Photo Credits: AGM Oil

Shortly after I covered the oil truck company in Massachusetts that continues to run a 1988 SCANIA 112H, I received two more photos from yet another company in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts that run two of them!!

While I have not received a review from them at this time, I have received two incredible photographs! A company that runs some SCANIA’s from this vintage, older than the rest of their fleet is a true testimony to a company that continues to build a quality product.

SCANIA as you may know, has also built many of the Saab Automobile engines from the early eighties until very recently with the Saab 9-5 2.3 engine at the Sodertalje factory which was sold last year by GM Europe.

I would really like to know how many other companies in not only the North East, but in the United States, still have these SCANIA trucks. I am sure the numbers are not too great, but I’d still like to learn more about this especially since SCANIA stopped importing their trucks since 1994.

I just watched a video by the Daily Show where they showcase Sweden in reference to the idea of “socialism” being applied to the United States today with Government Motors (GM) formerly known as General Motors and the financial industries bailouts as of late.

In this video they cover the Stockholm, Sweden area where I used to live, along with some interviews at a SCANIA factory as well!

The portrayal of Sweden in this video was one of the many reasons that contributed to my decision to live in Sweden some years ago.

I highly suggest you watch this film and please provide your feedback in the comments below. I hope this serves you well for some good humor for the start of the week.

Photo Credit: MacFarlane Oil, Inc.

Saab History has been recently pursuing a research project on the history of SCANIA trucks in the United States. In my research I have realized that there are not too many SCANIA trucks around any longer, so any company that still has them, it is exciting to hear why they bought them, what they like about them and why they continue to drive them today.

As part of this research I have recently come across one of these´in Dedham, Massachusetts, that has owned a 112H since 1988! I sent them a few inquiries back and forth and they have kindly shared with us a writeup and some photographs of their experience with them!

In terms of them thinking about retiring it, I have already gone ahead and contacted Scania USA operating out of texas, relocated from Orange, Connecticut in 1995 to see about helping these folks out!

Here is their piece below:

The Scania is a 1988. We decided to make the purchase after seeing them in Europe and reading about them in a trucking magazine. We purchased from Taylor & Loyde in Bedford, MA, shortened the wheel based for proper weigh distribution of our customer tank.

Reasons why we made the purchase: an overall well built nice truck. Great quality and a great ride. The turning radius and visibility are impeccable. It is very easy to get in and out of especially when making 40 oil deliveries in a day.

We continue to run it in our fleet for the above reasons. In speaking with one of our drivers a few weeks ago he stated that “truck #2 is a joy to drive”

I believe Scania left the U.S. in 1994 but I would have to check with my mechanic he has a very good knowledge of the truck. Unfortunately we may be retiring it in a few years because it is getting harder and harder to get parts for it even from Europe. .

Best Regatds

Scott E MacFarlane

MacFarlane Oil Inc.
95 Bridge Street
Dedham, MA 02026

On the topic of SAAB-SCANIA 1969-1989, I managed to find a film that specifically outlines each of the divisions of the company such as Aircraft, Saab Car Division, Scania Division and Combitech and Enertech. Enjoy the film and let me know what you think.

The Saab-Scania promotional film made in 1979 titled “22 Minutes & 22 Seconds” has now been converted and is available to watch here online. This film was able to be converted thanks to the Rocky Mountain Saab Club’s (RMSC) extremely kind donation recently. The RMSC provided everything that Saab History needed in order to meet the financial goals in concluding the first phase of the “Saab Film Project“. This additional to the Saab Video archive will be the three hundred and fifteenth addition to the archive since it was launched over a year ago.

The film you are about to see is certainly a unique mix featururing footage of Scania, SAAB Aerospace as well as SAAB Automobile. The variety of footage of these industries that were all a part of Saab-Scania AB at the time include manufacturing, testing, development, design, promotional clips, out takes and a number of other bits that I think you will find particularly unique and rather interesting.

Please enjoy the film and post your comments below.

Saab-Scania – 22 Minutes & 22 Seconds, 1979

Image Credit: SCANIA

I have just received the official response SCANIA in Södertalje, Sweden, and as it was in 2005, they are not Interested In Financially Supporting Saab Automobile.

Here is their response, with permission, in case there are any doubters:

Dear Ryan

The reason why Volvo Trucks says it will offer financial support to
Volvo Cars is that the company share the same brand name, which means
that Volvo trucks is afraid that Volvo Cars problem will hurt them. This
is not the case with Scania and Saab, so the answer is no.

Best regards
Hans-Ake

Best regards

Hans-Ã…ke Danielsson
SCANIA
Head of Media Relations
Public Relations
SE-151 87 Södertalje
Sweden

Photo Credit: SCANIA Trucks / Carl-Erik Andersson

SCANIA, of Södertälje, Sweden, one of the last remaining Swedish owned transporation companies that manufacture trucks & busses, was sold by the Swedish Wallenberg family’s, Investor Group whom have owned it for 92 years, to Volkswagen. Shortly after this sale to Volkswagen, Porsche stepped in and purchased Volkswagen.

It is important to express that it was SCANIA, who rejected a hostile takeover bid by the German truck maker, MAN back in 2006 as I have previously reported. It is also important to indicate that while it was Saab who took the initiative to merge with SCANIA at the end of 1968, forming Saab-Scania, it was SCANIA who contributed to Saab with their research & development of production engines and transmissions. It was also of course, SCANIA’s diesel engine development engineers, who created the world famous Saab turbo engine in the mid-late seventies.

It will be interesting to see how this acquisition pans out for SCANIA and Sweden. A thank you to SCANIA’s press secretary for clarifying the aforementioned particulars.

Below is the press release of this acquisition by thelocal.se. I also suggest you read the press release on Porsche , Volkswagen & Investor AB’s site as well.

Volkswagen’s acquisition Monday of truckmaker Scania saw one of the Swedish auto industry’s last crown jewels pass into foreign hands, following in the footsteps of Volvo and Saab, but analysts said the brand would remain strongly linked to Sweden.

* Scania and Ericsson see shares tumble (4 Mar 08)
* Porsche swallows Volkswagen as VW grabs Scania (3 Mar 08)
* Scania’s main union welcomes VW deal (3 Mar 08)

The German carmaker announced Monday that it had won control of Scania, but is expected to maintain Scania’s engineering centres in Södertälje, near Stockholm.

It now holds 68.60 percent of the voting rights and 37.73 percent of the capital in the truck-maker after buying shares from the Wallenberg family for 2.9 billion euros ($4.4 billion).

“We’re not concerned,” Scania’s main workers union IF Metall said in a statement, adding that Volkswagen was “a good, long-term industrial owner.”

“The important thing for us is that Scania be able to continue as an independent company, with its own technological development and its own headquarters,” it added.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt also reacted positively to the news.

“Volkswagen has shown that it believes in Scania … They are willing to maintain the brand, the research and development, and the management here in Sweden,” he told Swedish news agency TT.

Read more »

Photo Credit: Saab-Scania of America, Inc.

The Saab-Scania Skip Barber Racing series took place according to my records, 1986 until 1991 when the president of Saab-Scania of America, Inc. Robert J. Sinclair, retired in September of 1991.

After going through a number of Saab-Soundings magazines recently acquired, I found that in volume 24, number 2 in 1986 there were photographs included here in this writeup that showcased the Saab-Scania Skip Barber racing series using SCANIA trucks as transport vehicles for the Skip Barber race cars.

I wonder if these SCANIA trucks are still available here in the United States? If they are, I think it would be kind of a nice throwback fashion where they could be updated and restored as transport vehicles once again, but this time for the Saab “Born From Jets” mobile hangar promotion series that Saab Automobile USA began as part of their new advertising slogan in the spring of 2005.

If anyone has any more material from the Saab-Scania Skip Barber arrangement, please contact Saab History so that I can include this material in the archive.

The Saab-Scania History Promotional Film from 1984 just arrived and is now available to watch. This vintage film was part of the group of 16mm films that were donated this past fall. The film is a bit shorter than I thought, but I think it is an interesting timeline of Saab-Scania’s history from 1891 until 1984.

A special thank you to everyone that donated to make this film viewing possible. I look forward to seeing the next film converted and at this time we only need about $100 in donations to get that film moving.

After enjoying this film, I only ask that you make a kind donation so that Saab History can continue to bring you an ongoing variety of vintage films and other content for years to come.

If you would like to contribute towards this effort, please click on the paypal button below to submit your donation.

* Please note: You do not need a paypal account to make a donation as the site allows secure payments from credit cards and debit cards as well.

As a follow-up a story I posted back in January on the SCANIA Young European Truck Driver Competition , Scania just crowned an Australian as the best truck driver in the Young Australian Truck Driver competition (YATD). Congratulations David Whyte on taking home a brand new Scania R480 Truck!

Australia’s best truck driver crowned by Scania
2007-04-02

27 year old David Whyte was crowned Australia’s best truck driver at the Young Australian Truck Driver 2007 final, taking place in Sydney past weekend. David Whyte is the first champion in Scania driver competitions 2007 taking place in close to 40 countries on five continents, aimed at identifying the world’s best truck drivers.

The driver competitions is a part of Scania’s global initiative to help raise the status of professional drivers and emphasise their great importance to both road safety and the profitability of transport companies.

David Whyte, from the Melbourne suburb of Glenhuntly, won the crown of Young Australian Truck Driver 2007 – and a brand new Scania truck – from 16 other finalists in a competition designed to test for instance their precision driving skills and road behaviour.

“People’s perceptions of truck drivers need to change. We are professional people who enjoy what we do and love driving. However, there is a need for greater understanding and tolerance on the roads by all drivers,” said David Whyte, who has been driving trucks for the past eight years

More than 1500 young Australian truck drivers had entered the nationwide competition. The competition has been undertaken by the Australian Trucking Association and Scania with the support of Shell, Continental Tyres, National Transport Insurance, Freighter and Fleetmark.

The most recent round of the world’s largest competition for heavy truck drivers was held in 2005 and attracted 30,000 contestants from 26 European countries as well as Argentina, Brazil, Taiwan and South Africa. Also competing in the 2007 competition, in addition to Australia, will be South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania. In Europe, Bulgaria has been added to the participating countries. The African countries, Malaysia and Singapore will also invite bus and coach drivers to compete for the title of best bus driver in their countries.

In addition to the competition rounds, Scania is organising road safety seminars in the participating countries, many of these in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO). Scania will be represented at WHO’s First United Nations Global Road Safety Week, 23-29 April 2007, and also at EU’s Road Safety Day in Brussels on 27 April.
Portraits of the winner David Whyte are available on Scania’s homepage.