If you’re reading this, you probably know the word Hakkapeliitta. But do you know the word Keliringas? Before our flagship Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta winter tire line, the Keliringas did something no tire had done before: it consistently and successfully navigated Finnish snow and ice.
Ninety years ago, back in 1934, when snow and ice hit the road, drivers didn’t. Finnish roads were narrow and seldom plowed. But life couldn’t just stop. Somebody needed to find a solution.
Finnish Rubber Works stepped up. It invented the first snow tire for trucks – complete with a coarse tread that dug deep into snow. The Keliringas started it all.
The Keliringas was so popular that Finnish Rubber Works – known today as Nokian Tyres – developed the first winter tire for passenger cars in 1936. It was named – you guessed it! The Hakkapeliitta. The name was adopted from a Finnish battle cry – “hakkaa päälle,” which roughly translates to “cut them down!”
For the last 90 years, Nokian Tyres winter products have lived up to that battle cry: they’ve helped cut down on accidents.
The Hakkapeliitta’s star rose in the 1950s and 1960s, when they were used in Monte Carlo rallies. Nokian Tyres winter products achieved global acclaim, and today drivers in more than 50 countries benefit from the extreme winter safety they provide. To date, there have been more than three dozen editions of the Hakkapeliitta, from sleek passenger tires to rugged heavy equipment products.
Nokian Tyres has ridden the Hakkapeliitta to more winter tire patents than any other tire manufacturer, and to several world records. Hakkapeliitta products set the mark for the fastest car on ice (twice), the fastest electric vehicle on ice, and even the fastest snow removal by an autonomous tractor.
But even more than the world records, we care about getting drivers home safely. That was our guiding principle in 1934, and it remains our mission today. It’s why we own the largest company-owned winter test facility in the world, north of the Arctic Circle – so we can lay claim to being the chief innovator of the winter tire, not just the inventor of the winter tire.
So when your car turns onto a snowy or icy road this winter, remember one thing: we are with you – all 90 years of us.
Please remember that it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure their tires are safe and suitable for their vehicle and to follow the vehicle’s manufacturer´s guidelines for proper use and maintenance. Consult your closest Nokian Tyres dealer or your vehicle’s manufacturer for specific advice.
