Sisu Auto

Infobox_Company
company_name = Oy Sisu Auto Ab
company_
company_type = Public
company_slogan =
foundation = 1969
location = Karis, Finland
key_people = Teppo Raitis — CEO
num_employees = 530
industry = Manufacturing
products = Trucks | revenue = profit140 million Euros | homepage = [http://international.sisuauto.com/portal/english/ Sisu homepage]

Sisu Auto is a Finnish truck company. Finnish word sisu means guts, grit, determination which are ideals for Finnish people.

Sisu Auto subsidiary company SISU Defence produces high mobility tactical vehicles for military use.

History

*Sisu established in 1931 and their first production was a 3-tonner with a gasoline powered engine.
*1943 because of Finnish governments nationalization plan Sisu merged with Vanaja and formed Vanajan Autotehdas Oy. Their product range changed and the company concentrated on producing military vehicles.
*in 1948, Sisu and Vanaja separated and formed independent companies.:Sisu Trucks built in this era ran on wood gas and Sisu did not switch to diesel fuel before mid 1950s and the choice was 8.7 litre, 140hp engine that powered new 13 tonne trucks.
*Late 1950s Sisu's engine choice was Leyland`s diesel. Its range increased to 20 tonnes, with electro-hydraulic lifting devices on the trailing axle to transfer weight on to the drive axle. This system also became a universal feature of Nordic six-wheelers and was widely adopted in many other countries.
*In the mid 1960s, tilt-cab forward-control trucks appeared and in 1966 normal-control models were restyled using fibreglass hoods. The K normal-control models covered 16-tonne 4x2 and 4x4 up to 24-tonne 6x2 and 6x4, while there were two KB cabover models - a 4x2 tractor and a 6x2, both for gcws of 38- to 45-tonnes. A lighter-bonneted range, the U models, covered the 15- to 22-tonnes gross bracket.

*In 1967 Sisu took over Vanaja, reuniting the two manufacturers that had split up 20 years earlier.
*By the early 1970s a complete range of 14 heavy trucks, in normal and forward control, was available, plus "half-cab" terminal tractors for yard shunting.
* The largest truck built by Sisu was a 180-tonne hooded 6x6.
* During the 1970s Leyland and Rolls Royce were main engine choices.
*The M-series appeared in 1971 with a new design of forward-control tilt cab.
*New M-series design later used on Dennison trucks in Ireland.
*In 1974 ownership of Sisu had returned to Finnish state ownership and Leyland and Rolls Royce engines were phased out in favour of Cummins engines.
*In 1976 Leyland Motors and Saab-Scania both had a 10 percent stake in Sisu with tri-partite agreement.
*Mid 1980s New SR series and forward-control SM series appeared.
*During 1990s Sisu offered a wide range of multi-axle trucks, including 8x2, 8x4 and 10x4 with gtws up to 60 tonnes and Cummins became the main choice of engine for new Mil and the E14.
*In 1997 Renault acquired 50% of Sisu Auto and started to co-develop Sisu and Renault Trucks. Subsequently Sisu updated their forward-control cab by using the new Renault Premium cab in place of the SM.
*1998 SISU Defence presented SISU 6x6 high mobility tactical vehicle (HMTV).
*2000 Sisu Auto purchased back the company shares from Renault but continued alliance with Renault Trucks. SISU HMTV 8x8 was presented.
*In December 2005 Sisu Defence signed a contract to supply mine-protected SISU 8x8 trucks to the Lithuanian Defence Forces until 2009. The deal is worth over 20 million euros with an option for additional deliveries over 10 million euros [ [http://www.sisudefence.fi/portal/en/sisu_defence/press_releases/?id=18 Sisu Defence to Deliver SISU 8x8 Off-Road Trucks to the Lithuanian Defence Forces] (press release)] and it's the largest single export delivery in Sisu Auto history [ [http://www.sisudefence.fi/portal/en/sisu_defence/press_releases/?id=22 First deliveries of SISU 8x8 Off-road Trucks to the Lithuanian Defence Forces] (press release)] .
*In year 2006 high mobility tactical vehicle model 10x10 presented and wor now it's a top of the range model.

Production

Civil trucks

All trucks can be produced with various engines and drive axle configurations.
* SISU Crane - crane trucks
* SISU Rock - dump trucks
* SISU Roll - trucks with change body
* SISU Timber - timber trucks
* SISU Works - road maintenance trucks

Military trucks

* SISU 4x4
* SISU 6x6
* SISU 8x8
* SISU 10x10

Past models

* Sisu SA series
* Sisu XA series
* Sisu Nasu

Factory Racing

Sisu Racing operated from 1989 to 1995. Factory team winning three European championships in 1991 - 1993. The team manager was Timo Korhonen

Gallery

ee also

*Sisu XA series Military Vehicles
*Patria
*Advanced XA-series successor

References

External links

* [http://international.sisuauto.com/portal/english/ Sisu Homepage]
* [http://www.sisudefence.fi SISU Defence]