This will hopefully be my last question, but how willing are Ernstlanders to drive cars that are really not much more than mini-cars with motorcycle engines?
They don’t really mind, most of them just need something that can carry more than 1-2 people like a motorcycle
Bahastu: Born of Ice, Fire, and Silence
In the winter of 1936, northern Sweden was gripped by a cold so bitter it silenced even the wolves. In the mountain town of Jokkmokk, a man named Elof Bahastu stood by the smoldering remains of a barn, blackened and twisted by a fire that had consumed more than just timber and tools. It had taken his brother, Kjell —his closest companion, and the man who had dreamed of building machines that could conquer the wild.
I actually just had ChatGPT write this all, here's the rest.
Kjell had been obsessed with motion. Not just movement, but purposeful motion—transport that could endure the snow, the forests, the frozen rivers. “The road isn’t where you drive,” he used to say. “It’s wherever you dare to go.” Elof, an engineer hardened by war and soot, had always thought Kjell was chasing ghosts. But now, standing in that quiet ruin with ash on his hands and tears freezing on his cheeks, he realized that dream was all that remained.
In the months that followed, Elof worked in silence. Using salvaged parts and frozen resolve, he built a workshop from stone and stubbornness. He found Kjell’s old notebooks—charcoal-sketched suspensions and mad blueprints—and brought them to life with fire and steel. His first creation wasn’t beautiful. It was angular, armored, loud. But it moved . Across icy lakes. Through knee-deep snow. It moved like grief itself —unstoppable.
Word spread quickly among the locals. Elof’s strange vehicle could carry wood, fish, even people, when no sled or truck could. They called it “Bahastu’s Beast.” And from that name, a company was born: Bahastu , a name now whispered with reverence in garages and forests alike.
Through the decades, Bahastu cars bore scars and soul. Every model was a tribute—to Kjell, to resilience, to a homeland where silence and snow rule the land. Their engines hummed with a low, purposeful growl, and their bodies were carved not for luxury, but survival.
By the time Europe went to war again, Bahastu was ready. Its rugged transports ferried soldiers and medics through terrain others feared. And after the war, the company did not celebrate. It returned to its roots—quietly building machines for those who still needed to dare.
Bahastu remains a legend not just of engineering, but of love and loss. A company not born in a boardroom, but in the shadow of flame and the silence of grief.
Okay, now that we’re done with that let’s move on to the stuff that matters. Car.
Behold! The all-new 1948 Bahastu 9W
The lineup consists of the 9W FT coupe-hatchback, and the 9W LB 1T van
The 9W FT provides you with top-of-the features, such as cloth seats and a radio. You also get a manual transmission with several gears.
This is peak motoring.
The 9W LB 1T is just like the 9W FT, except that it’s a van. Yeah.
It provides you with the exact same features as the 9W FT, but somehow it’s still slower, less comfortable, and all around worse! However it has a split tailgate!! How cool! You know, if your 2x8’s don’t fit inside, you can just open the upper part and stick them out! And they won’t even fall off when you floor it, since you can keep the bottom part closed. This is what the future of vans looks like.
But there’s more!
The not-so-new 1946 Bahastu LB 1.5T
Now THAT’S a truck!
The LB 1.5T is a big truck with big engine and big fuel consumption, but it’s okay, because it’s a big truck. You get a wooden bed that will rot away in 2 months. Big engine, big cylinders, big everything!
Wow, that’s big.
Inside, you get two seats, more than two gears, but only one steering wheel. There’s also a heater if it gets cold, and uhh… Somewhere there is radio but because it’s a high quality truck, it’s hidden! I definitely didn’t just forget to put a radio in it, I would never!
That’s probably all, I think.
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Akarinya - Can a car manufacturer survive in a destroyed country?
Akarinya was never meant to be a large vehicle manufacturer. It was never meant to be a vehicle manufacturer at all in fact. After all, as the later days of 1922 drew to a close, the only things that were present in Iyagakaye Akarinya’s mind as he dreamt up his plans of entrepeneurship was selling fountain pens. But of course, he was sitting right at the foot of 1920s era Kimigaru, and 1920s Kimigaru was almost the perfect place to create a company. As the bubble economy of that period grew and grew, the stocks in his little operation centred in Takadai, the fishing capital of the country, grew and grew as well. Before the 1920s were over, he had accrued more money and capital than he could ever dream of, and by 1928, he had already began work on his first car as he saw companies from all over the world succeeding in that market.
Of course, the bubble economy burst soon after. By 1930, it had well and truly left the country of Kimigaru in shambles. The government of the time, showing its propensity for overreach, attempted to ameliorate the situation by creating a forced migration list of underproductive individuals, and shipped them off covertly to countries that would have them. These operations were known as the ‘night snatchings’ and would be a wake-up call for the average Kimigaruan that things were not right. Unsurprisingly, even as Akarinya managed to barely sell enough cars to remain profitable, the rest of the country, already scrounging for food and safety, was plunged into the worst circumstances in history.
In 1935, the prefectural ties that had held Kimigaru together for over 800 years by that point finally wore thin, and the entire country was plunged into war. Every prefecture had its own bone to pick with each other, and while pro-separatist sentiment had been building up over the course of the previous few years, it was kicked into overdrive by each prefecture’s governmental propaganda industry as the war began. The fighting would be brutal, bloody, and mostly done in tightly packed urban areas. Groups of families who originated from different prefectures would try to flee to their home prefectures, but almost all of them would never make it, being massacred on their way out. The once great navy and army of Kimigaru was now in shambles, with people commandeering squadrons and vessels to fight for their prefecture, and often leading to the deaths of entire ship crews and regiments. Everywhere that you went in 1935-1942 Kimigaru, blood had been spilled, and the stains of war were obvious.
As the bitterest of massacres came to a close before the winter of 1941, a new leader came to the forefront in the small coastal prefecture of Tokan Kirui. She was not unlike the masses, and that was likeky what made her so popular. By 1941, even the most ardent separatists had grown tired of the fighting, and were hoping for peace. As the leader of now the most powerful army in Kimigaru, she went on a rampage. It was obvious who had conducted the massacres, and Tokan Kirui’s forces simply executed them on the spot. In just as little time as the war started, it was over.
The country’s industry was ruined. 62% of all bridges, 45% of all hospitals and 28% of all schools were little more than rubble, but by far the most grave statistic that sent shockwaves around the world, was the human cost. In 1935, Kimigaru had a burgeoning population of over 75 million people, with a great deal of them being older. By 1943, that number had dropped to 32 million, and most of them were now younger. The ratio of men to women had gone from roughly 50/50 to 30/70. The amount of young children and young adults was immense, but over 45% of those children no longer had a father, luckily only 12% losing their mothers. The country was in ruin - they had lost over half of their population, people, human lives, that could not be brought back, and they would not be able to match that population for at least a century.
What this would mean for Akarinya J.K.G, even considering that their factories situated in a relatively remote, unassuming prefecture were barely damaged, their customer base of over 75 million people was now far, far less, and far, far less capable of affording anything at all. Their only choice was to sell to another country, to create a market somewhere else. A perfect place stood out to them - a similarly war-torn nation, one that needed cars that were good, and they needed them now. That country was Ernstland.
Akarinya’s entries to Ernstland from left to right:
1: The ‘Ya-meyori R-2-3700’
2: The ‘Dai-kana R-1-1000’
3: The ‘Jiru-karo R-1-1000’
1: (Market 4) The Ya-meyori was already getting a little bit old by this point, but Akarinya never saw any harm in sending it over anyway. It would hopefully help in the cities, as it had a somewhat powerful engine and a decent load capacity of about 2 tons, but everyone knew that they’d have to replace it soon - it was exceptionally uncomfortable - even being offered with a free set of seat-cushions from the factory to help ease the driver’s very likely sore arse by the end of a long trip, and it was horrifically hard to drive, and even better, could barely get anywhere offroad. They all simply hoped that it would be used mainly for transporting heavy loads in the cities or on semi-paved roads in the countryside where the vehicles strong points could shine.
2: (Market 1) The Dai-kana was an interesting choice for Akarinya, as they knew something that could barely break 100kph with its pitiful little one litre engine was not going to be a great success, but they had no other family car offering that they could get out in time by that point. With only two doors, even considering how massive they were, it was still difficult to get in and out of. Alongside that, the rear-mounted engine and rear transaxle were definitely going to be a pain in the neck for Ernstland’s engineers to get their heads around, but at least the bloody thing was somewhat comfortable, that was after all their main priority in their home market of Kimigaru.
3: (Market 2) And finally, Akarinya’s swansong for their offerings in Ernstland, the Jiru-karo. Equipped with the exact same engine as the Dai-kana… wait a second… No, it isn’t the exact same engine. Well it is, but some idiot in Engineering decided that they didn’t need to do something ridiculous like put a new. larger, more reliable engine in the thing, they would simply extract as much power as possible from their economy car engine, taking it up from a measly 35hp to 50hp, and with a good sound as well. Combined with a weight reduction of almost 200kgs over the Dai-kana, it certainly wasn’t quick, but it wasn’t exceptionally slow either. It was relatively good on the winding roads of Kimigaru’s many mountain ranges, but even if it wasn’t as such in Ernstland, they hoped that the interior furnishings would make up for the god-awful ride quality and almost unmatched horrific reliability.
Well, in any case, it isn’t up to Akarinya’s marketing team to decide how well these cars are going to do, that’s the job of the people of Ernstland, isn’t it?
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Entschieden
We have a Full line up for 1946 to help our country get going again after this war has taken so much from us.
Der Wagon
Seating for 6, a 2.1L OHV V8, and 3 gears.
Der Wagon is the perfect transport for Familia in uncertain times were here.
New models only 10,800
Leichte Arbeit
When you need delivery in small areas, chose Leichte Arbeit.
We use our common 2.1L OHV V8 to save cost and develop a better engine for our countrymen.
only 11,100
Schwere Einheit
When you begin rebuilding chose our Schwere Einheit the 6x4 gets where its needed, our 4.4 L D6 engine has all the power you can use, and the built in rear mounted mini dump allows for repair on go. we have a roof mounted system to allow for carrying fragile loads, and the rear lighting system allow for sorting even when there’s no power where you’re working.
Units only 23,600
Lets rebuild together.
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1946 Mara Grashüpfer 1.3 P
During the war, the Mara company of Archana in the East had been tasked to build first the engine and then later - as one of several manufacturers - the whole of the Archanan JC-9 4x4 light reconnaissance and transport vehicle. It was available with a softtop and either a cargo bed for equipment or longitudinal benches for troop transport. It was one of the universal vehicles in the Archanan military who were quite keen on standardisation.
The JC-9’s body-on-frame construction allowed a quick adaption to differing needs and additional roles. Due to their ubiquitous numbers across various roles at and behind the front, the quite swift acceleration in the (back then) very short first gear and the common yellow/green-ish base colour, the JC-9 received the nickname Konyk (‘grasshopper’). After the war, Mara adapted the JC-9 for sales to civilians (and for export) and carried over the nickname to become the actual product name.
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VEB DMW Elbe 1200 - From SSD with love!
Elbe 1200 is a 4-door limousine made in Süddemokratischer Staat Deutschland.
The car is sold in two trim levels: Standard, which has only the essential equipment on board and Luxus, which has nicer looks and more amenities inside, for example AM radio receiver.
There is only one engine available, the 1200cc boxer-4 producing 46hp, it’s mated to a 3-speed gearbox.
Standard - $7050
Luxus - $7880
Photo gallery
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“After emigrating from Ernstland with their family from a young age, Bernard Wulsen returns to their homeland to further their mechanical education, and to re-immerse themselves with their heritage. And apparently build a car company.”
Eh, I’m not great with this whole ad malarky. Here, my two cars, the Wulsen Boar 2110 Sedan and Utility. They share the same chassis, the same straight six with a three speed, and the same style for the modern Ernstland consumer.
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1 week left to submit!
1 week is left until submissions close, please ensure that you have submitted .cars for all the markets you wish to enter, unfortunately I am immensely busy over the next week, so I won’t be able to check in on the forums all too often- make sure your cars will pass the rules, and I will check in with you all next Thursday. :3
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VEB Garant T902 Kastenwagen
Another entry from Süddemokratischer Staat Deutschland, this time it’s a sedan delivery based on an Elbe 1200. It features the same powertrain, but rear suspenion was replaced by an solid axle. The car costs $6770.
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1948 LVC LC124
Seeking to provide a halo car for the 1% of customers in the early post-war market, LVC pulled out all the stops with the LC124 - a supercar by the standards of its day. Built on a galvanized steel space frame clad in hand-finished alloy bodywork, concealing a high-quality hand-built interior and AM radio, and running a dual-wishbone suspension front and rear, the LC124 was the company’s first true flagship, with an aerodynamically sculpted body and chassis inspired by early jet-age aviation principles.
Powered by a 4.0L DOHC 24v V12 breathing through three 2-barrel carburetors, and developing 200 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque, sent to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual gearbox and open differential, the LC124 (named for its engine layout and capacity) could reach 60 mph from a standstill on its way to 133 mph, making it quite far ahead of its time. In 1948, its otherworldly performance - attainable only to the 1% of its day due to its immense price - must have seemed like a beacon of light in the dark void that was the early post-war world.
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1947 H&L Fox
Emerging from a time of darkness comes a shining light of hope in the automotive world for Ernstland, the new H&L Fox.
A new version of the much loved car of the 20s and 30s, this new version is ready for the 40s and 50s with a new engine making 45 horsepower and averaging over 22 MPG, useful for those with less money for petrol.
Among the improvements include a new rear mounting for the engine, providing a larger luggage compartment at the front along with internal latches for both the rear bonnet and front boot, new light based indicators to replace earlier trafficators, all around independent double wishbone suspension to provide a comfortable and safe ride at any speed, and yellow headlight covers to provide improved visibility in foggy conditions or at night.
.car file: EMHC1(1)_-Fishman501-_Fox_A.car|attachment (30.2 KB)
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RPAB
RPAB (Rhineland Pfalz Auto Bund) is a car manufacturer from the Süddemokratischer Staat Deutschland, founded in 1903. During the war, operations were shut down temporarily to focus on producing weapons and ammunition. After the war, they were back to producing cars. However, they had historically only made road going vehicles and did not have the knowledge or space to produce 4x4s or trucks, so they struck up an agreement with the newly-founded American manufacturer Vergel in 1946, who specialised at the time in converting and selling excess surplus vehicles to the public. As no such excess existed in NKR or SSD, these American surplus vehicles would prove very useful when it came to rebuilding the country. They were brought to ports in France, then driven over the border to their headquarters in Mannheim, SSD for further modification.
Their premier family car offering in the late 40s was the 65, a small RWD 5 door car. It was avaliable in Delux and Basis versions, with the Delux having a cloth interior and a radio, and the Basis being stripped down, painted only in surplus military gray, making it the choice for fleets or people on a tight budget.
What was known as the Vergel Jefe in the USA was one of their most imported cars. It was essentially a WW2 4x4 chassis with bodywork from an early 40s American pickup truck on top. The vehicles were also all painted in surplus gray paint, as they were delivered prepared and unpainted from the USA, due to Vergel’s small scale operation hand painting such a large number of vehicles was impossible and they needed to focus all that luxury on their home market.
The largest truck sold by RPAB was the VS-A. Although this model was assembled by Vergel in New Mexico, it was not sold stateside. It was basically a surplus fullsize truck from the US Armed Forces with no added luxuries or features, however it was detuned to run on even lower quality fuel as well as fitted with higher quality engine components ensuring a long life.
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What body did you use for the large truck cab?
Its fully 3d, i forgot the name of the mod used but its the one you can use to make prewar cars
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1948 IP LILY 720 DELUXE
The Lily is the sedan offering from IP, a new car brand launched by the Ariyan company Sanju (OOC, think classic asian conglomerate, and future heavy truck offerings will be sold under the Sanju brand if needed). A simple, economical and practical car, with a 20 hp, 722 cc 4 cylinder. This Deluxe version offers hubcaps, extra brightwork, cloth upholstery, dual sunvisors, dual wipers, backup light, compared to the standard version. Price $6490 AMU.
1948 IP RUGGER
The utility versions (pickup, van, wagon) of the Lily are sold under the “Rugger” name. Only available in standard trim, meaning they are a bit simpler than the deluxe sedan. Over 650 kg payload. Beefed up brakes, tyres and suspension parts, compared to the Lily. Yours for $6140 AMU.
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Dalluha Coach & Motor Works presents…
1948 DCMW Asil
(Supremacy Sixteen trim)
It took a few years after buying out a certain defunct American ultra-luxury brand’s engine technology, but finally in 1948, the development of mating two DOHC-4 straight-eights at the crankshaft brought results: a full three hundred horsepower from a 4.8L V16.
The rest speaks for itself.
9 Likes