This article was supplied via VCBC N/L; written by Steve [Seekins] of VCOA; It is reprinted for the general Volvo owner's benefit, because it involves all of us.

     Recently one of our list members asked about availability of parts for older Volvos. I put the question to Volvo and they provided me some information on current status/ plans. In the near future, Volvo will no longer offer parts for some of the older models due to the high cost of maintaining inventory and the pressing requirements for maintaining inventories on current models.
   

    The following should shed some light on Volvo's approach to making older parts available to those owners who still maintain their older models. Volvo Car Corp. in Sweden recently sold all unique parts for older model vehicles (pre-140 series to a company in Sweden call Classic Parts. In the near future, it is anticipated that they will also sell the 140 and 780 parts to Classic as well

• With the proliferation of new models, there is a need to make room for the new parts in our Distribution Centers.
    

• The older parts have relatively low volume and require a disproportionately high level of attention and cost compared to our
  normal parts volume. 
  
• Classic Parts sells directly to Volvo retailers in Europe and does not sell outside the Volvo network.
• Temporarily, we have been ordering these parts
  to meet retailers' needs in North America.
  
• It has been decided that classic should find a solution to distribute parts in North America in order that we can also remove these from our distribution centers for the same reasons outlined above.
  
• We think there may be an opportunity for the right Volvo retailer(s) to handle this business.
     
• The decision as to what retailer(s) is (are) chosen will be totally up to Classic Parts. Our involvement is to simply ascertain retailer interest and
  forward this to Classic.
  
• The retailers that are selected would be responsible for supplying product information, producing price lists, as well as marketing these parts to other retailers. The selected retailers would have to have systems to order parts directly from Classic, handle importation of the products, maintain an inventory, price the parts, sell to Volvo retailers, and handle all invoicing.
  
• All North American dealers have been provided with a list of items that Classic Parts considers essential in order to be considered for involvement as a North American supplier for them.