If rumours are to be believed then Volvo may find itself up for sale next month as parent company Ford looks to shore-up its financial position.

At this stage it appears Chinese manufacturers are the most likely buyers. You would have to think that the European marques would struggle to fit Volvo onto their books.

Does this mean we could see the likes of Shanghai Automotive Industries China (SsangYong owners), Chery, or Great Wall Motors taking the helm at Volvo? Only time will tell, but we’re certain such a move would ruffle a few proud Swedish feathers - and maybe some in the boardrooms of Volvo.

As the established automotive manufacturers struggle to weather the financial storm brought about by the global economic crisis, Chinese manufacturers are quietly making the best of the situation. It will be interesting to see the results of all this moving and shaking a few years from now.

Ford considered a similar move back in 1999 when it went looking for over USD$6 billion. Given the amount of poo that’s sitting on nearly all car makers’ books at the moment, what Ford asks for and what it actually gets may be very different figures.