Wallenius Lines phases out its tanker business to concentrate on transoceanic car carrying. The company develops several new types of vessel to help make passenger car transportation more efficient and to carry heavy vehicles and other wheeled cargoes.
Fuel-lean Japanese cars become even more popular during the oil crisis and car carrying from Japan becomes increasingly important.
Wallenius Lines carries more than 500,000 vehicles a year for the first time.
Olof Wallenius passes away quite unexpectedly.
1978
Middle East traffic increases
Countries in the Middle East develop their infrastructures, leading to heavy demand for all kinds of construction equipment, trucks and cars. For a time, Wallenius carries half of all the RoRo cargoes between Europe and the Gulf.
Delivery of a new vessel
MS TOSCA is delivered. She has the capacity to carry 5,640 cars, or 3,490 cars and 360 trucks.
1977
The first Pure Car Truck Carrier
Freight customers express interest in starting to ship heavy vehicles. Wallenius Lines develop the PCTC (Pure Car Truck Carrier) type of vessel, with vertically adjustable cargo decks for flexible clearance, and reinforced truck decks to handle the heavier loads. The vessels are loaded using both a side and a stern ramp.
MS RIGOLETTO and MS TRAVIATA, with their 13 decks and 4,070-car capacity, are the first vessels delivered. Today, all the car carriers in Wallenius Lines' fleet are of the PCTC class.
New part-owner in Wallenius Lines
Axel Johnson (Nordstjernan and Försäkrings AB Sirius) acquires 25 per cent of the company's shares.
1975
The first Pure Car Carrier
MS DON JUAN and MS DON CARLOS, developed solely to carry cars by using the RoRo technique, are the company's first PCC (Pure Car Carrier) car carriers. The two first vessels are delivered a year apart, and as they travel faster than their predecessors, they reduce transport times considerably.
The new vessels have twelve permanent decks and loading is performed via two ramps on the starboard side of the vessels. They can carry 4,900 cars, the company's largest car carriers to date.
1974
Bulk vessel with car hold
Car-shipping customers demand shipping in special and separate car holds. Wallenius Lines has major bulk cargo contracts for the USA and Far East traffic, and satisfies customer requirements by building bulk carriers with three separate car garages and four bulk holds.
MS OTELLO, and a year later, MS AIDA are delivered. They have the capacity to carry 45,000 tonnes of bulk cargo and 3,500 cars.
1973
The last tanker
MT SOYA-BALTIC, once the world's largest combined ore/oil carrier, is sold. The company now no longer operates any tankers.
1972
Over 500,000 vehicles
Wallenius Lines carries more than 500,000 vehicles in one year for the first time ever.
Short-sea shipping phased out
Wallenius Lines phases out its North Sea and Baltic Sea traffic serviced by small RoRo vessels. Wallenius Lines now concentrates entirely on transoceanic shipping.
1970
Olof Wallenius passes away
Olof Wallenius passes away quite unexpectedly at the age of 68. His son-in-law John Kleberg becomes president of the company.