In the Mid-Sweden town of Kil, a state of the art car construction project is in progress. The motor enthusiast Pelle Söderström is in the final phase of finishing his childhood dream; the world's first and only straight 16 cylinder car engine. The gigantic engine contains specially designed valve springs from Lesjöfors.
The technically interested Pelle Söderström got inspired to the massive engine construction in the late 60’s by a TV show called “Herkules Jonssons storverk”, a story about a boy who carries out great achievements in different fields. Pelle’s dream was to build an own-designed car inspired by the 30’s with a straight 16 cylinder engine, a project no one in the world had ever done before. However, it wasn’t until the summer of 2012 that his ideas could start to convert into reality. Pelle named the extraordinary project “Herkules 1934”. Since then, Pelle has put thousands of hours and a lot of money into planning, constructing and documenting the project.
A central part of the special designed engine is customised valve springs with enough force. “After giving Lesjöfors the requested standards of the spring, my contact quickly responded with a spring specification that met my demands. The bespoke springs were thereafter delivered as planned and furthermore nicely packed with material certificates and test protocols enclosed,” commented Pelle Söderström.
Pelle Söderström is now in the last phase of the engine construction. The last piece that remains is to find a solution for the ignition cables. The next step will be to build customised fellies, construct the chassi and then the auto body. Pelle doesn't have a time schedule for when he expects the car to be ready.
“It's ready when it's ready. My focus is to build my car just the way I dreamt of. My motivation is to create something unique, something that has never been done before. We'll see, I might be able to take the car to the Mediterranean one day when I'm retired,” said Pelle Söderström.
Lesjöfors is one of the leading spring suppliers with internationally well known customers. The products are demanded in many markets, in diverse industries. The assortment of springs, stampings and pressings has a unique range, where one of the largest selections of standard springs are combined with high-tech, customised solutions. Lesjöfors has both manufacturing and sales offices in several European countries, Asia, United States and Mexico.
Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.
Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.
