Hägglund & Söner
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHägglund & Söner was a Swedish diversified engineering company that evolved from furniture manufacturing into a producer of vehicles, railway equipment, aircraft, hydraulic motors, cranes and mining machinery.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Hägglund & Söner, often referred to as Hägglunds, was a diversified Swedish engineering company headquartered in Örnsköldsvik in Västernorrland. It began in 1898 as a furniture-manufacturing business founded by Johan Hägglund, but gradually developed a much broader industrial portfolio. Its activities came to include buses, railway rolling stock, aircraft, hydraulic motors, military vehicles, cranes and mining machinery. The company's development reflected the industrial diversification of northern Sweden during the twentieth century. Rather than remaining confined to furniture, Hägglund & Söner built engineering capabilities that allowed it to participate in transportation, defense, industrial hydraulics and heavy equipment. Its products included licensed aircraft production during the Second World War, trams and diesel railcars for Scandinavian transport systems, tracked all-terrain vehicles, armored vehicles and hydraulic drive systems. Among the best-known products associated with the company were the Bü 181 aircraft, the BV-206 all-terrain vehicle, the Ikv 91 assault gun, the Pbv 302 infantry fighting vehicle and the CV90 family of armored combat vehicles. Its railway activities produced or contributed to several important Scandinavian vehicle classes, including the M25 and M29 trams, the SM53 tram, the X10p electric train and the Y6 diesel railcar. These products gave the Hägglunds name a presence well beyond its home municipality. In 1972, the Hägglund family sold the company to ASEA, a major Swedish engineering group. The transaction placed Hägglund & Söner within a larger industrial structure and eventually led to the separation of its businesses. The original company was wound up in 1993, but several of its activities survived through successive owners and corporate reorganizations. The rolling-stock operation remained within the ASEA lineage and subsequently became associated with ABB, Adtranz, Bombardier Transportation and, later, Alstom. The crane business was sold to MacGregor in 1993 and later became part of Cargotec. The military-vehicle business was sold to Alvis in 1997 and acquired by BAE Systems in 2004, becoming BAE Systems Hägglunds. The hydraulic-motor business passed to Atle, was later owned for a period by Ratos, and was acquired by Bosch in 2011; it operates within Bosch Rexroth, which continues to use the Hägglunds name for its hydraulic-motor products. Although Hägglund & Söner no longer exists as an independent company, its industrial legacy remains visible in Örnsköldsvik. BAE Systems Hägglunds, Bosch Rexroth and Cargotec have maintained manufacturing operations there, and BAE Systems Hägglunds and Bosch Rexroth jointly sponsor Hägglunds Arena. The name therefore survives as a historical industrial identity and as part of successor businesses, especially in military vehicles and hydraulic drives.
History
Hägglund & Söner was established in 1898 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, by furniture maker Johan Hägglund. The company initially operated in furniture manufacturing, but it later diversified into industrial engineering and became one of the important manufacturing names associated with the town. Its expansion brought it into a range of sectors that included buses, railway rolling stock, aircraft, hydraulic motors, military vehicles, cranes and mining equipment. The company's transportation work covered both road and rail applications. It produced buses and several classes of tram and rail vehicle used in Scandinavia. Products associated with its railway activities included the SM53 trams used in Oslo, the M25 and M29 trams used in Gothenburg, the Y6 diesel railcars used in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and the X10p electric trains introduced for Stockholm's narrow-gauge Roslagsbanan. These projects established the company as a contributor to Scandinavian public-transport manufacturing. Hägglund & Söner also entered aviation. Between 1943 and 1945 it built the Bü 181 two-seat aircraft under license. In defense manufacturing, the company developed tracked and armored vehicles for the Swedish Army and international users. The Ikv 91 high-mobility assault gun was built for Sweden between 1969 and 1978, while the Pbv 302 armored infantry fighting vehicle served the Swedish Army from 1966 to 2014. The BV-206 all-terrain vehicle, introduced in 1976, became one of the company's most recognizable products and was used by military and civilian organizations in multiple countries. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the company designed the CV90 family of armored combat vehicles. In 1972, the Hägglund family sold the company to ASEA. This change in ownership connected Hägglund & Söner with a larger engineering group and set the stage for the later division of its businesses. The company itself was wound up in 1993, but its operations did not disappear at the same time. Instead, they were distributed among successor companies. The rolling-stock business stayed within the ASEA corporate succession and later became associated with ABB, Adtranz, Bombardier Transportation and Alstom. The crane business was sold to MacGregor in 1993 and subsequently became part of Cargotec. The military-vehicle business was sold to Alvis in 1997; after BAE Systems acquired Alvis in 2004, it operated as BAE Systems Hägglunds. The hydraulic-motor business was sold to Atle, later spent a period under Ratos ownership, and was acquired by Bosch in 2011. It became part of Bosch Rexroth, which continued to market hydraulic motors under the Hägglunds name. The company is therefore defunct as an independent legal and industrial group, but its name and capabilities persist through several successor operations. BAE Systems Hägglunds, Bosch Rexroth and Cargotec have maintained manufacturing facilities in Örnsköldsvik. BAE Systems Hägglunds and Bosch Rexroth also jointly sponsor Hägglunds Arena, preserving the name in the civic and commercial identity of the town.
- 2011
Hydraulic-motor business acquired by Bosch
[1]Bosch acquired the hydraulic-motor business, which became part of Bosch Rexroth and continued using the Hägglunds name.
- 2004
BAE Systems Hägglunds established through acquisition
[1]BAE Systems acquired Alvis, bringing the former Hägglund military-vehicle business into its organization.
- 1997
Military-vehicle operation sold to Alvis
[1]The military-vehicle business was sold to Alvis.
- 1993
Company wound up and crane business divested
[1]Hägglund & Söner was wound up, while its crane business was sold to MacGregor.
- 1988
X10p electric trains introduced
[1]The X10p electric train class was introduced for Stockholm's narrow-gauge Roslagsbanan commuter railway.
- 1976
BV-206 introduced
[1]The BV-206 tracked all-terrain vehicle was introduced and later used by military and civilian organizations internationally.
- 1972
Acquired by ASEA
[1]The Hägglund family sold the company to ASEA.
- 1969
Ikv 91 production period begins
[1]Production of the Ikv 91 high-mobility assault gun for the Swedish Army began during the 1969–1978 period.
- 1966
Pbv 302 service begins
[1]The Pbv 302 armored infantry fighting vehicle entered service with the Swedish Army.
- 1953
Y6 diesel railcar introduced
[1]The Y6 diesel railcar was introduced for use in Sweden and later operated in Norway and Denmark.
Products and positioning
A diversified Swedish engineering manufacturer serving transportation, defense, industrial hydraulics and heavy-equipment applications.
Aircraft · 1943
Bü 181
The Bü 181 was a two-seat aircraft built by Hägglund & Söner under license between 1943 and 1945. Its production marked the company's participation in aviation manufacturing during the Second World War and illustrates the breadth of its diversification beyond furniture and ground-based engineering.
Tracked all-terrain vehicle · 1976
BV-206
Introduced in 1976, the BV-206 was a tracked all-terrain vehicle designed for movement across difficult terrain. It was used by military forces as well as civilian organizations in countries around the world and became one of the most widely recognized vehicles associated with the Hägglunds name.
Armored combat vehicle
CV90
The CV90 is a family of armored combat vehicles designed during the mid-1980s to early 1990s. It represented Hägglund & Söner's advanced military-vehicle engineering and became associated with the successor BAE Systems Hägglunds business after the original company was dismantled.
Assault gun · 1969
Ikv 91
The Ikv 91 was a high-mobility assault gun built for the Swedish Army between 1969 and 1978. It formed part of Hägglund & Söner's military-vehicle portfolio and was designed around the mobility requirements of Swedish defense operations.
Armored infantry fighting vehicle · 1966
Pbv 302
The Pbv 302 was an armored infantry fighting vehicle used by the Swedish Army from 1966 to 2014. It was one of the company's major tracked military vehicles and remained in Swedish service for several decades.
Hydraulic motors
Hägglunds Drive System
The Hägglunds Drive System refers to the company's range of hydraulic motors and related drive technology. After the original business passed through Atle and Ratos ownership and was acquired by Bosch in 2011, the range continued within Bosch Rexroth under the Hägglunds product name.
Tram · 1958
M25 / SM91
The M25, also identified as the SM91, was a tram class used in Gothenburg and Oslo between 1958 and 2002. It represents Hägglund & Söner's contribution to Scandinavian urban rail transportation.
Tram · 1969
M29
The M29 was a tram class used in Gothenburg from 1969. It was part of the company's substantial Scandinavian rolling-stock output and remained associated with Gothenburg's tram system.
Tram · 1952
SM53
The SM53 was a tram class used in Oslo between 1952 and 1997. Its production and service history demonstrate Hägglund & Söner's role in supplying public-transport equipment to Nordic markets.
Electric train · 1988
X10p
The X10p is a class of electric train introduced in 1988 for Stockholm's narrow-gauge Roslagsbanan commuter railway. It was among the later railway products associated with Hägglund & Söner.
Diesel railcar · 1953
Y6
The Y6 was a diesel railcar introduced in 1953. It was used in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, making it one of the company's products with a distinctly Scandinavian operating footprint.
Brand decisions
1993
Winding-up and business separationStrategyBackground
After its integration into the ASEA industrial structure, the company's diverse operations were no longer maintained as one independent business.
Action taken
Hägglund & Söner was wound up, with its businesses continuing through separate ownership and corporate lineages.
Aftermath
Rolling stock remained in the ASEA succession, the crane business went to MacGregor, the military-vehicle business later went to Alvis, and the hydraulic-motor business continued through subsequent owners.
1972
Sale to ASEAM&ABackground
The family-owned engineering company had developed into a diversified industrial business with activities spanning transportation, defense and heavy equipment.
Action taken
The Hägglund family sold Hägglund & Söner to ASEA.
Aftermath
The company became part of the ASEA group, and its businesses were later separated among different successor owners.
Sources1 sources
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