What is a beautiful car?

The designers of the Volvo Concept Universe wanted to find out what a beautiful car is. Their mission? To test a possible new design direction for the Scandinavian car brand since it was acquired by Chinese firm, Geely.

“You are banned from drawing cars for a week. Draw sculptures instead.” An unusual instruction for automotive designers, perhaps, but one that Volvo’s strategic design manager, Jonathan Disley, insisted had to be followed. 

Eight thousand hours later, the luxurious hand-built Universe Concept was born, its fluid lines and sculptural quality the result of Jonathan’s order. 

“It still honours the beautiful lines of classic Volvo models but without the edges; all lines are infinite, marking distinctive inspiration from Scandinavian furniture design, as well as Chinese writing,” he said. 

A striking feature of the car’s interior is the decor- and fashion-inspired design details. The leather seats have backrests made from first-class wool usually reserved for bespoke suits. When opened, the pockets reveal fine stitching and lining fabric in a strong accent colour. The walnut centre panel features a design in hand-painted blue-and-white china – a nod to Volvo’s new owner.

The Concept Universe luxury sedan was unveiled with a bang at the Shanghai Motor Show to reveal the Volvo design team’s answer to the question they set out to answer: a beautiful car should feel handcrafted, sparking a feeling of eternal beauty – an artful, timeless blend of design and technology. We’d love to take it for a spin.

www.volvocars.com