On the road with Arto Simola in the Actros “Lowrider”

Winters in Finland are long and dark. So it's a good to have another hobby, in addition to using the sauna, where you can also be warm and indoors. “And even better if you can pursue this hobby together with your boss and a dozen other like-minded, crazy people,” says Arto Simola. The truck driver has been working for Kuljetus Auvinen for around three years now. His workplace: a driver's dream in violet. “It took us over 6000 hours of work to convert an Actros 2663 tractor/semitrailer combination with two silo trailers into a real 'lowrider',” Arto tells us. “And the best part: We don't just drive this gem of a vehicle from show to show – we actually use it to earn our daily bread.”

Kuljetus Auvinen has been in the haulage business since 1953. The family-owned company from Helsinki specialises in silo transport. Managing director Mika Auvinen, who often takes a seat in the cab himself, is not only known as a provider of reliable transport services, but even outside Finland for his passion for show trucks.

In 2014, his green “Highway Hero” Actros was one of the prime attractions at the IAA for Commercial Vehicles. The lowrider is now Auvinen's latest work of art. The “hard core” of his show truck team is made up of around a dozen devoted enthusiasts, including Arto.

– Arto Simola, truck driver

A special privilege.

“It's a tremendous honour to drive for Mika,” the father of a two-year-old son tells us. “We are both truckers through and through and share a great passion for show trucks. When we're out at festivals, I get hundreds of drivers come up to me every day saying how envious they are of my job.”

“I was mainly in charge of the electrics for the tractor/semitrailer combination,” Arto explained. “That alone was about 1300 hours' work. Every time I press the golden starting button, I think to myself: it was worth all the effort.” All the images, colours and modifications on the Actros lowrider were agreed upon by the team. These were then brought to life on the truck by airbrush artist Perttu Papunen in about 2500 working hours. The actual conversion of the lowrider was carried out in the stainless steel forging workshops of HIO-MEX in Tuusula, some 30 kilometres north of Helsinki. Since 1979, this company has developed into one of the largest suppliers of vehicle accessories in Finland.

The company specialises in vehicle attachments made from high-grade steel – of which there are many to admire on the lowrider. The special electrolytic polishing procedure that is used gives the material an extremely smooth surface with dirt-repelling properties. This ensures a sparkling appearance even when the weather is not at its best.

It took around one year between having the idea for the lowrider and taking the first test drive. “At the start we didn't really have an exact plan, just a vague idea of the truck we wanted. Everything else simply fell into place, and everyone in the team was able to express their creativity,” Arto reveals. The material costs for the violet dream machine are estimated at about 450 000 Euros. “I don't think anyone really knows exactly. The difference between men and boys is just the price of their toys,” Arto jokes. What is more valuable to him is the privilege of having one of the most extraordinary and beautiful driver's cabs in the world. And he won't want to part with it.

Photos: Sebastian Vollmert
Video: Alexander Tempel