And also, from my view, it looks like the Project Karve really does look like a base sports trim!
Hej allihopa!
I’ll be dropping one more chapter for 1976 this weekend, then I’ll be heading offline to take care of some work duties for a few weeks.
Thank you all so much for following along with Njord’s story so far! It’s been fun making this thing and reading your comments and feedback. In the meantime feel free to check out the car download files attached to some of the chapters: drive them, crash them, customize them, use them in some of your own stories.
I also recommend checking out some of the other campaign playthroughs the community has been making. @Dan’s Citizion Ltd, @David_Herrera’s Kurosake Motors Ltd, and @Aruna’s Mamushi Motors Ltd has some great content to check out if you haven’t already, or if you’re interested in something old school that inspired me many years ago before making my own playthrough I recommend @MAG’s Nassau Motor Company.
Once I get back the story will continue, and the next chapters are going to be extra chaotic for Njord Automobile. So stay tuned!
Yeah, I can see some 900 in the design. Maybe even a little Talbot 1510 or Opel Manta but with a nice interior.
Nice catch. Always something new to learn, haha.
When playing the campaign I chose to use 4bbl carbs to to help make the ND-5204 pass emissions (it’s a very stinky car without it); 4bbls are also a decent way to gain to gain some familiarity so the swap to single-point injection goes smoother.
4 Likes
Modified image from Wikimedia.
A series intense shocks shook the Southern Archana coast, with two shocks in particular bringing the most damage. The first shock occurred on July 18 at 09:34, recording a 7.2 Mw in the town of Movesna. On that same day at 18:47 a recorded 7.8 Mw earthquake decimated the city of Yelta. Seismologists determined the earthquake to be caused by tectonic plates slipping at the Meridies Fault.
The natural disaster - dubbed the 1976 Yelta Earthquake - has been reported as the deadliest earthquake in modern history with current death tolls reaching over 250,000 Archanan citizens. An estimated 85% of buildings have been rendered unusable, and public infrastructure has completely failed with destroyed power and sewer lines. Disaster response has also proven difficult with highways and rail bridges collapsed.
In a controversial move, the Archana Communist Party has refused all foreign aid for disaster relief, instead relying on a strict policy of self-sufficiency and anti-globalization with the Western nations. Instead the party has deployed over 100,000 Archanan troops to the disaster zone to aid in relief efforts, some being forced to march over 1,000 miles on foot.
In a response to our reporting team's inquiries on the situation in Archana Hetvesian Prime Minister Paavo Jokelainen wrote, "Archana's decision to refuse aid is going to hurt their own citizens. We have modern medical response teams at the ready that could save hundreds of citizens who are in critical condition." PM Jokelainen also noted that the offer for aid still stands "should the Archana Communist Party reconsider."
The natural disaster - dubbed the 1976 Yelta Earthquake - has been reported as the deadliest earthquake in modern history with current death tolls reaching over 250,000 Archanan citizens. An estimated 85% of buildings have been rendered unusable, and public infrastructure has completely failed with destroyed power and sewer lines. Disaster response has also proven difficult with highways and rail bridges collapsed.
In a controversial move, the Archana Communist Party has refused all foreign aid for disaster relief, instead relying on a strict policy of self-sufficiency and anti-globalization with the Western nations. Instead the party has deployed over 100,000 Archanan troops to the disaster zone to aid in relief efforts, some being forced to march over 1,000 miles on foot.
In a response to our reporting team's inquiries on the situation in Archana Hetvesian Prime Minister Paavo Jokelainen wrote, "Archana's decision to refuse aid is going to hurt their own citizens. We have modern medical response teams at the ready that could save hundreds of citizens who are in critical condition." PM Jokelainen also noted that the offer for aid still stands "should the Archana Communist Party reconsider."
1976 - Two in the Family
Over the past year auto journalists had been ranting and raving over Njord’s compact car, praising the sporty styling shown in Real Shift’s leaked photos. The car’s marketing campaign was the most expensive in Njord’s history costing over $20M in 12 months. Despite Jensen Newman’s best efforts to redirect the public’s hype for the new car towards its reliability and safety, auto journalists were itching for Njord’s supposed “sports car” and consumers swamped Njord’s dealerships with thousands of pre-orders. Surprisingly the hype around the new car did not impact sales of the ND Series as Jensen feared, which was still selling about 15,500 cars a year.
But just four months before the new compact’s launch in July the company gave journalists press cars - revealed to be named the NC Series - which returned scathing reviews. Real Shift magazine was especially critical of Njord’s new car.
“One year ago we shot one of the first looks of the NC Series. On first impressions we were impressed. Njord Automobile - a car brand well liked by my grandmother - surprised us with an attractive sporty fastback. Had Njord finally learned how to have fun?” wrote Real Shift auto journalist Jonathan Cole. “From my drive of the ND-2202, no. Njord has made a disappointing parts bin special.”
The magazine continued, “The car shares multiple parts from Njord’s ND Series: the rear trailing-arm suspension, powertrain, and many interior components are nearly identical. Despite the car keeping one sporty aspect from the ND Series - sending power to the rear wheels - there are multiple areas of the car with questionable cost cutting. The rear taillights for example are just undervolted sealed beams with colored lenses for the taillights and turn signals.”
“Driving the car was even worse,” wrote Cole. “The car’s fuel system is overly complicated and unreliable, making cold starts near impossible and in some cases the engine died while idling. Take the car into a corner and it just wants to understeer into the outer ditch. You could sooner brew a cup of coffee before the car hits 60 mph, and that was with the 2.0 L. Njord says they’re going to offer a 1.5 L as well which we suggest to avoid.”
In the article’s conclusion the auto journalist wrote, “The NC Series is still a great looking car, but unless you only intend to stare at the bodywork holding down your driveway we suggest to look elsewhere if you want a car that doesn’t just look cool, but is cool.”
The critical flop of the NC Series had a drastic impact on consumer sentiment. Many of the thousands of pre-orders Njord had received were now being cancelled and refunded, costing the company nearly $10M a month in lost revenue. Just when refunds started to subside a month before launch the car’s price reveal kickstarted another round of refunds. Despite best efforts to keep the car’s price down even the most affordable trim of the NC Series was more expensive than any of the ND Series; dropping the price further would mean Njord would start losing money on every NC Series sold.
With the company on fire and already losing money on the new product it was time for Njord to reveal the lineup’s second car - the NC Series - for the 1977 model year.
'77 Njord NC-Series
The '77 model year NC Series: Njord’s first compact liftback for the young bachelors and small families fresh from the newly constructed Njord Automobile plant in Zellhof, Hetvesia.
Sharing many parts with the D-segment ND Series, the NC Series is one of the safest and most reliable C-segment automobiles you can buy, featuring two doors, a premium interior, and modern styling from Heimo Pietilä.
Heimo Pietilä’s design studio has done it again. The stately styling of the ND Series has been translated and tweaked to fit the compact body, with a long hood and low roofline giving a sporty, premium appearance. 5 mph bumpers front and rear will ensure the body panels remain unblemished along with plastic side trim preventing paint chips from door kickers.
The interior gets the premium touch all around. 6-way adjustable seats with lumbar support adorn the driver in Hetvesian comfort, and the well-insulated cabin features high-quality plastic with wood trim on the dashboard and door cards. The car is capable of seating four full-sized adults; folding front bucket seats provide access to the rear bench.
In car entertainment takes a massive leap forward, introducing a Hetvesian-engineered 8-track AM/FM radio with four high-quality speakers placed throughout the cabin. Now you can both enjoy the crisp radio airwaves in premium sound as well as listen to your own programs at your leisure. And if it’s hot out not to worry, every NC Series comes with air conditioning standard.
Electronics have also made an introduction with the NC Series with the Njord onboard telemetry system. The telemetry is a series of indicator lights used to identify any minor faults with the car before they become a problem. Did a brake light go out? The telemetry panel will tell you. Is a door open? The telemetry panel will tell you. The panel will also light up if the car’s onboard computer identifies issues with the powertrain, helping you get your car serviced before small issues become big ones.
Two powertrains are available for the NC Series. For the NC-2152 you can have the 1.5 L 4CCT-15B making 51 kW (68 hp) @ 5,100 RPM, an engine that brings both an economical 8 L / 100 km (29.4 mpg) and for Fruinian buyers lower displacement taxes.
If you need more power the ND-2202 provides the same 2.0 L 4CCT-20B engine found in the ND Series bringing 71 kW (95 hp) @ 5,100 RPM and 9.1 L / 100 km (25.8 mpg). For the ND-2202 this engine when equipped with the 5-speed standard transmission is capable of 0 - 100 km/h (62 mph) in 10.8 seconds.
With the NC Series as a second option in the Njord Automobile lineup, you now have multiple options to choose from depending on what you want from your car. The ND Series is still available if you need a large family car, but if you don’t need that much go with the smaller, sensible NC Series.
Trims and Options
Two trims are available for the NC Series: the ND-2152 and the ND-2202. Both cars come in six different colors: Svart, Vit, Havet, Rod Sol, Elfenben, and Smed.
The ND-2152 comes with the 1.5 L 12 V inline four engine and a 5-speed standard transmission. This particular model is shown in Elfenben (left) and Smed (right). Retail pricing for the ND-2152 is $15,799 MSRP.
The ND-2202 comes with an upgraded 2.0 L 12 V inline four with more power. The exterior gets “Crosshair” wheels, rear window louvers, and badging to show off the bigger engine. This model is shown in Rod Sol (left) and Havet (right). The ND-2202 can be had with a 5-speed standard for $16,299 or with a 3-speed automatic for $16,699.
Vehicle Downloads
Njord NC-2152 - Manual
NC_-2152(M).car|attachment (228.9 KB)
Njord NC-2202 - Manual
NC_-2202(M).car|attachment (228.9 KB)
Njord NC-2202 - Automatic
NC_-2202(A).car|attachment (232.4 KB)
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Lovely work!
Real mean looking rear on the NC Series compact, feel like it would absolutely slay with a rally trim, big foglights, mud flaps, little extra aero package…
1 Like
And god awful turbo lag.
2 Likes
The Karve looks very sporty! Its fastback design gives off the impression of a sporty vehicle. Maybe a private tuning company would curate this vehicle into an affordable sports car.
Maybe if it were, I reckon an Inline-5 engine would be perfect. You can also make it a Twin-Carb DCOE, up to maybe 6800 - 7000 RPM.
5 Likes
Excellent ideas y’all. You know what? Let’s do a mini event until I get back from my work trip in three weeks.
Prompt:
It is the late 1970s - Njord’s release of the NC-Series has sparked a mini renaissance from the car community as a blank canvas with high tuning potential.
Since the 4CCT engine the NC-Series uses has been produced by Njord since the late 1950s and it shares many parts with the ND-Series, the car had cheap and plentiful parts. The simple design also made modifications easy, making the car very popular amongst tuners.
Goal:
Whether you are a racing team, tuning house, or just a man with a garage, modify the NC Series and show off your designs in this thread. Try to keep the designs reasonable, realistic, and period correct. Bonus points if the photos themselves are also period correct (I suggest using the Gallifrey or B&W filter with lots of grain, bloom, and the “old photo” post processing effect turned way down).
I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
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Body: 1977 Njord NC 2152 Sedan
Chassis: Aluminium Space Frame, 3-Link double wishbone suspension overall, Front-engined, RWD
Engine: 1.8L Inline-4, SOHC 3-Valve, DCOE Race Carburettors, NA, 5-speed manual, 6300 RPM
Dynamics: Remove the front and rear bumper bars and the front bumper reflectors. Add small air pockets and an air intake to lead to air-cooling the brakes and the engine. Also add a small front bumper lip.
For the rear, we add a medium - small lip spoiler to help with stability. A small side air intake will help cool the rear brakes.
(Apparently, I do not have the Automation Game, so I can’t design the ND-series in-game and take the pictures. This technical overview is all I have to say. It is absolutely all right if this can’t be counted as part of the mini-event. I just wanted to participate. Thank you)
P.S. This was built by a man, Svetan Svöll, in his little home in Hetvesia. He works as a young bicycle repair shop owner but loves tuning little cars. He loves lightweight sports cars and follows rallying news/
2 Likes
Modified image from Picryl.
An unexpected guest made an appearance at the Fruinia Formula A Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale Narnilla; the king of Dalluha, Sheikh Zubair Al-Yassin.
In recent years Dalluhan sponsors have been making a stronger presence in the sport. Just last year Dalluha Airways was the primary sponsor for Fruinian Formula A team Albicocca Corse, who would go on to finish fourth overall in the 1976 Constructors Championship. There are rumors that Dalluha Airways' CEO Prince Ashraf Daher is pinning to purchase a seat on Albicocca Corse for his son Ossama Daher, who won third overall in the 1975 Formula B Drivers Championship, then second overall in 1976.
When asked about Dalluha's growing involvement in the sport, Sheikh Zubair responded, "Since we opened our borders to trade with Fruinia in 1950, both of our economies have benefitted tremendously from our growing business partnerships. I see Formula A as the next chapter of our partnership, and one which will spring Dalluha as the technological capital of the world."
Javier Ocaña would pilot a Dalluha Airways branded Albicocca AC-77 across the Narnilla finish line in 1st, with teammates Ander Sánchez and Evremondo Di Nolfo getting 6th and 7th respectively. If the start of the season is anything to go by, the Dalluhan King might have a point about Dalluha having a hand at a championship winning team.
In recent years Dalluhan sponsors have been making a stronger presence in the sport. Just last year Dalluha Airways was the primary sponsor for Fruinian Formula A team Albicocca Corse, who would go on to finish fourth overall in the 1976 Constructors Championship. There are rumors that Dalluha Airways' CEO Prince Ashraf Daher is pinning to purchase a seat on Albicocca Corse for his son Ossama Daher, who won third overall in the 1975 Formula B Drivers Championship, then second overall in 1976.
When asked about Dalluha's growing involvement in the sport, Sheikh Zubair responded, "Since we opened our borders to trade with Fruinia in 1950, both of our economies have benefitted tremendously from our growing business partnerships. I see Formula A as the next chapter of our partnership, and one which will spring Dalluha as the technological capital of the world."
Javier Ocaña would pilot a Dalluha Airways branded Albicocca AC-77 across the Narnilla finish line in 1st, with teammates Ander Sánchez and Evremondo Di Nolfo getting 6th and 7th respectively. If the start of the season is anything to go by, the Dalluhan King might have a point about Dalluha having a hand at a championship winning team.
1977 - Foxes in the Hen House
Caesar gazed out of the window of his office, note cards in one hand and a glass of scotch in the other. It was a gorgeous spring morning - as it had been for almost a month now. The trees and hills were lush and green with spots of pink wildflowers in full bloom and the sun’s rays cast down like stairways to heaven.
Caesar huffed and took a sip of his scotch, feeling the burning fire slide down his throat and a buzzing warmth swell inside his head. Ironic, he thought. Everything is going to shit, yet the world continues to go by without a single care.
There was a knock at his door followed by Jensen entering the CEO’s office. The man looked like he would collapse in slumber at any minute.
“The lobby’s packed. Hetvesian Times, Automation Magazine…” Jensen peered at the glass in Caesar’s hand. “Why the hell are you drinking? Those reporters are going to eat us alive if you’re drunk on stage.”
“I’m better at delivering bad news with a buzz,” answered Caesar. He swirled the remaining scotch in his glass, taking a whiff of the smoky oak odor, then finished the drink with a single gulp. “Same plan?”
“You’ll start with your speech, then the floor will be open for questions. Just make sure not to say anything about the settlement if asked.”
Caesar flipped through his cards skimming over the notes, then set his glass down on his desk. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”
The two men left the office and made their way through the headquarters building towards the main lobby. Each time the men passed by a workstation murmurs followed from the employees. The office gossip had been ripe since the discovery, and many believed there had to have been more involved given the scale of the crime. The settlement came too easily.
The men came to a set of doors. “Ready?” asked Jensen.
“It’s just another Friday,” responded Caesar, straightening his tie and hair.
Image modified from Wikimedia Commons
The doors opened to a flurry of quick shouts and blinding camera flashes. The main lobby was packed to the brim with auto journalists and news reporters clambering over each other to be the first with a story. There were even bulky television cameras rolling behind the group. The only empty spot of the room was the makeshift table sitting on a platform at the farthest end from the exit doors where some members of the C-Suite were already sitting, in front of each a mess of microphones branded with different news channels, local and global.
Jensen and Caesar walked towards the stage, ignoring the rampant questioning from the reporters, and found their seats at the table. Caesar pulled his note cards from his suit pocket and placed them orderly in front of him, then placed his hand in the air, waiting until the ramble of the lobby died to a whisper.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” Caesar began, the usual echo of the lobby being eaten by the bodies of the crowd of reporters. “I will forego the usual corporate pleasantries, as I know why every single one of you has filled this hall today.”
Caesar looked down at his orderly pile and separated his first card, taking note before continuing to speak.
“Last month, Chief Operating Officer David Lutz and Chief Financial Officer Göpf Gartmann were terminated from employment following internal findings showing they embezzled funds from the company.” Caesar glanced toward the crowd. “In the weeks since, an extensive internal audit - with the assistance of independent forensic accounting teams - confirmed the majority of these funds were stolen from the development of the NC Series.”
Murmurs emanated from the crowd of reporters broken by pulsing camera flashes.
“Over the course of the NC Series development cycle, capital allocated towards component engineering, assembly tooling at the Zellhof production facility, and rigorous quality control systems were siphoned by Lutz and Gartmann through fraudulent subcontracts and shell companies controlled by the two men.”
“Mr. Bendel, how much money was stolen from the company?” interrupted a reporter from Channel 4 News. The room then broke into a flurry of shouting and camera flashes.
“Was the NC Series intentionally cheapened to cover up the missing funds?”
“Is there anyone else tied to this scandal?”
Caesar kept his mouth shut, his face hard as stone, waiting for the room to die down enough for his voice to break through. “Please hold your questions for the Q&A session.” He pulled another card from his pile, keeping his shaking hands out of view of the television cameras as reporters rabidly scribbled into their notepads.
“Regarding the exact financial recovery and ongoing legal arrangements, the terms remain bound by strictly confidential civil settlements and pending regulatory filings. I will not be discussing specific monetary figures today. What I will discuss are the next steps our company will take to regain your trust,” he said, shooting a brief, cold glance toward the back of the room before locking eyes with the primary broadcast camera.
“Njord Automobile was founded on a simple premise: to be a company that you can depend on. In an effort to expand our principles to new customers, leadership has failed in protecting our trust from internal corruption. It is no secret that the NC Series was compromised on its launch, and we will be working hard to right these wrongs.” Caesar pulled his next card. “We are issuing a recall on all ‘76 and ‘77 model year NC and ND Series automobiles to fix the powertrain’s faulty fuel delivery system. These fixes will come at no cost to current owners and will be available at any Njord dealership. Internal tests show that the engine stalling issue has been rectified by the fix. David Vaartjes and Immanuel Pukki have also been investing resources into improved powertrain options that embrace the latest modern technology for our future models which will be more reliable.”
Caesar pulled his last card and sat his hands on the table, feeling the warm buzz from his scotch turn to a cool, calm focus. “Njord Automobile will return to our founding principles: a company built on engineering, resilience, and trust. Now… I’ll take your questions.”
“Millan Lindelöf of Hopp Independent, how much money was embezzled in total, and why is the settlement strictly confidential?”
“As I have discussed, the details of the civil settlement with Lutz and Gartmann are bound by confidentiality. Stating the settlement amount would be a direct violation of the agreement,” answered Caesar, followed by more camera flashes and crowding reporters.
“Mr. Bendel. Are Lutz and Gartmann facing criminal charges or prosecution, or did this civil settlement allow them to walk away from prison time?”
Caesar responded, “The civil agreement has no impact on the criminal investigations taking place. Because those proceedings are actively being handled by law enforcement and regulatory authorities, I cannot comment on specific charges or timelines. Rest assured, our company is fully cooperating with investigators to ensure complete accountability.”
“Distance Magazine, how did the COO and CFO embezzle funds over an entire development cycle without anyone on the board or in executive leadership noticing?”
Caesar paused between bulb flashes, thinking hard to come up with an answer. “While I understand the question, our primary focus today is on the systemic oversights that permitted it to happen and the immediate corrective actions we are taking. An independent forensic audit confirmed that Lutz and Gartmann utilized complex networks of shell companies and fraudulent subcontracts specifically designed to bypass our legacy internal controls. We have since completely overhauled our procurement governance and oversight protocols to ensure transparency and prevent any such breach from ever occurring again.”
“Mr. Bendel, Channel 4 News, will the recall have an impact on the upcoming ND Series facelift?”
“We have already implemented the fuel system optimizations to the facelifted product,” responded Caesar, glancing over to Chief Product Officer Esben Kristoffersen. “Our hope is that our transparency will be recognized by our customers so that we can rebuild our trust.”
A reporter from Automation Magazine piped up, “Our magazine’s subscribers nominated the ND Series as 1971 Car of the Year. Since then, Njord Automobile has made barely any changes to the car outside of regulatory updates while Fruinian automaker Fusco Auto is about to challenge the market with the Redenno and Dolcevita’s LP cars. Are you concerned that Njord’s complacency will be the company’s downfall to foreign competition?”
Caesar’s cold focus turned into a cold sweat. He recalled a Real Shift Magazine article comparing the Njord, Fusco, and Dolcevita cars. The Njord had a slight edge over the Fusco in terms of driving dynamics and passenger comfort, but the Dolcevita - specifically a LP27 - won out on nearly every metric except fuel economy by a narrow margin. Unlike the Njord’s problematic 4-barrel carburetor, both the Fusco and Dolcevita were significantly more reliable despite using mechanical fuel injection. The only real advantage the ND Series had over the competition was costing $8K lower than the Dolcevita, but had the same pricing as the Fusco.
The ND Series was the lesser car with a dinosaur for an engine, and there was a very real risk the Fruinians would gobble up Njord’s Hetvesian market. But Caesar knew admitting so would be corporate suicide.
He responded, “First, let me be clear: the ND Series remains a proven, accessible vehicle that continues to deliver top-tier driving dynamics and passenger comfort at a value our competitors simply cannot match. Comparing us to luxury imports priced thousands of dollars higher overlooks the core reason drivers choose Njord: unrivaled real-world value and driving engagement. That said, we refuse to hide behind past accolades or rely solely on competitive pricing. We know the market is evolving, and modern drivers demand both refined power and the latest technology. That is precisely why our engineering team will continue to build a modernized, rock-solid lineup that will tackle foreign competition head-on and prove why Njord continues to belong at the top.”
Caesar looked down at his watch. “I’m afraid we do not have any more time for questions. We at Njord Automobile would like to thank you for your time, and want to emphasize that we will do whatever it takes to prove that we can be a company that you can trust to deliver without compromise.”
'79 Njord ND Series Facelift
It was now the week before January - rolling over into 1978 - and Njord Automobile was just about to launch the ‘79 Njord ND Series facelift. The powertrain fixes were implemented following the 4CCT engine recall, however beyond that the car barely had any changes from the previous model year.
The only significant change was a substantial upgrade to the car’s sound system; the same Hetvesian-engineered 8-track AM/FM radio from the NC Series with four high-quality speakers placed throughout the cabin. Beyond that there wasn’t anything observable that was different. Not even a new color option.
The prices of the ND Series were significantly dropped to compete with Fusco and Dolcevita’s offerings, which were already making a significant dent in Njord’s preorders. The ND-4202 was dropped to $13,099 for the 5-speed standard and $13,499 for the 3-speed auto. The ND-5202 was dropped to $13,399 for the 5-speed standard and $13,799 for the 3-speed auto. The ND-5204 was dropped to $13,999. Now Njord had the price advantage with the ND-4202 costing $2.5K less than the Fusco Redenno and $10K less than the Dolcevita LP27.
Preorders were rolling in and the rapid infrastructure updates to the Reimsboden automobile assembly plant were completed. The new ND Series was set to help buy the company more time before developing a from the ground up new model.
Satisfied with his review of the project, Caesar got up from his desk to go home for the day when a hurried knock came from the door.
Caesar let out a deep, annoyed sigh. Before he could welcome him the new COO Nataniel Westergren came barging into the office, white as a ghost.
“Sir, we have a problem,” trembled Nataniel.
“Now what?” Caesar was clearly annoyed.
“The Reimsboden factory workers are threatening to go on strike.”
Vehicle Downloads
Njord ND-4202 - Manual
ND_-_4202_(M).car (248.1 KB)
Njord ND-4202 - Automatic
ND_-_4202_(A).car (247.9 KB)
Njord ND-5202 - Manual
ND_-_5202_(M).car (250.3 KB)
Njord ND-5202 - Automatic
ND_-_5202_(A).car (251.5 KB)
Njord ND-5204 - Manual
ND_-_5204_(M).car (255.4 KB)
A special thank you to @icrafter for the Fusco Redenno and the Dolcevita LP27.
6 Likes
Thank you for featuring me! Never did I think my series would be acknowledged like this.
1 Like
I’d also like to think that the missing money is from factories costing way more in Al Rima
Also the HQ and addons.
Let’s see how this unfolds!
Modified image from Picryl.
A new video game has been popping up in arcades across the globe and has become a smash hit sensation. "Galactic Interlopers," the game developed by East Fruinian developer Cambit Software, is a fixed shooter where the player must defend a space base from invading "interlopers." As the player destroys the aliens the game picks up in speed and difficulty until the base is eventually destroyed.
The game has proven highly popular amongst arcade goers, and has generated high coin revenue from its fast, high turnover gameplay. So much so that banks across Hetvesia have been running short on coins, leaving the Hetvesian community without enough coins.
Our field reporter Netta Saari picked up interviews with local community members impacted by the coin shortage. Saija Savolainen commented, "I've gone to the bank three times this week, and they still did not have any coins to withdraw. If I can't get any for the laundromat I might drown in my kid's laundry." Police officer Christian Klausen commented, "[That] there had been a noticeable uptick in unpaid parking meters."
In response the Hetvesian Royal Mint has been instructed to increase coin production. Some arcades have even begun converting their machines to accept "token" coins instead of Hetvesian mint which players can exchange larger dollars for to help alleviate the shortage and increase profits.
"Galactic Interlopers" has been such a smash hit that other industries have been forced to catch up their infrastructure. Only time will tell if the rise in video games will eventually fade away as a fad or become a mainstay in towns and malls across the globe.
The game has proven highly popular amongst arcade goers, and has generated high coin revenue from its fast, high turnover gameplay. So much so that banks across Hetvesia have been running short on coins, leaving the Hetvesian community without enough coins.
Our field reporter Netta Saari picked up interviews with local community members impacted by the coin shortage. Saija Savolainen commented, "I've gone to the bank three times this week, and they still did not have any coins to withdraw. If I can't get any for the laundromat I might drown in my kid's laundry." Police officer Christian Klausen commented, "[That] there had been a noticeable uptick in unpaid parking meters."
In response the Hetvesian Royal Mint has been instructed to increase coin production. Some arcades have even begun converting their machines to accept "token" coins instead of Hetvesian mint which players can exchange larger dollars for to help alleviate the shortage and increase profits.
"Galactic Interlopers" has been such a smash hit that other industries have been forced to catch up their infrastructure. Only time will tell if the rise in video games will eventually fade away as a fad or become a mainstay in towns and malls across the globe.
1978 - The Strike of '78, Part 1/3
Image modified from Edmund Kregczy
A long time ago Hetvesia used to be an agrarian society with a very localized economy, much like every other world nation at the time. Things changed during the industrial revolution of the late 19th century which saw the primary mode of labor transition from farms to factories. The rise of industry completely changed the game, and some of the players reaped the rewards: untold riches, unrivalled political power, and untouchable luxury goods. In some ways, the common man also benefitted from industrialization through the growth of urban communities around the factories and the proliferation of affordable mass-produced goods; however, look into the details and it was clear they got the short end of the stick.
Workplace conditions were hazardous, debilitating or deadly injuries were common with no support from employers beyond a termination notice. There was almost no time off work with sixteen hour days six days a week being the norm. There was no such thing as sick days, vacation time, or overtime pay. The pay itself was meager and could barely cover the absolute basic necessities such as low-quality processed food filled with sawdust or rent for overcrowded and rotten tenements and shanties. Even the youth were unprotected, as child labor was popular for factory owners who wanted even cheaper workers who could fit in tight areas such as automated looms or coal-fired chimneys.
Facing extreme wealth separation, abysmal working conditions, and zero representation in government the blue collar workers of Hetvesia reached a breaking point in the 1890s. Multiple groups of laborers banded together in solidarity with social democratic groups to create a coordinated umbrella organization to fight back against the corporatists, and in 1899 formed the Folksorganisationen (FO). Employers responded by forming the Hetvesian Arbetsgivarkoalitionen (HAK) in 1903.
Image modified from Vicente Cutanda
The two foundations turned the brutal fight between capitalists and laborers into an all out war throughout the early 20th Century. Strikes and lockouts became a common occurrence, and often became violent. Striking members would be shot and killed by company security, factories would be burned to the ground from angry employees, and in some cases factory owners would be dragged out into the streets and beaten to death. The fight came to a head when in 1928 a group of activists blew up and sunk the Amasonia, a Gasmean ship which was carrying hundreds of strikebreakers hired in response to a bitter mining workers strike. The explosion injured forty passengers and killed eight.
The utter discord and class warfare had taken its toll, and in 1938 the FO and HAK negotiated the Teberausavtalet of 1938, named after the town Teberau where the agreement was made. The Teberausavtalet outlined governing principles for labor market relations: a balanced committee to rule on labor disputes, rules that governed the order of negotiations, and commitments to prevent conflicts which would harm society being the primary pillars of the agreement. The agreement and the culture built around it would be the foundation for Hetvesia becoming a nation with strong unions and very progressive workers rights compared to the rest of the world’s nations; this culture has been colloquially termed the Hetvesian System.
In 1940, approximately 24% of Hetvesian blue collar workers were a part of a union. With the Hetvesian System encouraging collective agreements between strong labor unions and employer organizations, unionization density grew to approximately 80% of Hetvesian workers by the late 1970s; now with white-collar organizations such as the Hetvesian Akademikers Centralorganisation (HAC) and the Tjänstemannakollektivet (TK) joining ranks. With the power of strong unions the Hetvesian working class have been able to establish numerous workers rights and benefits seen today: fair pay with predictable raises and overtime, the 5-day 40 hour workweek, and ample PTO being just a few that are even enjoyed by most of the non-unionized workers of Hetvesia. Legal counsel has also helped represent union laborers during workplace disputes, giving more power to the working class.
With a strong culture for collective bargaining from the Hetvesian System along with the recognized benefits brought by unions, by 1978 the employees of nearly every major automaker in Hetvesia was unionized - primarily by the trade union IF Stål. Njord Automobile AB was among the last of the non-unionized major Hetvesian automakers.
Since the early 1960s there have been multiple attempts from Njord Automobile employees to unionize, however CEO Caesar Bendel and his team of executives and managers employed elaborate response strategies that busted every attempt.
One union busting method employed was Caesar’s strategy to eliminate the bottom performing factory employees every year with a complex strategy that exploited loopholes in Hetvesian labor laws. All new employees would start employment at Njord under a 6-month probationary period, which under Hetvesian law gave the company the right to fire these new employees before the end of the probationary period without stating objective grounds. Internal policy made sure that at least 20% of these new workers would never see a permanent contract at the end of the probationary period, and the managers could take advantage of this by directly weeding out union organizers before legal protections took effect. For permanent employees a highly complex and qualitative series of key performance indicators (KPI) which tracked factory worker performance and placed the bottom 5% of workers on an intense 90-day Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). These PIPs imposed grueling, micro-managed conditions, which with impossible quotas would pressure workers to voluntarily resign to avoid the stigma of termination.
Njord management was also not afraid of eliminating entire workcenters if they identified a risk of workers organizing. During factory retooling efforts, funds would be directed towards automating the workcenters with the highest likelihood of unionizing, thereby eliminating the employee’s positions. Legally the company is required to offer redundant workers alternative roles, which management gets around by offering positions with vastly different skillsets or punishing hours, pressuring the employees to voluntarily resign. Constant organizational restructuring was also another method that gave Njord the opportunity to pressure unprepared workers to resign.
In cases where organizing employees had a legal case when they were unlawfully fired from Njord Automobile, the company took advantage of its political influence on wider Hetvesian industry and deep reserves of funds to bury them in long and expensive court cases. Employees were incentivized to accept Njord’s voluntary separation agreements which guaranteed a small payout in exchange for a quiet resignation and a non-disclosure agreement.
And if all else failed, Njord made sure that organizing employees that remained at Njord Automobile along with any others who supported them would never be promoted and would only receive the bare minimum required benefits. This pressured employees to stay clear of organization attempts and to isolate employees who tried to organize. The extra threat of being made redundant through automation ensured a constant fear of any association with unionization.
This strategy - along with heavy investment into anti-union propaganda - ensured that Caesar’s company wouldn’t unionize. But cracks were forming, and the kettle that was the factory workers’ frustration was beginning to boil over. There were many reasons to organize: Njord employees were paid 20% less than the national average for auto workers in Hetvesia, positions were unstable and subject to change or be eliminated at any time, and employees had no legal support system to back Njord back beyond what they could personally afford. Attempts became more common as the years went on with none of them being successful - primarily because the attempts were localized and had small buy-in, making elimination easy for managers. That is, until a pivotal event that would be the catalyst for mass organization at the company.
This is the story of how the Njord Automobile production workers unionized.
The Catalyst
It was a damp winter evening on 25 February 1975 when Armas Laine got ready for his night shift at the Njord Automobile Reimsboden auto production facility. He had been employed with Njord for almost 5 months since his last job as a technician for Malinen Industrial, and since that time had worked hard to support his wife and infant twins in their rented triplex suburban home. Income was tight, and despite his wife’s pushback Armas had recently taken an opportunity to transition from 1st to 3rd Shift at work in return for a small pay bump. Njord had originally planned to produce the ND Series between two shifts, but high demand for the car meant the company had to run a half-capacity third shift from 22:00 to 06:00 to satisfy sales.
He packed his lunch, tucked his kids into their cribs, and gave his wife a kiss goodbye before heading off to work for the night. He walked to the family car parked on the street: a used ‘70 Njord FB-414 LTE painted Ladugardsved. He had bought the car back in the day for a decent deal brand new; the dealership was offering $1,000 off purchase price to make room for the upcoming ND Series. Nowadays the car was starting to show its age, no thanks to Armas not having enough money to properly maintain the car with few washes and skipped oil changes. The paint was faded from the long Hetvesian summer suns and the roof was starting to show some rust spots. The interior was mostly intact beyond a disintegrating leather steering wheel and some questionable stains in the backseat.
Armas opened the door, swearing at himself for not letting the car idle before leaving, and got into the driver’s seat. After wiggling the gearstick, Armas put his key into the ignition and turned, pumping the throttle until after a few unsuccessful start attempts the engine was now at a stable idle. He pulled out of the driveway and left towards the factory, the engine sputtering along the way until it finally came up to operating temperature. Armas didn’t care for the hours, but he did enjoy the lack of rush hour traffic and the ample parking once he arrived at the production facility.
At the facility he turned off his Njord and pulled his work boots from the passenger footwell, swapping his shoes before getting out of the car towards the security gate. At the gate he stood in line until reaching the guard, showed his company ID card, then walked through the turnstile. Crossing the production yard he passed by various crates and pallets: engines, chassis frames, scrapped developmental factory tooling from the manufacturing engineers, and tire piles until he reached the door to the factory maintenance department connected to the main assembly building.
Pressure during that night’s shift was intense. The ND Series assembly line had to pause during most of the 2nd shift due to line issues in the 4CCT engine assembly facility preventing the powertrain install workcenter from having the parts they needed. Despite having half of the manpower as 1st and 2nd shift, management expected 3rd shift to pump out 25 cars that night to make up for lost numbers - for context 3rd Shift is normally expected to produce 15 completed cars a night, half the amount as 1st or 2nd Shift.
Armas worked hard that night: repairing a skipping floor conveyor that was causing chassis piling up on the assembly line, recalibrating the pneumatic testing equipment at the engine block machining line, and even helping the supply runners bring crates of parts to the suspension assembly team since they were short handed. During his lunch break one of the manufacturing engineers met up to ask if he had finished assembling the prototype dolly for the body-in-white line, which he mentioned he didn’t have time to do because the maintenance team was short-handed. The engineer berated Armas for causing his prototype deadline to slip, then demanded the prototype be complete before the end of the week, then stormed off.
After finishing lunch early Armas ran down to the maintenance shop and started preparing the welder to start working on the prototype when his manager came into the room, demanding Armas to drop what he was doing to go fix an issue with the overhead assembly chain by the primer and paint booths that was sticking, which was causing intermittent shutdowns to the line. In a hurry Armas grabbed a toolbox and set off towards the caustic soda dipping station where the assembly chain was sticking.
Following body-in-white - where the ND Series chassis and body panels were welded and bolted together - was the caustic soda dipping station. Caustic soda, also known as sodium hydroxide or lye, was a high-concentration alkaline chemical. At around 82°C, or 180°F, caustic soda was an effective solution for stripping body panels of grease and debris before priming and painting. Njord’s setup had a massive vat where fully assembled chassis hooked to overhead chain lines would be dipped into the solution before heading towards the painting booths. Next to this chain was a catwalk where maintenance workers could get access to the chain for maintenance.
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Armas made it to the dipping station, climbed up the ladder with his tool bag, then walked along the catwalk inspecting the assembly line chain until he found the issue. The chain had skipped a sprocket and wedged itself into the railing, likely from the chain slowly lengthening over years of use. Armas knew the proper way to fix the issue would involve removing the chassis hanging from the chain to prevent accidentally setting off the release mechanism, which would drop the chassis into the caustic bath and risk dowsing himself in the heated chemical solution. He did not have time for this though since production was already so far behind schedule.
He pulled a crowbar out of his toolbag and wedged it between the chain and rail guide, pushing his bodyweight into the bar to get the chain to skip back onto the sprocket. Not a budge. He pulled the crowbar out and replaced it in the guide so that the bar was horizontal. Grabbing the catwalk railing, he stood up onto the crowbar and hopped on it to get the chain to move. Nothing. Desperate, he pulled a hammer out of his bag and repositioned the crowbar on the chain, next to the chassis release mechanism. If he missed, the chassis was going to drop and douse him in chemicals, resulting in severe burns over his whole body. He slowly lined up the hammer with the crowbar, making slow practice swings where one got close to the release mechanism. His hands were shaking, and a knot was forming in his chest. The superheated fumes emanating from the tank below were making him sick to his stomach. If he swings, he could die. If he doesn’t, he will probably get fired.
Armas took a deep breath. Fuck it, he thought, and with his full strength he swung the hammer back and straight towards the crowbar.
He closed his eyes and felt a sharp vibration through the crowbar, followed by a loud clank. He waited for his skin to be met with searing burns, but was met with nothing. Body trembling, he slowly opened his eyes to see the chassis was still hanging on the chain, and the chain itself was unwedged and linked back to the sprocket. Armas swallowed hard, then let down a shout below the catwalk. “It’s fixed! Go ahead and start the line back up!”
A loud buzzer rang throughout the production facility and the line was back up and running. Armas stayed next to the chain for a few minutes to make sure it wouldn’t skip again, then put his tools back into his bag. He looked down through the catwalk grates into the caustic soda vat below, where the chassis was being slowly submerged into the bubbling liquid. He survived.
He stood up, walked across the catwalk, then went down the ladder with his toolbag. He thought about his wife and children, currently fast asleep at home. Had things gone wrong, his wife would have become a widow. His children without a father. He cursed the company for putting him in that position, for valuing a few produced cars over his life. He needed to find a better, safer job. He began making his way towards the maintenance shop when he passed by a caustic soda solution feed line. There were drops of liquid dripping from a seal between the flanges and a light ticking of strained metal. The last thing he saw was the seal between the pipe flanges splitting and a high pressure jet of high-temperature caustic soda shooting straight towards him.
Terrible screams were heard across the factory. Nearby employees ran to the scene where they found a man surrounded by a pool of heated chemicals writhing in agony. His overalls were dissolved into his skin, and his flesh was dark and melting. Some employees immediately threw up from the sight and stench of the accident, where others quickly jumped into protective gear to get towards Armas.
Picking up Armas, still screaming, they ran to a safety shower only to find that it wasn’t working. In desperation the coworkers frantically carried him towards the custodian’s room and dumped him into a mop sink to try and wash off the chemicals which resulted in worsening burns. Emergency services were called and the employees tried their best efforts, but Armas was mutilated. Saponification caused deep, full-thickness chemical burns that Armas could not see.
Within 48 hours of the explosion, Njord management replaced the burst line, repaired a faulty pressure valve that caused the explosion, and shredded every maintenance request Armas’s team had submitted over the previous weeks. By the time third-party inspectors walked the factory floor, the paper trail painted the incident as the result of a single, reckless employee violating safety protocols.
Armas survived, but the damage was permanent. Blinded, disfigured, and with both legs amputated below the knee to stop a spreading infection, he would never work again.
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Desperate and facing mounting medical bills, Kaarina Laine - Armas’ wife - hired a legal aid attorney to sue Njord Automobile for negligence. But Njord’s corporate defense team was prepared: they buried the family in endless pre-trial motions, challenged state-aid funding, and dragged the proceedings out for nearly two years. As the Laines fell into crippling debt, Njord’s lawyers offered a choice: accept a pittance of a settlement - barely enough to cover back-rent - or face financial ruin in a trial they could no longer afford to fight.
In early 1977 Kaarina signed the papers. In exchange for a small lump sum the family dropped all claims, acknowledged no fault by the company, and signed a strict non-disclosure agreement.
Njord got away with it.
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I have said it before, I will say it again, I love how alive you make the story. Maybe one of the best company threads ever on the board.
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Sir, you are absolutely ‘cooking’ in this story! But I’d like to be honest:- I don’t like the company now.
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