Pavlovsk bus plant: history and modernity

Creation

By the 1930s, “car fever” had gripped the country. New giant automobile enterprises were built. Trucks and cars have become increasingly common on public roads, displacing horse-drawn vehicles. Mechanized vehicles began to enter the army. To service the equipment, tools and special equipment were required.

To meet the growing demand, the government decided to organize the work of an enterprise where they would produce body fittings and driver's tools. The town of Pavlovo was chosen as the site. It was successfully located between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod - the leading automotive centers of the country. The Pavlovsk Bus Plant (PAZ) started operating on December 5, 1932, producing products worth almost 2 million rubles in the first year.

New opportunities

After the war, having close cooperative ties with the Gorky Automobile Plant, PAZ gradually switched to assembling buses. The first five GZA-651 left the factory gates on August 5, 1952. It was a single-door bonnet model based on the GAZ-51, where instead of a body a passenger compartment with 19 seats was mounted.

It took the team of the Pavlovsk Bus Plant 6 years to develop their own cabover model PAZ-652. It was a classic “groove”, which became the most recognizable bus in the USSR (before the advent of the Ikarus era). The design features two automatic pneumatic doors, comfortable seats and increased capacity. If the GZA-651 could accommodate 23 people, then the new model has almost twice as many – 42 (23 of which are seats).

Over 10 years of production (1958-1968), 62,121 units were assembled. The vehicle had high cross-country ability and was mainly intended for various organizations, for transporting passengers along suburban and intercity routes. However, it was also used as public city transport.

The laborious origins of the Paz plant and its equipment

The working chronicle of our legendary bus started back in 1930 - that’s when the Nizhny Novgorod Machine Plant began to build.

To provide it with everything necessary, in 1932 an additional enterprise was built in Pavlovo-on-Oka for the production of a machine device (ZATI). During the Famous Patriotic War, ZATI, like the whole country, switched to producing military equipment. The Pavlovsk Aviation Plant of Automotive Instruments (ZATI) was founded on the 5th asteroid in 1930. Over the course of two flights, the construction of administrative buildings and workshops was completed, and the factory workers began producing equipment and body structures. With the beginning of the Famous Patriotic War, the factory workers guaranteed army equipment with the device. Ammunition output has been improved at the plant in Nizhny Novgorod Square. After the end of the war, until 1952, the initiative resumed producing specific devices for cars.

Record-breaking plant

The Pavlovsk Bus Plant became one of the most important manufacturers of public transport in the USSR. On November 12, 1968, factory workers were the first in the Soviet Union to use the method of switching to a new model without stopping the main conveyor, which helped reduce production costs and reduce changeover time.

PAZ-672 was a development of the previous model. It was produced by the Pavlovsk Bus Plant until 1989. In total, more than 280,000 copies were on the road. In 1982, production of a modernized version of the PAZ-672M began. The model had a longer engine life, interior comfort was improved, the reliability of the power steering was increased, and the optics were redesigned. In total, there were more than 20 modifications and designs, including all-wheel drive.

In market conditions

Even before the collapse of the USSR (in 1989), the Pavlovsk Bus Plant put on the assembly line a new model PAZ-3205, which is still in production today. She was destined to become the most popular in the 90s. The appearance and technical characteristics of the small class bus have not changed much. In general, the design has become more modern, the reliability of the motor and main components has been increased. In 2014, the model was restyled. At the moment, about 145,000 units of PAZ-3205 have been produced. The designers have created about 30 modifications for all occasions:

• single-door;
• two-door;
• passenger;
• cargo-passenger;
• for persons with disabilities;
• VIP and luxury options;
• in the northern version;
• school;
• isothermal;
• all-wheel drive and others.

The Pavlovsk bus plant is one of the first-born of the Soviet five-year plans. When in 1929 the Supreme Economic Council decided to build an automobile plant in Nizhny Novgorod, a chain inevitably followed to the creation of related factories, as they were then called. The number of such enterprises included the Pavlovsk Automotive Tools Plant (ZATI). On August 5, 1930, on the northern outskirts of the city of Pavlovo, the first stone of the future production was laid, and already in 1932 ZATI was included in the list of operating ones, becoming a satellite of GAZ for many years. Convenient location of communications (a large river, a newly built railway and a highway to Murom passing through the city), strong traditions of metalworkers (the village was famous for its handicrafts in pre-revolutionary times), the presence of sufficient human resources (according to the 1939 census, there were 45 thousand inhabitants, and in total more than 100 thousand people lived in the area) - these are the arguments in favor of the decision made by the country’s leadership. After 20 years, the plant experienced a rebirth. In 1952, the production of the GZA-651 bus and the GZA-653 ambulance, produced on the GAZ-51 truck chassis, was transferred from GZA (Gorky Bus Plant) to ZATI. This decision was not accidental. The capacities expanded during the war years “begged to be loaded.” In addition, back in 1935, four ZATI workers (factory craftsmen Ilyin, Kulikov, Mamykin and Troshin) independently manufactured a bus on a truck chassis (alas, the photo has not survived). And the Pavlovians went to the ministry... The date of birth of bus production can be considered April 24, 1952, when the Council of Ministers of the USSR, by its resolution, approved the plan for the reconstruction of ZATI for a production program of up to 10 thousand cars per year. On August 5, 1952, the first five PAZ-651 buses left the factory gates. One of the creators of the legendary “Victory” M-20, winner of the State Prize (then called the Stalin Prize) Yuri Naumovich Sorochkin was appointed chief designer of the PAZ. His creative potential was fully realized at PAZ, laying a serious basis for development for many years. Bold ideas, unexpected solutions, constant improvement of the design process and creation of new models attracted creatively active people. Just two years later, a prototype of a bus with a metal body frame was created; in 1956, the first experimental car-type vehicle with a monocoque body was created, a prototype of the future PAZ-652, which would be put into production in 1958. In parallel with the production of the base vehicle, the plant developed and put into production specialized vehicles that were maximally unified with the main model. In 1963, the modernized PAZ-652B bus was put on the conveyor, and five years later, in 1968, for the first time in the world automotive practice, a complete transition of production to the new PAZ-672 was made without stopping the conveyor. Produced for twenty-one years, the PAZ-672 model gained enormous popularity among drivers. On its basis, modifications of an all-wheel drive bus, buses in northern and tropical versions, a refrigerated truck, laboratories on wheels and mobile television stations were created. By the mid-60s, the creative scope of PAZ's constructors and designers had perhaps reached its highest point, embodied in the PAZ-665T and PAZ-8.5 buses (better known in wider circles as PAZ-Tourist-Lux), which successfully traveled on the roads Europe and won awards at the traditional bus festivals in Nice in 1967 and 1969. In the 70s, an attempt was made to switch to the production of a fundamentally different vehicle, with pneumatic brakes, more reliable running gear units, mainly based on ZIL units, but the preparation for production of the PAZ-3203 model (which continued the design ideas of the PAZ-665) did not begin. met support from the Ministry of Automotive Industry. As a result, the new basic model PAZ-3205 arrived on the assembly line very late - only in 1989. And again the Pazovites put the car into production without stopping the main conveyor. During the production process, the PAZ-3205 underwent significant design changes, primarily in the brake system. They switched from pneumohydraulic to fully pneumatic, an anti-lock braking system, an auxiliary wear-resistant braking system appeared, significant changes affected the electrical circuit of the bus, the emergency door, etc. Today, the PAZ model line includes more than three dozen modifications of the basic PAZ-32053 model. In Russia, there is probably no other bus manufacturer that in its history would produce buses of all classes - from very small to large, without creating, perhaps, a particularly large one. In the most difficult years for the country in the 90s of the last century, PAZ managed to survive, maintaining a fairly large production of buses. Moreover, at the same time, capacities for the production of large and medium-sized machines were created. This is the famous PAZ-4230 Aurora, 10- and 12-meter buses on Volvo and KAMAZ chassis. The state highly appreciated the merits of the Pazovites. In 1971, the plant was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and in 1982 - the Order of the Badge of Honor. In 2000, the plant underwent a change of ownership. PAZ became part of the Rusavtoprom holding owned by the Sibal concern, which included the rest of the leading bus factories in Russia: LiAZ, KavZ, GolAZ. The basis of the holding was the auto giant GAZ. Today the holding is called “GAZ Group”. The consolidation of related industries again led to the separation of models. Long buses left PAZ, in the holding they were assigned to LiAZ, the Aurora was transferred to KAvZ, but new models appeared. A minibus based on the Ford Transit van (Project 3030) is being produced, the first domestic low-floor small-class bus PAZ-3237 has been put on the assembly line, and the PAZ-3204 vehicle is being tested. The main model of the plant remains the PAZ-32053 and its extended modification PAZ-4234. In 2007, the plant celebrated its 75th anniversary, and the holiday coincided with the production of the 600,000th bus. The production of cars is constantly increasing, gradually approaching the record mark of 17 thousand, set back in Soviet times. As before, the plant is the leader in the Russian bus market, its share in total production is almost 80%.

Our days

Since 2000, PAZ has accelerated the development of modern buses, producing models of various classes. Among them: PAZ-4228, PAZ-4223, PAZ-4234, PAZ-4230 “Aurora”, PAZ-5271, PAZ-5272, PAZ-5220. An important milestone was the creation of the first Russian low-floor city bus PAZ-3237.

Today the company is developing by leaps and bounds. The financial statements for Pavlovsky Bus Plant LLC indicate good financial performance. For example, in 2015, profit increased by 5%, amounting to 318 million rubles. In 2009, PAZ-3204 won the title “Best Russian Small Class Bus.” This became possible thanks to the large-scale modernization of production carried out since 2006.

According to the Swot analysis of the Pavlovsk Bus Plant, the enterprise remains key to the economy of the city of Pavlovo. In fact, it is a city-forming area and makes an invaluable contribution to the development of the area. PAZ, despite the difficult economic situation in the 90s and early 2000s, was able to maintain full production capacity. Every working day, up to 42 units of equipment roll off the assembly line.

The Pavlovsk Automobile Plant assembles about 80% of city buses in Russia and is one of the largest automobile enterprises in the country with rich production experience. In terms of production volume, it is among the top 10 leading global manufacturers.

PAZ - brand history

Pavlovsky Bus (PAZ) is a Soviet and Russian manufacturer of small and medium class buses in Russia. Located in the city of Pavlovo, Nizhny Novgorod region. Part of the GAZ group, which owns 93.79% of the shares.

Since 2005, bus production has been carried out by PAZ LLC, a 100% subsidiary of Pavlovsky Bus PJSC. This allows us to minimize mandatory disclosure of information and reporting according to Russian standards.

The decision to create a plant in Pavlov to supply the Gorky Automobile Plant and other automobile enterprises with driving tools and body fittings was made in 1930. In 1932, construction was completed and production began. The plant at that time was called ZATI (automotive tool plant).

On April 24, 1952, by decree of the USSR Government, the Automotive Tools Plant in the city of Pavlovo-on-Oka was repurposed and renamed the Pavlovsk Bus Plant (PAZ). A plan for the reconstruction of the plant and a program for the production of 10,000 buses were also approved. The first batch begins production, which consists of five hooded buses of the PAZ-651 model. Already on August 5, 1952, the first five buses of the first production model of the hood layout PAZ-651 (GAZ/GZA-651) on the chassis of the mass-produced GAZ-51 truck left the factory gates.

PAZ-651 (GAZ/GZA-651)

In 1958, production began of the first new basic model PAZ-652, developed at the plant, with a carriage (cabless) layout with two multi-leaf doors.

On November 12, 1968, for the first time in the history of the domestic bus industry, without stopping the main conveyor of the PAZ plant, PAZ began producing a new basic model of the enterprise, developed on the basis of the PAZ-652, the PAZ-672, which was produced until 1989. Among its modifications was the all-wheel drive one-door all-terrain model PAZ-3201.

PAZ-672

In the 1960s, the main production concept of the enterprise was fully formalized - satisfying the widest segments of consumers by creating as many modifications of the basic model as possible. It was during these years that the plant participated in international exhibitions for the first time.

On December 1, 1989, serial production of the most popular base model of the plant in the 1990-2000s, the PAZ-3205 bus, began. To date, more than 30 modifications of this bus have been developed for various purposes (specialized and luxury), intended for operation in various climatic conditions. About ten of them are mass-produced.

PAZ-3205

In the late 1990s - early 2000s, new models of medium and large class buses were developed: PAZ-4230 "Aurora", PAZ-4234, PAZ-4223, PAZ-4228, PAZ-5220, PAZ-5271, PAZ- 5272, as well as the first low-floor small-class bus in Russia PAZ-3237.

In 2000, new facilities were put into operation for the production of city and intercity buses of large and medium classes - the three-door PAZ-5272 and the two-door PAZ-4230 Aurora. Due to competition with the main Russian manufacturers of full-size buses - LiAZ and NefAZ - the production of large buses PAZ-5272 and other large series was not established. Also, the medium PAZ-4230 did not become the main model of the plant due to greater market demand for small buses. Its modification KAvZ-4238, according to the technical documentation of PAZ, has been put into production in small batches, and also under license in Kurgan at KAvZ.

In 2000, PAZ became part of the GAZ Group engineering holding, which unites the main manufacturers of buses, trucks and other automotive equipment in Russia.

2003 was a record year for the PAZ plant, largely thanks to a well-structured sales program. PAZ buses are very popular in all regions of our country. Export purchases of buses produced by PAZ are also increasing. The share in total sales in the country is growing every year. The PAZ enterprise won a competition to supply more than 300 buses to Uzbekistan, about 200 buses went to Vietnam.

In 2004, it was planned to rebuild the main conveyor of the PAZ plant using the “just in time” system. As a result, a unified conveyor appeared, which surpassed the old one in many technical parameters. A completely new conveyor has led PAZ to new approaches and principles for organizing the bus manufacturing process, which involve reducing the volume of work in progress.

At the beginning of 2004, construction of the first part of the high-pressure gas pipeline was completed. This made it possible to use the direct gas combustion process at the PAZ plant for the development of new technologies and heating, which significantly reduced costs. Several other new self-financed projects were also proposed.

Since 2006, PAZ has been participating in the national project “Education” by producing special school modifications of PAZ-3205 and PAZ-3206 buses with a unified yellow color.

At the end of the 2000s, the plant created the first Russian low-floor small-class bus PAZ-3237 “Luzhok”, and also to replace the PAZ-3205 family, a new family of small buses with spring suspension was developed - PAZ-3204.

PAZ-3204 was launched into mass production in January 2009, was recognized as “Best Bus of the Year in the Small Class” in 2009-2010, but for a number of reasons has not yet become the base model of the plant. Also in 2009, a modification of the PAZ-3204 with gas cylinder equipment was developed.

At the turn of the 2000-2010s, the plant also developed promising models of PAZ-3202 Valdai and PAZ City buses.

During the restructuring of production facilities, the welding and painting, pressing and metal procurement shops were combined into a single building. The largest production optimization project is related to the assembly shop - the conveyor lines were reduced to four. In 2009, a new generation painting complex “Aizenman” was put into operation.