A history of Stena AB, the Swedish passenger ship operator founded by Sten Allan Olsson and covering the period 1962-2012. Initially running passenger ferries on Scandanavian routes, the company soon extended its operations to car and cross-Channel ferries. Merging with rivals Sessanlinjen in 1981 and taking over Lion Ferry's routes from 1982, the company developed an increasingly global reach with attempts to expand into North American and Eastern European routes. In 1989, Stena secured ownership of the Zeeland Steamship Company (SMZ) joint operators with Sealink British Ferries of the Hook of Holland - Harwich route and in 1990 took control of Sealink British Ferries owned by Sea Containers. Stena extended its operations to the Dover Strait and Irish Sea routes, rebranding firstly as the Stena Sealink Line, then Stena Line. Illustrated throughout with photographs of Stena Line's vessels.