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Scania

Vagnfabriksaktiebolaget, known for short as Vabis, was a railway carriage building company set up in 1891. In 1900 another firm was founded in Malm, called Maskinfabriksaktiebolaget Scania, to produce bicycles, a successor to the Swedish subsidiary of the British Humber Cycle Co. The two firms combined in 1911 as Scania-Vabis. Vabis produced its first car in 1897, and their first lorry in 1902. In 1911 Scania-Vabis delivered a bus for use in the remote Nordmark area, and in 1913 a fleet of 13 small vans was delivered to the Swedish Post Office. In the 1920s the main selling point of Scania-Vabis vehicles was their efficient four-cylinder engines. They ranged from 2.5 litre car or van engines to nine litre units for large trucks and buses, some of which were chain-driven. In 1925 Scania-Vabis launched a new range of lorries with new overhead valve engines and enclosed cabs. Scania-Vabis made military vehicles in wartime, to protect Sweden's neutrality. Peacetime brought new trucks, the two-axle 90hp four-cylinder L10, the larger two-axle L20 and the three-axle 135hp six-cylinder LS20. The new bus chassis were the B10 and B20. In 1948 Scania-Vabis became distributors of the Volkswagen Beetle. The range grew and the company prospered through the 1950s and 60s, notable types including the LB series trucks, CR coaches and BR buses. After Scania-Vabis entered the UK market in 1966, the firm joined forces with MCW to make the Metro-Scania bus, which began production in 1970. In 1969 Scania-Vabis merged with Saab to form Saab-Scania AB, and The company name was changed to Scania AB. The nameplates of the vehicles had already dropped 'Vabis', being just called Scania from 1968. 2-series trucks and buses were made from 1980 to 1988 (e.g T82 and T112), then 3-series trucks and buses were made from 1987 to 1995 (e.g G93 and R143), with 4-series trucks and buses made from 1995 to 2004 (e.g F94 and K124). The link with Saab was severed in 1995. Omni buses and Irizar coaches were popular, and in 2004 the P, R and T series trucks were launched, and in 2008 VW acquired Scania.