The two first got to know each other when PG Gyllenhammar worked at Volvo and Ingvar Carlsson sat in the government.
We had a professional relationship that dealt with Volvo and business life in Sweden and that type of issues, says Ingvar Carlsson.
Over time, the relationship developed into a friendship and every time Gyllenhammar visited Stockholm, they had a meal together.
Gyllenhammar was a person who was not always easy to deal with, according to Carlsson.
He had very strong opinions. He drove them hard and did not hesitate to express them, so he had opponents both within the business community and politics.
At the same time, he, despite his role as a corporate leader, had very good contact with the Metal Workers' Union, the trade union that operated within Volvo.
What does it say about him as a person?
When you got close to him, you discovered that he was a very loyal friend. You may not always noticed it in official contexts, but I had the privilege of experiencing it.
Carlsson also describes Gyllenhammar as "a true Gothenburger":
He engaged in cultural issues and in that way participated in Gothenburg's development. Not just as a Volvo representative, but he was very engaged in the municipality becoming successful.
