North America
A new plant was built in Köping (Sweden) to meet the market demands for the Aquamatic. In the US market alone some 2,000 Aquamatic drive packages were sold in 1965 and five years later the Americans bought over 5,000 AQ packages and nearly 4,000 drives. In the same year, almost 15,000 AQ packages and approximately 5,000 drives were sold in all of the company’s markets. Further important products during the 1960s included power sets and compressor units, and industrial engine deliveries rose the whole time to top 3,000 a year toward the end of the decade.
In 1965, the company changed its name to AB Volvo Penta. Subsidiaries were set up in England, Germany and Italy, inroads were made in South America, and the Dutch company Dieseltechniek was purchased. In Gothenburg, the growing staff at Penta found that they were running out of space – there were almost 500 of them at the end of the decade – so they moved to Volvo's Z-area in Gothenburg. During the 1960s, Volvo Penta’s industrial engines were highly sought after for irrigation and diesel-powered generator units. Not least of all was the classic 100-engine, which was exported in huge numbers to the Middle East for use in irrigation systems. To get a sense of their use, see the short film.
The Aquamatic was Volvo Penta's first megastar product in the 1960s and second major breakthrough in Penta's history. Thanks to the joint ventures that had been set up with Danish boat builders Botsved Boats, the Aquamatic became the choice for their newly designed Coronet model. During the early 60s, the Coronet became increasingly popular, not least in the US, and by the mid-1960s, success was guaranteed. After watching this instructive animation film, the installation process would've been the proverbial walk in the park.
