Sidus
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Native name | Sidus Moottoriyhtiö |
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| Public | |
| Traded as | VLSE: SDUS |
| Industry | Conglomerate |
| Founded | August 23, 1948 in Novika, Valkea |
| Founders | |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
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| Products |
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| Revenue |  $142 billion (2019) |
| $7.32 billion (2019) | |
| $9.52 billion (2019) | |
Number of employees | 223,574 (2019) |
| Divisions |
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| Website | sidus.com |
Sidus Motor Company Oyj (Valkean: Sidus Moottoriyhtiö), usually shortened to Sidus, is a Valkean multinational conglomerate that is headquartered in Vuornaa, Valkea. They are mostly known for the manufacture of automobiles, motorcycles, and engines. As of 2018, Sidus is the largest Valkean motorcycle manufacturer since 1956 and the second largest Valkean automobile manufacturer after Valteo Motor Group. Sidus is also one of the largest manufacturers of internal combustion engines.
Sidus Motor Company produces and sells automobiles and motorcycles under the Sidus brand as well as luxury cars under the JLC brand. Sidus also manufactures marine engines, personal watercraft, powersports equipment, and garden equipment. They also have been involved in other industrial fields such as robotics and aerospace.
History
In 1933, Heimo Järvinen founded the Järvinen Motor Company in the city of Novika. Based in a workshop employing 17 men, they manufactured limited-volume luxury cars such as the Model 10 coupe, Model 20 sedan, and Model 22 roadster. They also produced parts for military vehicles. However, differences between Järvinen and the board of management arose regarding the company's direction. He wanted to build people's cars for Valkeans, but his partners wanted to continue building luxury cars for the elite. Järvinen eventually departed from Järvinen Motor Company in 1945.
Shortly after his departure, his daughter, Stella, died from severe pneumonia. While he was putting away her things, he came across a pendant with a five-knotted star; a gift he had given to her when she was eight. The pendant would become the inspiration for Järvinen and his future company. In 1947 he moved to Vuornaa and met Mauri Miettinen, and together they founded Sidus Motor Company on 23 August 1948. The two would continue to head the company until they both stepped down in 1981.
Their first car models were the Model 100, a two-door roadster, and and the Model 105, a four-door passenger car; both of which went on sale to the public in September 1953. They were a success in the Valkean domestic market, selling a combined 50,000 units within the first year. In addition, they began building motorcycles such as the Sol and Proxima. Sidus then grew in a short time to become Astyria's largest motorcycle manufacturer by the 1960s. The Proxima is still being produced today, having reached its 100 millionth model milestone in 2015.
Over the next few decades, Sidus worked to expand its product line and its operations to other countries. The Sidus Model 145 became the first Sidus car to be exported to foreign markets. The year 1973 saw the company release the Sidus Corvus, a compact hatchback that passed strict emissions regulations without the use of a catalytic converter. In 1984, Sidus bought a majority stake in Järvinen Motor Company, which was rebranded as Järvinen Luxury Cars. And in 1989, the company introduced the Sidus Zodiac, a supercar built with an all-aluminum monocoque chassis and a mid-engined V6 with variable timing technology.
However, the death of Heimo Järvinen in 1992 sent shockwaves throughout the entire company. Sidus was beginning to lag behind other Valkean automakers, having been late to the SUV and pickup truck trend. In addition, there was speculation that Sidus may be bought up by VTK, which had acquired competitors such as Juhola. To prevent this, then-CEO Antti Kivinen streamlined Sidus's product lineup, closed unprofitable factories, laid off thousands of workers, and ended its involvement in Formula One.
Corporate profile
Sidus is the 2nd largest Valkean automobile manufacturer and one of the largest in Astyria. It is headquartered in Vuornaa, Valkea and has operations throughout the world. It also operates numerous assembly plants in various countries, many of them in Astyria. An overwhelming majority of cars sold in foreign markets are built in foreign factories.
The company has two major subsidiary brands: JLC, which sells luxury vehicles, and Pulsar Motors, which sells electric vehicles. Other subsidiaries within the Sidus umbrella include Sidus Performance Division, which manufactures high-performance cars under the R-Spec badge, Sidus Racing, the company's motorcycle racing division, and Sidus Autonomous Systems, which researches developments in artificial intelligence for mobility.
In November 2019, Sidus reported net earnings of $9.52 billion, with an annual revenue of $142 billion, which is 5.8% higher than the previous fiscal year.
Products
Automobiles
Sidus produces a wide range of automobiles, including sedans, hatchbacks, coupes, crossovers, SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans. Many of these models are sold as passenger cars. Sidus is currently the 2nd largest Valkea-based automobile manufacturer, behind Valteo Motor Group.
The Corvus is currently the best-selling car in Sidus' catalog, with over 20 million units sold worldwide. It is also the second longest-running nameplate from a Valkean manufacturer, after the Juhola Elysia. Other notable models include the Cygnus, which has outsold the Corvus in certain major markets, the Pardus, a compact crossover SUV, and the Zodiac, a hybrid supercar.
Motorcycles
Sidus is currently Valkea's largest motorcycle manufacturer ever since it began manufacturing them in 1954. At its peak in the 1990s it produced over 3 million motorcycles annually, though this figure has dropped to 830,000 today. Still, current production output is still higher than its domestic competitors.
Power equipment
Aircraft
Sidus produces aircraft through its Sidus Aerospace subsidiary. Its only aircraft on offer is the Sidus Andromeda, a light business jet with pioneering technologies that allow for reduced drag, better aerodynamics, and greater fuel efficiency. So far 150 units have been built and delivered to customers.
Robots
Motorsport
Sidus has been active in motorsport, most notably in Formula One and in Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing. Its engines attained the greatest number of victories for any Astyrian engine manufacturer in all disciplines.
Automobile racing
See also: Sidus in Astyrian Formula One
Sidus first entered as a Astyrian Formula One constructor in 1966 in the Caprican Grand Prix. Their first win was achieved at the Scottopian Grand Prix, making the company become the first Valkean constructor to win in Formula One. However, they had difficulties obtaining wins in the coming seasons, and they later had to withdraw from the sport in 1973 due to the onset of the 1971 Valkean Recession.
The company returned to Formula One as an engine supplier, first partnering with the Delaney and later the MacGregor team. MacGregor went on to win the 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, and 1994 seasons. But due to MacGregor's dismal performance during the 1995 season, as well as Sidus itself experiencing financial turmoil after the death of its founder, the company once again withdrew from F1. However, it still maintained a presence as an engine supplier for various race teams through the related Comet Motorsport company.
Sidus officially returned as an engine supplier for Fullerton in 2002. Together they achieved 12 podiums and third place in the constructor's championship. However, prior to the 2006 season, the team was sold to Sidus, becoming a fully-fledged constructor in Formula One for the first time since the 1970s. They won the 2007 and 2012 Formula One Constructor's Championships with driver Paavo Laakkonen, who also won the Driver's Championship for those years. They followed that with two more Constructors' Titles in the 2015 and 2020 seasons with Simo Rassinen as Drivers' Champion. Alongside the factory team, Sidus also currently provides engines for the MacGregor and Delaney F1 teams.
Aside from Formula One, Sidus also competes in the Valkean Touring Car Championship, Valkean GT Championship, as well as the Astyrian Touring Car Championship, scoring numerous victories and championships.
Motorcycle racing
Sidus has participated in various motorcycle racing series around the world since the 1950s. Heimo Järvinen was an avid racing enthusiast, and wanted to demonstrate his company's engineering prowess through participation in motorsport. In 1957, Sidus entered Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing, but it took until 1962 for it to claim its first victories. They achieved the constructor's championships in 1964 and 1965. Sidus's race bikes made a name for themselves in the motorcycle racing world through their sleek exteriors and unorthodox engine configurations, including a 250cc six-cylinder motorcycle that competed in the 1966 season.
After a hiatus in the 1970s, they made a return to Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing in 1980, initially competing with four-stroke engines in 1980 and 1981. Due to the previous engines' lackluster performance, they switched to two-stroke engines in 1982. In 1983, Sidus won their first Grand Prix world championship since 1965, and have since then dominated in the years to come.
They also are a prominent force in motocross racing, winning seven championships, as well as in endurance motorcycle racing.
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