Volvo C70 convertible Owner's manual

Volvo Car Corporation
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Volvo C70 convertible - the European head turner this summer
This spring, the sky becomes the limit for the Volvo car buyers when the Volvo
C70 convertible makes its European debut.
Volvo's target is to sell between 2,500 and 3,000 convertibles in Europe during
1999 with sales starting in June.
The Volvo C70 convertible will be sold in 14 European countries this year - with
Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Holland and France as the
expected top markets.
"It's no secret that it has taken us longer than planned to make the Volvo C70 convertible
available to the European customers. So far, the convertible has only been available in
the USA, but this spring theUddevalla plant has gained enough capacity to make it
available in Europe, too", says Bo Annvik, head of marketing at Volvo Cars Market Area
Europe.
He adds:
"The Volvo C70 convertible is definitely worth waiting for. The true convertible owner
expects a comfortable car with lots of flair as well as well as a powerful image. The C70
has it all. Very attractive and distinctive design, exiting and comfortable handling, plenty
of room for four adults and a boot which swallows a couple of golf bags. Plus first class
safety systems which makes it a true Volvo."
" It is, of course, not a high volume car. Bu we are convinced that our convertible will be
one of the top head turners in the European traffic this summer."
New target groups
The Volvo C70 convertible is an important asset in Volvo's quest for new target groups,
people who earlier couldn't find what they were looking for in the Volvo range. Open
cars also attract a higher share of female buyers.
"By adding the coupe and now the convertible to the Volvo range we have attracted a
growing interest from new customer groups. Many of
them have never owned a Volvo
before", says Bo Annvik.

"The power and the sheer driving pleasure of the Volvo C70 coupe. Or the beauty and
comfort of the Volvo C70 convertible. Well, it might not be the cars you need, but is
definitely the cars that you desire..."
990501 HÅ

Volvo Car Corporation
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Volvo C70 convertible - a historical design challenge
For the first time ever, Volvo's design department has tackled the delicate
challenge to create a convertible.
It is 40 years since Volvo last produced an open car and it was not designed
within the company.
The Volvo C70 convertible, on the other hand, was designed under the
leadership of Volvo's design director Peter Horbury.
The first open Volvo, known as the O
V4, was produced in 1927 and was largely the
work of the artist
Helmer Mas-0lle ,
who presented a number of proposals for the way
the first series-manufactured cars should be designed.
The second open Volvo, the Volvo Sport from 1956, had a body made of plastic
. The car
was designed by the US company
Glasspar, which pioneered fibreglass car bodies and
boat hulls.
So the production of the Volvo C70 convertible was historical - and a challenge that was
very much out of the ordinary for Volvo's design department.
In principle, the assignment was formulated as four requests:
Create plenty of room for four adults in a car that looks like a two-seater
Make sure the car is equally attractive with the soft top up or down
No bulky soft top above the bodywork
Clear, elegant lines, just like the
coupé model
Just as in the development of the C70 coupé , it
was a question of creating a car customers
want rather than a car they need.
Horbury's team designed both the C70
coupé
and the C70 convertible at the same time to
obtain total harmony between their designs. The C70 convertible imposed perhaps even
greater demands when it came to the genuine cohesion of the lines, as the vital design
element of the roof is missing.
New image calls for new lines
The Volvo C70 coupé
and convertible have been created to expand Volvo's business by
attracting new customers, customers who have not been reached by previous Volvo
models.

For this reason, both the C70 models have to be seen as totally new cars. Modified
versions of the Volvo 850 would have made people think of previous Volvo coupés, like
the 262 or 780, both of which were unmistakable two-door versions of saloons.
However, a four-seater car which gives the impression of being a two-seater dramatically
modifies that image. The C70 is sporty, elegant and different, while refining the identity
of the Volvo brand name at the same time; a number of striking features, a mixture of
innovation and tradition.
The bonnet is a fine example of the way the family affiliation is underlined. It is a perfect
match for the C70's shape and lines and blends in elegantly with the new language of
design. At the same time, it has an unmistakable Volvo look as a result of its upright
grille.
Even if the Volvo C70 differs from other Volvo cars in every other respect, the
resemblance can most definitely be seen in the front section.
Open cars step up the design requirements
An open car like the Volvo C70 convertible must have a design which produces soft,
clean lines with the soft top up and which does not create an impersonal impression with
it down.
Anyone looking at the Volvo C70 convertible will immediately see how this is
counteracted by the positive line across the body which "raises" the rear.
A gentle curvature makes the car appear to "lift" behind the door, without being too high.
This has the opposite effect to the appearance of a flat bath tub.
The design makes effective use of the "hips" which convey an impression of tense
muscles and forward movement. A great deal of the power and inherent energy of the car
is gathered in the rear section, the muscles around the rear wheels.
This is important as it is these parts of the car which are responsible for a great deal of
the visual impression created by an open car, as it has no roof and rear roof pillars. A soft
top does not have the same ability as a roof to hold a design together. It is up to the rear
of the car to convey the feeling of power and movement.
Scandinavian character
Inside, the C70 is characterised by its Scandinavian design heritage. The interior radiates
a sense of elegant simplicity, top-class quality and functionality. The aim has been to
create harmony and balance between the interior and exterior.
The lines are clean and the overall design is uncomplicated. Fine quality in every
material. The idea is that everything should be pleasant to touch, while creating a sense
of beauty and elegance at the same time. The leather is superb and many of the interior
colour schemes are light - with darker alternatives for people who prefer them.

To extend the range of choice still further, the soft top comes in a number of colours to
match the exterior paintwork.
HA /AN 990501

Volvo Car Corporation
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Volvo C70 convertible - a new safety dimension for open cars
The Volvo C70 convertible is very definitely also a car for our sixth sense -
common sense.
It sets a new safety standard for open cars, by being the first car on the
convertible market with automatic seatbelt pretensioners on all four seats,
for example.
The Volvo C70 convertible has a structure which is based on the Volvo S70 and has
basically the same safety features, with the same high level of safety in frontal, rear and
side impacts.
However, for natural reasons, roll-overs are the greatest challenge when it comes to the
safety design of an open car. One or more systems have to take over the supporting
function performed by the roof.
In the Volvo C70 convertible, the A-pillars and windscreen frame are reinforced with
special steel and, in combination with the automatic roll-over hoops at the rear, they
provide top-class protection if the car turns over.
This system is known as ROPS, Roll Over Protection System.
The roll-over hoops are concealed behind the standard head restraints. They are activated
if the car turns over. A special sensor ensures that these hoops shoot up above head
height. At the front, the strong A-pillars and windscreen frame function as a roll-over
hoop.
Four pretensioners
The ROPS
system also includes four seatbelt pretensioners which are activated by the
same sensor which triggers the front airbags. This sensor is situated in the centre console
between the front seats.
All the belt pretensioners are pyrotechnical. A powder charge pulls a wire which then
tightens the belt on the reel. The pretensioner is located next to the reel.
By tightening the belt at lighting speed in an accident, the pretensioner eliminates slack
in the belt. If the car rolls over, it is naturally very important that the occupants are held
firmly in place in their seats.
ROPS
is part of the Volvo C70 convertible's total protection system, which also includes
a powerful basic structure, one or two front airbags, the SIPS side impact protection
system with its associated SIPS bags, and the new Whiplash Protection System, WHIPS.

Protective horseshoe and new side airbags
The SIPS system functions in the same way as it does in other models, but its appearance
differs. As the roof is included in the SIPS system in other Volvo cars, different design
solutions have to be used to do the corresponding work in the convertible. As a result, the
structure round the passenger compartment is shaped like a horseshoe and absorbs and
dissipates the collision energy very effectively.
The Volvo C70 convertible is equipped with the new second-generation side airbag, the
SIPS bag. This is larger than the previous bag and protects both the chest and head.
The SIPS bag is fitted in the outer edge of the front-seat backrest and has long been
standard on all Volvo models. Since it is integrated in the seat, the side airbag is always
beside the occupant regardless of how the seat is adjusted, thus ensuring optimum
protection.
The original purpose of the side airbag was to reduce the risk of chest and abdominal
injuries by providing a cushion between the occupant and the intruding car side.
The new airbag, which offers extended protection, is really two in one. A lower section
still protects the chest and abdomen while a new upper section protects the head in most
types of side impacts.
Thanks to the electronic sensors, the system provides an precise activating of the SIPS
bag in different types of side impacts. The lower section is inflated after a hundredth of a
second and the upper section after just over two hundredths of a second.
New whiplash protection system
Volvo has developed a new car seat which is designed to reduce the injuries from year-
end collisions at low and moderate speeds. The WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System)
seats were introduced in the Volvo S80 last year and they are now a standard feature in
both front seats in all Volvo models, including the C70 convertible.
The WHIPS seat is activated when the occupant is forced back against the backrest and
head restraint in rear impact.
The entire upper body and head is cushioned in a balanced, gentle manner as the backrest
and head restraint move backwards in a parallel movement in this way, the distance
between the head and head restraint is kept as short as possible. This is highly important,
as the risk of a whiplash injury is reduced if the head movement is minimised.
When the initial cushioning process is complete, the backrest is tipped backwards while
absorbing energy to enable the body to continue being cushioned in a balanced manner.
This also reduces the forward rebound which takes place in the end of the collision.

The design work has focues on minimising three things. The first is the collision pulse to
which the occupant is subjected, the second is movements in the spine and the third is the
forward rebound. Three vital areas in the aim to reduce the whiplash problem.
Basic safety principle
The basic principle for the safety level of open cars was established back in the 1950s,
when the open car known as the Volvo Sport was planned.
"If Volvo is going to build an open car, it has to be safe."
The fact that the Volvo C70 convertible is the modern response to this challenge can be
seen here. Flair, comfort and driving pleasure in an elegant, safe packaging.
990501 HA /AN

Volvo Car Corporation
Press Information
A Volvo
C70 convertible - a special listening experience
The Volvo C70
coupé and convertible are equipped with one of the most
advanced and sophisticated factory-fitted, in-car audio system on the
market.
Right back at the concept stage, it was decided that the C70 was to be a
rolling concert hall and the audio features were incorporated as part of the
complete car.
For accessibility and quality reasons, the best solution is to fit an advanced audio system
when the car is built.
The C70 convertible is equipped with no fewer than ten loudspeakers of different types
in the standard version. Anyone who so wishes can specify a package with 12 or 13
speakers as an option.
These speakers have been specially developed, adapted and positioned to match the car
perfectly both acoustically and mechanically. At the same time, they have also been
adapted to one another to produce the best possible results with uniform frequency and
low distortion.
The loudspeakers have been developed in collaboration with Danish Dynaudio, one of
the world's leading companies in the hi-fi field.
Dual three-way system can be heard and felt
The loudspeaker system in the Volvo C70 convertible has the following design. A three-
way system is used at both the front and rear. At the front, there are two 8" woofers, two
4" mid-range speakers and two 1" tweeters to produce a clean sound with a wide
frequency range.
At the rear, there are two 6.5" bass/mid-range speakers and two tweeters. Two 9" bass
speakers - also known as sub-woofers - can be specified as an option.
These large sub-woofers can be mutes by rear-seat passengers as the sub-woofers are
positioned behind the backrest. So it is a question of feeling the sound as much as
hearing it in the convertible's rear seat.
High performance in terms of sound as well
However, these speakers cannot achieve anything on their own. They have to be fed by
amplifiers, radios and other sources of sound.