Volvo Olympian KMB—CORGI

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The Volvo Olympian was a rear-engine 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Volvo at its Irvine, Scotland factory. The first was built in 1992 and entered production in March 1993, replacing the Leyland Olympian.

Hong Kong’s Kowloon Motor Bus had ordered 531 Volvo Olympian 11m, 338 Volvo Olympian 12m buses between 1994 and 1999, and it became one of the most common bus models in Honk Kong during 90s.

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This Volvo Olympian with Alexander Royale bodywork was the model is a re-issue of No. 43201, the first model to be released in the series, 'The Oriental Omnibus Company.



At 1:76 scale, the model represents the AV342, which was one of a batch of over 500 11-meter air-conditioned Volvo Olympians which entered service with KMB between 1994 and September 1998. This vehicle entered service on 24th November 1997.

As I was traveling around Hong Kong with the KMB Volvo Olympian when I was a child, I added this model into my collection as my childhood memories.



。However, this model comes with no Limited-Edition certificate.


。This is an original box of the model.

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After Leyland was acquired by Volvo in 1993, only a few product lines, such as the Olympian, were retained and transferred to Volvo’s production line, which was also renamed the B10T model.



The B10T chassis is not much different from the Leyland Olympian chassis, it still retains the simple chassis structure, U-shaped rear shaft and suspended rear engine, so the Volvo B10T model is still called Olympian in Hong Kong.


。Front bumper and the license plate, the license number HM3066 is exactly the real AV342’s license number


。The wipers on the windshield are modeled rather than just a paint



Also, the body is also used as an Alexander RH type body. But in terms of bodywork, the assembly has evolved into gluing side panels and glass, and the extensive use of fiberglass and fire-resistant plastic sheets has set a new standard for today's bus services.


。The number plate was swapped with the emergency exit window, and route 80M is one of the routes that AV342 served in the real life


。The rear license plate also moved up and to the right side, and the route plate has lowered


。The Volvo Olympian and the Alexander ornament is my most favorite part, no matter on the real bus or the model


。What KMB Volvo Olympian signature is the taillights close by the emergency exit window


。The two-cooling grille now changed to be one on the latest generation KMB Volvo Olympian




Real bus dimensions：11300 (L) x 2500 (W) x 4300 (H) mm
Real bus scale dimensions：148.6 (L) x 32.8 (W) x 56.5 (H) mm
Corgi dimensions：145 (L) x 32 (W) x 57 (H) mm


。The passenger carrying message is shown in the panel nearby the front door

Total Passenger Capacity：124 people
Upper deck：53 people
Lower deck seating：32 people
Lower deck standing：39 people


。This tiny front door is the entrance, and two opening doors behind are the exit


。The Fuel cap has labeled the license plate number and the fuel type



。The two heat dissipation vents on both sides are also uniformly into one long grille on the latest generation KMB Volvo Olympian. Also, the emergency engine stop button has printed on the same position as the real bus


。Emergency exit has modeled

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For the interior design, the Olympian is just right. From AV112 onwards, all vehicles have a two-plus-two seating arrangement, and from AV113 onwards, vehicle seats are equipped with Lazzerini seat, which features the headrest


。Pink faux leather covers are available on all vehicle seats from AV311 onwards


。All seats on the lower deck are also equipped with pink faux leather covers on the upper deck, and other layouts just like the previous generation Volvo Olympian


。6 lateral seats between upper and lower doors


。2 lateral seats between cab and stairs


。No headrests for upper deck rear seats


。The lower deck rear seats are featured headrests


。Steering wheel with four-spoke design and Corgi use separate plastic parts to replicate the steering wheel


。This is the periscope which let the drivers observe the upper deck

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The Olympian series is the B45 project, which is a successor to the Leyland Titan series.

The chassis adopts a non-integrated design, which can be matched with different bodies. With the standardized design of the chassis, it can develop different lengths according to the needs of different buyers.



However, the basic structure of the chassis does not change due to the change of length, which makes this chassis widely used in the UK, as well as overseas buyers including Singapore and Hong Kong bus companies.



。Olympian is equipped with a ball joint on the second axle. In response to the bus turning on the front wheel, the second axle wheel will rotate along with it. This is called "middle-arm assisted steering".


。In terms of fuel tank, Volvo canceled the left fuel tank from the Leyland


。Specifications
Engine：Volvo D10A245 ( Euro 2, 9603c.c. )
Horsepower ：245hp @ 2000rpm
Torque：1050Nm @ 1450rpm
Transmission ：Voith DIWA863.3（ 3-speed）