Visitors of vvspy.com will never see the words ‘fan’ or ‘enthusiast’ on the three-year-old international Web site even though the Belguim-based Webmaster and site owner admits he’s a Volvo fan and personally drives a 360 GLS. Instead, Joachim Crombez refers to his Web site as Volvo journalism where all aspects of Volvos are discussed – the good and not so good. “Of course I feature a lot of pro-Volvo articles, but I’ll never avoid criticism and start a discussion about things that should change,” he says.

Aside from taking a journalistic approach, Joachim keeps his site “cozy and corporate,” meaning vvspy.com looks professional but provides visitors with a friendly interactive experience.

The site has evolved over the years. It started in 1998 when Joachim added a Volvo section to his personal Web site. At the time, his goal was simply to feature photos of his new 360 GLS, and provide links to ‘real’ Volvo sites. But he soon realized that most visitors to his sites were linking to other Volvo resources, so Joachim extended his section on the Swedish-made vehicle and created the name volvospy. In 1999, he bought the domain name volvospy.com, added his first forum and designed a professional Web site dedicated to Volvos. Recently, Joachim changed the name to vvspy.com to avoid potential issues with Volvo manufacturers.

Driving Volvos runs in Joachim’s family. His father owned a 144 and two 244s, and is planning to buy a new V70 soon. His mother and brother drive 460s, and his uncle has owned a 480, 740, 960, S70 and S780. “If you grew up among Volvos, you start to love them,” he notes.

While Joachim knows a lot about older and performance Volvos and has driven and ridden in his share of them, vvspy.com offers news, facts and admittedly gossip about new and future models only. The site is easy to maneuver through because by design it doesn’t include high-resolution graphics or photos. “I want vvspy.com to be the conscience of Volvo – for and by visitors,” he says. “And I want to make sure the site is fast. I want to give everybody the chance to visit, even those with a 14k modem.”

Joachim was born in Bruges, Belgium, but moved to Ghent five years ago to study Computer Science and Business Administration. He now works as an e-Business Consultant. He refers to vvspy.com as a “time-consuming hobby,” working on the site before and after work and on weekends. “After all these years, I still enjoy working on it. When I see the site growing, it encourages me.”

Currently, Vvspy.com receives 2,500 visitors a day from around the world. The Web site includes a news section with some articles written by Joachim, as well as news and information from official Volvo sources. For example, visitors of vvspy.com can now read details about the 2002 Volvo XC90 SUV that will be launched at the Detroit Auto Show in this January.

In addition to official Volvo news, and most importantly according to Joachim, articles and information are written by Web site visitors who share their thoughts or (dis)pleasure with other Volvo-minded people.

The site also features the vvspy.com “crew,” which is a group of volunteer Volvo supporters who offer tips, guidance, personal opinions, as well as moderate vvspy.com forums representing different Volvo models. In addition, Joachim and his crew have a private forum where they discuss Web site-related business and evaluate ideas sent in by visitors.

To enhance vvspy.com Joachim includes links to other Volvo resources such as volvotuning.com. To financially support it, which requires payment for up to 1000 MB of information sent to and from the site daily, Joachim has formed promotional partnerships with select businesses. One of those partners is Swedish Engineering, who reports that it has received 268 hits in a single month of banner advertising, and 100 hits from its link.

For Joaquim, vvspy.com is an interactive site where Volvo lovers can ask questions and give opinions. “People are always free to share their Volvo experiences with other Volvo fans on the Web site,” he says. “I rely on people’s enthusiasm to keep the vvspy.com going.”