Wayne’s ​workshop

Hidden away in the quiet countryside of County Roscommon in the north of Ireland is a workshop where magic happens. There, Wayne Auchmuty and his team produce scaled-down replicas of Scania and Mercedes trucks in exact detail — right down to the growl of the engine.

Auchmuty trained as a product designer and normally designs heavy machinery for agricultural and quarry use. But ever since he was a kid, he longed for a toy truck that was more than a miniature version of the real thing. “My father owned and drove trucks, so they were my passion from a very young age,” says Auchmuty. “As a kid, I always wanted a toy truck, but there was no such thing available at the time.”

In 2019, he realized this childhood dream when he began making ride-on trucks for children. He had set up Scaled Rigs the year before to start the process of designing and prototyping his first truck. He approached Scania for permission to reproduce the S730 under licence. Having secured the company’s agreement, he began tooling up to make the launch product. When complete, the unit was sent to the UK for rigorous testing to ensure it met the necessary safety criteria for children’s toys.

More than just toys

While Auchmuty’s original idea was to make big toys for little kids, he quickly discovered the trucks were popular with companies, as they started ordering them to promote their business. The split is now 50:50 between corporate clients and people buying for children.

Scaled Rigs may be toys, but they are built to last. The cabs are made from high-quality components, including vacuum-moulded plastics, and are built on a stainless-steel chassis sturdy enough to carry an adult. The trailers are also made from steel, and a complete unit is just under four metres in length and weighs around 200 kilos.

The stainless-steel elements are laser cut, folded and riveted together, and power is supplied by a heavy-duty 24-volt electric motor similar to those used in mobility scooters. The cab has a top speed of 6–8 kilometres per hour and, when fully charged, the battery life is around six hours. The trucks come with one motor as standard, but a second can be easily added for extra torque. The battery pack is in a locked compartment for safety, and the batteries contain gel rather than liquid to avoid leakage if there’s a crack. Should the unit jackknife, the trailer automatically disconnects.

Scaled Rigs began commercial production in March 2019 and, since then, it has received orders from all over Europe and beyond. The company sells direct and through resellers. Sales for the German market are handled by Netherlands-based myminitruck. An entry version of a Scaled Rigs truck costs around €4,500 plus tax, but the company sells very few such models. Most buyers choose to customize their purchase, which increases the price.

“The toy market will always be important to us,” says Auchmuty, “but we believe the real growth potential lies within the business market, where we can see multiple uses in areas such as attention-grabbing point-of-sale displays.” From corporate livery to tiny versions of the Michelin man to perch on the cab roof and light bars with spotlights and beacons, anything is possible in Wayne’s workshop, where the magic happens.