Stockholm  - US car giant Ford is in touch with "a number" of prospective buyers over its loss-making Swedish subsidiary Volvo Cars, reports said Wednesday.

London-based Ford spokesman John Gardiner told the online edition of Goteborgs-Posten he could confirm that Ford is in discussions about the future of Volvo.

Gardiner told Swedish radio news that Ford had contacted its employees in the west coast city of Gothenburg about the discussions.

"Ford has been very pleased with the number and quality of these parties, and we have already had preliminary discussions with them to try and determine their level of interest in Volvo," he said.

"We are now talking in more detail to those parties about the future for Volvo."

Gardiner did not offer details of possible buyers or the price for the Swedish car maker that Ford bought in 1999. (dpa)