The company was founded in 1946 by the three brothers Inge, Ivar and Ingvar Pettersson. Two of the brothers was employed by a coachbuilder just outside Västerås, Sweden. They searched for a place of their own to start their new buisness. There was none to find in Västerås so they moved to Sala where they rented a space in the attic above Westling firm of haulage. The haulage were situated where today's coachbuilder's dining and dressingroom are placed. The three brother's firm manufactured most everything in coachbuilding, from cabins to platforms. The chassis came to Sala railwaystation from where they were driven to the factory, the driver sitting on a woodenbox. One stationwagon were built on a 445-chassi in 1951 for a driving instructor who also designed it.

Text to picture: Sala driving school's new buy, a Volvo stationwagon, which body has been manufactured by Sala karosserifabrik and has been designed by driving instructor Eric Arfvidsson, Sala

" Sala driving school has just add a new vehicle to it's fleet of cars, a car you won't find a replica of anywhere. This is a stationwagon, built on a PV 445 chassi, delivered by Sala Cardealer. The body has been manufactured by Sala karosserifabrik at Mamre and is in it's beatiful and clean and practical shape a recommendation to the factory as well as to the constructor Eric Arfvidsson. The blue well shaped body is entire metal and windows all around the car offers a good view. This is of course of highest interest as the car will run in a driving school. Inside, the upholstery is in grey leather and due to the fact that you can mount an extra seat, the car is registred for 6 passangers. It must be an outstanding holiday vehicle due to the fact that you rather easily can transform the cargo compartment to a comfortable bedroom. The seats will provide nice softness. Except for the two doors at each side there is a backdoor. Sala karosserifabrik have built the entire car, both inside and outside. It isn't the first stationwagon built by Sala karosserifabrik but certainly the first one of this kind. "

The firm also manufactured hearses and ambulances. Later the assortment was extended with busses for handicaped and stores, snowveasles, firetrucks and eventually even cabinets. Time forced the company to decide a niche where to continue the buisness. Firetrucks and cabinets became that niche from where to bring the firm further. Today the second generation Pettersson runs the buisness. Firetrucks are made in the section called Sala Brand AB. Sala Kaross AB, as the company are named nowadays , manufactures approximaly 300 cabinets per year ( on trucks from 7 ton and up ) and the company has 82 employees. The lorry on the right is a Bogvard Hansa from 1949 where both cabin and platform are manufactured at Sala karosserifabrik. The lorry was bought back by the company in 1996 from a road carrier in Varberg, Sweden. A big thanks to Gun Pettersson at Sala Kaross AB who has conribute with all this information about the company. Go visit the company by clicking on the logo in the upper left. A varm thanks also to Christer Sahlin at Sala Allehanda for spending time in the newspapers archive.

Published 2000-11-15