Minsk Automobile Plant: Difference between revisions

MAZ logo

Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ, Russian: Производственное республиканское унитарное предприятие «Минский автомобильный завод», Open JSC "Minsky Avtomobilny Zavod") is a state-run automotive manufacturer association in Belarus, one of the largest in the Eastern and Central Europe.

History

It was built shortly after Second World War. The first MAZ model (MAZ-200) used the General Motors design 2-stroke engines. Later on the new original engines were developed and were implemented in MAZ-500 series. Not only the plant itself, but the entire living infrastructure were done in short time. Apartment buildings, shops, medical clinics, cinemas etc. were built in short proximity to the MAZ plant, providing plant workers with first hand (though limited) necessities. On many construction places the German war prisoners were working together with Russian construction workers. Majority of those buildings are still in service today.

It manufactures heavy-duty trucks, buses, trolleybuses, road tractors and semi-trailers for semi-trailer trucks, and cranes. MAZ was, and possibly is, the world largest manufacturer of TELs (Transporter-Erector-Launchers) for many of the world's mobile ballistic missiles, from the widely proliferated MAZ-543 used to carry and launch the Scud B up through the recent Topol M's impressive 8-axle TEL.

At the end of the Soviet times, MAZ was the largest manufacturer of heavy trucks in the Soviet Union, and the only one for some truck categories. After the Soviet Union dissolving, MAZ production has dropped substantially, as happened with many enterprises in ultra-industrialized Belarus oriented on the needs of one very big country. The mentioned above production of the public transportation vehicles was an result of the following diversification of the company.

Organisation

The association consists of the MAZ plant proper, located in Minsk, which is the main enterprise of the association, as well as several secondary enterprises:

• РУП «БААЗ» (in Baranavichy)
• РУП «ОЗАА» (in Asipovichy)
• РУА «КЗТШ» (in Zhodino)
• РУП «Литмаш» (in Minsk),
• ПРУП «ДЭМЗ» (in Dzyarzhynsk)
• РУП «СтройМАЗтрест» (in Minsk)

At some points of its history, MAZ was "united" with another heavy automobile company - BELAZ also located in Minsk area.

Products

Among other recent production, MAZ city buses (see pictures below) can be found all over Belarus as well as in the Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Polish Silesia and Estonia.

Models

MAZ-203 and MAZ-206 buses

MAZ-447131

tipper MAZ-MAN

МАZ-200 МАZ-200В МАZ-205 МАZ-501 МАZ-501В МАZ-502 МАZ-502В МАZ-525 МАZ-529 МАZ-530 MAZ-535 МАZ-537 МАZ-543/МАZ-7310 МАZ-7410 МАZ-7910 МАZ-7912 МАZ-7917 MAZ-547/MAZ-7916 MAZ-7904 МАZ-79221 МАZ-7906 MAZ-7907 МАZ-500 МАZ-503 МАZ-504 МАZ-505 МАZ-509 МАZ-511 МАZ-515 МАZ-516

МАZ-4370 МАZ-4570 МАZ-5336 МАZ-5337 МАZ-5432 МАZ-5433 МАZ-5434 МАZ-5442 МАZ-5516 МАZ-5551 МАZ-6303 МАZ-6317 МАZ-6417 МАZ-6422 МАZ-6425 МАZ-6430 Autobuses: MAZ-103 Omnibus (1996) MAZ-105 Gelenkbus (1997) MAZ-103T Oberleitungsbus (1999) MAZ-152 Stadtbus (1999) MAZ-171 Flughafenbus (2005) MAZ-203 Omnibus (2005) MAZ-206 Omnibus (2006) MAZ-256 Omnibus (2006)

Special models

MAZ-537

MAZ-543

MAZ-7917

MAZ-547V

• MAZ-535 MAZ-537 - The MAZ-535 and the heavier version MAZ-537 were developed in the early 1960s and built to transport rockets and tanks of various types.

• MAZ-543 - The MAZ-543 was also designed for the transport of medium-and long-range missiles and has the same specifications as the MAZ-537. The MAZ-543 is best known as mobile missile launch pad of Scud missiles known. In addition, there are various modifications of the vehicle, such as the MAZ-547 as a mobile launch pad for SS-20 missiles or the MAZ-7917 as a launch pad of Topol intercontinental missile .

• MAZ-7904 - The MAZ-7904 is the largest wheeled vehicle that was in the USSR ever designed for military purposes. This prototype, in 1982 as a support vehicle for intercontinental ballistic missiles were designed, but never close to a series of stages.

• MAZ-7907 - The MAZ-7907 was designed in 1985 and two prototypes were produced, of which at least one seems to have been used after the collapse of the USSR for transportation of bridge parts and ships. Their fate is unclear.

Bibliography

• Peter J. Davies: Trucks of the World - The encyclopedia of makes and models from 2002. Motor Book, Stuttgart. ISBN 3-613-02257-5 .

Gallery

• 
  MAZ-105 bus.
• 
  MAZ-103 city bus in Constanţa, Romania
• 
  MAZ-103 city bus in Constanţa, Romania
• 
  MAZ-103 city bus in Iaşi, Romania
• 
  MAZ-103t trolleybus in Minsk
• 
  MAZ-107 city bus in Constanţa, Romania
• 
  MAZ-203 and MAZ-206 bus
• 
  Topol MAZ-7917 vehicle in Moscow on Tverskaya Street, 2008 Moscow Victory Parade rehearsal, May 5
• 
  9K72 Elbrus launcher (9P117)
• 
  MAZ-543 airport tender, airport in Kyrgyzstan

Sponsorship in football

• 1999-2002: Torpedo-MAZ Minsk

External links

• Official website