time!

The second pair of columns show the percent for each base model as a percentage of all modern models, now including the S70, S90, V40 & V90. Here all the current models slip back a tad to make room for the additional models as expected. The S90 & V90 with a combined Model ID percentage of ca. 1% and a combined vehicle percentage of 0.17% don't make a big impression here but this is not surprising as they were the renamed 960 saloon & estate and only existed for around a year before being discontinued. The S70 has 3.2% of Model IDs and ca. 1% of vehicles having replaced the 850 saloon and existed for 3 years before being replaced by the S60. The V40, however, still has a sizeable chunk of the action with 4.4% of Model IDs and a very respectable 11.2% of vehicles.

The third pair of columns show the percent for each base model as a percentage of all Volvo models. Here again the modern models slip back a tad to accommodate the older models. The modern models in total now represent 78% of all Volvo Model IDs and ca. 89% of all Volvo vehicles. This leaves the older models with 22% of all Model IDs and ca. 11% of all vehicles (the breakdown of which is a job for another time!). The vehicle percent here for the S90 at 0.06% and the V90 at 0.09% look as though they are completely insignificant but think of it another way - if you have one of these its well worth looking after - they are getting rare and could be valuable in years to come!!

Well that's more than enough for now! In future posts I plan to see how Volvos stack up against the entire UK licensed stock, what is the % Volvos owned by VOC members, what are/were the most numerous models ever made (or rather licensed in the UK), have a look at the "one-off" models (& 2 off, 3 off, 5 off, etc.), have a closer look at the "missing" & "unknown" categories to see if any light can be shed on these, build a list of the most powerful Volvos built, and also work out how many Volvo models there are. This last point needs a serious clean up of the mess in terms of model names which is in the DVLA data before it can be sorted out. Also the Wikipedia Volvo Timeline (the diagram appearing at the bottom of many of the Volvo model articles in Wikipedia) needs some changes as it's not correct in some details.

If you have any other ideas or wish to see other stats you think would be interesting then let me know and I will try to include them later.

Attachments:

1. Volvo_SORN.xls
2. Volvo_SORN_Model_ID_Sort.xls
3. Volvo_Gone_marked.xls
4. Volvo_SORN_&Gone_marked.xls
5. Volvo_All_&Gone_marked.xls
6. Volvo_resurrected.doc
7. Volvo_SORN_&Gone_marked_revised.xls
8. Volvo_All_Numbers_1994.xls
9. Volvo_All_Model_Sort.xls
10. Volvo_Longevity.xls
11. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_C30.xls
12. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_C70.xls
13. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_S40.xls
14. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_S60.xls
15. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_S70.xls
16. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_S80.xls
17. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_S90.xls
18. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_V40.xls
19. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_V50.xls
20. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_V60.xls
21. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_V70.xls
22. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_V90.xls
23. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_XC60.xls
24. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_XC70.xls
25. Volvo_Modern_Sort_Model_XC90.xls
26. Volvo_Modern_Numbers.xls
27. Volvo_Missing.xls
28. Volvo_Old_Model_Sort.xls

Files 1-7 are in Volvo3.zip, file 8 is in Volvo4.zip, and files 9-28 are in Volvo5.zip.

Excel files (*.xls) have to be zipped to be sent over the internet because they can potentially contain some very nasty Macros and programs like Outlook and Internet Explorer will not allow them to be sent or received and Websites like the VOC Forum will not accept them as attachments (and rightly so!).

To get a copy of the attachments right click on the attachment, choose "Save Target As...", give it a destination directory where you want to save it on your computer and click "Save".

To open zip files double click on them and enter a directory where you want to extract them to (same as the zip file or a different one). Most operating systems will open and extract zip files these days - if this doesn't work you can download free or evaluation copies of WinZip or other Zip management software from the internet.

Hope you enjoyed the read. Until the next time, Cheers

[banksy66]

Mine is one of the 279 850 SE's on SORN

[minesa240x3]

Just to say"Awesome"You really do enjoy your figures don't you.
I will admit to skipping past some of the info but I'm probably no guiltier than any other owner looking for thier particulare model to see how rare it is.

You deserve a medal for actually doing all this work.How about applying for a job at the DVLA maybe thier records would actually start to make sense.
This just has to be the longest post ever unless your previouse amazing post was longer.
Many Thanks Brian.

[SonyVaio]

Yes, another congratulations required on another fantastic and man hour intensive post there.

You have certainly given a lot of time and dedication into them stats and figures.

Thank you again for a wonderful and informative post.

[volvo always]

Wow fantastic job I wouldn't have the patience.

James.

[Chris Wickers]

This would make a good article for the Driver!

Have just sent a PM about it.

Regards

Chris

[Dibble]

Very impressed. What a task. Well done.

[Dream3r]

This is CRYING out for MS access, definitely worth a look for your future projects.

Good work.

[DaveC19]

Thanks to all who responded for your kind comments. This started purely from my own curiosity and I thought it was rather interesting so I decided to share it with the community. Sorry they are a bit long but that is the nature of detail. Its there so people can check what I've done to assure themselves I'm not just quoting figures off the top of my head. I'm hoping to keep the mathsy bits to a minimum for the next one - which is already brewing in my head - but I'm off on hols for a couple of weeks so it won't be for a while.
Thanks again all.
As mentioned if anyone has any ideas on other stats of interest let me know and I'll try to include it.

[DaveC19]

Originally Posted by Dream3r

This is CRYING out for MS access, definitely worth a look for your future projects.

Hi Dream,
Not sure what is MS access - can you elaborate - I'd appreciate anything that can make things easier.