Scania

The story of Scania begins in 1911 with the merger of two Swedish companies: Vagnfabriks-Aktiebolaget i Södertelge (Vabis), a railway car manufacturer founded in 1891, and Maskinfabriks-aktiebolaget Scania, a bicycle manufacturer established in 1900. Both had ventured into building automobiles and trucks with varying success. The new entity, Scania-Vabis, consolidated its operations in Södertälje, which remains Scania's headquarters today. A pivotal moment came in 1969 when Scania-Vabis merged with Saab to form Saab-Scania AB. During this era, Scania operated as an independent unit, expanded internationally, and developed its modular product system. This period of joint ownership lasted until 1995, when the two companies split, and Scania AB became an independent, publicly traded company. The turn of the century brought significant ownership changes. In 1999, a merger attempt by rival Volvo was blocked by the EU. This opened the door for Volkswagen, which began acquiring shares in 2000. By 2008, Volkswagen had become the majority shareholder, integrating Scania as its ninth brand. Volkswagen gradually increased its stake, and by 2015, Scania was a wholly-owned subsidiary within the Volkswagen Group, now part of its commercial vehicle arm, Traton Group.