HELSINKI MO
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from a special correspondent HELSINKI is not one of the European cities normally found in international motor show records. When Auto '69 was officially opened by the Finnish Minister of Trade last Friday he stressed that nine years had passed since there was an international automobile exhibition in Helsinki. Unsteadiness in the Finnish economy in general, hard taxation on automotive products and insecurity in the automotive trade were the reasons.
At the show, 450 different vehicles plus accessories, tools, etc, were on display while 90 companies exhibited products from 320 manufacturers in 19 countries.
Private cars were naturally in the majority, but there were also quite a few commercial vehicles-90 trucks, 20 buses and about 40 delivery vans. The large number of exhibitors shows that Finland today is looked upon as an important market. Among the heavy goods vehicles there was more news than expected. Finnish, German, Russian and Swedish makes dominated.
To start with the Finnish makes, it was interesting to note that the two makes SISU and Vanaja in spite of a very limited production had such a wide variety in their production programme. In 1968 300 Vanajas and about 1,200 SISUs were made. Earlier the two makes were competing but during 1968 they merged into Suomen Autoteollisuus, which means Finnish Automobile Industry Ltd. Mr. Nyholm, the managing director, told me that the Finnish State was part owner of the new company and that British Leyland Motor Corporation had 20 per cent of the shares. Leyland engines and gearboxes have by tradition been major components in the SISU while AEC has served Vanaja in a similar way. Axles, cabs arid to a certain extent frames are of their own design and production.
SISU and Vanaja have between 25 and 30 per cent of the Finnish market for trucks over 12.5 tons gross weight. And 15 to 20 per cent of the production is exported, mainly to Colombia, where they have a subsidiary.
SISU today has two main series of truck chassis, Both are designed for 10/16 tons axle /bogie loads although in Finland there are no roads open to more than 8/12 tons. The smaller trucks known as Kontio SISU have a Leyland 135 hp SAE gross naturally aspirated diesel or a 165 hp turbocharged unit. They are available as fouror sixwheelers—with single-drive rear bogie in the latter case. There is also one unusual 4x4 16tonner, the SISU U-137. The heavier trucks in the SISU K-series have Leyland engines giving 220 bhp gross and all six-wheelers in this range are suitable for 24 tons gross; transmission layouts up to 6 x 6 are available. Because of the small production series bonnets and wings on the SISU trucks are made of reinforced plastics.
In spite of their concentration on heavy vehicles S1SU introduced at this show a ligh1 extension of its programme—the SISU LR 1161 delivery van. Earlier sold under the name of Morris, this vehicle is still 100 per cent British manufacture but Finnish assembly and cab production is being discussed.
The SISU bus programme is very conventional. A Finnish version of the Leyland Panther—the SISU 8 58 Panther—gave a clear view of the co-operation with British industry.
At Auto '69 cars and trucks from the merged Swedish manufacturers—Saab and Scania-Vabis--could for the first time be seen on the same stand. The main reason was, however, that Oy Scan-Auto AB for several years has been the Finnish distributor for both makes.
Thenew Scania LB 80 was exhibited for the first time. This forward control 16-ton gross chassis is similar in appearance to the very much larger LB 110. The LB 80 cab is, however, much lower and adapted to the special requirements for distribution services; if the driver wants to leave the cab towards the pavement he can easily pass in front of the engine cover. The LB 80 S 31 chassis exhibited had the DS 8 turbocharged 207 bhp SAE diesel engine, and a 10-speed transmission based on a five-speed rosin gearbox and an air-operated planetary splitter. The safety cab tilts through an angle of 60deg for engine and front axle maintenance, daily checks can, however, be made after lifting the front grille.
Another new Scania design exhibited was the LS 85 S 46 road tanker. This is a normal control six-wheeler with a turbocharged DS 8 engine as in the L 80 S and LB 80 S. Frame and axles, however, are the same as on the largest Scanias in the 110 range.
A new Scania bus development was also displayed for the first time. Earlier ScaniaVabis had made only bus chassis and complete integrally built buses for export. Now one more version is added, the BR 110. In short it can be said that Scania manufactures a front end with complete front axle, steering column, controls and instruments. For delivery from Scania-Bussar A8—a ScaniaVabis subsidiary specializing in bus manufacture—the front end is joined with temporary frames to a rear end assembly that consists of engine, automatic transmission and rear axle fitted into a short frame. In this way the components are tested and delivered to a bodybuilder, who takes the front and rear ends apart and fits them into an integral body.
A bus exhibited built on this principle was a There were several Russian commercial vehicles to be seen on the exhibition grounds —fewer, however, on the Finnish roads! The Russians have tried to export trucks to Finland since 1960, but they have not been very successful. This in spite of the fact that the price on a heavy Russian vehicle is about 50 per cent lower in Finland than on any other European truck with the same capacity. Scania, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz are the most sold imported heavy vehicles.
Nevertheless the Russian trucks were quite interesting. Generally they are much more rough than is usual in Europe; Some of them have a very poor finish indeed, the doors on the KRAZ 256, for example, seemed to be made of unplaned wood. The most modernlooking Russians were the MAZ 500-series, which were exhibited as tippers, tractive units and load carriers for long-distance haulage. The forward control cabs could be tilted through 40deg to give access to the 11.15 litre, 220 hp SAE V6 diesel engines.
The KRAZ vehicles had 11.00 wheel /tyre equipment and with an overall width of 2.65 metres were only offered for off-road duties. A dumper and a large tipper were on display —one 4 x 2 and the other 6 x 4. Both had the same V8 diesel engine giving 220 bhp SAE gross at 2,100 rpm.
On the Chrysler stand there was a Fargo FK 1050 exhibited for the first time with Per