Trucking Around the World: By Norman Chapman On a recent tour of Scandinavia, I visited Finland to look for the elusive Sisu in its natural habitat. The Sisu company is Finland’s only truck maker and, at one time, it offered the complete package, in terms of products made. From its formation, trucks (mostly dump trucks) and buses were built, then specialized vehicles were produced for military use, along with trams, mobile cranes, and dockside tractors – Sisu even dabbled in a number of different railway maintenance locomotives. The company was established in 1931 with the coming together of two Helsinki based vehicle coachbuilders. Both were going through some financial difficulties, and both were funded by the same bank who suggested that they merge into one. The name “Sisu” was chosen for the new company, with its English meaning being a combination of guts and determination – true grit. The first models produced were known as the S series and they were built with a number of Volvo parts. They were mostly powered with Penta gas engines, and their carrying capacity ranged from 2.5 up to 4.75 tons, depending on the fitting of single or double rear wheels. In 1939, the Soviet Union (USSR) invaded Finland, claiming parts of the country, but fully intending to take it all over. The conflict ended with the League of Nations stepping in and expelling the USSR from the organization. During this time, Sisu experienced a number of changes. The company was put under State military administration, and then an engineering project was started to design their own carburetor. Also, the American made Hercules engine began to be built under license, then used widely in most of the vehicles. It was also at this time when Sisu started producing their own front and rear axles. Because of the hostility shown by the USSR, it was decided by the State that Sisu would also begin building military vehicles in large numbers. In 1949, Sisu introduced their new K series, which was a conventional type of tractor. This design would be used long term, and keeping up with earlier activities, the chassis was also used for bus production. At this time, more emphasis was given to the revolutionary, cost saving design of rear lift axles. The design incorporated hydraulic cylinders to lift the wheels clear of the ground when the truck was empty. In the early 1950s, Sisu forged links with Leyland Motors of the UK. This saw Sisu using the Leyland 8.7 liter diesel engine. A little later, Sisu also used 250-hp Rolls Royce diesels in their larger models, including heavy duty dump trucks. The K series continued to be manufactured in a number of variants and was also known as the R series. The 1960s saw the emergence of modern designed tilting cab vehicles by most world manufacturers. Sisu, not to be outdone, introduced the KB-112 in 1962 and the KB-117 in 1964. These cabovers were the first models to have a hydraulically lifted tilt cab, and they are thought to be the first ones in Europe, altogether. The KB’s replacement was launched in 1970 in the form of the M series, which came in four chassis options – 4x2, 6x2, 6x4 and strangely, the 8x2. Originally, the Leyland 690 and the Rolls Royce Eagle 265 engines were fitted in these models. As all these modern tilt type cab trucks (COEs) were still being made, Sisu continued to produce conventional trucks in even larger numbers. One in particular was the K-142, and Sisu began experimenting with some weight saving ideas on this one (the truck was fitted with a hood and front fenders made from reinforced plastic). At this time, Sisu also adopted the idea of using the same cab for both their COE and conventional trucks. Nothing new here, but when it came to the conventional type, the main cab was made to tilt when the hood was tilted forward. This was on the S series which included the SK, SM, SN, SL and SR models. Valmet diesel engines were fitted in the smaller SK and SL models, while Cummins engines were installed in the larger SM types. In 1983, Sisu appointed Jorma Jerkku as GM, and he embarked on a company streamlining exercise. Along with reducing the number of managers, he also relocated facilities, with the end result being some of them closing. Sisu were representatives for the Iveco brand in Finland and also had car dealerships. Both of these areas of business were discontinued with the cost cutting plan. As a result, the company became more stable, however, continuing with the austerity plan, the different areas of the 50 10-4 Magazine / April 2026 FINLAND’S FINEST 01 13
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