They are : typical Kiko blister with white cardboard base painted body with unusual white bottom-plate a small plastic pin placed in the two bottom holes and wearing the logo 'FAB ZF MANAUS' : the goal was to hide the 'made in France' logo

Production in Brazil

In the late 1970s to early 1980s, the Brazilian toy firms of Inbrima and Kiko manufactured Majorette models under license. By producing locally, Majorette benefited by avoiding duties on imported French models. Brazil had established the Free Economic Zone of Manaus (in Portuguese, Zona Franca de Manaus) to boost regional development in the Amazon.

Inbrima models had a "black label" attached to the base identifying the place of manufacture, while the majority of models had the later "FAB ZF MANAUS” white plastic tab affixed to the base, indicating that the models had been made in that city.

Around the same period, Mr. A. Kikoler and his toy brand name Kiko also reached an agreement with Majorette to produce approximately 15 Majorette models in Brazil (at a factory in Rio de Janerio), again, as with Inbrima, with local color schemes and liveries unique to Brazil. Kiko models included the Datsun 240Z, the VW T2, Citroen Dyane, and the Renault 4. On the bases, ‘Kiko Majorette’ was cast over the original Majorette name, with ‘made in Brazil’ in Portuguese.

The Volvo 245 Transfer is a rare car and I'm sure it is even rarer as scale model. I thought it would be interesting to show an already existing miniature since another recent one will be released in the coming months. This 1:43 scale model has been offered in the past by a small French company called Jemmpy. The model was available as kit, pre-painted kit and as r-t-r model. These resin models are very hard to find these days. The photo on your right shows a built-up model. You can see on the following photos an example of a pre-painted kit.

assembled model

Quote from a 1978 Volvo catalog :

A standard taxi was too small and a bus would have been too expensive.
Therefore, we chose the Volvo Transfer. If you need a car that combines generous passenger space with large cargo capacity, then the Volvo 245 Transfer is the ideal solution. Volvo's aim when designing this car was to offer an option which would fit in bet ween a taxi and a small bus - still with sensible dimensions! The Volvo 245 Transfer is unique in combining such a lot of passenger space with such an expansive cargo area. Compared with a small bus, the Volvo 245 Transfer is very attractively priced. Compared with a standard taxi, it can carry many more passengers - seven in fact! And the school transporter version can take on as many as 11 children. And these are safe cars too since the extensive safety thinking characteristic of other Volvo products - this including the safety body with a protective cage around the occupant area - does of course also apply for the Volvo 245 Transfer.

An ideal personnel transporter.
The Volvo 245 Transfer not only excels as a taxi or school transporter, it is also ideal for jobs such as carrying hotel guests to the airport, for sightseeing, for carrying air crews and many other similar jobs. The Volvo 245 Transfer is also perfect for social services transport work and it can also serve as a hospital transport vehicle with room for five persons and a stretcher. The Volvo 245 Transfer is ideal for volume-intensive jobs. With the rear seat folded down it provides a flat cargo area which is 188 cm long and gives this car unusually good cargo carrying capabilities. Thanks to its long wheelbase of 3.37 metres, the Volvo 245 Transfer is a very stable car with a very smooth ride. With its exceptionally large passenger area and spacious cargo area, the Volvo 245 Transfer is a worthy member of the Volvo range of Special Vehicles.


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