Juhola

Juhola Automobiles

Native name	Juhola Autoyhtiön
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive
Headquarters	Källälivi , Valkea
Area served	worldwide
Key people	Erno Juhola (Chairman) Josefiina Oinonen (Vice-chairman) Sakari Alamäki (President and CEO)
Products	automobiles luxury vehicles commercial vehicles motorcycles engines
Owner	Valteo Motor Group
Parent	VTK Motor Group
Subsidiaries	Fulmen Juhola Racing Lenora Sinocara
Website	juhola.com

Juhola Automobiles, commonly known as Juhola, is a Valkean multinational automaker headquartered in Källälivi, Valkea. A subsidiary of Valteo Motor Group, it is the company's flagship auto brand and specializes in manufacturing volume passenger cars. Juhola is the single largest auto brand in Valkea and one of the largest in Astyria, manufacturing upwards of 10 million vehicles a year.

Juhola was founded as a spinoff of the Juhola Company, a major manufacturer of steel castings. It began making passenger vehicles in 1936 and became popular with the rapid growth of the Valkean economy in the 1950s and 1960s, selling economical cars to growing domestic demand. Since the 1970s, Juhola expanded internationally and became one of Valkea's most valuable companies at the turn of the 1980s.

In 1993, Juhola entered an agreement with Valteo to merge its automobile operations into one unified company, which became Valteo Motor Group. Juhola Holdings Oy currently has a controlling interest in Valteo Motor Group, which includes other automotive brands such as Lenora, Lehtonen, and Fulmen.

History

Juhola was founded in 1874 in Tuuvalo as a steel foundry. In its early years, the Juhola Company manufactured steel castings, hand tools, and bicycles. But production of automobiles did not begin until 1905, when Niklas Juhola directed the formation of the Juhola Automobile Company, a limited liability company under the wider Juhola umbrella. Their first products included trucks that served as transport vehicles for Juhola's other operations. In 1913, a new factory was constructed in Källälivi, which then became its main production plant.

Throughout the Valkean Civil War, Juhola shifted its production towards military vehicles and machine parts for the Valkean Army. After the republic was established, the Kansallist Party granted several companies who collaborated with the previous royal government, including Juhola, full pardons.

Juhola released its first car to the general public in 1936, the Model 36. It was the first passenger car from Valkea to feature a curvaceous body that utilized aerodynamics, inspired by the < name >. Other cars that were released throughout the 1930s included the Model 46 in 1938 and the Model 52 in 1939. Production of motor vehicles slowed down with the outbreak of the 2nd Great Astyrian War, but was restarted again upon the war's end. Niklas Juhola died suddenly in 1943 due to a heart attack and was succeeded by his son, Kristian Juhola.

In 1946, the Valkean Army ordered that Juhola develop a four-wheel drive light truck for military use. A prototype was constructed and tested in 1948, which then became the production Juhola RK. It featured a four-cylinder engine taken from the Model 46 sedan. A more developed model followed up in 1950 called the Juhola TK, featuring larger dimensions and a new six-cylinder engine. A civilian version was released in 1952 as the Juhola Titania, featuring more comfortable suspension and the choice of a softtop or a hardtop roof. The Titania became popular with Valkeans, where they became reliable workhorses in rural areas. The Titania remains Juhola's longest-running nameplate, spanning nearly 70 years across 10 generations.

The profits that Juhola earned from Titania sales allowed them to develop a subcompact sedan to compete with models from Sorsa, Hedlund, Vatanen, and Lehtonen. This became the Juhola Superbia, which went on sale in 1956. The car was met with positive reviews from all around Astyria, who praised it for its reliability and affordability. Much of that work was attributed to Juhola's management system, which prioritized incremental improvements and used lean manufacturing processes to develop quality products.

Motorsport

Juhola has been participating throughout various racing series over the past few decades, with varying success. It is currently a major supplier for Valkean motorsports such as the VSCC, Valkean Open Wheel Series, various Formula 3 series, and Formula Juhola. It also runs a driver development program called the Juhola Drivers Academy to train future Valkean drivers for motorsport.

It is one of several Astyrian Manufacturers to operate a works team at the Astyrian Endurance Championship, and has enjoyed much success. It has clinched the manufacturers' title for the SP1 class consecutively between 2016 and 2019, as well as 2021 and 2022 with the Juhola EP240 Hybrid and J15 Hybrid. It also competes as a works entry in the Astyrian Rally Championship.

The company tried participating in Astyrian Formula One as a constructor and engine supplier from 2003 to 2015; but despite having the largest budget in F1 up to that point, as well as some seasoned drivers in its roster, it has failed to win a single championship.