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New Volvo ad remembers the joy of rear-facing jump seats

With the rise in popularity of first the minivan and later the crossover as the default family vehicle, there have been about 20 years of children who have missed out on the joy of rear-facing jump seats in station wagons. It means kids today don't know the pleasure to be found in making faces or lewd gestures at other drivers while their parents can't see. Plus, they don't know the slightly nauseous feeling of watching the world pass by in reverse. However, a group of filmmakers look back with nostalgia at this increasingly uncommon automotive feature in a new ad for the 2015 Volvo V60.
As part of its sponsorship of the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, Volvo commissions a team each year to create an advertisement to be shown during the festival. This year's shows how the company's buyers have gone from riding in the back to driving the brand's cars. Scroll down to check out the charming ad, along with some wistful looks at classic Volvo wagons, before the jump seat is forgotten.

Which car companies are creating new jobs in America?

Since January, automakers have announced investments totaling $9.5 billion in U.S. plants, creating or retaining more than 12,000 jobs. Some of those companies have yet to announce just how many jobs will be created given their investments, with the location of many of those jobs still to be determined. Specifically, the 4,000-job Toyota-Mazda joint venture plant still hasn't announced its location, with numerous states jockeying for it. Hyundai has plans to invest $1 billion but has not announced a jobs number yet. And likewise Ford is investing $1.2 billion in Michigan without specifying a number of jobs. Volvo this week announced plans to add a second line to its factory under construction in South Carolina, spending another $500 million and adding 2,500 jobs to the 2,000 it was already trying to fill. Then Thursday, Daimler announced a $1 billion expansion to its facility in Tuscaloosa, Ala., to produce EV batteries and electric SUVs, a move that will add 600 jobs to its hiring this year. Above, we've created a handy pie chart showing you which companies have announced new jobs and how many there will be. Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit News Source: Reuters Plants/Manufacturing BMW Chrysler Ford GM Honda Hyundai Mazda Mercedes-Benz Toyota Volvo jobs

Geely to sell $1.3 billion of Volvo Truck shares

China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group is selling the entirety of its Class B shares in truckmaker Volvo AB that were worth 14.46 billion Swedish krona ($1.32 billion) at the close of trading in Stockholm. In a statement, Geely said the divestment is “in accordance with its long-term strategy” and that it will remain VolvoÂ’s second-largest investor with 88.5 million A shares. “Geely HoldingÂ’s strategic adjustment and inclusion of AB Volvo in its automotive manufacturing and investment portfolio is part of the groupÂ’s risk management and diversified investment strategy,” the company said.   Geely is offering the 49.5 million shares through BofA Securities, Goldman Sachs Bank Europe and Barclays, according to a term sheet. The Sweden-based holding company that owns GeelyÂ’s stock guided that itÂ’s selling for SEK285.9 a share, a more than 2% discount from its closing price. Volvo reported first-quarter operating profit that beat analystsÂ’ expectations on Wednesday, as the truckmaker offset waning orders by charging higher prices. The company has been reducing production as demand returns to more typical levels following a post-pandemic recovery period. Its shares have advanced 12% this year. Geely pared its stake in Volvo in January and also sold some of its holding in Volvo Car AB in November. The holding company behind one of ChinaÂ’s most prominent carmakers early this year had to bail out Polestar, the struggling electric-vehicle manufacturer it started along with Volvo Car.   Earnings/Financials Volvo Truck Commercial Vehicles volvo trucks