page_title: Sisu Auto
section_title: Yhteissisu
hierarchical_section_title: Sisu Auto / History / 1939 to 1945: Second World War / Yhteissisu
caption_attribution_description: English: Sisu S-22 produced by Yhteissisu (later VAT).
context_page_description: Sisu Auto is a truck manufacturer based in Raseborg, Finland. Its name comes from the Finnish word sisu meaning guts, grit and determination.
  Sisu Auto has a subsidiary company, "Sisu Defence", producing high mobility tactical vehicles for military use.
context_section_description: At the same time when SAT built the new factory in Karis, the Finnish Defence Forces reported needing thousands of vehicles in the near future. SAT suggested building the factory larger in order to meet the demand. However, the importers of other makes as well as some politicians suspected that SAT tried to use the war to gain a dominant position in the Finnish market. Eventually, an agreement was reached in 1943 when SAT, the state and a number of Finnish companies set up a separate company Yhteissisu to produce lorries. SAT and Yhteissisu signed a contract about transferring Sisu S-21 lorry production to Yhteissisu. Vanaja municipality next to Hämeenlinna was selected for the factory location.
  However, the war was over before Yhteissisu could start serial production at the full scale. Yhteissisu had the right to use the Sisu-brand until June 1948. When this expired the company was renamed Vanajan Autotehdas (VAT) and its products were named Vanaja. VAT became a strong competitor to SAT in the Finnish market which was small but still protected by import restrictions.
  According to the contract with Yhteissisu, SAT was not allowed to produce lorries during the five years' period. SAT made Sisu S-15 buses but some of the chassis were fitted with lorry cabin and superstructures.
caption: Sisu S-22 made by Yhteissisu.
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