Kamaz (Камский автомобильный завод - Камаз / Kamskiy avtomobilny zavod - Kama Automobile Zavod - Kamaz or KAMA Heavy-Duty Truck Production Plant) is a Russian truck manufacturer located in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russian Federation. KAMAZ assembled their first truck model in February 1976 and now, 33 years later, the heavy duty models are exported to many areas of the world including Eastern Europe, China, the Middle East, and North Africa. Its trucks have won the Dakar Rally a record nine times. Today Kamaz is the largest truck producer in Russia, and the CIS. The factory produces 93600 trucks a year (260 trucks a day).[1] Most of the Kamaz trucks have a V8 engine. The Russian Army uses special reinforced Kamaz models as well.
In 1969 the Central Committee of the CPSU and Ministerial council of the USSR decided to begin construction of factories for the manufacture of supersized cars in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny.
Construction actually began on December 13, 1969, but the first Kamaz rolled off the main assembly conveyor on February 16, 1976.
In 1987 the line for the manufacture of Oka midget cars (VAZ-1111) was created. The first car rolled out on December 21, 1987.
On June 25, 1990 the production association was transformed into an open joint-stock company.
On April 14, 1993 a fire destroyed the Kamaz engine factory.
Until 2005, Kamaz had a major share in ZMA (Factory of Micro-displacement Cars) that produces the Oka microcar. It was sold to the Severstal group.
Kamaz vehicles have won the truck category of the Dakar Rally a record nine times. 14 out of 14 2010 Dakar Rally stages in the truck category were won by Kamaz trucks.
Models [edit] TrucksBy 2006 KAMAZ was producing the following trucks:
KAMAZ 6520 6x4 Dump truck & 6x4 Chassis turck KAMAZ 6540 8x4 Dump truck & 8x4 Chassis truck KAMAZ 6522 6x6 Dump truck & 6x6 Chassis truck KAMAZ 55111 6x4 Dump truck & 6x4 Chassis truck KAMAZ 65115 6x4 Dump truck & 6x4 Chassis truck KAMAZ 65111 6x6 Dump truck KAMAZ 53605 4x2 Dump truck KAMAZ 43253 4x2 Side truck & 4x2 Chassis truck KAMAZ 43118 6x6 Side truck & 6x6 Chassis truck KAMAZ 43114 6x6 Side truck & 6x6 Chassis truck KAMAZ 65117 6x4 Side truck & 6x4 Chassis truck KAMAZ 53215 6x4 Side truck & 6x4 Chassis truck KAMAZ 4326 4x4 Side truck & 4x4 Chassis truck, Dakar Rally Sport truck KAMAZ 4911 4x4 Sport truck Dakar Rally KAMAZ 4308 4x2 Medium-range truck & 4x2 Chassis truck KAMAZ 53205 6x4 Chassis truck KAMAZ 53229 6x4 Chassis truck KAMAZ 53228 6x4 Chassis truck KAMAZ 54115 6x4 Prime mover KAMAZ 5460 4x2 Prime mover KAMAZ 65116 6x4 Prime mover KAMAZ 6460 6x4 Prime mover KAMAZ 6560 8x8 Chassis truck [edit] Prime mover6x4 Prime mover
KAMAZ 44108 6x6 Prime mover KAMAZ 65225 6x6 Prime mover KAMAZ 65226 6x6 Prime mover [edit] Other vehicles KAMAZ 4310 6x6 Chassis truck KAMAZ 43269 Vystrel (BPM-97) Wheeled armoured vehicle KAMAZ Barhan 4x4 multipurpose vehicle, a large prototype SUV built on a Kamaz-43501 chassis, made by CaRS, a private company. Original prototype was on a GaZ-66 chassis.
