The history of the Minsk Automobile Plant begins 6 days after the liberation of the city from the Germans on August 9, 1944, and it begins with the fact that at the beginning Studebaker trucks began to be assembled in the old Lend-Lease repair shops of the USA. Only in 1945, the government decided to create heavy trucks at the enterprise; the first vehicles that were manufactured by November 7, 1947 were 6-ton dump trucks MAZ-205 with straight-sided bodies, created by specialists from the Yaroslavl Automobile Plant (YaAZ).
Its basis was the YaAZ-200 car, from which the MAZ-205 inherited the 4-cylinder 2-stroke diesel engine YaAZ-204A (4650 cm 3, 110 hp) with direct injection and direct-flow purge, which was based on American engines " GM 4-71” (GM). Vehicle with a wheelbase of 3800 mm. equipped with a 5-speed gearbox of the Yaroslavl plant, pneumatic brakes, wood-metal cab, disc wheels. With a gross weight of 12.8 tons, the dump truck developed a maximum speed of 50 km / h.
In 1950, the production of 7-ton YaAZ-200 trucks with an onboard platform was transferred to Minsk, which received the MAZ-200 brand since February 1951. Outwardly, they were distinguished by a vertical grille and a new three-dimensional emblem in the form of a chrome-plated bison. The machine was equipped with the same engine, had increased to 4520 mm. wheelbase and developed a speed of 65 km / h. In 1951, the first own version of the MAZ-200G appeared with a high-sided body. The following year, the production of a truck tractor MAZ-200V with a modernized 2-stroke diesel engine YaAZ-204B (130 hp) intended for a road train with a gross weight of 23.2 tons began.
After some time, MAZ launched the production of its own trailer for its cars. In 1955, a timber truck MAZ-501 (4 × 4) appeared with a 10-speed gearbox, permanent drive to both axles and an asymmetric interaxle locking differential that transmitted 2/3 of the torque to the rear axle. In coupling with a 2-axle trailer-dissolution, he could take out of the forest 30-meter whips of trees weighing up to 15 tons.
Starting next year, a 4-ton MAZ-502 flatbed truck and a variant with a MAZ-502A winch on single wheels appeared on its base. In 1962-64. the plant offered transitional models: the MAZ-200P truck and the MAZ-200M and MAZ-200R truck tractors. On trucks of the "200" series in 1959 and 1964. the production of the 100 and 200 thousandth car of the MAZ brand fell. In 1950, a design bureau for superheavy trucks was created at MAZ, headed by the famous designer B.L. Shaposhnik (1902-1985).
Under his leadership, on September 17, 1950, the first 25-ton mining dump truck MAZ-525 was assembled with an overhead valve 4-stroke diesel engine D-12A, V12 (38.8 liters, 300 hp), 2-disk clutch with hydraulic clutch, mechanical 5-speed gearbox, power steering, all-metal body with a capacity of 14.3 m 3 . With a total weight of 50 tons, the dump truck developed a speed of 30 km / h. In 1957, the production of a 3-axle MAZ-530 (6 × 4) vehicle with a payload capacity of 40 tons and a gross weight of 77.5 tons began. The engine power was increased to 450 hp.
For the first time, a hydromechanical transmission was used on this car, which included a torque converter, a 3-speed planetary gearbox, a center differential and planetary wheel reduction gears. MAZ-530 developed a speed of 42 km / h and consumed 200 liters. fuel per 100 km. Since 1956, MAZ also produced special wheeled vehicles that were unusual for those times: the construction MAZ-528 (4 × 4) and the 300-horsepower airfield tractor MAZ-541 (4 × 2) for towing 85-ton aircraft, as well as the MAZ timber carrier -532 (4×4) with 165 hp engine
The program included single-axle tractors MAZ-529V and MAZ-531 with 165 and 300 hp engines. for towing scrapers. In June 1954, a special design bureau was created at MAZ under the leadership of B.L. Shaposhnik for the development of all-wheel drive vehicles. In 1956, the first car MAZ-535 (8 × 8) appeared with a 375 hp engine, which was soon followed by its reinforced twin - MAZ-537 (525 hp). They used the old D-12A diesel engine, hydromechanical transmission, wheel planetary gears, power steering, lockable differentials and tire inflation system, independent lever-torsion bar suspension.
In the army, they served as tractors and carriers of powerful weapons, and in the national economy they worked in remote areas to deliver pipes or especially heavy loads. There were no equals in the USSR in terms of quality; it was not for nothing that the plant gave a 10-year guarantee for its secret machines. Since 1960, the production of the MAZ-535/537 family was mastered by the Kurgan Wheel Tractor Plant (KZKT), and MAZ continued to develop vehicles of the new MAZ-543 family with two cabs, which received the unofficial name "Hurricane". Back in 1958, MAZ assembled the first samples of the new generation of “500” machines with a cab over the engine, but only in 1965, after the reconstruction of the plant, their mass production began.
The basic option was the onboard 7.5-ton MAZ-500 with a wheelbase of 3850 mm. piston, 5-speed gearbox with synchronizers in four higher gears, spaced main gear with planetary wheel reduction gears, power steering, telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers in the front suspension, discless wheels, tilting all-metal cab.
The base model with a gross weight of 14.2 tons developed a speed of 75 km / h, and fuel consumption was 25 liters. per 100 km. Its first variants were the onboard MAZ-500G with an awning and the MAZ-500V truck tractor for towing a 14-ton MAZ-5243 semi-trailer. In 1965, the plant produced the northern version of the MAZ-512 and the tropical MAZ-513, as well as the 7-ton dump truck MAZ-503 with a body capacity of 3.8 m with a MAZ-5245 semi-trailer as part of a road train with a gross weight of 24 tons.
Experienced dump trucks MAZ-510 with a single cab and a body with a protective visor and MAZ-511 with two-way tipping were very original. In 1969, a MAZ-509 (4 × 4) timber carrier appeared with dual rear wheels, permanent all-wheel drive and a winch, designed to work with 2-axle dissolutions GKB-9383 or TMZ-803M with a gross weight of 29 tons. On its basis, a batch of MAZ-508 (4 × 4) truck tractors was produced. A year earlier, the plant manufactured its first 3-axle vehicle, a 14-ton truck MAZ-516 (6×2) with a third supporting and lifting axle.
In 1970, the 500 family was upgraded. The wheelbase of the onboard model MAZ-500A has increased by 100 mm, the carrying capacity has increased to 8 tons. Derivative models have also changed accordingly: dump trucks MAZ-503A and MAZ-503B with bodies up to 5.1 m 3 , truck tractors MAZ-504A, MAZ-504B and MAZ-504G for flatbed and dump semi-trailers. The exception was the MAZ-504V main tractor, which received a new YaMZ-238 V8 diesel engine (14860 cm 3, 240 hp). It worked with a 2-axle flatbed semi-trailer MAZ-5205 (gross train weight 32 tons), had a berth in the cab, a sprung driver's seat and was produced until 1979.
In 1973, a new motor was installed on a 3-axle MAZ-516B truck with a carrying capacity of 14.5 tons. A year later, they released an onboard version of the MAZ-514 (6 × 4) with a YaMZ-238E engine (265 hp) and an 8-speed gearbox. On the MAZ-515B truck tractor, the YaMZ-238N diesel engine (300 hp) was used, which made it possible to increase the weight of the road train to 40.6 tons. The third generation of MAZs 1977-89 was a set of various transitional combinations from the 500-series chassis with old and new engines, gearboxes and cabs, which became the basis for all modern models.
The first prototype of the modern generation was the 8-ton MAZ-5335 truck, which differed only in the cab lining and an all-metal loading platform. On its basis, a 7.2-ton MAZ-5549 dump truck, MAZ-5429 main truck tractors with a 3-seater sleeping cab and MAZ-5430 for working with a dump semi-trailer, as well as a MAZ-509A (4 × 4) timber truck were produced. A new YaMZ-238E diesel engine (265 hp) and a fully synchronized 8-speed gearbox were installed on an onboard 8.5-ton MAZ-53352 truck. On its chassis, a MAZ-5428 truck tractor was created for road trains with a gross weight of 33 tons.
By this time, the contours of a more advanced family were outlined, which was based on the new YaMZ diesel engines (280-360 hp), a dual-range 8-speed gearbox and a new tilting cab, offered in short and elongated (sleeping) versions. The updated family included 2- and 3-axle flatbed trucks MAZ-5336 (4×2), MAZ-6301 (6×2) and MAZ-6302 (6×4), truck tractors “5432”, “5433”, “6421” and “6422”, dump truck “5551” and timber carrier “5434” (4×4). The first of these in 1978 was the MAZ-6422 (6 × 4) truck tractor, the so-called “SuperMAZ”, equipped with a YaMZ-238F turbocharged diesel engine (320 hp), anti-roll bars in the suspension and the most comfortable cab option with two beds.
He worked with a 3-axle flatbed semi-trailer MAZ-9398 with a carrying capacity of 26 tons. The total mass of the road train reached 42 tons, the maximum speed was 88 km/h. A year later, production of a similar 2-axle model “5432” began. The transition to a new generation was almost completed by 1985, and the MAZ-54322 and MAZ-64227 truck tractors with more comfortable cabs became the base ones. To replace the 5335 series, they launched the production of 5337 trucks, 5551 dump trucks and 5433 truck tractors with a 180-horsepower V8 diesel engine. In 1988, the models “54321” and “64221” were added to them, which received new YaMZ-8421 and YaMZ-8424 engines with a capacity of 360 and 425 hp.
In the same year, cooperation began with the German company MAN (MAN), whose 360-horsepower engines were first installed on tractors MAZ-54326 and MAZ-64226. Finally, in 1988, at the Paris Motor Show, the plant presented an experimental "truck of the future" - MAZ-2000 "Perestroika" 15 m long with all power units located inside a swivel bogie under a high streamlined cab. On April 14, 1989, the 1 millionth truck was assembled. They became the tractor MAZ-6422, transferred to the First Moscow Automobile Plant. In parallel, the production of heavy multi-axle dual-purpose vehicles was successfully developing.
They were based on the MAZ-543A (8 × 8) and MAZ-547 (12 × 12) chassis, which served as carriers of strategic missiles. Since 1973, on the basis of the first model, the production of a civilian 20-ton flatbed truck MAZ-7310 (8 × 8) and a timber-carrier “73101” with a D-12A diesel engine (525 hp) began. Subsequently, on their basis, a truck tractor “7410”, a 20-ton dump truck “7510” and a pipe carrier “7910” were created. After modernization in 1979, the plant began production of updated trucks "73123", tractors "73132" and dump trucks "7516". Since 1986, a 21-ton onboard 525-horsepower version “7313” (8 × 8) and a 6-axle crane chassis “7913” (12 × 10) with a capacity of 650 hp have been produced.
On the units of serial trucks, a 4-axle 21-ton dump truck MAZ-6515 (8 × 4) with a diesel engine of 425 hp was developed. 7-axle chassis-missile carriers "7912" and "7917" , 8-axle vehicles "7922" and "7923" for the delivery of strategic missiles "Topol", as well as unique 8- and 12-axle transporters "7906" and "7907". In 1991, this production was transformed into an independent enterprise - the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT). The transition to economic reforms in the early 90s. was marked by major economic and political upheavals that put MAZ on the brink of disaster.
In the future, MAZ was able to recuperate, modernize its previous trucks and create their new fourth generation. They received protective guards, ABS in the brake drive, ASR traction control. Along with the Russian engines of the Yaroslavl and Tutaevsky motor plants, German MAN engines, American Cummins and even English Perkins began to be used more and more widely. On the main tractors, 9-speed YaMZ gearboxes, 12 or 16-speed Eaton and ZF gearboxes, electromechanical differential locks, comfortable cabs with a high roof, adjustable seat and steering column were used.
The basis of 2-axle machines of the 90s. the families “5336” and “5337” still remained. On their basis, an extensive range of vehicles was created, differing in configuration and a number of parameters: flatbed “53362”, “53363”, “53366”, “53368” and “53371”, truck tractors “54323”, “54326”, “5433”, “ 5440”, “5442”, “5443”, dump trucks “5551”, “5552” and all-wheel drive version “55513” with ISO-460 hp diesels. Gross weight of a single car is 16-25 tons, road trains - up to 44 tons. The novelties in this series are the 8.7-ton truck “534005” (330 hp) with an increased cab for working with the trailer MAZ-8701 and the truck tractor “543208” with the new YaMZ-7511 engine (400 hp). ).
In the range of 3-axle vehicles, the MAZ-6303 (6 × 4) became the base model, on the basis of which the “630168” (6 × 2) variant and the all-wheel drive 11-ton truck “6317” (6 × 6) are produced, as well as truck tractors “64229”, “64229-027” and “6425”, dump trucks “5516” (6 × 4) and “55165” (6 × 6) with a carrying capacity of 15-16 tons, timber carriers “6303-26” (6 × 4) and “64255” (6x6) with 240-460 hp engines. The total mass of road trains is 42-67 tons. On March 11, 1997, the first 2-axle truck tractor of the 5440 family of the fifth generation for a road train with a gross weight of 44 tons rolled off the assembly line, developing a speed of 120 km / h. At the choice of the customer, it can be equipped with different engines with a capacity of 370-600 hp, 9, 12 and 16-speed gearboxes, spring or air suspension with electronic stiffness control.
The car is equipped with a comfortable cabin of its own production with an internal height of 1850 mm. and two bedrooms. The tractor "544008" is equipped with a 400-horsepower YaMZ-7511 diesel engine, options with imported units have the indices "544020", "544022", "54421". The start of the new 3-axle generation was given by the MAZ-6430 (6 × 4) truck tractor for 46-ton road trains. Its variants “643008” and “643026” are equipped with 400-horsepower YaMZ and MAN diesel engines, respectively. In 1999, the plant introduced an unusual 4.5-ton MAZ-4370 delivery truck with a D-245.9 diesel engine (136 hp)
Minsk Motor Plant (MMZ). Its production began in March 2000. On October 23, 1998, a line for assembling MAZ-MAN-543265 and MAZ-MAN-543268 (4 × 2) mainline tractors with engines of 370-410 hp for work as a part of 44-ton road trains. They were based on converted MAZ-5432 chassis with MAI diesels, cabs from the F2000 series and a 16-speed ZF gearbox. Since 2000, 3-axle tractors “642268” and “642269” (6 × 4) with 400-465 hp engines have been produced. for towing road trains with a gross weight of up to 65 tons.
Despite all the difficulties, the Minsk Automobile Plant with 20,000 employees occupies a leading position in the production of trucks in the CIS countries. If in the 80s he produced up to 40 thousand trucks a year, then in the 90s. - total IT-12 thousand (in 2000, 13085 chassis were assembled). The plant still manufactures a wide range of different trailers and semi-trailers, and since 1993 its branch for the production of multi-seat buses has been operating. Since its foundation, MAZ has manufactured more than 1.2 million vehicles.
©. Photos taken from publicly available sources.
One of the largest enterprises in Belarus is PRUP "Minsk Automobile Plant". He is engaged in the production of heavy vehicles, trolleybuses, buses, trailers and semi-trailers. In Russia, MAZ cars can be seen as often as, for example, KamAZ or Ural. They are used in various fields of activity. They are not inferior in their characteristics, and in some cases even ahead.
Variety of modifications
The plant produces a large number of modifications that allow them to be used for various purposes. The main ones are:
- Truck tractors.
- Dump trucks.
- Vans.
- Buses.
- Trailers and semi-trailers.
- Special equipment (truck cranes, concrete mixers, timber trucks, municipal equipment, manipulators and others).
The MAZ car is used (photo can be seen in this article) in many countries of the post-Soviet space and not only. Basically it is Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan.
MAZ dump trucks
Dump trucks have been popular for decades. During this time, they have shown themselves to be high-quality, durable and passable equipment. The high characteristics of MAZ vehicles make the equipment competitive. It is not inferior in its properties to the products of other countries.
If we talk about Russia, then in our country the following advantages that a MAZ car has are most valued:
- Reliability.
- Profitability.
- Good permeability.
- Affordable price.
- Availability of accessories and spare parts.
- Ease of operation.
Most modifications of MAZ dump trucks have the following characteristics:
- Engine power - 155-412 horsepower.
- can have from five to sixteen speeds.
- Spring suspension.
- Wheelbase 4 x 2 or 6 x 2.
- Load capacity - 5-20 tons.
The most popular trucks of the enterprise
For the transportation of goods over short distances, the MAZ car is made in the form of a flatbed truck.
The history of MAZ truck models began immediately after the end of World War II. In the period from 1947 to 1966, the company produced the MAZ-200 model. Her cabin was wooden, but with metal sheathing. The body was also lined up on a wooden platform. All three sides were open.
On its basis, at the same time, a modification of the MAZ-205 was developed. The body platform has already been changed to metal. Only the tailgate opened. The cabin has not changed.
For the harsh climatic conditions of the Far North, a special modification of the MAZ-500 was developed, which was produced for five years (1965-1970). The cabin had additional insulation, diesel fuel, along with engine oil, was heated by a special starting mechanism, there was a spotlight on the cabin roof.
To date, the MAZ lineup includes thirty-four modifications.
Special equipment
Together with dump trucks and trucks, the company produces equipment with a specific purpose. Their history began simultaneously with other types of technology.
Since 1959, the TZ-200 tanker truck has been produced for seven years. A single-section tank with a volume of 7.8 thousand liters was installed on it. Its filling (release) was carried out by means of a centrifugal vane pump.
A prototype of the K-51 truck crane was produced on the MAZ-200 chassis. It had a carrying capacity of 5 tons. Its serial production began in 1951. Later, the K-61 model appeared, the carrying capacity of which increased by one ton. All variants of truck cranes were equipped with a screw jack, which was carried out manually. The mechanism of the cranes was driven by a mechanical drive.
In 1966, the MAZ-509 car appeared, which was designed to transport wood. Over time, the range of timber carriers of the enterprise has expanded significantly. Among them - MAZ 6303А8-328 (short-truck), MAZ 641705-220 (timber truck)
To date, there are nine modifications of concrete mixers. A mixing drum is installed on the vehicle platform. It starts to rotate after the car starts moving. One of the best representatives of this series - ABS-9 YES (based on
For utilities, seven modifications of equipment have been developed and are being produced. Among them are the KO-523V vacuum machine and the MKM-35 side-loading garbage truck.
It is too long to list all the models of equipment manufactured at the MAZ enterprise. The range is too big. It is enough to understand that the products of this manufacturer, due to their high quality, managed to win a large part of the market in different countries.
On August 9, 1944, in accordance with the decree of the State Committee of Defense of the USSR, an auto repair enterprise was established in Minsk, which by October of the same year had switched from restoring old Soviet cars to assembling trucks from American car kits.
This date is considered to be the birthday of the Minsk Automobile Plant ...
The car repair enterprise was founded after the liberation of Minsk, but still managed to “fight”. Produced cars were immediately sent to the front. These were mainly Studebaker trucks, which were assembled until the end of 1945. By the way, it was on the Studebaker that the legendary Soviet Katyusha mortars were installed.
After the end of the Great Patriotic War, about thirty American trucks remained on the territory of the enterprise, which were used for peaceful purposes for a long time. In particular, for the construction of the capital's car plant in a new location. And later - for the delivery of components from Yaroslavl to Minsk.
First steps
In August 1945, I.V. Stalin signed a decree on the start of the construction of an automobile plant in Minsk. The work progressed at an astonishing pace. In January 1947, when the plant was still under construction, a flatbed truck from the Yaroslavl Automobile Plant YaAZ-200 was delivered to Minsk, which became the progenitor of the “two hundredth” generation of MAZ trucks.But time dictated its conditions. The country needed construction dump trucks. Therefore, the first trucks of the Minsk Automobile Plant were a copy of the prototype YaAZ-205 dump truck, which successfully passed all factory tests, but never saw the light under the emblem of the Yaroslavl bear, but became the firstborn of the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ-205).
In parallel with the construction of additional workshops, intensive work was carried out by specialists to launch the first five-ton MAZs into a series. And by November 7, 1947, five trucks with the factory index MAZ-205 were "put on wheels." They took part in the festive parade, marking the start of serial production of the country's first five-ton dump trucks.
Thus began the history of MAZ. From a repair shop to a screwdriver assembly plant for imported cars. From American trucks to Yaroslavl dump trucks.
five tons
Until the end of 1950, the Minsk plant was under construction, simultaneously releasing MAZs of the 200th family. But then the company was engaged only in the assembly of machines and the production of wooden cabins. Almost 75% of the component parts came to Minsk from Yaroslavl. And only in 1951, when the main production capacities of the plant were put into operation, the situation changed. Technical specialists from all the republics of the Soviet Union began to move to Minsk. It was necessary to create "from scratch" an entire infrastructure for the production of components for the "two hundredth" MAZs.Soon they mastered the onboard MAZ-200, it turned out to be simpler and cheaper than a dump truck - no hydraulic equipment was required to lift the body. The first "two hundredths" turned out to be very reliable and unpretentious. In just a few years, a large number of modifications were developed and put into series on the basis of these medium-duty vehicles.
In 1951, the plant began production of the army MAZ-200G with folding benches for soldiers and a protective awning. The MAZ-200V truck tractor with a maximum towed semi-trailer weight of 16.5 tons went into production already in 1952. A more powerful two-stroke YaAZ-M-204V engine was installed on the tractor, developing a power of 135 hp.
And a year later, on the basis of the "two hundredth" prototypes of the first domestic all-wheel drive trucks were designed and produced. These all-terrain vehicles were assigned a new factory index, starting with the number "5" (timber truck - MAZ-501, flatbed trucks for the needs of the army - MAZ-502 and MAZ-502A with a winch on the front bumper).
Despite the outward similarity of all-wheel drive vehicles with MAZs of the “two hundredth” family, SUVs had a much more complex design.
twenty five tons
By the end of the 1940s, the nuclear industry began to emerge in the country. Thermal and hydroelectric power plants were urgently created. For the construction of dams on the Siberian rivers, a truck was needed, delivering huge granite blocks weighing several tens of tons from stone quarries.The "two hundredth" family was clearly not suitable for these purposes. Therefore, in parallel with the development of new five-ton trucks, prototypes of MAZ-525 mining dump trucks with a load capacity of 25 tons, unique for that time, were being prepared for production. In 1950, the serial production of these "heavyweights" was launched.
The first twenty-five-ton tanks were equipped with 12-liter tank power units with a capacity of 300 hp.
The rear axle was rigidly attached to the frame without any springs. Huge wheels with a diameter of 172 cm served as the main shock absorber. MAZ-525 fuel consumption was 100-130 liters per 100 km of track, the maximum speed was 30 km / h.
MAZ-525, coupled with a dump trailer specially designed in Sverdlovsk, could carry cargo up to 65 tons.
Soviet designers were rightly proud of such technology. Belarusian dump trucks were delivered to Vietnam and even built dams on the Nile River. The first domestic dump truck of this capacity was used in almost all the great construction sites of the USSR until the 1980s.
Forty tons
But even such a powerful truck was sometimes not enough. On May 17, 1955, they began to develop a promising dump truck with a carrying capacity of 40 tons. And already in March 1957, a trial run of the “heavyweight” of those times, the MAZ-530, was organized.
And in 1958, the 40-tonner was awarded the "Grand Prix" at the World Industrial Exhibition in Brussels. Unfortunately, these legendary forty tons never went into mass production.
In 1958, the production of mining special equipment was transferred to the plant of road and reclamation machines in Zhodino, initiating the construction of an enterprise for the production of super-heavy dump trucks - BelAZ.
The 40-ton dump trucks, which gained recognition in Europe, were destined for an unenviable fate. produced only 30-40 cars
The first cabovers
For 18 years, the production of the Minsk Automobile Plant remained unchanged - MAZ-200 and MA3-205 dominated the production program of the automobile plant. The production of obsolete "two hundredths" was discontinued only in 1966, when they were replaced by the no less legendary generation MAZ-500.The development of cabover trucks of the “five hundredth” family was fraught with a huge number of difficulties. The transition to a fundamentally new layout - the engine under the cab - might not have taken place. This decision had many opponents. Like, they don’t look for good from good.
But with the efforts of young specialists in 1958, the production of two prototypes of a new truck, the MAZ-500 and MAZ-503, began. By the November holidays, the cars were sent for testing. By the summer of 1961, the experimental workshop of the plant produced 122 machines of two types. These MAZs were sent for testing to the fleets of various republics of the Soviet Union. The timber industry enterprises of the Far North accepted the first samples of the new all-wheel drive timber truck MAZ-509 and the truck tractor MAZ-504 into experimental operation.
It is difficult to determine where the experiments end and the series begins, but the fact is that they decided to abandon the production of the MAZ-200 in Minsk only at the very end of 1965. It is generally accepted that the last MAZ-200, which rolled off the assembly line on December 31, 1965, was installed on a pedestal near the central entrance of the Minsk Automobile Plant. In fact, the “200th” rolled off the assembly line in 1966, as a large number of unused components remained in the warehouses of the plant.
Nine modifications of the “500th” were delivered to the conveyor at once: flatbed trucks, dump trucks with rear and side unloading, MAZ-504 and MAZ-504B truck tractors to work in tandem with a dump trailer, as well as dump trucks with a modified body rigidity for transporting rock breeds.
A novelty of the Soviet automobile industry is the MAZ-509 all-wheel drive timber carrier. In the case of empty movement, it was possible to place the trailer-dissolution on the chassis of the car.
In 1970, the "500th" was slightly modified. They changed the appearance of the radiator grille, increased the carrying capacity of the onboard MAZ-500 by one ton. Increased to 85 km / h and the maximum speed of the new family.
For flights to Europe, especially to distant capitalist countries, the MAZ-504V truck tractor was urgently developed, which, unlike the base MAZ-504A, could tow a semi-trailer with a carrying capacity of 20 tons. For the first time, a V-shaped eight-cylinder YaMZ-238 engine with a power of 240 hp was installed on tractors.
Longer springs improved the ride. The cabin was made more comfortable - a dining table, sun visors, curtains, increased thermal and noise insulation. Not a single Soviet truck of those times could provide such comfort. The drivers of Sovtransavto were envied by all colleagues.
All-wheel drive military trucks were subjected to the most severe tests
In 1977, Europe adopted new rules for placing lighting devices on trucks. It is logical that the MAZ-500 family was modernized for the second time. Individual structural elements have been finalized and improved, but the main changes have affected the appearance of the car.The headlights were moved to the front bumper, and the appearance of the radiator grille was again changed. The upgraded cars were given a new "sonorous" name, which marked the beginning of confusing long indexes. For example, the MAZ-500 flatbed truck was renamed MAZ-5335, the MAZ-504 truck tractor was renamed MAZ-5429.
During the last modernization of the "500th" MAZ designers have already developed a new family of MAZ-6422 cars with a rectangular cabin of increased comfort. The emergence and development of modern MAZs originates precisely from that moment.
May 19, 1981 is another significant date in the history of the Minsk Automobile Plant. It was on this day that the first two-axle truck tractor MAZ-5432 of the new promising MAZ-6422 family rolled off the assembly line. Exactly one year later, the three-axle MAZ-6422 also went into production. Trucks differed from previous generations not only in a new comfortable cab with panoramic glass and two berths. There was a new safety steering wheel, adjustable in height and tilt, sprung seats, electrically heated spherical mirrors.
For the first time in the domestic automotive industry, an on-board diagnostic system was used, which allows the driver, without leaving the cab, to check the serviceability of the main components and assemblies. Thanks to the reduction in fuel consumption and the increase in the volume of the fuel tank, trucks of the new family could travel up to 1,000 km without refueling.
Further more. The next modernization of truck tractors made it possible to increase the total mass of two-axle road trains from 36 to 38 tons, and three-axle - from 38 to 42 tons. The power of the Yaroslavl engines was increased to 300 hp. and 330 hp respectively.
In 1990, cars of the MAZ-64221 family were put into production. The biggest breakthrough of these trucks was the doubling of the resource compared to the MAZ-5335, and four times compared to the MAZ-500. The mileage resource was 600,000 kilometers. Along with the MAZ-6430 vehicles that are being mastered in production, these trucks are still produced to this day.
New stage
The new history of the Minsk Automobile Plant begins with the development of the legendary MAZ-2000 Perestroika. The road train created in Belarus was far ahead of its time. The modular design had no analogues in the global automotive industry. The victory of the Belarusian engineering and design ideas was recognized at the international Parisian Grand Automotive Show in 1988.There is evidence that several of the largest enterprises in Europe and North America have acquired patents for the MAZ-2000 Perestroika. Unfortunately, this legendary car has remained a bright fleeting flash of the Belarusian automotive industry. The MAZ-2000 Perestroika project was not developed, partly due to the fact that it was too ahead of the realities of the late 80s.
In 1989, the plant celebrated the release of the millionth car. They became a three-axle tractor MAZ-64221.
At the same time, serious tests of new strategic military equipment were begun - an onboard three-axle truck with a carrying capacity of 11 tons MAZ-6317 and a truck tractor MAZ-6425. Both cars had a 6x6 wheel arrangement. Such trucks have never been produced in Belarus before. Therefore, immediately after assembly and a two hundred-kilometer run-in, the cars were sent for a test run along the Minsk-Surgut-Minsk route.
Cars overcame ice crossings across the Irtysh and Ob rivers. Later, these SUVs were sent for testing in the sands of the Karakum Desert. After finalizing the design, all-wheel drive trucks were once again sent for testing to Nizhnevartovsk.
And all these ordeals were passed by trucks during only factory tests. Imagine what the MAZ-6317 and MAZ-6425 had to overcome during the state exam for the right to launch into mass production and acceptance into the supply of the Soviet army. The result of all the tests was the signing of the order of the Ministry of Defense "on the adoption of multi-purpose vehicles MAZ-6317 and MAZ-6425 into service with the Soviet Army and the Navy of the USSR."
But the beginning of the nineties was a turning point in the history of the plant. Due to the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the existing economic ties were disrupted. Decreased production volumes. Yaroslavl power units could not keep up with the ever-growing environmental standards.
The products of the Minsk Automobile Plant were not able to compete with the cars of the world's leading manufacturers.
In such difficult conditions, the plant management made the only right decision. Already in 1992, the production of an experimental three-axle truck tractor MAZ-64226 with an engine of the German company MAN was started on the new main conveyor.
Further introduction of new models is already a period of the modern history of the Minsk Automobile Plant. It is still quite difficult to write and evaluate this period of development of the domestic auto giant. Let's leave this mission to posterity.
By the beginning of the Second World War, in the small village of Krasnoye Urochische (before 1923 - Bishop's Grove), 7 km southeast of the center of Minsk (since 1938 - part of the Stalinsky, now - Zavodsky district of the city), a military town was built, where tank regiments and repair services of the 26th Panzer Division, which was part of the 20th Mechanized Corps of the Red Army in the Western Special Military District.
During the occupation, on the basis of repair shops, Daimler-Benz, using the labor of captured Red Army soldiers imprisoned in the local Panzerkazarma concentration camp (the camp was located in the barracks of a former military town), built a car assembly plant. Its construction was supervised by the official representative of Daimler-Benz for the supply of vehicles for the Reich Chancellery, Jakob Werlin. The plant did not last long. In the summer of 1944, the offensive of the Soviet units developed so rapidly that the Nazis, during the retreat, did not have time to seriously destroy the production and other buildings.
Just six days after the liberation of Minsk from the Nazi troops, on August 9, 1944, GKO decree No. 6360s was issued.
The capital of allied Belarus was only liberated from the fascist invaders, and the city was practically wiped off the face of the earth - it was difficult to find the surviving buildings. The war was still going on, and the front needed new equipment. Minsk Automobile Assembly Plant, whose director was I.F. Tolkunov, began to collect cars for the front, coming to the USSR under Lend-Lease.
Mack NR14 car assembled at the Minsk Automobile Assembly Plant in 1945.
According to the plans, after the reconstruction of 1940 - 1942, the Yaroslavl plant was to master the production of the YAG-7 truck, the prototype of which was determined by the American GMC-803 cars with a 110 hp diesel engine. and GMC White 1936, the design of which was developed by the designer of Russian origin A. Sakhnovsky.
By the way, this design was also used in the German army cars Opel Blitz, since in pre-war and wartime Opel belonged to GMC.
Sweden also produced a similar car using American technical solutions and licensed engines.
Volvo LV94 1936
The first prototypes of the YaG-7 left the factory gates already in 1938 - they used an uprated engine from a ZiS-16 bus with a capacity of 85 hp. The car had the same GMS power unit as on the Ya-12 tractor. The wheels for YAZ were traditionally preferred to be disc (like the heavy German Bussing 4500 and Mercedes-Benz L4500, with 10 studs).
It was planned that the serial machines will be equipped with a two-stage demultiplier, a frame stamped from a 7-mm steel sheet, a comfortable all-metal cab and a spring suspension on rubber mounts. The gearbox of the main axle had to change significantly - instead of a pair of spur gears, it was supposed to use chevron gears, and instead of a bevel spur pair, gears with spiral teeth.
The plans also provided for the further replacement of the YaG-7 with a 7-ton YaG-8 car with a diesel engine from the Ufa Engine Building Plant with a capacity of 110 hp. However, the outbreak of war did not allow the continuation of work on the development of the production of a new truck, and the plant was able to return to work on it only in 1943. In December of the following year, a prototype YAG-8 was assembled, and in January of the following year, its testing began.
In the summer of 1945, the truck, called YaAZ-200, was demonstrated in the Kremlin to the party and government leadership of the country. The car as a whole was approved and recommended for serial production at the Yaroslavl Automobile Plant.
The first serial YaAZ-200.
In October 1946, the plant stopped assembling foreign cars and started producing cars of the MAZ-200 family, having received documentation and part of the equipment from YAZ.
For the most part, former partisans who went through the harsh school of occupation and struggle against the hated enemy worked at the new assembly plant. They also formed the backbone of the Minsk plant for the production of heavy vehicles, created in August 1946.
YaAZ-200 and MAZ-200 differed in the radiator grille (at MAZ it was vertical) with a bear on the hood of the YaAZ and with bison stampings on the side covers of the engine compartment.
At the beginning of 1947, the first prototype of the Yaroslavl truck arrived at MAZ, on the basis of which the Minskers would subsequently create the MAZ-200 and MAZ-205 dump trucks. The country was still in ruins, and the restoration of the national economy required mainly construction equipment, including heavy dump trucks.
The first five MAZ-205 trucks left the plant in the autumn of 1947 - this date is considered the beginning of the production of the first MAZ vehicles.
For the first time in the USSR, synchronizers were used on the MAZ-200 in all forward gears, the highest accelerating gear, and a high-pressure fuel pump. In the power system
engine, a supercharger appeared, and the suspension of the front springs to the frame was carried out
through rubber pads. And the tachometer installed on
dashboard. Even passenger cars did not have such an "option".
In order to simplify and reduce the cost of construction, as well as due to the shortage of thin rolled steel sheets in the country, the cab of the car was made on a wooden frame with a wooden plank sheathing (“lining”), and on top of it - sheets of black tin painted in a protective color (supplied for export cars were painted blue).
Initially, the Yaaz-204 engine was installed on the MAZ-200, an unlicensed analogue of the engine from the American GMC-803 tractor, with a power of 110 hp. Later, after modernization, its power increased to 120 hp.
Part of the usual MAZ-200 (and 205) left the factory with "naked" frames, without bodies
and saddle devices. At other enterprises, cranes were mounted on cars
and tanks for various purposes. Most often they were tankers, less often
milk carriers. There were also very few vehicles for transporting live fish such as MAZ-200D
(by the way, they were made at MAZ itself). Several dozen cars on specialized
enterprises were converted into two types of "fire stations" - tankers with
trunks-carriages or without them and ladders of 45- and 32-meter lengths. on the frame
trucks were often mounted refrigerated vans of the Cherkasy plant
refrigeration equipment or military kungs manufactured by Mytishchi
mechanical factory. But still, MAZ-205 dump trucks accounted for the lion's share
release.
"200" served as the basis for the creation in 1957 of the first domestic heavy
4 x 4 MAZ-502 military all-terrain vehicles and
timber trucks MAZ-501. They, like the MAZ-205 and other trucks of the family, are officially
were produced until December 31, 1965, when the Minsk Automobile Plant theoretically completely
switched to the production of cars of the "cab-over-engine" type. Practically from
previously manufactured parts, bonnet trucks were assembled in small quantities
a few more months. In total, about 230 thousand cars of the "two hundredth" were produced.
families, including 17,000 all-wheel drive 501s and 9,000 502s.
The selling price for the MAZ-200 according to the price list of the early 60s was 3460 rubles, which corresponds to the retail price of the Moskvich-403 and is significantly less than the Volga GAZ-21 (5100 rubles in 1961). Since the car was a truck, it naturally was not sold to private hands.
MAZ-205 of various modifications was produced for a long time. Until the advent of MAZ wagon layout. MAZ-200 was successfully sold to many foreign countries. A lot of Minsk trucks were operated in the German Democratic Republic, in Mongolia, in Cuba. In Finland, road trains with MAZ-200V tractors, equipped with English diesel engines, competed on equal terms with the famous Leylands and Magiruses.
This dump truck was created simultaneously with the onboard MAZ-500. At that time, it was a fundamentally new and original product for the plant. This dump truck will get to the conveyor in a fairly corrected and modified form. There will be especially many options for solving the design of the front of the cabin. In the design of this car, as well as the first MAZ-500 (1958), MAZ-200 units were used. 1958
1965-1970
MAZ-500 is a serial car with a wooden side platform. Outwardly, it was distinguished by the lining of the cab, which was a set of vertical ribs, a casing that served as the rear fulcrum of the cab, the distance between the axles was 3850 mm, the headlights were on the cab. 
Prototype modifications:
MAZ-500Sh - chassis for installation of various equipment;
MAZ-500V - onboard car for the needs of the military (folding seats were placed in the back);
MAZ-500G - an onboard vehicle with an increased base, had a metal platform, was made in small quantities;
MAZ-510 - with a carrying capacity of 7 tons was created on the basis of the MAZ 503 dump truck. Fundamentally, both cars did not differ from each other, but an experimental single cab was installed on the 510, as unified as possible with the serial two-seater from the MAZ 500. Such a car was created at the request of the Economic Council in connection with the expected savings in metal, reducing the glass area, improving visibility and access to the engine. Due to the specifics of the operation of the dump truck, it was theoretically considered inappropriate to install a wide spacious cab with a berth on it. However, practice refuted the theory: no serious metal savings came of it, the machine could not withstand any criticism from the point of view of ergonomics. The one-sided cab proved to be small and uncomfortable, and the uncovered right side of the tipper body significantly increased aerodynamic drag and, as a result, fuel consumption. MAZ 510 passed only factory tests and was not recommended for further research and serial production.
MAZ-512 (or 500C) - northern version;
MAZ-513 (or 500Yu) - southern version;
MAZ-505 (1962) - an all-wheel drive modification of an onboard vehicle. The car was intended for the needs of the military. Did not enter the series.
MAZ-516B - the latest version of the MAZ-516. Distinctive features are the MAZ-5335 cabin with a tunnel for the YaMZ-238 engine. A distinctive feature of this car is an additional lifting axle located behind the drive axle. 1974 
1977-1990 year.
MAZ-5335 is the latest modification of the MAZ-500 of 1965.
In accordance with the new requirements, the headlights were moved to the bumper, and a new lining appeared on the cab in the form of small rectangular cells. A new, more convenient and informative instrument panel harmoniously fit into the cockpit. The repeater, located behind the door, changed its location - dropped close to the wing of the cab. A more durable metal platform began to be installed on the car.
Prototype modifications:
MAZ-5334 - chassis for a complete set;
MAZ-53352 - long-base onboard (base 5000 mm);
MAZ-533501 - northern version.
The end of the 80s was marked by the creation of prototypes of new trucks. The most significant among them was the MAZ-2000. The index shows that its design is focused on the year 2000. This car, called "Perestroika", is an example of a modular layout. In its front part there is a block of units: engine, gearbox, front drive axle with suspension, steering. If desired, each of the axles can be replaced with such a block and create a truck of any length and capacity. MAZ-2000 in the fall of 1988 was exhibited at the Paris International Automobile Exhibition, where it was highly appreciated.
MAZ "Perestroika".
There is no other car in the history of the Belarusian automobile plant that would arouse such strong interest as the MAZ-2000 Perestroika truck.
It has already become a real symbol of the free creative thought of Belarusian designers, and a symbol, as it seems to many now, of the missed opportunities of the plant and the country.
Which is not surprising. After all, this car was created just as a "concept car" for the Soviet truck industry, but it turned out that he was ahead of his time by at least 50 years.
For the general public, the most noticeable in Perestroika was the concept of a flat cabin floor, which then many truck manufacturers simply “ripped off” from the MAZ-2000. But a flat floor in Perestroika is less than one percent of the new ideas embedded in a car where a flat floor was not even a goal.
It turned out by itself, automatically, when other ideas were implemented. The main idea of the modular design embodied in Perestroika was not to increase engine power depending on the mass of the load. She is in trailer modules with their own engines. Lucky, for example, a car of 20 tons - it has one trailer with one engine, 120 tons - 6 trailers with six engines; and they all work synchronously. The fate of "Perestroika" MAZ-2000 is sad. She did not go into the series, although it was planned to produce up to 2000 cars a year, and for which an assembly building was even built. But there were only two prototypes, one was installed at the factory on special stands. For eternal memory.
Today, MAZ cars are produced not only in Minsk, assembly plants have been built in Azerbaijan and Iran.
And in Russia and other countries of the former USSR, there are such monuments.
Today JSC " MAZ"is the managing company of the large BelAvtoMAZ holding." And just 69 years ago, back in 1944, partisan companies, for which the war had already ended, began to restore workshops for car repair. A couple of months later, it was decided to organize a car assembly plant on the site of these workshops From that day on, the history of the Belarusian automotive giant began.
If we talk about milestones, then the first event that predetermined the further direction of the main model range of MAZ vehicles occurred in November 1958, when the enterprise team solemnly met the first models of MAZ-500 and MAZ-503 trucks. The second important stage of development was the implementation of the joint project "MAZ-MAN". And the third - the start of production of buses brand "MAZ" (1995).
Since that time, the Minsk Automobile Plant has been producing passenger vehicles. In its lineup MAZ - city, intercity, tourist buses, as well as cars that are made by special order. Buses of the Minsk Automobile Plant today can be found on the roads of Russia, the CIS countries, Western Europe and Latin America. Passenger vehicles of the MAZ brand are represented by 15 models of buses of more than a hundred modifications.
Today, under the logo of the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), truck tractors, flatbed vehicles, chassis for the installation of various types of equipment, buses - more than 500 models and modifications of MAZ vehicles are produced. MAZ equipment complies with the accepted world standards Euro-3, Euro-4 and Euro-5. MAZ truck tractors are successfully used for transportation of goods together with semi-trailers and as part of road trains. With the help of MAZ semi-trailers, agricultural and industrial goods are transported. Trailers of the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) are very popular among consumers. Due to the unique technical characteristics, this equipment can transport the widest range of goods (from building materials to timber). MAZ equipment easily overcomes off-road and country roads.
There are dump trucks in the product line of the Belarusian manufacturer. MAZ dump trucks are one of the most demanded types in the model range of the company's products. Minsk Automobile Plant produces various models of MAZ dump trucks with different technical characteristics. These MAZ models differ mainly in the type of bodies and load capacity.
MAZ has a wide service and dealer network in the Republic of Belarus and abroad. For all MAZs (trucks and buses), the manufacturer gives an official guarantee.
