The Volvo PV444 was made from 1947-58 with a 1.4 and then a 1.6L engine. Road and Track (http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/roadtests/PV444RoadTestApril1957.pdf) (April, 1957) compared the design to a cross between a '39 Dodge and a '41 Ford. So this was not cutting edge design but sold a boatload of cars in Europe - well, OK, mostly Scandinavia.

Vilmer Volvo PV444 (made in Denmark)
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/kschnelle/tekno/VilmerVolvoPV4441.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/kschnelle/tekno/VilmerVolvoPV4442.jpg

The PV544 replaced the 444 in 1958-9 and lasted until 1965. The main difference was a one-piece windshield and a larger rear window. The same 1.6L engine was used and replaced by a 1.8L (same as in the 1800). According to wiki, 440,000 were built of both types.

1959 Tekno Volvo PV544 (made in Denmark)
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/kschnelle/tekno/TeknoVolvoPV544.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/kschnelle/tekno/TeknoVolvoPV5444.jpg

Anyone know about these, or have some others?

Cool old Volvos.

The Volvo PV444 was made from 1947-58 with a 1.4 and then a 1.6L engine. Road and Track (http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/roadtests/PV444RoadTestApril1957.pdf) (April, 1957) compared the design to a cross between a '39 Dodge and a '41 Ford. So this was not cutting edge design but sold a boatload of cars in Europe - well, OK, mostly Scandinavia.

Vilmer Volvo PV444 (made in Denmark)
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/kschnelle/tekno/VilmerVolvoPV4441.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/kschnelle/tekno/VilmerVolvoPV4442.jpg

The PV544 replaced the 44 in 1958-9 and lasted until 1965. The main difference was a one-piece windshield and a larger rear window. The same 1.6L engine was used and replaced by a 1.8L (same as in the 1800). According to wiki, 440,000 were built of both types.

1959 Tekno Volvo PV544 (made in Denmark)
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/kschnelle/tekno/TeknoVolvoPV544.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/kschnelle/tekno/TeknoVolvoPV5444.jpg

Anyone know about these, or have some others?
Very nice indeed - I live in Denmark, the Tekno is very common in a bunch of colours, notably red,white and dark gray but will still fetch at least $50 in the condition of your example when sold in Scandinavia.A few real ones on the street too!
The PV444 is much rarer, in fact I have never noticed one in the metal at our toyfairs - I shall keep my eyes open at the next one on 7th september - Wilma are best known for their trucks and military vehicles which are not hard to find and more angular than the elegant Teknos issues of the same prototypes. I have about 15 Teknos including Volvo 121 and 122 and P1800S -very fine castings ahead of their Corgi and Dinky rivals in the mid 1960s but sadly lost out on price and faded from toyshops in the early 1970s. The most valuable teknos aside from some short run VW vans for small Danish businesses are the special 1960s US only store specific blisters containing Volvo Amazons -so if you find any expect hundreds, perhaps a thousand of dollers from Scandanavian bidders if you ebay them:wave:

... The most valuable teknos aside from some short run VW vans for small Danish businesses are the special 1960s US only store specific blisters containing Volvo Amazons -so if you find any expect hundreds, perhaps a thousand of dollers from Scandanavian bidders if you ebay them :wave:
Can you tell me more about these US-only Teknos? - I never heard of them, and I even live in the US! What stores sold them? Just the Amazon? :hat:

I have seen the MPC Strip n Steer versions for the US, but those are newer and not in "store" blister packs...
Thanks, Karl

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/SMS369/sms88/62600408_1.jpg
heres one that sold for more than the $800 bid that was up 48 hours before auction end on tradera.com, the swedish branch of ebay back in the spring. This is an uncommon colour and this 4 door Volvo is not as common as the various 2 door castings

Wow - that blister pack is amazing! :thumbsup: Tak for posting.

Here is the Strip n Steer from around 1970. They advertised 5 of the Kirk castings. Used to be pretty common in the US, but I have not seen one for sale for a long time:
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm12/kschnelle/tekno/MPCFord.jpg
Hej Hej!

Your Danish is almost as good as mine:thumbsup: ( I am an english musician relocated for gigs and studio opportunities). But Karl E who posts on the Matchbox and Vintage forums is 100% Danish with a friend who has one of the most complete Tekno collections extant.
Those Kirk kit issues from the final year of production in the Danish Tekno factory do turn up here, usually the Porsche 911 or Jaguar XKE or Monza GT - dont think I have seen the Ford D series which is so close to the Dinky as to be beyond coincidence.....

I bought several Teknos in the mid or late '60s from Road & Track magazine. I was a subscriber at the time and they had a mail order deal for some of the excellent Tekno sports cars. I believe I got two or three color combinations each of the E-Type and the 230SL.

In the early to mid 1980s I bought many Teknos at an antique shop in downtown Copenhagen - Falkoner Antik. I wonder if that shop is still there and still stocks old Teknos?

- ranchero -

I bought several Teknos in the mid or late '60s from Road & Track magazine. I was a subscriber at the time and they had a mail order deal for some of the excellent Tekno sports cars. I believe I got two or three color combinations each of the E-Type and the 230SL.

In the early to mid 1980s I bought many Teknos at an antique shop in downtown Copenhagen - Falkoner Antik. I wonder if that shop is still there and still stocks old Teknos?

- ranchero -

The shop is still there but the display case of toys in the window is long gone. I bought a Spot On Morris 1100 there 10 years ago but they dont seem to offer cars anymore,probably because they sell everything that comes in direct to a specialist dealer.
E types are common in red,white and metallic gunmetal, 230SLs common in red and white and police colours.Do you have any special magazine packaging for these?

the whitewall one looks like a tootsietoy?........ any of yall see the commercial several yrs ago when they drove the volvo sedan off a four story (i think 4), parking garage onto its front clip. it literally slid 50 ft. on its nose and then slammed back on all four tires and an engineer strolls up and rubs the UNBROKEN windshield, and says something and smiles at the camera...fade to black.....best car commercial i've ever seen. volvo was always good at simple, yet powerful statements about the strength of their product. : > however, i was going to ask as i think i may own a few of these, where and how are the cars marked? are they stamped? i'll need to go dig in a closet for a while........

however, i was going to ask as i think i may own a few of these, where and how are the cars marked? are they stamped? i'll need to go dig in a closet for a while........

These were made in the 1950s-60s in Denmark and competed against Corgi and Dinky of the day - so they are about 1/43 scale and marked Vilmer or Tekno (the 2 toy companies) and Denmark on their baseplates (diecast and riveted to the bodies). :rolleyes:

http://www.volvoadventures.com/122driveitlikeyouhateit550.jpg

sms88 - no, I do not have any packaging left for my Road & Track Tekno toys. Way back then I was throwing away boxes models came in. I think the 300SL may have also been a R&T model.

At some time later in their history, Tekno models were manufactured in Holland. I believe the Dutch models were only the later trucks, but possibly some of the last car castings (Volvo 164, Olds Toronado?) were also made in Holland.

- ranchero -

... At some time later in their history, Tekno models were manufactured in Holland. I believe the Dutch models were only the later trucks, but possibly some of the last car castings (Volvo 164, Olds Toronado?) were also made in Holland.
- ranchero -

Tekno Holland –

After Algrema-Tekno closed in 1972, the Tekno name and most of the machinery and tools were sold to Vanmin BV, a Dutch company, and Tekno-Toys BV, Delft, Holland was formed. In 1989, Toys was dropped from the name because the new company wanted to emphasize that they produced scale model trucks for the promotional and collectors market. They are still in business and going strong, with a short history at http://www.teknocollector.nl (http://www.teknocollector.nl/).

The earliest catalog I have seen is from 1977/78 and lists:

851 Scania CR 76 bus
950 Mercedes Benz 0302 bus
915/916/918/919/920 Ford D-800 trucks
420/422/426 Scania LBS 141 trucks
421/425/427 Volvo F89 trucks
452 trailer for 420 or 425

I have also seen the #914 FORD dump truck, Scania 110 conventional truck, #835 Volvo 144, #837 Saab 99, and #838 Volvo 164, for sale in the old-style orange and blue Tekno Holland boxes. These three cars were the last ones that Tekno Denmark had produced, one each from 1969 to 1971. I think that all models should have the Denmark changed to Holland on the baseplate.