Avia - the predecessor of the GAZelle

Usually the name can say a lot. For example, what comes to mind when you hear the word "aviation"? Of course, it should be about airplanes or something related to wings and flight. But those of us who are older remember the nimble and reliable low-tonnage trucks Czechoslovakian company "Avia". Where did this completely non-automotive name come from? Let's figure it out together.


In 1918, World War I ended. The world breathed a sigh of relief, and Czechoslovakia gained independence. and the opportunity to develop its industry. Already in the following year, 1919, two engineers from this country formed a company for the production of aircraft. They called it very simply - Avia, and they intended to assemble both licensed devices and aircraft of their own design. What does this have to do with the beginning, it would seem? cars? Let's not rush to conclusions, but listen to the story to the end.

First car trail

Already 9 years later, the company crossed paths with manufacturers of automotive and other equipment. It was taken over by the country's leading automaker, Skoda. However, the time for reprofiling has not yet come - Avia has retained not only its name, but also the range of previously manufactured products.



During the Second World War, the industry of the country, turned into a puppet protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, worked hard in the interests of the Third Reich. Avia was no exception. At its facilities, they mastered the production of training aircraft by the German company Arado. Already after the war, for almost two decades, the company produced under license two models of the German Messerschmidts and the Soviet Il-10 and Il-14. But, the roll towards the production of cars began to manifest itself more and more.

It is interesting that the plant's facilities have seen models from almost all major plants in the country: Skoda, Tatra, JAWA, etc. Already the following year after the end of the war, production of Skoda 706R trucks was mastered here and of buses based on them - Skoda 706RO.

The beginning of the sixties brought to the factory conveyor a representative of another auto giant - Tatra 805, as well as the Praga V3S truck. Their release continued until the end of the 80s.

An attempt to switch to the production of original passenger cars

1956 was a turning point for the range of vehicles manufactured by Avia. Drawing attention to the fact that minicars from neighboring Germany were in high demand, Czechoslovak companies also decided to pay attention to a promising direction. One of them was Avia.



Paying tribute to their history, the creators tried to make a microcar with a design reminiscent of an airplane. Firstly, the driver and passenger sat in the same way as the pilot and navigator. Secondly, the roof, made in the style of an aircraft cap, served as a door. Thirdly, the very outlines of the car made a reference to light aircraft. The serial engine from JAWA served as the engine, which was located at the back and slightly redone:

✅ deforcing, with a decrease in power up to 14 liters. With.
✅ reverse
✅ 4-speed gearbox of our own design

Despite the fact that the first prototype crashed, a second version was built with an engine power of 16 hp. with., which was released in the amount of 10 pieces. One of these cars was equipped with manual control and was presented to Kuzmin, a Soviet war invalid who lost both legs.

They were assembled for 3 years. In parallel, a more powerful prototype was created with a 750cc, 4-stroke engine from BMW. This car subsequently competed successfully in Commonwealth races. After 15 years, the factory again returned to the assembly of piece racing cars, assigning them the AE series. In total, three versions were collected, each of which repeatedly won prizes during competitions held among the countries of the socialist camp.



The last return to the passenger car transport was the production of A1993 SUVs under a French license in 96/11. The cars, assembled over 3 years in the amount of 250 units, had a 70-horsepower, 1,9-liter engine. However, the main models that earned the fame of this Czech brand were light and medium trucks, the production of which began at the plant in 1967.

A15 and A30 - under a French license

Renault SAVIEM kindly granted the Czechoslovak side a license for the production of vehicles with a carrying capacity of 1,5 and 3 tons. Subsequently, they received the corresponding digital designation - A15 and A30. A lighter truck in 1968 became the first vehicle of this category to leave the gates of the Avia plant. Soon, the "elder brother" joined him.



In addition, the Renaults themselves, from which the Czechoslovak trucks were copied, were of a very advanced design at that time. It included:

✅ 2/3-seat cabover cab
✅ independent front suspension
✅ manual transmission with steering wheel shift
✅ diesel engine located within the wheelbase
✅ spar frame type "ladder"

The lighter truck had a 72 hp 3L engine, 16" wheels (single rear). The A30 model had a 3,3-liter engine with 80 hp. With. and 20-inch (twin rear) wheels. At the same time, in its usual version, it was a flatbed truck with a tilt platform. A15s were more often vans with all-metal construction and wagon-type side doors.

A few years later, Czechoslovak designers were able to upgrade the first truck model, increasing the load capacity by 450 kg. So a new modification of the A15 model appeared - the Avia A20 truck. Already 10 years later, after the expiration of the license contract, almost 98% of Avia consisted of components of Czechoslovak origin.

They installed compressors "Jikov", fuel equipment "Motorplan", etc. Each of the factory models was produced with one of three types of chassis: short ("K"), ordinary ("N") and elongated ("L"). Producers have the opportunity to export their products.

Avia trucks for the Soviet economy

Czechoslovak cars were able to fill the domestic niche, which was between the small-tonnage ErAZ or Zhuk and the medium-tonnage GAZ. In 1978, an experimental test of trucks was carried out for adaptability to low temperatures and off-road. It turned out that there were serious problems with this: it was necessary to strengthen the rear shock absorbers, increase the power of the engine starter and install 15-amp fuses. It was for the export version that wide "mudguards" on the wheels were developed.



After 5 years, the cars survived the modernization and received the A21 and A31 indices. They got a 5-speed gearbox and a 3,6-liter engine with a capacity of 83 hp. With. Equipped with a 70-liter tank, they could reach speeds of up to 85 km / h. The appearance of the trucks remained the same, and the production of basic models continued into the 90s.

The peak annual capacity of the plant in the mid-80s was close to 20 thousand cars per year. Most of them went to our country. The total number of Avia exported to the USSR exceeded 40 thousand units. The collapse of the country stopped the rapid flow of imported equipment.

Survival in the competitive conditions of the post-Soviet period

Avia trucks required a major upgrade in order to become competitive in the European market. An attempt was made to create a joint venture Daewoo-Avia. The result was the A60-A80 turbocharged range with improved cab design. It was not possible to reach the former level, but the company continued to look for ways to gain a foothold in the markets of neighboring countries.



Manufacturers marked the 2010st century with the appearance of Avia D series trucks. They were equipped with both their own and licensed engines. A small batch of them also ended up in Russia. In 3, a new attempt was made to conquer the Russian market. But, as a result, a little more than 100 new Avia brand trucks appeared in our country in XNUMX years.

Since mid-2016, the company has become the property of CZECHOSLOVAK GROUP as. Now it continues to produce medium-duty trucks that comply with the Euro VI emission class.