LuAZ

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Lutsk Avtomobile Factory
LuAZ
Privately held company
Industry Automobile manufacturing
Founded 1955
Headquarters Lutsk, Ukraine
Products Automobiles
Website http://www.luaz.com/

LuAZ (Ukrainian: ЛуАЗ, short for "Луцький автомобільний завод", Lutskyi avtomobilnyi zavod; Lutsk automobile factory) is an Ukrainian automobile manufacturer in the city Lutsk.

History

The factory was founded in 1951, and was known as LARZ and then LuMZ (Mechanical Factories of Lutz) from 1955.[1] Along with truck repairs, the early products of this relatively small plant were mobile repair shop and refrigerated truck bodies on Moskvitch, ZIL, and UAZ frames.[2]

Its first original design is the sturdy and simple LuAZ-967 off-road vehicle for the Red Army.[3] It originated after the Korean War, when the Soviets saw a need for small off-road vehicles comparable to the American Jeep, to supplement the overly-large and -heavy GAZ-69s then in service.[4] Developed at NAMI (the National Automobile Institute), the prototype, known as NAMI 049, was completed in 1958.[5]

LuAZ's civlian products suffered such a reputation for poor quality, "for a time the LuAZ was the only car that could be bought off the shelf by Soviet motorists".[6]

Mergers and acquisitions

The abbreviation of LuAZ exists since 1967. The company was once part of AvtoZAZ holding, but now is a part of the Bogdan group, which also controls bus manufacturing facilities in Cherkasy.

In 2005, LuAZ commenced assembly of Hyundai and Kia cars from kits, with production set to further expand in 2006.

Recent developments

A major expansion program is planned, which will see construction of a new car manufacturing facility in Cherkasy including a new paint shop, with planned annual assembly of around 60,000 Lada's and 60,000 Hyundai's and Kia's from 2007. Passenger car production will be transferred from Luts'k to Cherkasy, while bus production will move to Luts'k.

Incidents

From the period of 1984 through 2002, 67 people were killed by faulty exhaust systems.[citation needed] Apparently, toxic carbon monoxide entered the cabin via the ventilation vents and asphyxiated the occupants.

LuAZ vehicles have been notorious for poor crash test ratings. Consequently, countless people have been ejected from these vehicles in accidents. Seatbelts did not become optional until the 2006 model year.

Vehicles

Gallery

See also

References

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  • Ukraine Lada Assembler LuAZ Adds Hyundai, Kia by Peter Homola, Wards Auto, November 8, 2005.

External links

  1. ↑ Thompson, Andy. Cars of the Soviet Union (Haynes Publishing, Somerset, UK, 2008), p.93.
  2. ↑ Thompson, p.93.
  3. ↑ Thompson, p.93.
  4. ↑ Thompson, p.93.
  5. ↑ Thompson, p.93.
  6. ↑ Thompson, p.93.
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