Automotive industry in the Soviet Union

The automotive industry in the Soviet Union spanned the history of the state from 1929 to 1991. It began with assistance from Western manufacturers and continues to this day. Before its dissolution, the Soviet Union produced 2.1-2.3 million units per year of all types, and was the sixth (previously fifth) largest automotive producer, ranking ninth place in cars, third in trucks, and first in buses.

History

Tsarist Russia produced small numbers of Russo-Balt, Puzyryov, Freze, Lessner, and other vehicles. After the 1917 October Revolution, Prombron built small quantities of Russo-Balt cars while AMO (modified as ZIS and then ZIL later) plant produced the first Soviet trucks, based on a FIAT design.

The oldest Soviet mass automaker, GAZ (Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod, Gorky Automobile Factory), was established in Nizhny Novgorod in 1929 by Ford. A year later Ford built a second automobile plant in Moscow, AZLK, which became a major Soviet car maker only after World War II.

Unlike other automakers, due to specific government aims, in the early years of Soviet production, cars were a small share of all vehicles. At the beginning of the 1960s Soviet industry opted to design and launch a decent car for the masses. For cost efficiency, it was decided to base the car upon an existing, modern car and Soviet leadership again turned to the West seeking technical assistance. Several options were considered - Volkswagen and Ford, among others. FIAT 124 was chosen because of its simple and sturdy design, being easy to manufacture and repair. The plant was built in just 4 years (1966–1970) in the small town of Stavropol Volzhsky, which later grew to a population of more than half a million city and was renamed Togliatti to commemorate Palmiro Togliatti. Also, the Izhmash car plant was built in Izhevsk, with Renault assistance, to produce AZLK Moskvitchs and Moskvitch-based combis. Kamaz, Europe's largest heavy truck plant, was built in Naberezhnye Chelny with U.S. and German aid, while GAZ, ZIL, UralAZ, KrAZ, MAZ, BelAZ, and plants continued to produce other types of trucks.

By the early 1980s, Soviet automobile industry consisted of several main plants, which produced vehicles for various market segments:

The bulk of the automotive industry of the Soviet Union, with annual production approaching 1.8 million units, was located in Russian SFSR. Ukrainian SSR was second, at more than 200,000 units per year, Belorussian SSR was third at 40,000. Other Soviet republics (SSRs) had low-significant automotive industry. Only the first two republics produced all types of automobiles.

With the exception of ZAZ and LuAZ, which were located in the Ukrainian SSR, all the aforementioned companies were located in the RSFSR. Besides the RSFSR, some truck plants were established in Ukrainian, Belorussian, Georgian, Armenian, and Kyrgizian SSRs while production of buses was done in Ukrainian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Tajik SSRs also.

Domestic car production satisfied only 45% of the domestic demand; nevertheless, no import of cars was permitted.[1] There were queues for the purchase of cars, domestic buyers often had to wait years because export had first priority. And the biggest stage with the 1970s were for the purchase of passenger vehicles produced by VAZ (Lada brand) and GAZ (Volga brand cars, which were the most prestigious of the available for sale and up to 60% of the issue of which was sent to state institutions). Also available for sale were Moskvitch cars, Zaporozhets and compact four-wheel-drive vehicles LuAZ. Light four-wheel-drive vehicles UAZ could buy only decommissioned. Limousine brands Chaika (GAZ factory) and ZIL in the sale did not arrive. Prior to 1988, did not sell to private persons minibuses, vans, trucks and buses. Soviet industry annually exported 300,000-400,000 cars, mainly was to Eastern Europe, but also to Western countries. Quality of production was variable, but often not worse than comparable western cars. There were substantial numbers of highway trucks (Volvo, MAN from capitalist countries; LIAZ, Csepel and IFA from socialist countries) in some quantities, construction trucks (Magirus-Deutz, Tatra), delivery trucks (Robur and Avia) and urban, intercity and tourist buses (Ikarus, Karosa) imported as well.

Post-1991

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, it became hard for Russian/Ukrainian automakers to thrive due to low quality of own production and competitive foreign imports. Some automakers, like AvtoVAZ, have turned to collaborations with other companies (such as GM-AvtoVAZ) in order to keep the factories running. Others, like AZLK, have become dormant, while still others still build the old Soviet-era models. Then there are special cases, like ZAZ, which have transformed themselves into new companies - in ZAZ's case they are now known as UkrAVTO.

Despite remaining strong on its home market, Lada had withdrawn from many export markets, namely the European Union member states, by the late 1990s as its model range failed to meet emissions requirements, and sales had been declining for several years, not helped by the fact that all of its models were at least a decade old. It had enjoyed a strong presence in the United Kingdom, selling more than 30,000 units a year at its peak in the late 1980s, only to dwindle away to a fraction of that level by 1996. It was still producing the Fiat-derived Riva saloons and estates by this stage, after some 30 years(the 2107 was actually produced until 2012), although it had entered the modern hatchback market in the mid 1980s with the Samara, and since the late 1970s had produced the Niva four-wheel drive. It made another attempt at a modern car in 1996 with the 2110, which was similar in size to the Riva but made use of all-new bodyshell and a new range of mechanicals.

In later years Lada is again exported, mainly the excelllent terrain car Niva but also van editions of the Granta are exported to countries like Germany and Sweden.

Historical production by year

Year Production of
vehicles total		 Production of
cars
1940 145,400 5,500
1945 74,700 5,000
1947 133,000 9,600
1950 362,900 64,600
1955 445,300 107,800
1958 511,100 122,200
1960 523,600 138,800
1965 616,300 201,200
1970 916,000 344,300
1975 1,963,900 1,201,200
1980 2,199,000 1,327,000
1985 2,247,500 1,332,300
1990 2,039,600 1,260,200

Soviet and post-Soviet automotive manufacturers

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Estonia

Georgia

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Latvia

Lithuania

Russia

Tajikistan

Ukraine

Cars

Buses (cities, regional, others)

Trucks

Others

Uzbekistan

See also

References

  1. ↑ Begley, Jason; Collis, Clive; Morris, David. "THE RUSSIAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY AND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT" (PDF). Applied Research Centre in Sustainable Regeneration.

External links