Aaltonen
 | This article is incomplete because it is pending further input from participants, or it is a work-in-progress by one author. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. Note: To contribute to this article, you may need to seek help from the author(s) of this page. |
| Public | |
| Traded as | KLSE: AALT |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | June 22, 1927 |
| Founder | Jarno Aaltonen |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | worldwide |
| Products |
|
| Website | aaltonen.com |
Aaltonen Corporation Oyj is a Valkean automobile manufacturer that is headquartered in Ervasti, Valkea. The company produces passenger motor vehicles, but was historically known for their rotary engine-powered cars.
History
Aaltonen was founded by Jarno Aaltonen on 22 June 1927 in Ervasti, Valkea as a manufacturer of machine tools. In its first few years, the company received government subsidies as part of the Kansallist Party's ambitions to industrialize the Valkean economy, and as such expanded to become a major machine tools builder. In 1932, Aaltonen introduced its first motor vehicle, the Model A.
In the 1960s, Aaltonen began investing into the development of Wankel rotary engines, after obtaining a license from < name >. Its first vehicle powered by a rotary engine was the Aaltonen GT-1000, a limited-production sports car introduced in 1967. Aaltonen became the only Astyrian automaker to produce Wankel engines as other Astyrian car companies abandoned their efforts to continue development. Rotary engine versions of mainstream Aaltonen models were offered by the company throughout the early 1970s to differentiate the brand from other Valkean manufacturers. However, those models suffered from unreliability and poor fuel efficiency, forcing Aaltonen to make rotary engines exclusive for performance models. The Aaltonen RT-6 was introduced in 1978 and became a popular sports car for enthusiasts, as well as saw extensive racing success in the 1980s and 1990s.
In response to its competitors in the Valkean auto industry creating luxury divisions, Aaltonen created Vanadis in 1988. The Vanadis GT-3000, which featured a triple-rotor Wankel engine, served as the brand's halo car. However, the brand lagged behind Lenora, JLC, and Eloranta in sales and was discontinued in 2002. Around the same time, Aaltonen introduced the R4, a lightweight sports car inspired by Aswickan and Aquitaynian roadsters of the 1960s. The R4 went on to become the best-selling convertible in Astyria, selling over 1 million units.
Products
Motorsport
Aaltonen has found tremendous success in motorsports with both their piston engine cars and rotary engine cars. It became the first and only automotive company to win the 24 Hours of Corbieres using a rotary engine.
| Companies |
| ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Related topics | |||||||||||
