Volvo 245 Transfer: When a Station Wagon Doubled as a Minibus (2 Photos)
At first glance, the Volvo 245 Transfer looks just like the familiar Swedish “brick,” only stretched out with an extra window. Yet the added length was purely practical: factory brochures pitched the car as the ideal middle ground between a standard taxi and a small bus. 
The Volvo Transfer featured in the 1978 Special Vehicles factory brochure.
According to the official Volvo Taxi spec sheet, the Transfer measured 5.52 meters long with a 3.37-meter wheelbase. By comparison, the standard 244 and 245 came in at 4.79 and 2.64 meters, respectively—meaning the entire 73-centimeter stretch went straight into the wheelbase.
The 1978 Special Vehicles brochure promised seating for up to seven passengers. A dedicated school-transport configuration could even carry eleven children. The stretched wagon was also marketed for hotel shuttles, airline crew transfers, and municipal social services.
Its utility went well beyond passenger capacity. With the rear seats folded flat, the Transfer offered an expansive load floor 188 centimeters in length. Photos from the original brochure highlight both the cavernous passenger cabin and the vast cargo hold, showing exactly what that extra sheet metal was built for. 
Cabin layouts and cargo capacity of the Transfer. Illustrations from the 1978 Volvo brochure.
