Automotive industry in Valkea

1st generation Juhola Elysia (1968 model), one of Astyria's longest running and most popular nameplates.

The automotive industry of Valkea is one of the largest and most prominent in Astyria. Valkea has been a top manufacturer of motor vehicles since the 1960s, and rapidly grew throughout Astyria beginning in the 1970s. The country is best known for its volume passenger cars.

The Valkean automotive industry is home to a host of manufacturers and brands that produce cars, motorcycles, ATVs, construction vehicles, and engines. The most promiment of these manufacturers include Aaltonen, Asikainen, Eloranta-Forscher, Hannula, Hedlund, Sidus, Sorsa, Ukko, Umbra, and Valteo Motor Group.

Valkea-designed cars have won numerous Lorecian Car of the Year and Astyrian Car of the Year awards. The Valkean automotive industry has also produced some of the most popular car nameplates in history, including the Juhola Elysia, Sidus Corvus, and Sorsa Sapphire/CS, each of which have millions of units sold throughout Astyria.

History

Valkean companies first began to build their own automobiles in the late 1900s and early 1910s. Most of these early domestic vehicles were trucks that were produced for the military or industrial companies, as well as licensed vehicles from partnerships with foreign car companies. During this time, there was no demand for passenger cars domestically. Valkean automotive manufacturers shifted briefly to producing trucks and motorcycles for the Valkean military during the Civil War, but otherwise struggled throughout the 1910s and 1920s to stay afloat.

In 1930, the Vuotola administration embarked on a policy of rapid industrialization of various industries, including the automotive sector, with the goal of providing employment and raising standards of living. In 1933, state-controlled corporation Valteo created the Valteo Motor Car Division with the aim of producing an affordable passenger car. The car debuted in 1936 as the Valteo VA-1. Other companies such as Sorsa, Eloranta, and Lehtonen followed with their own cars shortly after. However, early adoption was limited in the 1930s and 1940s due to a lottery system that placed domestic buyers on a years-long waiting list.

After the conclusion of the 2nd Great Astyrian War, Valkean manufacturers began to export their passenger vehicles to foreign markets. Valkean cars were presented at the < auto show > in 1947 and were exported throughout Lorecia soon after. Many passenger cars continued to imitate designs from other Astyrian countries well into the 1940s and 1950s.

Timeline

• 1907 - Sorsa is established
• 1908 - Juhola's first car
• 1915 - Vasa's first car
• 1927 - Vatanen's first car
• 1933 - Valteo creates automotive division; Järvinen Motor Company established
• 1936 - Eloranta's first car
• 1940 - Lehtonen's first car
• 1948 - Sidus is established; Valkean Automobile Manufacturers' Association is founded
• 1952 - Hedlund's first car (H-1)
• 1953 - Sidus debuts the Model 100
• 1967 - Aaltonen Polaris becomes the first mass-produced Valkean car with Wankel rotary engine
• 1968 - Juhola Elysia is introduced
• 1982 - Juhola acquires Valteo's automotive division, enters reverse merger to create Valteo Motor Group
• 1996 - Sidus Columba becomes the first Valkean hybrid car
• 2008 - Ukko's first car (Virta)
• 2010 - Sorsa IE becomes first mass-produced Valkean electric car

List of automotive manufacturers

• Aaltonen (1927-present)
• Eloranta (1929-present, part of Eloranta-Forscher)
• Hedlund (1952-present)
• Sidus (1948-present)
  • Järvinen Luxury Cars (formerly Järvinen Motor Company) (1933-1978, 1987-present)
  • Pulsar Motors (2014-present)
• Sorsa (1907-present)
  • Icarus (2012-present)
  • Vatanen (1896-present)
• Ukko (formerly Valkean Electric Vehicle Company) (2006-present)
• Umbra Automotive (1995-present)
• Valteo Motor Group (formerly Valteo Motor Division) (1942-present)
  • Juhola (1874-present)
  • Vasa (1905-present)
  • Lenora (1988-present)