Lobbying is now closed; thank you to everyone who submitted their lobbying and spending items. It was a really exciting week and fun to watch the various companies try to persuade one another of their stance.
I’ll go and tally up the votes, make some governmental decisions, and then go ahead and build the country in WR:SR. Stay tuned for the full reveal and Rd. 2 Prologue!
The Government of Letara is excited to announce that turn-out for spending and lobbying exceeded expectations. Here is a run-down of the results:
Eight companies chose to build a car assembly plant in Letara; a further 10 companies are building full car factories.
Road maintenance received a moderate amount of funding. These funds will not cover all of the repair and maintenance work required. Luckily a larger sum was dedicated by companies on new road construction. The government chooses to redirect some of these funds to maintain existing roads and also adds much of it own funding to maintenance and repair. Still, there is some money left for new construction, which will be used to double the highway between Lerance Airport and the capital city, and pave the road through Jawole to support this small town’s prosperity.
In terms of industry, not much investment of note has been received. Very minimal funding was received to expand the bauxite industry, which, considering that exports were lacking, is just enough to keep it ticking over at its current level. There was some more investment into an alumina processing plant, so a small plant will be constructed near Jawole. Petroleum and coal mining industries have received some minimal funding as well; these funds were used to identify suitable areas for exploitation in case further funds are made available in a later stage.
Education has received a decent amount of funding with roughly equal research efforts dedicated to materials science, mechanical engineering, petrochemical engineering, and electrical engineering. This has advanced the global knowledge in these areas that will be available to all auto makers.
Air and harbour improvements received some support, but even with government funding added it is just enough for a modest improvement over the existing infrastructure. Rail network improvement has received more funding; these funds will cover short delivery and shunter lines to car factories and assemblies, as well as a new line to the alumina plant in Jawole. The government dug deep and also doubled the stretch between Lerance and the rail intersection south of Storia to ease rail congestion and delays; this at the cost of not sinking further funds into road improvements.
As for car racing, the Cannonball Run received some funds for improvement, but a dedicated GP type circuit received by far the highest amount of funding (even more than general road maintenance). Using the combined funds received for racing, the government allows the construction of a dedicated race track in Letara.
Lastly, there was the miscellaneous category. Reforestation has received a decent amount of funding, which will be used to plant 1.8 million trees in the recently burned areas in the highlands around Mt. Modred. Additionally some funds were set aside to create a small nature reserve close by the tourist town, and the rebuilding of the town’s historic mountain village. And there was some funds received for a car safety awareness campaign, which the government will use in colour TV commercials and radio ads advocating for safe driving behaviours.
On the safety front, there was significant lobbying for increased safety measures and a more lacklustre push against stricter safety. So the government will weigh its options in this realm, especially considering the exuberant healthcare costs the government spent in the last decade relating to the treatment of car accident victims.
Tire regulation was also a quite heated issue with companies lobbying against the use of futuristic radial tires, against a ban of these radials, to outright banning tried-and-true cross-plies. In the end, one company in particular put forth an extremely convincing argument against the use of the still experimental radial tires, so the government is sticking to the known and safe cross-plies. Radials will have to show their worth and safety first in a more… controlled setting.
In terms of other car regulations very few issues were raised by companies, with the exception of the centre headlight issue. So on most of these issues the government will make its own decisions after consulting their own experts. The centre headlight issue, however, did receive numerous strong arguments for, and a few against. Although after consulting with experts the government’s original stance was a ban on these lights, they will give it some more consideration.
Speed limits was another issue debated. Some companies wanted to raise - or even outright erase - speed limits, and some were in favour of lowering limits. In view of this, the government will make minimal changes and have a “wait and see” attitude for now. As it stands, speed limits are 35 km/h in tight inner city cores, 50 within built-up areas and poorer dirt roads, 80 on well-kept gravel roads, 100 on busy highways, and unlimited in the less busy and straight highway stretches.
Fuel was another issue raised by several companies. There was a strong push for Avgas fuel by one company in particular, however due to its unavailability this cannot be considered. But, with the increased research in petrochemical engineering, there are now new possibilities on the market for cleaner and better fuels.
There was some lobbying around the future of racing in Letara. About a quarter of companies wanted to keep the Cannonball Run going, about a quarter pushed for a mixed-surface race, and about half were in favour of a closed track race on tarmac. Considering the monetary investment companies are willing to make to build a dedicated track, racing in Letara will indeed switch to a dedicated track. The government is also in favour of this outcome, because then the roads of Letara do not have to be closed for three days every year.
Last, but certainly not least, the big one: taxes. The issue of taxes turned into a real battle field, as one would expect. The most contested issue was around displacement taxes. In the end, about the same number of auto makers are for and against a displacement tax, but those in favour did lobby harder. However, even in this camp there is some conflict about their exact implementation and a consensus was not reached. Then there was some lobbying for and against fuel efficiency taxes, with the against side being a lot more persuasive. Further, the luxury vehicle tax was also lobbied hard for and against, but in the end both sides brought equally persuasive points. In the end, the austerity-driven government rejects such selective and arbitrary taxes on cars, and will look elsewhere to raise capital and save costs. Inherently, larger engines and luxury do not cost the government more. But unclean fuels and unsafe cars do add significantly to the government’s healthcare costs. And the government thinks that to “balance the books” it should be those cars that are the culprits - the ones burning dirty fuel and are unsafe - that should pay for Letara’s increased healthcare costs.
In 1955 Letara’s tensions with Montelin have eased due to several factors. The global economic downturn has hit Montelin even harder than Letara, so they do struggle to maintain a solid grip on the occupied territories, let alone cause pressure for Letara. Somunds is still a most valuable trade partner and ally. The largest issues that Letara must face are the recovery from the numerous natural disasters of the past decade, and the growing economic hardship that is felt by all Letarans. The new government is focused on austerity measures: reducing spending wherever possible, and raising taxes where appropriate.
Although the bauxite mining and tax incentive for aluminium bodied cars didn’t result in the expected revenue from exports, the government did authorise and co-fund the expansion of the aluminim industry with a small alumina plant near Jawole.
The natural disasters mostly affected the area near Mt. Modred. The mountain is hardly recognizable with all of the forests in the highlands gone. A huge reforestation effort has restored much of the forested area, but a full recovery is still far off. However, thanks to a great initiative by especially one company, a new National Park protected area has been established near the town of Mont Modred, which hopefully will result in increased tourist income in the region.
Storia harbour has been upgraded and revamped to allow shipping of general goods in and out of Letara. The previously aggregate-only harbour is now better suited to serve Letara by making goods transfer easier and quicker; the country no longer has to rely mostly on rail for its large cargo needs.
One of the largest changes in the country is the addition of several car assemblies and factories, making Letara a true car maker powerhouse. Storia is one location with several car factories, making this one of the more industrial and prosperous cities in Letara with active growth.
The second location with the most popular area for new car assemblies and factories is Lerance of course. With the abundance of car assemblies and factories, Letara has seen much increased train traffic as both raw materials and car components are imported, and finished cars are exported. Hopefully the train network can cope with the additional load, as the original train network was certainly not built for this amount of traffic.
Last, but not least, there is a new race track in Letara! It is situated along the new stretch of double highway between Lerance and Lerance Airport. The long back straight is actually the eastbound side of the highway, so for large events this side of the highway still needs to be closed - but it is a good cost-saving measure. Next to the race track is the Lerance car factory corner, where most of the companies that wanted to be close to Lerance set up their factories.
TL:DR - Letara has overcome some major natural disasters in the last decade, but is struggling economically as a consequence. The issues with Montelin seem to be fading to the background, and the local economic situation is becoming more pressing. The bauxite industry is maintaining itself, even growing marginally thanks to some private investment. The road network is slightly improved compared to the previous decade, but not by much. Large areas of the country are still struggling with poor infrastructure. The new pride and joy of the nation is the recently constructed Lerance Raceway, the heart of Letara’s newfound love for track racing.
See the Preface of Rd. 2 for a summary how people’s attitudes have changed in the past decade or so. Overall, though, the economy of Letara only got worse, and even more so than last time, most people just want something practical that gets them from A to B reliably and in relative comfort. Many buildings in inner cities had to be rebuild after the earthquake, which allowed inner cities to open up a little giving cars more space. People have started travelling less to vacation destinations. And just like everywhere else in the world, the upper echelons still do like to show off a little, but they do want their cars to have tangible advantages over the cheaper cars that the regular plebs drive - if the car shines in any area they value (e.g. prestige or sportiness) that can justify the higher cost, they will buy it. Unique cars are especially prized. People in rural areas still have to contend with poorer road conditions, so they value some offroad prowess and above all else, reliability. If they can maintain and fix their cars themselves, all the better.
In game, the second round will span from 1955 to 1963 inclusive; models from any of these years are accepted for consumer vehicles.
IRL, this round’s timetable is:
Rules deliberation will be until Nov. 17, on which date the round officially opens for submissions. The round closes Dec. 4 @ 11:59 PM UTC.
All cars imported into Letara will incur a 20% import tax. All cars assembled in Letara will only incur a 10% import tax. Cars fully manufactured in Letara do not pay an import tax. Because the aluminium incentives didn’t seem to pay off, the austerity-driven government will remove the incentive. Given that healthcare costs are paramount in the government’s eyes, and increased safety was lobbied for, the government will impose a non-compounding 5% tax on unsafe cars (under 35 Safety stat). There will also be an non-compounding 5% tax on cars that use leaded fuel.
No other taxes in this era.
For all three categories you will have the following tech pool points:
You are allowed to have less tech pool points, but not more. If you have more, the car will be rejected by the government as a too futuristic and experimental prototype (ooc: I know this goes slightly against the “no car binned policy”, but I have to say sorry, this is one area where making manual changes to keep cars legal is a lot of manual work for me that I simply don’t have the time for).
In this early era there are still not too many regulations regarding consumer cars, but some areas are getting stricter. The government stipulates that:
You may submit up to three trims of the same model. Participation in other categories is not required. Participation with at least one car in this category this round will allow you to lobby/spend for the next round. Please name your submissions’ model and family “LHC - 2C1 - <forum name>’” for the first trim, “LHC - 2C2 - <forum name>” for the second trim, and “LHC - 2C3 - <forum name>” for the third trim. (Please note the spaces between the text and dashes in the naming, it helps me tremendously if you do this diligently)
With the establishment of Letara’s first National Park, the government is seeking proposals for a capable off-road vehicle that can be used to patrol the remote wilderness areas of the Park. The vehicles will need to be able to traverse rough terrain, rescue stranded vehicles, provide emergency transportation for injured park guests, monitor and potentially transport nuisance wildlife. The vehicles may also be used in other government departments. The proposals must have the following criteria:
You may submit one vehicle in this category. Participation in other categories is not required. Please name your submission’s model and family “LHC - 2G - <forum name>”.
After many years of success, it was time to move on from the Cannonball Run and build a proper race track. The government received ample sponsorship from various car companies, and a very detailed track design from Vizzuri (*ooc: thanks and credits to @Aruna). The track is to be built between Lerance and Lerance Airport, and incorporate one side of the highway into the long back straight. This way traffic will never again have to be stopped for a car race in Letara!
The rules are quite simple:
A leader board for each year of racing will be simulated. Track times are simulated with RNGs, but reliability, comfort, and drivability do help.
Last but not least, I will be participating in this event as well, so you get to “race” yours truly. I will post a proper car showcase in the thread.
You may submit one vehicle in this category. Participation in other categories is not required. Please name your submission’s model and family “LHC - 2R1 - <forum name>”, or LHC - 2R2 - <forum name>", or LHC - 2R3 - <forum name>". Note that if any category receives less than eight participants, then the received entries will be merged into the next closest appropriate racing category.
The track:
Reminder that if you’re submitting your first car, please also register your corporation. At the least tell me where the company is from, but a short lore blurb would be much appreciated - or a link to a lore thread. You will participate in all subsequent rounds with this registered company, so make sure it is the company you want to use for the rest of the playthrough!
Remember, overarching rules are in the OP, so please read that too.
For returning companies, please re-use your LHC DM threads to submit your cars.
Collective Letter to the Letaran Government
In recent years, a push has been made to improve the safety of automobiles produced and sold within the state of Letara. Nobody wants life and limb of oneself or loved ones to be lost while out on Letaran roads.
While such measure are generally seen as commendable practice, the exact implementation of it may have highly undesirable knock-on effects on the fledgling automotive industry and the Letaran consumer.
As per current regulations, a vehicle that is to be sold in letara must achieve at score of at least 25 in the various crash tests that are conducted. A further 10 points (to a total of 35) are needed to avoid the taxation of the vehicle due to less-than-optimal safety ratings.
However, such measures, while possible from a technological point of view, are highly impractical in the city market and other budget-conscious groups of buyers because these customers face substantial increases in vehicle purchase costs, thus reducing car sales as a whole and stifling the motorisation of the Letaran population.
As a potential solution, a requirement for specific safety equipment is suggested, thus making it easier to implement onto existing vehicles while not putting the smaller, less sophisticated cars at a massive disadvantage.
Best regards,
Anhultz Automobile Manufacturing
AMCW/ Miverva/ Kasviah (@Madrias)
Mara (@AndiD )
OOC:
I think the safety ruling may have ended up a little too stiff
if you make anything smaller than an Opel Rekord, it becomes almost impossible to meet the 35 safety rule to avoid taxation, unless you build a shrunken luxobarge, which may make it because of it’s sheer weight.
Obviously, this therefore is a fe-facto small-car/ cheap-car tax, which i think wasn’t the intention of this rule implementation, especially given the, put bluntly, FUBAR’d state of the current Letaran economy.
EDIT:
my OOC suggestion is as follows
mandate standard 50s for safety
give a 5% tax credit on those having advanced 50s safety
this way it won’t be seen as as a penalty for being bad, but a bonus for being good
also keeps the truly cheap cars cheap instead of plonking extra expenses onto the low end, thus moving them closer into the non-existant middle segment
ah cock i forgor to lobby
… and maybe make the Letaran public particularly safety conscious due to government awareness campaigns or so? So we have a couple of incentives but no hard barrier that would lead towards cheesing engineering gymnastics for no real challenge benefit.
EDIT: On an unrelated note, I would strongly suggest introducing some limits on tyre width for racing, along with aero restrictions (zero? one rear to simulate the stabilising fin?). The old BRC regulations - if they are still available - could be some good inspirations.
This is a purpose-built off-roader built to the likes and exact specifications of what Letaran officials would like to look for in a 4x4 meant to patrol the mountains.
By taking what was learned through the introductory failure of the HW38 “Pangolin”, Canadian Motors improved on where the previous vehicle fell short; plus, by establishing a correspondence with the Letaran government, it is believed that this can help improve overseas relations.
Tailored specifically for offroading and getting decent fuel economy, the O636J “Chieftain” features a small yet respectable 170 cubic inch I6 making 89 hp @ 3800 RPM and 144 lb-ft @ 2900 RPM that’s routed through a range-selectable 4-speed manual and riding on a 108 inch platform for some amount of comfort.
Although not made exclusively for hypermiling, the O636J “Cheiftain” does make a earnest 19L/100km with a top speed of 116 km/h. The O636J also comes standard with an AM radio and a cabin heater rated for even the coldest of Letaran winters. After import, the cost of the O636J “Chieftain” comes to approximately $16,800 AMU.
We are looking forward to seeing what the rest of the companies entering has to offer; and even encourage it.
Canadian Motors
A company for all.
1 Canadian Motors Circle,
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
+1 519-XXX-XXXX
TBH, I understand the drawbacks of the current safety legislation, and agree with you about them, however, you had the chance to lobby how you wanted the safety legislations, and you have a chance to lobby against the current ones for the next round…
This is probably very obvious but how should we tune our engines for them to be able to handle bad batches of fuel?
Tune the engine to first be able to run on low quality fuel then change to unleaded regular to be better fit for the conditions.
About the safety regulations: having just made my first test for this round, without any cheese the car gets 25.2 safety exactly; and that figure is only possible because the body I happened to choose was a mod body with very good base safety.
I then made a fully minmaxed version of the car; +15 quality everywhere relevant, max weight, max interior quality, pushing the cost to 278,000. The result? 27.8 safety. Even after sacrificing realism, I can only affect safety by < 3 points.
My company is one that supported more safety, and would have lobbied for it if not for issues that it considered more relevant. Yet it was was nearly pushed out of the market by these entirely, and other budget companies that can’t use my highly-specialized mod body may well be. I don’t think the goal of the regulation was to push players out of the market, but since they’re way too strict for the era they very well could.
I did lobby for safety, but I suggested the use of “standard” safety as the base line as an absolute number can be hard for smaller or more utility minded vehicles.
@cake_ape,
Here are my questions regarding the government vehicle class:
What is the angle of a hill in Letara (ie: 30º,45º,60º)?
What is the weight of the equipment that would be put on board(load capacity)?
How much cargo space is needed(volume)?
How much speed is deemed useful for certain situations (top speed)?
Towing capacity that would be appreciated?
Preferred colors?
Noon, 17th September 1954
Construction site, Mara Assembly Plant, Storia, Letara
Fresh off the plane at Lerance Airport, Mara’s Comrade Director for Engineering Fedor Piechov had taken the train north to Storia, and he was pleased to see ongoing construction work outside the train window on a second rail track - certainly part of the investment package they had brokered a few years earlier between the Archanan and Letaran governments. While the locomotive pulling his train was not yet the latest pride of Archana, the steam-powered Class P36, he understood that their entry into Letaran rail service was imminent.
The construction site for Mara’s assembly plant on the outskirts of Storia was not far from the Storia train station. Fedor got out of his taxi and met with Inna Horyova and Rodyn Gumprov for an inspection walk.
Inna was the designated production engineer to be in charge of running the assembly plant - which at the moment meant overseeing its construction. Rodyn was the development engineer in charge of overseeing the Tovarysh / Companion model line and who also served as liasion to Mara’s Letaran contacts and was further tasked with keeping their ageing Cannonball prototypes in shape.
Inna took Fedor and Rodyn through a brief tour of the building - the exterior was now mostly finished, and construction workers were now busy setting up the interior. On their walk around, Fedor noticed the rail line extending to a big loading/unloading area. “That was not part of the original plans, wasn’t it?”
“No”, Inna answered. “But we discovered that Anhultz was building their own plant nearby which included a rail connection to the main network, and it was easy to negotiate a short extension from their end to ours. We skimped a bit on the final QA part in our plant - the efficiency gains from the ease of transportation from the harbour were too good to pass up.”
Fedor nodded, pleased with the initiative Inna had shown. While he would not have minded being asked beforehand, communications across the wide ocean were difficult, and as long as his subordinates were making decisions in-line with the overall goal, he was very much fine with it.
Fedor made a few comments on the state of the plant, and asked Rodyn: “How are our Cannonball prototypes?” While Fedor’s 3rd place in 1952 and another win by Rodyn in 1953 by a hair’s breadth did not manage to arrest the Companion’s sales slump in Letara, Fedor was nonetheless keen to keep up the performance.
Rodyn’s response was muted. “As you would expect from a now 7 year old car that has been through several years of a yearly race and not much else. Last year has been a bit of a miracle, to be honest, there are now several parts which are at or past their breaking point. I’ll put together a list of necessary tasks for refurbishment, and I think it’s worth looking them over before authorising spending for all of them as in the past years.”
“So, a rebuild… or else?”
“Essentially, yes.” Rodyn nodded.
“Send me the list”, was Fedor’s reply. “Anything else noteworthy about the local state of affairs?”
Rodyn and Inna exchanged amused glances and the latter answered. “I had the chance to catch some insight in the local press about some of the more… heated exchanges among lobbyists about future taxation of cars here in Letara. It is truly strange how their capitalist market economy can suddenly bring out the worst in people, and everyone going all-out in their selfish pursuit of their own interests.”
“I can give you a copy of the most recent magazine article on the sad state of Letaran government lobbyist affairs”, Rodyn added.
Fedor made a dismissive gesture. He didn’t tell the story, obviously, how Mara’s Comrade Executive Director Henri Nordhov had to pull quite a few strings himself right after the war to get Mara assigned to the task of building the first all-new post-war people’s car for Archana instead of other, less attractive production assignments. Or how they were able to finally put the contingent of HD6 aka Visim vans back into the hands of the Archanan government for at least some compensation, after they narrowly missed out to Kessel in Letara.
“Another thing of interest, several car companies have bonded together and started constructing a racetrack between Lerance and Lerance Airport, right around the Vizzuri plant.”
“So that’s where all the big dump trucks were heading as I left the airport building”, Fedor muttered. “So it looks like we’ll shift to circuit racing here?”
Rodyn nodded.
“Then it makes sense indeed to keep the Cannonball prototype maintenance to a minimum. Anything else I should be aware of?”
“There is one last thing”, Inna began. “And we might not like it.”
Fedor looked at her silently, waiting for her to continue.
“One thing that came out very strongly over the recent months is that the new Letaran government is now very much into safety, awareness campaign and all.”
“And? That’s why we suggested a speed limit, let physics do the job”, Fedor replied.
“Where things are heading apparently - and they are still not finalised - that they will mandate a very high level of base safety for every car to be sold on the market, way beyond what small cars can readily achieve, especially if they want the cars to be on the affordable side.”
Fedor is puzzled. “So they still are in an economic slump, people are struggling for money, but they also invest quite heavily into road construction and then pull out the rug under the affordable people’s car market? That’s not very prudent, is it?”
Rodyn chimes in. “It’s two different ministries. Transport and Health. And a recent change of government with ‘fresh ideas’, eager to change things for the sake of changing things.”
“So I guess that’s what you get for having a Democracy. How would our To… Companion fare?”
“Not well at all”, Rodyn answered. “It’s hard to know exactly since the final regulations are still up in the air, as Inna said. But we most probably have to reengineer quite a few things, even structurally, to meet the strictest proposal that’s been on the table very recently.”
“What are the chances of that proposal passing?”
Rodyn and Inna both shrugged. “We voiced our concerns, of course”, Rodyn explained. “As have several other car manufacturers in the budget segments. But you’ll never know in a democracy.”
“Shall we halt construction then for the time being, just in case?” asks Inna who still hasn’t fully decided whether she is going to like it in Letara or not, despite the more pleasant weather climate compared to her home country.
Left to Right: Walkenhorst 5p3 Roadster, Walkenhorst Xr2
Introduced for 1956, the Walkenhorst 5p3 is the direct replacement for the aged 3p2 Roadster. Presented as a single specification level, and only as a soft-top convertible, the 5p3 is a unique experience. Powered by a 3L V8 producing 228hp to the rear wheels via a 4 speed manual gearbox. The 5p3 is a look forward for Walkenhorst.
As prescribed in the regulations for the 1959 Season, the Model Group X platform are experimental prototypes designed specifically for racing, and to be used as a test-bed platform for all future developments by Walkenhorst. This version of the Model Group X, the Xr2 features a mid-ship 2 litre inline 4, with intention to be developed into the next generation of motor for Walkenhorst’s future premium automobiles. Presented in the National Racing Colour of Germany, the Xr2 will run number 722 for as long as it races within Class 1.
This is a request for proposals, not a request for quotations. In other words, the Government is not going to spoon-feed every detail about the car, but is looking for creative proposals to solve their problem, as outlined.
VAUGHN REVUE LETARA
The magazine that goes out to all of you Letarans driving a Vaughn, Wraith or VCV
Winter 1955
THE NEW LINE OF VCV TRUCKS
Some questions:
Tail and brake lights shall be housed in separate fittings.
Does this mean separate fixtures (A), or are visually separate holes/bulbs in the same cluster (B) or fixture D allowed? As I read it, (C) would be illegal at least.
Unleaded Regular (91 RON) - everywhere, but bad batches do occur especially in rural areas,
Is this something to be taken into account when tuning the engine, or more of a “flavor” - making the car less attractive to rural buyers, like with E10?
Quality Points - diminishing returns aside, the budget at least for R2 is generous enough to add quite a bit. IMO this is fine and reflects IRL competion, but perhaps a restriction on tire quality would be prudent?
Safety rquirements seem fine to me, but I did lobby for at least “standard safety” and not specific points to avoid the minutiae. I like the safety tax idea, and the reasoning behind it - and @Elizipeazie 's idea for solution. On one possible unibody 13K entry, the 5% tax is slightly more expensive than adding advanced safety to avoid it - so it actually works as an incentive.
IRL safety requirements haven’t always been popular with carmakers - or their stans. Them regulashuns are why modern cars are all heavy, ugly and bad, right?
Re lights, they must be in separate fittings, meaning two separate bulbs in two separate reflector housings. They can share a single cover glass though:
Re fuel, I hardly ever anything just to be filler text, most of it has some sort of meaning. Take that how you will…
Re QP points, there is a reason why the race category tires are the “wild west” if you will. Take that how you will as well…
Re Safety. I’ll take that as a comment that I agree with 
’Back to roots.'
.
Garland L200-A/B Trucks.
*L200-A shown in Pradera Green
*L200-B shown in Sky Celeste and Snow White two-tone
.
Garland Vanstar
After the mild failure of the Garland Aero-line in Letara, Garland set out to carve its spot in the Letaran market, even if they were late to it; So in 1954 plans for a full-blown Garland factory in Letara began circulating around.
It opened in 1956, nearly a year after construction started, where it’d produce the failure that was the Aero-line. Soon enough for '58 Garland would introduce a new doctrine of focusing on the Blue Collar market of Letara, a relatively un-exploited segment.
After some deliberation A. Sounderois and the Garland of Letara board agreed on the model, a Garland staple, the L-Series trucks. Part of the Garland Line-up since 1937, this trucks have seen much evolution since their first generation; As always they can be equipped with both the iconic Garland I6, or the Mighty Mouse V8.
Hoping for success, Garland of Letara gave the go-ahead.
Collins Superlight
10th January 1955
Boardroom, Mara main factory grounds, just outside the town of Mara, Archana
As usual at the start of a new year, Mara’s comrade directors came together to discuss any substantial deviations from their prevalent Five Year Plan. Over the recent years, it had become their routine to start with the situation on the export markets, as these were usually more volatile than their carefully centrally planned home market.
“Next item: Letara”, Henri Nordhov, the Comrade Executive Director read out. “How much of a bombshell were the new safety regulation that their new government dropped over there late last year on everyone as their holiday present?”
Fedor Piechov, Comrade Director of Engineering, didn’t mince words. “A big one, lethal to say the least.” He pointed to Rodyn Gumprov, the development engineer in charge of their now sole model in production.
Rodyn made a sour face, partially because of the answer he was about to give and partially because he has had hardly any holiday, thanks to the Letaran ‘holiday present’. “My comrades and I had a intense look over the last weeks”, he reported. "It’s certainly not something we can comply with with some rework after assembly over there. We would have to do at least some structural reengineering and extensive testing for crashworthiness. That’s not something one can do just on the drawing board or with calculation tables. Overall, the changes would be too substantial to be economically viable, especially after we just finished our first big overhaul of the Tovarysh… Companion model range. "
“Not helping are our steadily shrinking sales figures over there”, Natalya Suddya, Comrade Director of Sales added. “Our revised trims would address a lot of the issues that customers had with the previous versions, but it’d be a pretty big gamble. Besides, we wouldn’t even get an advantage in our home market - no Archanan customer has ever asked about increased safety features.”
“This means?” Nordhov asked, although he knew the answer already.
“We have to withdraw the Companion from the Letaran market after the grace period for safety compliance expires”, Fedor replied. “Guess that’s what we get for exporting into a democracy”, he couldn’t help but adding.
Nordhov allowed a few seconds of stunned silence around he heavy wooden boardroom table.
“What do we do with our recently opened assembly plant over there?”
“What we can do for the time being”, Natalya began again, “is having the assembly plant running at least one shift per day with a skeleton workforce for exports to Somunds. They are less squeamish about safety, let’s hope it stays that way. Might need some extended plant holidays over the Letaran summer so that they don’t overproduce, depending on how demand develops.”
“So it’s not entirely useless?” Nordhov again.
“No”, Natalya replied. “We also think about getting a dealer to open shop in Somunds close to the Letaran border. Then we can see how many Letaran people really care about safety when it is about their wallet as well. They can buy in Somunds and then import individual cars right back into Letara. Besides, our domestic and Dalluhan sales are picking up anyway slowly but surely, including the otherwise unchanged cars formally certified for 92 leaded fuel - that was a good idea.” She throws an appreciative glance to Rodyn. “So any additional market is nice to have, but not as crucial as in the previous years.”
“Alright”, Nordhov obviously was less than pleased but did not see any viable other option either, and he certainly wouldn’t be caught dead throwing more money at a problem caused by a foreign government. “Anything else from Letara?”
Fedor answered again. “Their new government put out a tender for a 4x4 offroader.”
“Do we still have some Konyk jeeps stored away?”
“No, they are finally all gone”, Natalya reported. “Even if it took over four years after they went out of production.”
Fedor joined in again. “Their removable roof would actually make the Konyk ideally flexible for what they want over there, but I don’t think the rear seats would qualify as full-size seats in the sense of what they want anyway. So even if we could get our hands on some more Konyks, it would basically be futile.”
Rodyn spoke. “Oh, and they are stopping the Cannonball and start circuit racing. But I guess since we are not selling anything anymore over there, there is little sense in preparing something. Too bad our last Cannonball outing ended with a whimper, not with a bang.”
Nordhov nodded curtly and proceeded to the next agenda item.
Fedor thought grimly. ‘As will our market presence over there for the time being…’
