Volvo Penta

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For other meanings of the word "Penta", see Penta.

Volvo Penta is a subsidiary and a business area of Volvo. It provides engines and complete power systems to leisure boats, workboats, power-generating equipment and similar industrial applications. The business also manufacturers sterndrive systems.

Volvo Penta operates worldwide and has one of the industry's strongest brand names and the largest dealer networks with more than 5,000 dealers globally. The engine program comprises diesel and gasoline engines with power outputs of between 10 and 2,000 hp (between 0.75 and 1,500 kilowatts).

[edit] History

In 1868 engineer John G Grönvall founded a mechanical work shop and foundry in Skövde, Sweden. The business of John G Grönvall & Co was to supply everyday items. The company became limited in 1875, known as Sköfd Gjuteri och Mekaniska Verkstad or simply Gjuteriet. Products ranged from pots and vents to stoves and brewery equipment. Soon Gjuteriet also started manufacturing agriculture equipment and various equipment for sawing mills.

The company expanded heavily in the early 1900s and started producing steam engines and water turbines for hydraulic power plants.

In 1907 a very fruitful co-operation with the Stockholm based engineering company Fritz Egnell begun with a one cylinder 3 hp compression ignition engine. The engine was simply named B1 but a five men committee was set to find a name that would catch on. The committee failed, but as they were five, they settled for Penta.

In 1916 Egnell bought the company and the name changed to AB Pentaverken. Production was concentrated to engines, mostly for maritime applications.

The years right after WW1 were economically very harsh, but a new product saved the company. It was the small two cylinder U2 outboard engine designed by Carl-Axel Skärlund. The U2 was slightly improved in 1926 and renamed U21. It remained in production as long as till 1962. The U2/U21 was a great success and exported worldwide. In many countries U21 is still synonymous with outboard engine.

In 1925 Penta was approached by Assar Gabrielsson, the founder of Volvo, who needed an engine for the first Volvo automobile. Penta then designed the 4 cylinder 28 hp side valve Typ DA engine for the Volvo ÖV 4.

In 1935 Penta became a subsidiary of Volvo and produced the vast majority of all Volvo engines for some years.