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Who We Are |
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| | | | | Fast Facts | | | |   | Our Market | | | | | Competitors | | | | | Customers | | | | | Governance | | | | | Board of Directors | | | | | Committees | | | | | Senior Management | | | | | Compensation | | | | | Shareholders Meeting | | | | | Proxy Statements | | | | | Articles of Association | | | | | Codes of Conduct | | | | | Reporting Structure | | | | | Manufacturing | | | | | Awards | | | | | Quality | | | | | Tools - Methodologies | | | | | Social Responsibility | | | | | Environmental Policy | | | | | History | |
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| Who We Are |
| World Leader in Automotive Safety |
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Autoliv Inc. was started in 1997 as a merger of Europe's leading automotive safety company, Autoliv AB of Sweden, and Morton ASP (Automotive Safety Products), the leading airbag manufacturer in North America and Asia.
Autoliv AB pioneered seatbelt technology in 1956, while Morton ASP had been a leader in airbag development and was involved in the launch in 1980 of the first airbag system that became a commercial success. In 1992, Autoliv began manufacturing textile cushions for driver airbags using its new one-piece-weaving (OPW) technology. This patented technology turned out to be instrumental for the Inflatable Curtain, which was introduced in 1998.
Autoliv AB was acquired in 1974 by Gränges Weda AB, which had manufactured seatbelt retractors since the 1960's. In 1980, the Gränges Group (later re-named SAPA) was acquired by Electrolux. In 1984, the name of Gränges Weda was changed to Electrolux Autoliv.
Throughout the 1980's and the 1990's, Autoliv expanded through a number of acquisitions of seatbelt manufacturers, predominantly in Europe, but also in Australia and New Zealand (e.g., Klippan Italia S.p.A. in 1985 with operations in France, Germany, Italy and Spain; Britax Overseas Ltd in 1988 with operations in Australia, Germany and the UK as well as Autoflug Sicherheitstechnik GmbH in 1992 with operations in Germany) |
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| 1994 |
| Electrolux sells its shares in Autoliv through a public offering and the shares are listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. The name is changed to Autoliv AB. The world's first side-impact airbag is introduced by Autoliv. |
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| 1995 |
| Autoliv, in three steps, acquires the shares of Isodelta, to develop airbags with integrated steering wheels. Isodelta is a leading steering wheel producer in Europe. |
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| 1996 |
| Autoliv acquires Autoliv Hammarverken AB and Autoliv Mekan AB and forms Autoliv Seat Sub-Systems. |
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| 1997 |
| Autoliv AB, Europe's leading automotive safety company, and Morton ASP, the leading airbag manufacturer in North America and Asia, merge to form Autoliv, Inc.
Autoliv acquires one of its main suppliers, Marling Industries plc including the subsidiary Van Oerle Alberton, the world leading producer of seatbelt webbing. |
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| 1998 |
| Autoliv acquires Nokia's 50% interest in Autoliv-Nokia and Nokia's automotive related business. Autoliv also acquires Sagem's 50% interest in Sagem-Autoliv, the other joint venture for airbag electronics. In addition, Autoliv acquires most of the assets of Sensor Technologies - a Japanese airbag and airbag sensor manufacturer - and starts to construct a production plant there. Production of steering wheels begins in the United States. |
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| 1999 |
| Autoliv increases its holding in Livbag - a leading European manufacturer of gasgenerator for airbags - to 66% and receives another option to acquire the remaining shares in two steps in 2001 and 2003. Close to 50% of the shares are acquired in the Estonian company Norma, the dominant seatbelt supplier to the Russian car industry. This interest is increased at the beginning of 2000 to 51%. |
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