LIberecké Automobilové Závody

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For the Russian bus manufacturing company see: LiAZ (Russia)
LIAZ
TypePrivate
IndustryAutomotive
Predecessor
FoundedJanuary 1, 1951; 70 years ago (1951-01-01)
DefunctSeptember 1, 2003; 18 years ago (2003-09-01)
SuccessorTEDOM Truck
Headquarters
Jablonec nad Nisou
,
Czech Republic
Productstrucks
Websitewww.liaz.cz
LIAZ 706 MT – one of the most successful series

LIAZ (LIberecké Automobilové Závody – Liberec Automobil Works) is a defunct Czech and Czechoslovak manufacturer of trucks. The company was formed in 1951 by the government as a division of Škoda, incorporating eight other truck manufacturers into a single conglomerate. In 1953 LIAZ became independent of Škoda, but still continued to use its name until 1984 (Škoda LIAZ). After the 1989 revolution, there was however a significant loss of production.

History[]

LIAZs headquarters in Liberec were where the former Reichenberger Automobil Fabrik (RAF) had been located.[1] RAF operated in Liberec in 1907, in 1912 it was bought by Laurin & Klement, and in 1916 moved its production technology to Mladá Boleslav to leave Liberec's production facilities to textile entrepreneurs.

Škoda LIAZ's main truck plants were in Liberec, Rýnovice, Mnichovo Hradiště and Jablonec nad Nisou. Later on, factories in Mělník, Zvolen, Veľký Krtíš, Přerov and Holýšov were added. LIAZ has gradually grown and increased its staff and production levels - in 1975 it employed 11,000 workers and produced 13,600 utility vehicles annually. In the 1970s LIAZ was the biggest Czechoslovak truck manufacturer, with an annual production of 15,000 trucks with the plant running at full capacity.[1]

However, after the 1989 revolution and subsequent economic problems, LIAZ lost almost all of its sales and was unable to find new, and so the production gradually declined. Not even the introduction of a new, modern Škoda 400 line (Xena and Fox) could help the company to achieve better results. In 2000, the company was bought by Slovakian Sipox Holding, which however did not have enough money to finance production. Production ceased in September 2003.[2]

Tedom Truck, based in Třebíč, bought in 2006 all the rights to produce LIAZ trucks, including the factory, technical documentation and know-how for engines production. It produced the Fox model line series and modernized older LIAZ vehicles. However, the company entered liquidation on 1 January 2010. So instead of planned 5,000 vehicles annually, only 19 were made, of which 9 were modernized LIAZ vehicles.[3]

The LIAZ brand was bought by holding Czechoslovak Group and on 22 December 2017, LIAZ Trucks was established.[4]

Trucks[]

LIAZ 110 (white) and LIAZ 150 (blue)
LIAZ 400 - Škoda Xena
  • 1940—1952 - Škoda 706 D[1]
  • 1952—1958 - Škoda 706 R, developed from the pre-war 706 D
  • 1957—1990 - Škoda 706 RT - a cab-over design with LIAZ' own 12-liter inline-six of the M 634 series[1]
  • 1969—1990 - Škoda 706 MT - used the frame, engine, and cab of the RT, but was intended for special uses. They were fitted with splitter transmissions and planetary drive rear axles, all to increase max loads.[1]
  • 1974—2003 - 100 series
  • 1990—1995 - 200 series
  • 1992—2003 - 300 series
  • S
  • FZ
  • 1996—2003 - 400 Xena/Fox (tractor/truck)
  • The engine plant of LIAZ trucks has been purchased by TEDOM Trucks which has also purchased all the technical data and drawings and is now marketing LIAZ Concept Trucks under the brand of FOX. In late nineties LIAZ in Jablonec and Nisou was mainly producing diesel engines which were assembled and tested at the industrial estate.
  • The engine line production actually tested every single engine by running it and collecting various parameters about it. Every n-th engine was sent to disassembly to check for any engine tolerances. The testing rigs were called Brzda (brake) where the engine was connected to fuel, exhaust extraction piping and electronic probes.
  • The industrial estate of LIAZ has also been used for production of steam which is routinely used to heat housing estates. This highly pressurised steam is piped to smaller transformer stations round the town of Jablonec nad Nisou. In the transformer stations, the pressure is reduced and used for heating blocks of flats.


A few examples of products

R series (1952–1958)

name type axles drive cab
ŠKODA 706 R drop side truck 2 4x2 short
ŠKODA 706 RS tipper 2 4x2 short
ŠKODA 706 ROK garbage truck 2 4x2 middle

RT series (1957–1990)

name type axles drive cab
ŠKODA 706 RT drop side truck 2 4x2 middle
ŠKODA 706 RTTN truck tractor 2 4x2 middle
ŠKODA 706 RTS tipper 2 4x2 middle
ŠKODA 706 RTHP fire truck 2 4x4 double cab

MT series (1969–1990)

name type axles drive cab
ŠKODA LIAZ 706 MTC drop side truck 2 4x2 middle
ŠKODA LIAZ 706 MTTN truck tractor 2 4x2 middle
ŠKODA LIAZ 706 MTSP tipper 2 4x4 short


100 series (1974–2003)

name type axles drive cab
ŠKODA LIAZ 100.47 truck tractor 2 4x2 middle
ŠKODA LIAZ 100.05] drop side truck 2 4x2 middle
LIAZ 111.054 drop side truck 2 4x4 middle
LIAZ 122.053 drop side truck 3 6x2 middle
LIAZ 151.261 tipper 2 4x4 short
LIAZ 101.860 fire truck 2 4x4 special


200 series (1990–1995)

name type axles drive cab
LIAZ 230.573 truck tractor 2 4x2 high
LIAZ 230.073 drop side truck 2 4x2 high
LIAZ 250.261 tipper 2 4x2 short
LIAZ 251.154 army truck 2 4x4 short
LIAZ 232.471 truck tractor 3 6x2 middle


300 series (1992–2003)

name type axles drive cab
ŠKODA LIAZ 18.33 TBV truck tractor 2 4x2 high
ŠKODA LIAZ 18.29 PB drop side truck 2 4x2 middle
ŠKODA LIAZ 18.29 SA tipper 2 4x4 short
ŠKODA LIAZ 18.29 XA fire truck 2 4x4 special
ŠKODA LIAZ 24.33 PZV drop side truck 3 6x2/2 high
ŠKODA LIAZ 24.23 KYV garbage truck 3 6x2/4 middle
ŠKODA LIAZ 29.33 SD tipper 3 6x4 short
ŠKODA LIAZ 29.33 SDA tipper 3 6x6 short
ŠKODA LIAZ 40.33 SC tipper 4 8x4 short
ŠKODA LIAZ 12.18 PB/S delivery truck 2 4x2 short Steyr


400 series (1996–2003)

name type axles drive cab
ŠKODA Xena truck tractor 2 4x2 high
ŠKODA Fox tipper 2 4x2 short


TEDOM 400 (2006–2009)

name type axles drive cab
TEDOM Fox tipper 2 4x4 short
TEDOM Fox 6x4 tipper 3 6x4 short

Sport[]

Greatest achievements of LIAZ in motosports

Dakar and other marathons (more information and images: [1])

  • 1985 – first Czech team on Rallye Dakar
  • 1985 – 1st place on Rallye des Pharaons (category: trucks over 12 t), Heritier-Kovář-Brzobohatý
  • 1987 – 3rd place on Rallye Dakar, Moskal-Joklík-Záleský
  • 1987 – 1st place on Rallye Jelcz, Krejsa-Brzobohatý-Joklík
  • 1988 – 2nd place on Rallye Dakar, Moskal-Vojtíšek-Záleský
  • 1988 – 1st place on Rallye Jelcz, Svoboda-Fajtl-Joklík
  • 1992 – 1st place on Rallye des Pharaons (category: trucks over 12 t), Kakrda-Fajtl-Joklík
  • 2009 1st place on Baja Spain, Macík-Macík jr.-Kalina
  • 2009 – 2nd place on Baja Hungaria, Macík-Macík jr.
  • 2012 – 3rd place on Rally El Chott, Spáčil-Vodrhánek-Chytka

European truck racing championship (more information and images: [2])

  • 1987 – first Czech team in European championship
  • 1989 – 2nd place in European championship (class: A), Frankie Vojtíšek
  • 1989 – 1st place in Great Britain Championship, Frankie Vojtíšek
  • 1990 – 2nd place in European championship (class: A), Frankie Vojtíšek
  • 1990 – 1st place in Great Britain Championship, Frankie Vojtíšek
  • 1990 – 2nd place in 24h truck race Le Mans
  • 1993 – 3rd place in European championship (class: B), Frankie Vojtíšek
  • 1994 – first Czech truck in class Super Race Truck
  • 1997 – 3rd place in European championship (class: Race Truck), Frankie Vojtíšek

European truck-trial championship (more information and images: [3])

  • 1991 – first Czech team in European championship
  • 1991 – 1st place in European championship (class P2), Kakrda – Král
  • 1992 – 1st place in European championship (class P2), Kakrda – Birke
  • 1993 – 1st place in European championship (class S3), Filip – Joklík
  • 1995 – 1st place in European championship (class P2), Filip – Záleský

References[]

  • Podbielski, Zdzisław: Samochody ciężarowe, specjalne i autobusy, Nasza Księgarnia, Warsaw, 1988, ISBN 83-10-08987-2 (in Polish)
  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Schauen, Till (December 2015). "Bau-genossen" [The joys of cooperative building]. Last & Kraft (in German). Vol. 24 no. 1 (December/Januar 2016). Mainz, Germany: Vereinigte Fachverlage. pp. 62–63. ISSN 1613-1606.
  2. ^ Fejgl, David. "Historie podniku Liaz" (in Czech). liaz.cz. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Liaz v nové době: Jak dopadl známý severočeský výrobce nákladních vozů?". Auto.cz (in Czech). 7 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Česká auta nebyla jen Škoda a Tatra. Kam se poděl Liaz nebo Tedom?". AutoRoad.cz.

External links[]

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