ZiL

This page is about the Russian car and truck factory. For other meanings, see ZIL (disambiguation).

AMO ZiL (Avtomobilnoe Moskovskoe Obshchestvo - Zavod Imeni Likhachova)

Type	Joint Stock Company
Industry	Automotive
Founded	1916
Headquarters	Moscow, Russia
Key people	Konstantin Laptev, General Director (2002–present)
Products	Luxury automobiles Heavy road vehicles Offroad vehicles Military vehicles
Website	www.amo-zil.ru

Zavod imeni Likhachova, more commonly called ZIL (or ZiL, Russian: Завод имени Лихачёва (ЗиЛ)—Likhachev Factory, literally "Factory named after Likhachov") is a major Russian truck and heavy equipment manufacturer, which also produced armored cars for most Soviet leaders, as well as buses, armored fighting vehicles, and aerosani. The company also produces hand-built limousines and high-end luxury sedans (автомобиль представительского класса, also translated as "luxury vehicle") in extremely low quantities, primarily for the Russian government. ZIL passenger cars are priced at the equivalent of models from Maybach and Rolls-Royce, but are largely unknown outside the CIS and production rarely exceeds a dozen cars per year.

History

The factory was founded in 1916 as Avtomobilnoe Moskovskoe Obshchestvo (AMO, Russian Автомобильное Московское Общество (АМО)—Moscow Automotive Enterprise). The plans were to produce Fiat F-15 1.5 ton trucks under license. Because of the October Revolution and the subsequent Russian Civil War it took until 1 November 1924 to produce the first vehicle, the AMO-F-15. In 1931 the factory was re-equipped and expanded with the help of the American A.J. Brandt Co., changed its name to Automotive Factory No. 2 Zavod Imeni Stalina (ZIS or ZiS). After Nikita Khrushchev denounced the cult of personality of Joseph Stalin in 1956, the name was changed again to Zavod Imeni Likhacheva, after its former director Ivan Alekseevich Likhachev.

ZiL lanes — road lanes dedicated to vehicles carrying top Soviet officials — were named after the car.

Models

Limousines

ZIL-115

• ZIS-101 (1936)
• ZIS-102
• ZIS-110 (1942)
• ZIS-115 (armored version of ZIS-110)
• ZIL-111 (1958)
• ZIL-114 (1967)
• ZIL-115 (1972)
• ZIL-117 (1977, shortened ZIL-114)
• ZIL-4102 (prototype, 1988)
• ZIL-4104 (1978)
• ZIL-41041 (1985, five-seat version of ZIL-41047)
• ZIL-41047 (1985)
• ZIL-4105 (1988, armored version of ZIL-41047)
• ZIL-4112

Trucks

ZIL 130

ZIL 5301

• AMO-F-15 (1924, copies of the Fiat F-15)
• AMO-2 (1930)
• AMO-3 (1931)
• AMO-4 (1932)
• AMO-7 (1932)
• ZIS-5, ZIS-6 (1934, copies of the U.S. Autocar 2 10-cwt truck)
• ZIS-10 (1934, tractor-trailer version of ZIS-5)
• ZIS-11 (1934, extra long wheelbase version of ZIS-5)
• ZIS-12 (1934, long wheelbase version of ZIS-5)
• ZIS-14 (1934, long wheelbase version of ZIS-5)
• ZIS-15 (prototype, 1939)
• ZIS-21 (1939-1941, based on ZIS-5 but powered by wood gas)
• ZIS-22 (Halftrack, 1939-1941, based on the ZIS-5)
• ZIS-32 (1941, 4x4 version of the ZIS-5)
• ZIS-33 (1940, halftrack, based on the ZIS-5)
• ZIS-42 (Halftrack, 1942-1944, based on the ZIS-5)
• ZIS-128
• ZIS-150 (1947)
• ZIS-156 (1947)
• ZIS-151 (1948)
• ZIS-120N (1956)
• ZIS-253 (prototype)
• ZIS-585 (1947)
• ZIL-164 (1957)
• ZIL-157 (1958)
• ZIL-130 (1964)
• ZIL-131(1967)
• ZIL 170(1969)-prototype for KAMAZes.
• ZIL 175(1969)-prototype for KAMAZes.
• ZIL-133 (1975)
• ZIL-135 (1966)
• ZIL-4331
• ZIL-5301 "Bychok" ("Bully") (1992)
• ZIL-6404 (1996)
• ZIL-6309 (1999)
• ZIL-6409 (1999)
• ZIL-433180 (2003)
• ZIL-432930 (2003)
• ZIL-4327 (2004?)
• ZIL-4334 (2004)

Buses

• AMO-4 (1932-1934, based on the AMO-3)
• ZIS-lux (prototype, 1934)
• ZIS-8 (1934-1938, based on the ZIS-5)
• ZIS-16 (1938-1942, based on the ZIS-5)
• ZIS-17 (prototype, 1939)
• ZIS-154 (1946–1950)
• ZIS-155 (1949–1957)
• ZIL-127 (1956-1960)
• ZIL-158 (1957-1961)
• ZIL-118 "Yunost" (1967)
• ZIL-3250 (1998)

Sport and racing cars

ZIS-112 Sports

• ZIS-101 Sport (1939)
• ZIS-112/1 (1951)
• ZIS-112/2 (1956)
• ZIS-112/3 (1956)
• ZIL-112/4 (1958)
• ZIL-112 Sports (1960–62)
• ZIL-412 S (1962)

Misc

• B-3 half-tracked transporter
• ZIS-152 armored personnel carrier
• ZIL-485 amphibious truck (1951)
• ZIL-4904 Screw Vehicle Amphibious (1972)
• ZIL-4906 amphibious vehicle
• ZIL-41041 sedan
• ZIL-41047 limousine
• ZIL-4102 prototype saloon
• ZIL-E-167 all-terrain vehicle

See also

• Soviet Artillery Factory No. 92 was also named Zavod imeni Stalina (ZiS)
• GM "old-look" transit bus: Soviet versions (ZIS-154 & ZIS-155)

References

• Zaloga, Steven J., James Grandsen (1984). Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two, p. 44. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-606-8.

External links

• http://www.bert-hein.de All about the ZIS-110 and database of existing ZIS cars
• Official web-site of ZIL
• History of ZIL at ukcar.com
• History of ZIL at digilander.libero.it
• English website for Russian Military Trucks
• (Russian) History of ZIL at avtomash.ru