Teijo
Teijo 24 / Teijo 30 pickup

Why it matters

The Teijo was the Wihuri group's attempt at a genuinely Finnish light commercial vehicle: frame, cab, load bed and many components were made in Finland around Volkswagen running gear. It was sold mainly to public bodies such as the road administration and the state railways, and its failure ended Wihuri's vehicle manufacturing.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Wihuri, the Finnish Volkswagen importer, had assembled 48 Beetles at Heinola in 1968 before planning its own light truck under engineer Max Johanson. Using the layout of Volkswagen's front-wheel-drive EA 489 'Basistransporter', it built the Teijo at its Teijo works in Perniö, where it had made trailers. Prototypes were tested by the Finnish press in 1974, and the production version was announced in late 1975 in two lengths, Teijo 24 and Teijo 30, with a tipper also developed.

Private buyers were scarce and most trucks went to municipalities and state agencies. About 200 were built before production ended in the late 1970s (sources give 1976, 1977 or 1978). A few went to the Netherlands, and in 1977 frames were reportedly shipped to Egypt for Westfalia bodies. Mobilia holds a 1978 Teijo 24 that served the state railways' parcel service.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Teijos have an angular cab of reinforced-plastic panels on a tubular steel frame, all-flat glass with sliding side windows, and a front-mounted air-cooled Volkswagen 1.6 flat-four driving the front wheels. Two wheelbases were offered: the Teijo 24 (load bed about 8 ft) and the Teijo 30 (about 10 ft); the Mobilia example carries the designation 'Teijo 24-01/2420'.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Teijo (TVH photograph) – Mobilia collection record Level C

   • 200 approximate total of Teijo pickups built (all versions)

   Accessed 2026-11-13
2. 2
   pakettiauto, Teijo 24 (object MOB - Esine - 1088) Level C Mobilia (Finnish museum of road transport), via Finna

   • Volkswagenin valmistama 1600-kuutioinen ilmajähdytteinen moottori
   • 1600-kuutioinen ilmajähdytteinen moottori
   • Ohjaamo lujitemuovipaneelia yhdistettynä teräsputkirunkoon

   Accessed 2026-11-13
3. 3
   Finland Once Tried To Build Its Own Volkswagen-Based Mini Truck Level C Antti Kautonen · The Autopian · 2026-05-05

   • 1.6-liter air-cooled boxer, front-mounted
   • Compression: 6.6:1, so it could run on low-octane fuel
   • Power: 45 hp
   • four-speed manual with a floor shifter
   • four-speed manual
   • front-wheel drive, from the Basistransporter

   Accessed 2026-11-13
4. 4
   Nalle Sisu (vehicle presentation, incl. Finnish vehicle manufacturing) Level B Wexi Hoppula · Veteraanikuorma-autoseura ry (Vetku)

   • Lava ja lasikuiturakenteinen ohjaamo valmistettiin kotimaassa

   Accessed 2026-11-13