STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Eighty years after Volvo’s first truck was built with 28 horsepower and a carrying capacity of 1.5 tones, the Swedish company is now one of the largest heavy truck makers in the world.

The drawings for Volvo’s Series 1 were already complete when the company’s first passenger car left the factory on 14 April 1927, so the truck could be introduced soon after, in February 1928.

Economist Assar Gabrielsson was just 33 years old when he became sales manager of Svenska Kullagerfabriken (SKF). He met a former colleague in 1924, an engineer widely acclaimed for his technical expertise, Gustaf Larson. Together they embarked on a mission to create a vehicle maker that would revolutionize safety.

The company, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, has come along way in the heavy diesel power department. Recently, Volvo unveiled one of the most powerful trucks in the world, with 660 hp engine that can haul 200 tones.

It has also increased its presence in North America in recent years, both with its own product and through the acquisition Mack Trucks.

The aim was to generate economies of scale so as to develop more efficient trucks that meet both forthcoming environmental legislation and increasingly tough productivity demands.

During the following years, truck operations were successfully integrated within the Volvo Group. And today, the brands live and develop alongside each other.