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You will be able to find here news about the latest Volvo scale models which have been announced or just been released. |
Minichamps has just announced the release of an already third run of their 1:18 scale version of the Volvo 244 GL from model-year 1986. The third production batch will be offered in white. The interior reflects once again black leather seats. The first two batches sold out quite fast so this is your chance to grab yourself the first 1:18 scale model of Volvo's iconic brick - the Volvo 244. You can already pre-order this model under item 155171402 at your local store. This model is offered for ± 75-80 € . This white model will be produced in a limited edition of 504 units. Model overview:
Source: minichamps.de
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… the new low budget range by Minichamps. Minichamps has announced earlier this year at the Nürnberg toy fair that they will offer a selection of 1:43 and 1:18 scale models under the label Maxichamps. The name and price range is not the only difference between this new label and Minchamps classic product range. A very obvious visual difference is the fact that each Maxichamps model is directed to the right whereas all Minichamps models always point to the left. There is only a limited number of options a company can choose from to be able to offer more competitive prices for their scale model range. One would be cutting their profit margin. But that is most often the last option a company will opt for. Minichamps choose however to lower the details, amount of exterior trim, decals, prints, simplified interiors, etc. A less detailed model demands less handling and machining operations during the manufacturing process and makes it therefore less expensive. The 1:43 scale Maxichamps models will probably be offered around € 30. That means that they were able to cut the retail price nearly by half. How good or bad the final quality shall be seen later this year. Maxichamps has announced so far six Volvo models. They consist of three different cars each available in two different colors. These diecast models are forms which Minichamps has offered for some time in their regular model program. The Lang family, owner of Minichamps, however pretends that both of her labels are not set up to create a potential competition against each other. It is not the first time that Minichamps is trying to attract the novice collector with a cheaper product range. There has been a series of three-inch models in previous years which failed miserably. A total of 102 various youngtimer as well as modern street cars have so far been announced. They consist of 26 1:18 and 76 1:43 models which are all taken and known from Minichamps standard product range from the past. It seems to me that they have not yet finished implementing their new brand and label strategy. I have noticed that not yet all of the announced and shown Maxichamps models point to the right. They still point to the left on their dedicated new website maxichamps.de as well as in the free catalog given away earlier this year at the Nürnberg toy fair. But the first hand-samples shown on Minichamps website point all to the right. Well let's wait and see. Anyhow the so far announced Volvo scale models are:
As you may have noticed they didn't had much pleasure nor effort offering a lot of new paint schemes. Quite a shame. It's a pretty close copy-paste from Minichamps product range which we all know from the past years.
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These Volvo PV544 which had been extensively modified to handle the extreme rally-cross races were driven by the Swedes Roland 'Grus-Kalle' Brändströms and Thomas Radström. Each version sells for officially for 595 SEK (± 63 € / ± 69 $). The three versions are now available at the website grus-kalle.se. This website is run by the oldest son of Roland "Grus-Kalle" Brändströms. PVNo1 | 1959 Volvo PV544 Rallycross – season 1978 – driver: Roland 'Grus-Kalle' Brändströms PVNo2 | 1958 Volvo PV544 Rallycross – season 1983 – driver: Roland 'Grus-Kalle' Brändströms PVNo3 | 1958 Volvo PV544 Rallycross – season 1985-91 – driver: Thomas Rådström Sources:
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Premium-X has released a rtr model of the Volvo P1800 ES 'Rocket'. This Volvo concept car is available as 1:43 scale model. It is made out of resin and not diecast. Premium-X offers the scale model for 49.95 € under item number PR0494R.
The Italian coach builder Carozzerria Pietro Frua designed and built this prototype back in 1968. This shooting brake prototype was nicknamed the 'Rocket' because of its shape. It was built from a coupe taken from the production line and sent to Frua in Italy for this prototype to be built. The original car was white then repainted gold by Frua. It has been resprayed metallic blue and can be seen today in the Volvo Museum in Göteborg (Sweden). The prototype was listed as project P183. Volvo declined the Rocket for production because it was 'too radical'. This scale model will not be part of the Volvo Collection by Editions. My guess is however that Premium-X will release this model also in another color since the first two models were painted white and gold.
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Further reading:
The Volvo C303 and Volvo C304 are not really properly standard cars. So I normally wouldn't present this type of Volvo model here on minivolvo. But I have decided to make an exception and to post this new release right here since these Volvo light utility vehicles are a pretty rare sight among the scale model world. The German manufacturer Arsenal-M is specialized in H0 (1:87) military models. They have added this week both Volvo models to their standard model program. The Volvo C303 and C304 are kits made out of resin. The overall quality of these kits is extremely high and they are not intended for children. The target group for this kind of kits is the experienced modeller seeking to have a perfect miniature of the real thing. Volvo produced a total of 8718 units between 1974 and 1984. Three basic versions were available:
Arsenal-M offers this very boxy Volvo in two versions:
VOLVO C303 4x4 with portal axles and closed cab VOLVO C304 6x6 with portal axles and closed cab The number sixty-five in the Volvo Collection by Editions Atlas is the Volvo PV36 Polis. Volvo manufactured the luxurious PV36 between 1935 and 1938. Volvo's design for this car was styled similarly to the then strikingly modern Chrysler Airflow. Volvo styling was heavily influenced by North American auto-design trends in the 1930s and 1940s, many of the company's senior engineers having previously worked in the US Auto-industry. As surprising this may sound but Volvo's PV36 delivered also a smaller batch of cars to the Swedish Polis (Police) forces. Editions Atlas has chosen to include this model into their Volvo Collection. This scale model has been fitted with all the small modifications, signs and details which have initially been added to the regular PV36. Source & copyright: media.volvocars.com
Norev has announced new colors for the Volvo V60 and Volvo XC60. A precise release date has not yet been communicated. This allows you to safe enough money for these 1:43 scale diecast models. Source: Norev
The 1:43 scale model of the all-new XC90 seems to be a good seller. Volvo's merchandising department is offering a new color for their luxury SUV. This is the third color for an official Volvo model. This hasn't happened for quite some time. It seems that they do abandon their company policy to offer each model only in two color versions. The latest version is offered in a light to medium grey metallic paint called "osmium grey". This 1:43 diecast model is made by Norev. It is available under Item number 2300597-150-000 for €47.60 inclusive tax. Previous colors offered by Volvo's merchandising department were "onyx black" and "luminous sand". Norev has recently released the XC90 in their regular product line. The first color is 'crystal white metallic' and the second one "twilight bronze". Both are already sold out at Norev. I'm however sure that a couple more colors will follow later this year. You can order the official Volvo merchandising models @ collection.volvocars.com
The number sixty-four in the Volvo Collection by Editions Atlas is the Volvo 145 USA. This model reflects the export version for the US market which featured larger bumpers to fulfill the new 'passenger car bumper standard' from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). These large bumpers did not look as good on a lot of other cars then they did on Volvo's. The larger bumpers made look most MG's, Triumph's, Alfa's, Maserati's, Mercedes, Porsche's, BMW's, Peugoet's, .... quite awkward. Volvo's way to adopt and integrate them into their model range looked more elegant. It went well with Volvo's boxy design and was a design element for many more years to come. At the end of November 1967, Volvo presented the third variant in what was now developing into a complete car family known as the 140 series: the Volvo 145. The Volvo 145 was a 5-door estate with a rear section that had a virtually vertical tailgate. Everybody agreed that this was a safe, comfortable and extremely practical and spacious car. The cargo volume was more than 2 cubic meters and the floor of the cargo area was completely flat. This design of the rear section has since become a well-known characteristic of all Volvo estates. The annual changes were mainly the same as were introduced in parallel on the 2- and 4-door versions. A visible change took place in 1970, when the rearmost side window disappeared in favor of a longer one-piece window behind the rear doors. [....]
The number sixty-three in the Volvo Collection by Editions Atlas is the Volvo PV51 convertible from 1937. Nordbergs Vagnfarik in Stockholm designed and built the body for this convertible. This is the first time a properly designed scale model is being offered of this rare prewar Volvo. Editions Atlas recreated the open roof quite well. And I'm very glad that they choose this handsome paint scheme rather than the boring white over white combo which you can see further down.
Volvo introduced their PV51 range in 1936 and stopped production at the end of the second world war. Volvo slightly improved and changed the model over the years. The various versions were:
Source & copyright : Editions Atlas SA, Switzerland
VOLVO PV51-7 (1936-1945)
The following photos do show a 1937 Volvo PV51 convertible which has been sold last year (Okt 19, 2015) for 74 350 EUR (80 815 EUR including auction fees) in Sweden by Göteborgs Auktionsverk
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