Vanajan Autotehdas
| Vanajan Autotehdas Oy | |
|---|---|
| legal form |
osakeyhtiö (German stock corporation) |
| founding | March 20, 1943 |
| resolution | December 31, 1968 |
| Reason for dissolution | Merger with Oy Suomen Autoteollisuus Ab |
| Seat |
Helsinki (→ May 30, 1964); Hämeenlinna (June 1, 1964 →), Finland |
| Number of employees | about 400 in 1968 |
The Vanajan Autotehdas Oy (VAT) (dt. Vanaja car factory AG) was founded in 1943 and in 1968 resolved Finnish manufacturer of heavy trucks and bus chassis. The factory was located in Hämeenlinna , Kanta-Häme . The company was founded as Yhteissisu Oy by the Finnish state and a number of major Finnish companies producing trucks and buses to equip the Finnish armed forces. After World War II, before the company began series production, it was renamed Vanajan Autotehdas and given the brand name Vanaja . The subsequent production of trucks and bus chassis was primarily intended for the domestic market and only a few units were exported.
Many of the main components of truck production had to be imported. The Vanaja commercial vehicles became known for their robust construction and customization. VAT merged with Oy Suomen Autoteollisuus Ab in 1968 and the brand name Vanaja was discontinued in 1971. The main innovation from VAT was their tandem axle with a full load lifting mechanism, which is still used in Sisu vehicles today.
The former Vanaja factory in Hämeenlinna is now owned by Patria Oyj, the manufacturer of Patria AMV armored crew cars, and Sisu Axles, the manufacturer of heavy vehicle axles.
founding
In the winter of 1942–43, the Finnish armed forces estimated that the Continuation War would continue for a long time. There was thus an immediate need for new commercial vehicles. According to a long-term estimate, at least 7,000 trucks and buses were needed. Neutral countries like Sweden and Switzerland were also willing to sell trucks and buses to Finland, but required payment in their own currencies in advance. Since Finland did not have sufficient currency reserves, the only option was to set up domestic vehicle production itself.
At that time there was only one Finnish manufacturer of heavy commercial vehicles: Oy Suomen Autoteollisuus Ab (SAT). A new factory was built in Karis because, compared to Helsinki , the location was less prone to Soviet air raids. Tor Nessling became the company's general manager . As a solution, he suggested that the factory should be built larger than originally planned. As an option, Nessling suggested that the new factory in Finland should be set up at another location with extreme caution. At that time, SAT was already experienced in heavy vehicle production, but its economic and technical resources were limited. In addition, commercial vehicle importers and some political cliques suspected that SAT was trying to make a profit from the war in order to gain a dominant position in the Finnish market.
Defense Minister Rudolf Walden convened a meeting on March 3 and 4, 1943 to find solutions to the acute shortage of commercial vehicles. The participants included government and military leaders, as well as key personnel from leading Finnish industrial companies. A committee was set up to propose the creation of a company, in which both SAT and the Finnish state should participate. The proposal was presented at a meeting on March 20th. The company's name became Yhteissisu Oy ("common Sisu") and the intention was to jointly produce Sisu commercial vehicles. The private owners were: A. Ahlström , Ata , Fiskars , Kone , Kymin Oy , Lokomo, W. Rosenlew & Co., Suomen Autoteollisuus, Suomen Gummitehdas, Suomen Kaapelitehdas, Tampereen Pellava- ja Rauta-Teollisuus, Yhtyneet Paperitehtaat and Strömberg. The head office was chosen in Erottaja, Helsinki. The chairman of the company was Heikki H. Herlin and reluctantly Tor Nessling, who was appointed managing director.
The armed forces had set strict requirements for the commercial vehicles and trucks. There was no time to develop a new model. Although the truck models were outdated, the best of the options available could be made with the Sisu S-21 truck type . Yhteissisu and SAT agreed to locate the Sisu S-21 truck production at Yhteissisu. The model produced by Yhteissisu was given the type name S-22.
Start of production
Immediately after the company was founded, production began at the SAT factory in Vallila , Helsinki. The Yhteissisu vehicles were built separately from SAT vehicles. It was clear from the start that the vehicles should not be made in Helsinki; the company was looking for a suitable location near good rail, road and waterway connections. The original idea was to build the factory in bedrock from excavated caves; the place should have the necessary appropriate geological characteristics. A suitable area was finally found in Vanaja, next to Hämeenlinna . Yhteissisu bought 31.1 hectares of land on March 14, 1944. A contract for the factory construction was signed with a contractor on March 30th. The railway administration accepts Yhteissisu's plan to build a railway link into this area. Work on the underground of the machine shop began in July 1944. However, the plan had to be changed due to lack of time and high costs, and the entire production area was built above ground. The factory buildings were completed in early November 1944. Alvar Aalto architects designed the houses for the factory workers.
The first truck to be built in Vanaja was a Sisu S-22 prototype that drove out of the factory gate on August 1, 1945. After a short and intensive test period, series production began on October 29, 1945. Due to the scarcity of materials and quality problems of the components, the first vehicles could not be finished before the beginning of 1946. The capabilities of the domestic suppliers proved to be very limited and the company depended on imported gearboxes, steering components, drive shafts and electrical systems until domestic companies could replace them with their own products. The Finnish suppliers were not able to meet the requirements with the available materials and also faced serious quality problems. Total production in 1946 was 147 Sisu S-22 vehicles, well below the 2000 vehicle target. The originally calculated price per vehicle was 765,000 marks , but the cost eventually came to 800,000 marks.
The war ended before series production began and the armed forces did not need any new vehicles. On the contrary, because after the Moscow Armistice Agreement, the army had to reduce the number of vehicles. The frustrated component suppliers left the company one by one and the Ministry of Trade and Industry terminated the remaining supply contracts at the end of 1946. At the beginning of 1946, however, Yhteissisu was able to agree with the Ministry of Trade and Industry that vehicles that were not bought by the state could be sold on the civilian market. Sisu S-22s were now available in twelve SAT locations in Finland. The company presented a lighter and cheaper model than the S-22K at the Helsinki Domestic Industrial Fair in May 1946.
From Yhteissisu to Vanajan Autotehdas
Tor Nessling resigned at Yhteissisu in February 1947. There was talk of closing the company. Yhteissisu sold only 103 S-22 vehicles in 1947, some of which had already been produced the previous year. In 1947, the company produced 55 trucks. The company's share capital was initially reduced from 75 million to 7.5 million marks, after which it rose again to 50 million. The state now became the main owner of the company with a 44% stake. The other owners were Yhtyneet Paperitehtaat, A. Ahlström, Strömberg and Tampereen Pellava- ja Rauta-Teollisuus. From September on, Eero Kytölä was the company's new managing director. The company lost two million marks in 1947.
Yhteissisu owned the rights to the Sisu brand until the summer of 1948. At a management meeting in 1948, the board of directors decided to rename the company Vanajan Autotehdas and Vanaja became the brand of these vehicles. However, at the beginning of the same year, the factory premises were incorporated into the town of Hämeenlinna by the municipality of Vanaja.
The first Vanaja production
Vanaja V-48
Since the license to the Sisu brand had expired in June 1948, the Sisu S-22 production was continued as the Vanaja V-48 and maintained until 1955.
White M2 Half Track Conversions
General Manager Kytölä traveled to France and Germany in 1947 and early 1948 to buy military remnants from the Western Allies. He could 425 White -Halbkettenfahrzeuge, 186 truck engines, 304 Cadillac - V8 engines , four Mack -ED diesel engines, two Hercules -DFXE diesel engines, 11,000 GMC buy wheels and a trailer with 45-ton capacity. The trade was organized by the Ministry of Supply and the first shipment arrived in Finland in March 1948. The half-track vehicles were without armor and the idea of Kytölä was that these vehicles should be converted into field or forest clearing vehicles and, by replacing the chains with a conventional rear axle, turned into four-wheel-drive trucks. Ultimately, 359 converted VAT units were sold as half-tracks and 60 converted 4 × 4 or 4 × 2 vehicles. These trucks were sold as Vanaja VaWh . Some of the half-track vehicles were disassembled for the use of required parts. The last vehicle was sold in 1952.
Growth and Recession in the 1950s
After the original contract with the state was terminated, a new contract for 650 vehicles with a delivery period from 1948 to 1952 could be signed. The state thus helped to boost production with a substantial advance payment of 132 million marks. According to the contract, 150 vehicles were to be produced in 1948. The company achieved this goal, and an additional eleven vehicles were produced for private customers. 92 vehicles were sold under the name Sisu S-22 or S-22K , and 69 as Vanaja V-48 . In addition, 101 vehicles of the type M2 Half-Tracks were sold. In 1948 VAT made a loss of 746,000 marks. In 1949 VAT produced another 150 vehicles for the Finnish state and 37 vehicles for private buyers. These consisted of 163 vehicles of the type V-48 and 24 of the type VaWh. The company also sold 211 of the M2 half-tracks, enabling VAT to post its first profit of 1,208,000 marks, which, however, was also brought about by the devaluation of the Finnish mark.
VAT's position grew stronger in 1950 and the company began producing bus chassis. In the same year VAT introduced the new product family of the VK series. Production was halted by a three-month strike, so the completion of some of the 150 government-ordered vehicles to be delivered this year has been postponed until the following year. Despite the difficulties, VAT managed to achieve a profit of almost two million marks.
Sales and profits rose steadily during the early 1950s. The state advance payment was repaid in 1952. For a short time, VAT represented the Italian Ansaldo Fossati in the field of clearing tractors. Although there was demand for machines of this type, sales were poor, partly because their price was considered incompatible with their technical quality, so few units were sold in 1953. By 1950 106 people were employed there.
The sales development was overestimated in 1956, only 525 Vanaja vehicles were sold. In March 1957 the volume for the year as a whole had reached about 400 units. During this time, VAT employed around 200 people and had to introduce a four-day work week. The company blamed the import license and the bureaucracy of the state for the problem, as it was difficult to get the diesel engines from abroad. In April, the company owned over 30 Vanaja, which were actually finished, but were still waiting for diesel engines. The economic situation only improved in 1959.
criticism
In 1950, the Finnish government was criticized for ignoring other options offered by Vanaja, claiming the vehicles were overpriced. The state had ordered 650 vehicles that were to be built over several years. For a long time, the state was bound to procure the vehicles.
VAT and SAT were criticized as truck importers in 1954 because the two companies used a large proportion of the limited foreign currency reserves for their component procurement. Representatives of the importers claimed that neither Sisu nor Vanaja were very domestic products, but the importers' vehicles were actually more domestic because some assembly work was done in Finland. According to the Association of Vehicle Importers, domestic vehicles cost between 30 and 80 percent more than imported vehicles. In the following year, the government began investigating whether the vehicle kit import options could reduce foreign currency spending. VAT and SAT expressed doubts about the viability of such production. In 1957, the government ended restrictions on the import of chassis for heavy vehicles. Eventually, the prices of imported vehicles for Sisu and Vanaja vehicles converged.
Entry into the diesel era
SAT and Tampella's Vanaja petrol engines were completely out of date; they were license-built originally American engines. Customers wanted more powerful diesel engines. The first Vanaja commercial vehicles as diesel models were powered by Kämper and Saurer engines. VAT also tested the Südwerke - two-stroke diesel engines from Krupp, but only one such vehicle was built. Import licenses for diesel engines were difficult to come by and this naturally limited sales of the commercial vehicles. In some cases, customers wanted to have their own engines built in, such as Volvo or Mercedes-Benz , which were fitted to the vehicles they ordered on the assembly line. In 1955, VAT bought two 90 hp six-cylinder Leyland 0.350 diesel engines in addition to production . These proved to be inefficient and the following year the company ordered a total of 300 powerful Leyland trucks, built by van Doorne's Automobilfabriek in the Netherlands .
In 1956 VAT was given the representation for Ansaldo SA and Kämper-Motoren GmbH. The performance of the Ansaldo motors was between 100 HP and 8,000 HP and was geared towards marine and industrial applications. The Kämper products developed between 14 hp and 150 hp. A 130 hp six-cylinder Kämper engine was available as an option for Vanaja.
The Vanaja lifting tandem system
The best-known trademark of Vanaja was the full-load lifting tandem axle, which was introduced in January 1957. This invention enabled an additional load of 2.5 tons, because the entire load on the tandem could be moved on the front axle by an electro-hydraulic system. The system improved grip and brought a significant advantage on slippery surfaces. This innovative lifting tandem was developed under the direction of the company's chief engineer Veikko Muronen. Vanaja became the flagship truck and market leader in the Finnish timber haulage market and the brand retained this position until the end of production. In forestry work, a layout with a driven front axle and a tandem axle with a driven front axle - called 4 × 4 + 2 - became famous in Finland; outside of the Nordic countries , however, it was rarely seen.
Vehicles for the Finnish armed forces
The Finnish armed forces introduced a winter test on potential military vehicles in March 1958. 35 vehicle candidates from the two domestic manufacturers and importers were tested in Finland. VAT put four vehicles on the test drive, three of which were four-wheel drive and one vehicle was an ordinary rear-wheel drive truck. During the five days of the test period, all vehicles were continuously tested fully loaded. For part of the route, the trucks had to pull an eight-ton field cannon. The vehicles were tested for their off-road capabilities even in 50 to 70 cm deep snow. A Vanaja truck was destroyed in an accident. The domestic vehicles had passed the tests well; in some cases, the rear-wheel drive Sisu and Vanaja outperformed the four-wheel-drive foreign competitors. None of the vehicles were significantly better than the others, but the result convinced the armed forces of the capabilities of their own domestic vehicles, and that led to several orders for SAT and VAT.
In 1960 VAT delivered the first Vanaja VAKS trucks to the armed forces, which were intended for general use in barracks. The later versions were called AS-33. a total of 155 units were produced. The Vanaja NS-47 was the first Finnish 4 × 4 off-road truck that was mainly used for military purposes. Ten trucks were ordered between 1962 and 1964 to pull 35mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns and heavy artillery.
Export efforts
In September 1958, VAT and other Finnish companies took part in the International Fair in Greece in Thessaloniki . The vehicles shown were a Vanaja VAK truck that had been fitted with the mid-engine -VLK550 bus chassis. Due to the AEC engines, the Vanaja did not find any interest among potential Greek customers, and relations between Great Britain and Greece were also poor at the time. The demonstration truck was eventually sold in Greece. The bus chassis returned to Finland and was later sold to a bus company that built a coach body on it.
VAT signed an export contract for 200 trucks with Turkey in 1959 . The first two vehicles were delivered from Finland in 1959; however, the contract was terminated in an embarrassing manner because the Bank of Finland refused to accept Turkish Lira .
At the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, VAT and the French Camions Willème SA had some plans for joint production, with only one jointly produced prototype being built each time. The chassis was from Vanaja and the engine from AEC. The forward-control cab consisted partly of fiberglass and came from WILLEME.
Four Vanaja trucks were shown at the international fair in Barcelona in June 1961 . The vehicles were driven across Europe by truck drivers to the fair. The fair could be regarded as successful, but not a single vehicle was sold.
Specialization in the 1960s
Managing director Eero Kytölä ended his mandate in 1962. The qualified engineer Ilmari Karttunen, who had previously worked as plant manager, was appointed to the new management of the company. He headed VAT until the 1967s when Jaakko Jarimo, Master of Economics, took over this position.
In the years 1958 to 1960 VAT had increasingly specified production according to customer requirements and focused on tailor-made vehicles. Typically, a potential customer would simply go to the main Helsinki office or the Hämeenlinna plant and describe what type of vehicle they wanted. The enthusiastic engineers listened carefully to the wishes of each individual customer and then designed the vehicles accordingly with two or three axles in the desired drive configuration as well as the required wheelbase and with a long-nosed or forward control cab. Many types of trucks were only made in one or two units. The most popular truck model, however, was the VAK series with around nine tons of payload.
A good example of customer-specific vehicles was the VKB series of forward control trucks developed for an earthmoving company in Helsinki. The company needed short vehicles with good gradeability and high payloads. The wheelbase of the commercial vehicles was 3.8 meters and the total weight 10.6 tons, which had a special permit.
A typical feature in Vanajas were the oversized structures that were robust rather than optimized. The main components of the trucks were obtained from established suppliers. As a commercial vehicle manufacturer, VAT also showed progressive thinking in driver ergonomics ; because the comfortably sprung and hydraulically damped driver's seat was close to the door to make it easier to reverse. The seat had extensive adjustment options. Hanging pedals that were set at the same height were standard in an early phase of commercial vehicle construction. The interior heater, which produced 9,000 kcal / h, was perhaps the most efficient heating system in trucks in the 1960s. Many Vanaja truck drivers particularly appreciated the trucks' soft suspension.
Two-axle trucks were available with the drive configurations 4 × 2 and 4 × 4; the three-axle models were produced as 6 × 2, 6 × 4, 4 × 4 + 2 and 6 × 6.
VAT celebrated its 20th birthday in 1963. All press releases and publications ignored the fact that its main competitor, SAT, had an important role in founding the company. Yhteissisu was not mentioned in any context.
In April 1965, VAT received a remarkable contract from the infrastructure and hydraulic construction management. The order for 250 vehicles was financed by a loan from the IBRD for the development of the road network. Forty vehicles were equipped with a powered front axle. The job was completed in 1966.
In 1967 the company faced another difficult situation, as the production volume only reached 381 vehicles. At the beginning of 1968, VAT left 40 of its 400 employees. Vanaja had a loyal customer base and the vehicles were generally well regarded, but market share remained low. In 1963, only 4 to 5% of newly registered heavy trucks in Finland were produced by Vanaja. The highly customer-specific production had led to an excessive variety of models and thus made the supply of spare parts more difficult. In addition, individualization presumably tied up the resources of technical development work. There was no change for the better, although the company rolled out its modern forward control truck models B6-76, which had been expected and were slated to be the next mass production model.
Factory and production
The original factory building was officially a warehouse and assembly hall and had a volume of 25,000 m³. The systems were further developed over time and by the end of 1953 the floor area had reached 35,000 m². The storage and assembly hall was renamed the main hall and was 120 m long and 30 m wide. The bus chassis production was located on the south side of the hall, trucks were built on the north side. In practice it often had to be done differently, because the dependency on the product mix and production volume required flexibility.
At the end of the building was a crane for moving hardware. If the commercial vehicle frames of the trucks were available, they were fitted with suspension and axles upside down, and then the semi-finished production part was turned upwards. The next production parts were the engines and transmission components. The last part for the trucks was a pre-assembled driver's cab. The conventional bus chassis was delivered with a bonnet and fenders, but the forward control truck types were delivered to the factory without body parts. After painting, the vehicles left the assembly hall. After all, every commercial vehicle was tested as a truck on a 100 to 200 km long test drive on different roads and with different loads. The bus chassis was tested in a similar manner; the only difference was that there was still no cab body and the test drivers only had warm clothing and protective goggles to protect themselves from the weather conditions. The commercial vehicles were then only handed over to the customer after final adjustments.
Construction work on a new sub-assembly workshop began in 1955 and was not finished until 1957. The new facilities were used for machining , heat treatment and sheet metal work . A service workshop was located at the end of the building. A new service workshop with 17 vehicle spaces was built in 1966.
Suppliers
Engines
Until 1953, VAT could only offer petrol engines. The most common were the Hercules engines produced domestically by SAT and Tampella under license. The SAT engine was referred to as the Sisu AMG or SA5; however, the motor was manufactured by Tampella as the Tampella 6000. The second and third most popular petrol engines for the truck models were the Cadillac V8 1G and the White 160 AX, which the managing director Kytölä had bought in Central Europe. Some Bedford gasoline engines were used in armed forces trucks in the 1960s, and Ford V8 engines were installed in fire trucks . The first diesel Vanaja were powered by Saurer and Kämper engines. The vast majority of diesel engines were made by Leyland and AEC. Some Vanaja trucks have been fitted with the Perkins R6 or Ford Trader 510E. In some cases the engine was provided by the customer; therefore, for example, a Vanaja was powered by a Mercedes-Benz diesel engine.
Transmission components
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, VAT used Valmet gears copied from Fuller. As components became more accessible, VAT began installing real Fullers and ZF transmissions. The transfer cases came from Timken and ZF. VAT produced its rear axles with ATA gears until the company began sourcing axles from Timken.
Driver cabs
The company had several suppliers of truck cabs. In the beginning these were Tampella, Valmet, Messukylän Autokoritehdas , Auto-Heinonen , Kiitokori and later as the main supplier Lahden Autokori . VAT had its own ready-made booths for some special or one-off products. In the late 1960s, some Vanaja trucks were fitted with British Ergomatic cab control cabs from Motor Panels Ltd. The cabins were purchased by or through the AEC.
Production of bus chassis
Bus chassis production began in 1950. VAT built its first prototypes as rear-engined buses in 1956. The company produced two units of chassis models as the VAT-4800; the superstructures were made by the coachbuilders Ajokki Oy and Nummela Oy. The solution poses several engineering challenges including adequate engine cooling and heat transfer all the way to the front end of the bus interiors. The cooling problem in the bus was eventually solved by a large air scoop placed at the rear of the roof, although this could not be considered an aesthetically pleasing arrangement. However, since a solution had been found, VAT was able to manufacture ten additional rear-engined chassis as type VAT-5200.
From 1958 onwards, all the chassis of the Vanaja buses were equipped with compressed air brakes, which were later installed in the trucks. The decision was influenced by a serious traffic accident in Finland: 15 people drowned in Konnevesi because a fairly new Vanaja bus drove through the barrier of a ferry pier and sank to a depth of 4 meters. The bus driver survived and testified that the bus's brakes had failed. This was confirmed by an investigation which revealed that the seal on one of the Lockheed hydraulic brakes had blown.
In April 1958 VAT delivered its first mid-engine bus chassis to the coachbuilder Ajokki Oy. It was equipped with a horizontally mounted 164 hp AEC diesel engine. The end customer was the bus operator Väinö Paunu Oy, who was also involved in the development. In 1960, VAT equipped the VLK500 chassis with air suspension and a dual-circuit air brake. VAT started the new rear-engined bus chassis manufacture between 1966 and 1967, but sales did not reach the level of the mid- and front-engined models. The Vat company carried out a series of experiments with a new structure. An example is the bus with a frameless structure, in which the frame support has been replaced by a lighter solution.
Models and types
The models and types at the beginning of the 1950s were as follows:
- UK : Vanaja kuorma-auto ; "Vanaja truck"
- VL : Vanaja linja-auto ; "Vanaja bus"
The letter B at the end, for example in the VK-6B, meant front control and an L indicates extra long springs.
The truck model names were changed in 1956.
- VAK : Vanaja kuorma-auto ; “Vanaja Truck”; Truck with a long-hood driver's cab
- VKB : Vanaja kuorma-auto bulldog ; "Vanaja front control truck"
- VKN : Vanaja kuorma-auto neliveto ; "Vanaja four-wheel drive truck" (4 × 4)
- VKT : Vanaja kuorma-auto telillä ; “Vanaja truck with tandem”; Truck with tandem axle with one driven axle (6 × 2)
- VTT : Vanaja tandem-telillä ; "Vanaja with powered tandem"; Truck with fully driven tandem axle (6 × 4)
- VNT : Vanaja neliveto telillä ; "Vanaja four-wheel drive with tandem"; Truck with one driven front axle, and tandem, one of which is driven (4 × 4 + 2)
- VKK : Vanaja kuorma-auto kaikki akselit vetävät ; "Vanaja truck all axles driven"; Truck with one driven front axle, and tandem, both of which are driven (6 × 6)
The bus model names have been changed accordingly.
- VAL : Vanaja linja-auto ; "Vanaja bus"
- VLB : Vanaja linja-auto bulldog ; "Vanaja-Bus front control"; the engine was placed in the front
- VLK : Vanaja linja-auto keskimoottorilla ; "Vanaja bus with a centrally arranged engine"
- VLT : Vanaja linja-auto takamoottorilla ; "Vanaja bus with rear engine"
In addition, there was the model name "VAT" for two rear-engined bus models: the VAT-4800, of which two units were produced in 1956, and the VAT-5200BD, of which ten units were built in 1957. The next change came in 1961 when the engine manufacturer was added to the model name. For example, the VAK truck models with the AEC-AVU-470 engine were named A-47. Accordingly, the same truck that had been produced with a Leyland O.600 diesel was called the A-60R; the R as raskas (heavy) denoted that it had a reinforced front axle. The bus model names were changed in the same way. For example, a cab with the Leyland O.600 engine was then called the VLB-60.
The new model numbering was changed in 1963 because of the increased front axle loads; where after the letter code a 2 indicated the higher axle load. In later models a 6 meant the front axle capacity of 6 tons. The S in the types VAKS, AS and NS means sotilas (soldier), which indicates military purposes.
| Drive configuration | Cabin type | 1956 - June 1961 | July 1961 - October 1963 | November 1963–1971 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 2 | Long-nosed | VAK | A. | A2; A6 |
| 4 × 2 | Forward control | VKB | B. | B2; B6 |
| 4 × 4 | Long-nosed | VKN | N | N2; N3; N6 |
| 4 × 4 | Forward control | VKNB | NB | NB |
| 4 × 4 + 2 | Long-nosed | VNT | NT | NT2; NT3; NT6 |
| 4 × 4 + 2 | Forward control | VNTB | NTB | NTB |
| 6 × 2 | Long-nosed | VKT | T | T2; T6 |
| 6 × 2 | Forward control | VKTB | TB | TB; TB6 |
| 6 × 4 | Long-nosed | VTT | TT | TT2; TT7 |
| 6 × 6 | Long-nosed | VKK | KK | KK2; KK7 |
| 6 × 6 | Forward control | VKKB | KKB | KKB |
The bus model numbering was last changed in 1966; because the front engine with VLB was changed to LE6, the VLK with mid-engine to LK6, and the rear engine VLT became LT6. The three-digit numbers on the side of the hoods of the last Vanaja trucks denoted the displacement in cubic inches; they are not model numbers, although they are often incorrectly referred to as such.
End of the Vanaja
In 1964, VAT started looking for a stronger partner and started negotiations with Scania-Vabis . The companies planned to use the Scania engines in the Vanaja commercial vehicles, but the plan turned out to be too expensive for VAT. Probably soon afterwards the main owners of VAT began to have talks about a merger of VAT and SAT. The chairman of VAT increasingly came into contact with the SAT manager Tor Nessling. In 1967, AB Scania-Vabis expressed its interest in VAT and Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz AG also expressed interest in a cooperation or the acquisition of VAT. Valmet is also said to have been interested in VAT, but there is no evidence that concrete discussions took place.
As a small producer, VAT suffered from unreliable deliveries and quality defects from component suppliers. Half-finished trucks were often completed and serviced outside the factory with engines or other key components. The British diesel engines had more quality problems compared to their Swedish and German commercial vehicle competitors. The company's owners became increasingly reluctant to fund the unprofitable business.
In 1967, speculation surfaced in Swedish newspapers about a merger between SAT and VAT and was soon picked up by the Finnish media. The Finnish state as the main owner with a share of 45% proposed a merger with Nessling in December 1967. The situation was untenable for VAT; for the total annual turnover was 19.5 million new Finnish marks and the debts of the company amounted to 14.5 million (100 old marks became 1 new mark in 1963). The merger agreement with Suomen Autoteollisuus and Vanajan Autotehdas was signed on May 30, 1968. VAT officially ended at the end of 1968. After the merger, the state owned 17.2% of the new SAT, making it the company's third largest owner.
Customer reactions to the merger varied. Most people understood the need to merge two small companies that both produced in a very limited commercial vehicle market and yet tried to challenge the mass producers. Some loyal Vanaja customers were annoyed by the decision to get rid of the brand. Some customers were appalled that the last long-nosed Vanaja was fitted with a Jyry-Sisu driver's cab, and they said they would never buy a Sisu truck by looking for imported vehicles. Many of Vanaja's tried and tested technical solutions were soon implemented in the Sisu commercial vehicles. The decline in the truck market was only temporary and sales soon returned to the same level as Vanaja and Sisu combined in the mid-1960s. The last Vanaja vehicles were mobile crane chassis manufactured at the end of 1971; all subsequent commercial vehicles manufactured in the Sisu Hämeenlinna works received a Sisu badge.
The combination of the strengths of the two companies was unsuccessful because of the wrong strategic decisions made by SAT in bus chassis production. The Vanaja LK series with a large, central engine, which had led to the loss of the main customer Väinö Paunu Oy, was discontinued. A number of other bus companies like TKL rejected the Sisu options, which were offered in place of Vanaja models in the same segment of the market.
Production numbers
The number of Vanaja trucks and bus chassis produced reached 7,140 units, and dozens of types of trailers and semi-trailers were manufactured, which were sold together with trucks under the Vanaja brand. In 1955, four Vanaja rail buses were built in cooperation with the Kiitokori body shop and sold to the Finnish State Railways .
Over 260 types of trucks were produced in which 35 types of engines, 20 types of gearboxes and 15 to 20 types of driver's cab were installed and attached. Only one or two units were produced in 116 types. Most of the differences came from the special wheelbases, because the official validation of the authorities was always necessary. In many cases it is impossible even for experts to identify so many different models from the entire production year.
There were 66 types that were made as bus chassis, plus there were a number of different body types that were built by various body builders and other suppliers. Details are unknown.
From Sisu-Hämeenlinna to today
The merger led to a confrontation between two different organizational cultures. VAT had a flat organization, open communication between its employees and a spirit of togetherness, whereas the SAT organization was strongly hierarchical. The division of the portfolio between Karis and Hämeenlinna was changed after the merger. Truck production was gradually concentrated at Karis, and at Sisu-Hämeenlinna the production of mobile cranes, bus chassis, terminal tractors and military vehicles became concentrated . Former VAT staff had to increase production of the new portfolio while adopting new processes, so it would take three to four years before the Hämeenlinna plant could achieve results in line with capacity.
In 1971 and 1981 the plant manufactured tram bogies under license from DÜWAG . The trams were built by Valmet for the city of Helsinki. The production of bus chassis was officially ended in 1986, although another small batch was made in 1989. However, it was later fitted with Ajokki bodies and shipped to a customer in the Soviet Union.
SAT had planned its first terminal tractor in Helsinki in the 1960s, the development and production of which continued in Hämeenlinna in 1969. The Sisu Terminal tractors became famous around the world for their innovative design. Their production was relocated to Tampere in 1996.
In 1970, SAT transferred military vehicle production from the Karis factory to Hämeenlinna. The initially manufactured Sisu A-45 commercial vehicles were later followed by the two heavier versions Sisu SA-150 and Sisu SA-240 . Production of the Sisu XA-180 “Pasi” transport tank began in the early 1980s. Several commercial vehicles have been sold to the Finnish armed forces and other armies. Trucks were also used in the peace missions of the United Nations . Other military products were the Sisu NA-140 "Nasu", which were produced from 1985 to 2002, and the demining vehicle Sisu RA-140 DS "Raisu", of which 41 units were produced between 1994 and 2001.
In 1985 the company relocated its axle production from Helsinki to a new factory building in Hämeenlinna. In 1995 the axle production was separated into an independent unit called Sisu Axles ; this was sold to investors in 1999. The main plant builds military vehicles; the state separated it from the parent company in 1999 and renamed it Patria Vehicles Oy. Its main products are Patria AMV armored multi-purpose military vehicles .
heritage
Vanaja trucks have occasionally been ranked among the best trucks in the world, which speaks for the company's ability to design and build commercial vehicles for any application according to the customer's needs. The merger of SAT and VAT inspired some conspiracy theories. In reality, the acquisition followed a normal process initiated by the owners. Experts in the field of commercial vehicles almost unanimously agree that the merger guaranteed the future of the Finnish heavy-duty vehicle industry.
Today, Vanaja trucks are valued by classic car enthusiasts.
literature
- Blomberg, Olli: Yhteissisusta Vanajan ja Sisun kautta Patriaan . Ed .: Patria Vehicles Oy. Hämeenlinna 2003, ISBN 952-91-5613-8 .
- Mäkipirtti, Markku: Vanaja . Ed .: Apali Oy (= Ajoneuvot Suomessa . Volume 1. ). Tampere 2008, ISBN 978-952-5026-72-6 .
- Juurikkala, Jussi; Lehtonen, Timo; Ojanen, Olli J .; Palo-oja, Ritva; Piltz, Martti; Siukosaari, Anssi; Taivainen, Miia: Mobilia-02 - Made in Finland . Ed .: Mobilia säätiö. Kangasala 2002.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Blomberg: Valtiovalta ottaa johdon. Pp. 15-18.
- ↑ a b c Blomberg: Fuusio toteutuu. Pp. 92-93; 96.
- ↑ Blomberg: Viimeiset itsenäiset vuodet. P. 76.
- ↑ a b Blomberg: Ajatuksena autojen suurtuotanto. P. 14.
- ↑ Blomberg: Tarvittiin johto yes piirustukset. Pp. 19-22.
- ↑ a b Blomberg: Tositoimiin. Pp. 22-23.
- ↑ Blomberg: Valittiin Vanajan kunta. Pp. 23-25.
- ↑ a b Blomberg: Rakennustyöt uuden kauden alku. Pp. 26-32.
- ↑ Blomberg: Valmista tuli. Pp. 32-34.
- ↑ a b Blomberg: Synkkiä pilviä taivaalla. Pp. 34-35.
- ↑ a b Blomberg: Ollako vai eikö olla? Pp. 35-36.
- ↑ Blomberg: Yhteissisu Oy tiensä päässä. P. 36.
- ↑ a b c d Blomberg: Mallilainaajasta monipuoliseksi tuotekehittäjäksi. Pp. 44-46.
- ↑ a b c Blomberg: Kuntalaisesta kaupunkilaiseksi. P. 51.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Kuorma-autot 1948 to 1956. P. 33.
- ↑ Blomberg: Teloilla tai pyörillä. Pp. 40-41.
- ↑ a b c d Blomberg: Vihdoinkin kuivilla. Pp. 49-50.
- ↑ a b c d Blomberg: Helpotuksia alkutaipaleella. Pp. 46-48.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Blomberg: Lamaa ja uusia tuotteita. Pp. 55-61.
- ↑ a b c Blomberg: Elvytystoimia ja vientiponnisteluja. Pp. 62-65.
- ↑ a b c Blomberg: Kiristyvää kilpailua. Pp. 53-54.
- ↑ a b Mäkipirtti: Vanaja VKT 6 × 2. Pp. 65-67.
- ↑ Blomberg: Monen Vanajan isä. P. 82.
- ↑ a b Mäkipirtti: Vanaja VAKS ja AS-33 , pp. 80–83.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Vanaja NS-47 , pp. 86-89.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Ulkomaanmyynti , S. 76th
- ↑ Blomberg: Vanajan tehtaan ensimmäinen "patruuna". P. 36.
- ↑ Blomberg: Mukana lähes alusta alkaen. P. 22.
- ↑ Blomberg: ojennuksessa Konttoriasiat. P.56.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Vanaja kuorma-auto 1957-1960. P. 44.
- ↑ a b Mäkipirtti: Vanajan voimansiirto. P. 24.
- ↑ a b Mäkipirtti: Vanaja A2-47 4 × 2 "Kippi-Vanaja". Pp. 101-106.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Vanaja A6. Pp. 128-134.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Vanajan vetotavat. P. 25.
- ↑ Blomberg: täyteen Kaksikymppiä. Pp. 69-73.
- ↑ Blomberg: Viimeiset itsenäiset vuodet. P. 78.
- ↑ a b c Blomberg: Viimeiset itsenäiset vuodet. P. 83.
- ↑ a b c d e Mäkipirtti: Kuorma-auto 1961–1966 , pp. 83–84.
- ↑ a b c Blomberg: Tehdas laajenee laajenemistaan. Pp. 51-52.
- ↑ Blomberg: Mittavia laajennuksia. Pp. 54-55.
- ↑ Blomberg: Viimeiset itsenäiset vuodet. P. 85.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Bensiinimoottorit 1948-1965. P. 22.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Dieselmoottorit 1951-1971. P. 23.
- ↑ a b c Blomberg: Viimeiset itsenäiset vuodet. P. 89.
- ↑ a b c d e Blomberg: Mies, joka tietää kaiken Vanajasta. Pp. 70-71.
- ↑ Juurikkala and others: Vanaja kulkee omia polkujaan. P. 35.
- ↑ Blomberg: Liikkeellä uusin voimin. Pp. 66-69.
- ↑ Blomberg: Viimeiset itsenäiset vuodet. P. 81.
- ↑ a b c d Mäkipirtti: Alustan koodit. P. 17.
- ↑ a b c Mäkipirtti: Vanajan linja-autojen valmistus 1950–1971. P. 20.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Vanaja linja-autot 1950–1957. Pp. 142-150.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Mäkipirtti: Kuorma-autot 1967–1971. Pp. 126-127.
- ↑ a b Blomberg: Yhteisistä kokemuksista eteenpäin ponnistaen. P. 92.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Vanajan loppu 1971 S. 166th
- ↑ Blomberg: Jotain piti tehdä. P. 92.
- ↑ Blomberg: Vaikutus alan teollisuuteen. Pp. 96-98.
- ↑ a b c d e Blomberg: Rinnan kohti tulevaa. Pp. 98-100.
- ↑ Juurikkala etc .: Kadotettu mahdollisuus. Pp. 41-42.
- ↑ a b c Mäkipirtti: Mallivalmistus. P. 18.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: Vanajan 0.0% valmistus. P. 19.
- ↑ Blomberg: Asiakkaana ja toimihenkilönä neljällä vuosikymmenellä. Pp. 76-77.
- ↑ a b Blomberg: Erikoisalana erikoistuminen. Pp. 111-112.
- ↑ Blomberg: Vetomestari - Hämeenlinnan maailmanmenestys. Pp. 117-121.
- ↑ a b Blomberg: Uusille tuotelinjoille. Pp. 123-130.
- ↑ a b Blomberg: Painopiste sotilasajoneuvoihin. Pp. 132-138.
- ↑ Blomberg: Akseleita ja komponentteja. Pp. 130-132.
- ↑ Blomberg: Hyvässä yhteistyössä erillään toisistaan. Pp. 140-141.
- ↑ Blomberg: Markkinajohtajana kohti tulevaisuutta. Pp. 146-147.
- ↑ Blomberg: Patria AMV - modulaarinen pyöräpanssariajoneuvo. Pp. 158-159.
- ↑ Mäkipirtti: back cover.
- ↑ Kimmo Rauatmaa: Suomi on tuottanut raskaita ajoneuvoja. In: Kaleva.fi. Kaleva Oy, July 31, 2009, accessed October 26, 2014 .
