Jormundkaar

Jormundkaar

Type	State Enterprise Partially-publically-owned worker cooperative
Traded as	VSE: JAG
Industry	Automotive
Predecessor	Svaartaron Auto Company
Founded	1960 (as state enterprise); 1974 (as worker's cooperative)
Headquarters	Udunsfurd, Jormundea , Ottonia
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Motor Vehicles
Services	Automotive repair, Financing
Divisions	Jormundkaar, Sleipnyr, Polaris

Jormundkaar is a North Ottonian automobile manufacturer. Initially founded as a state-run industry for the United Jormundsea Republic within the Federation of Ottonian Republics, in 1974 the company was privatized as a worker's cooperative. The factories that were used to create Jormundkaar were first put to work in the 1950's contract-building Svaartaron Utility and Svaartaron L-Ute vehicles for Jormundea and the federal government, and the experience building these vehicles provided the experience, inspiration, and technical skill that went into Jormundkaar's initial offerings.

In the present day, Jormundkaar has a reputation among Ottonian consumers for producing vehicles that are somewhat more expensive than their competitors, but as a result also coming with more standard features, with emphasis on safety and drive control features such as all-wheel drive, electronic stability control, and more advanced airbag technology. Jormundkaar was notably the first automaker in either Ottonian state to make three-point seatbelts a standard feature.

History

Founding and Early History

As the post-war and post-Revolution recovery picked up steam, factories in Jormundea which had, up to that point produced Svaartaron 4x4 vehicles under contract primarily for government use, were incorporated as a state enterprise for the United Jormundsea Republic by Jormundean Chancellor Wylmina Shraedur in 1960, with the company's presidency entrusted to Theodur Eriksunn, a factory foreman from Udunsfurd. After workplace referenda among the Jormundean branch of the Ottonian Association of Autoworkers, a direction was settled: the new Jormundkaar company would produce automobiles of a higher caliber than their one-time Svaartaron clients, specifically addressing areas of comfort and safety where they thought their competition was lacking.

The first vehicle to be produced under this vision was the 1962 A1. Utilizing a similar part-time 4x4 system as the L-Ute (engaged via a dog clutch) for the first time in Ottonian manufacturing in a passenger car, combined with a transverse-mounted engine for front-wheel drive when the 4x4 drive was not engaged, provided a high level of control in adverse conditions. The vehicle performed well in the 1964 Pan-Ottonian Rally Challenge and quickly found an enthusiastic customer base, especially in the mountainous regions of Corvaea, Bluwaald, and Skraelingia.

Marques

Jormundkaar produces and markets vehicles under three marques.

Jormundkaar

Jormundkaar's eponymous entry-level brand is oriented towards budget-conscious and first-time buyers, or for those who use their vehicles for work but are required to use them in rugged conditions. Because of the performance-oriented features this involves (all-wheel drive is standard, for instance), this means that the vehicles often are slightly more expensive than their direct competitors, and often suffer from fuel economy drawbacks relative to their direct competitors. However, it also results in vehicles that are renowned in the Federation for their reliability and capability, especially in the country's mountainous regions and during its snowy and rainy seasons.

Model Name	Years Produced	Size/Class	Notes
A8	1962 - present	Subcompact Car
C6	1970 - present	Compact Car
S9	1967 - present	Mid-size Car
F10	1966 - present	Full-size Car
T6	1960 - present	Sport Utility Vehicle, Pick-Up Truck

Sleipnyr

Founded as the racing division of Jormundkaar in 1967, Sleipnyr began its history as a public consumer brand in 1972, marketing a private driver version of its highly decorated rally vehicle the Sleipnyr RX1, which was in turn based off the successful 1963 Jormundkaar A1, which had done well as a production vehicle used in rallying. In the modern era, there are only a few models offered under the Sleipnyr marque in a few segments, all built to be fun to drive and aimed primarily at automotive enthusiasts. This also means that Sleipnyr is a relatively low-volume brand.

Polaris

The Polaris marque is largely aimed at motorists who will either have to spend a lot of time in their vehicles, or family buyers for whom a larger number of standard features (especially safety features) are of high importance. Polaris' vehicles are mechanically often very similar to their Jormundkaar counterparts (often platform sharing with them), but generally more comfortable (and, accompanyingly, more expensive). Polaris is about as close as there is to a "luxury brand" for North Ottonian autos.