Csepel (automobile)

Csepel is a Hungarian manufacturer of trucks for industrial use.

History

Made for TEFU (Teher Fuvarozási Vállalat - en: Freight Transport Company) Csepel D 350 in 1952.

Csepel D-705 in 1972

Redid Csepel 450 in Tata, September 2006.

Today used Csepel D-352 in Czech Republic

Different Csepel lorries on contemporary matchboxes, in the 1960 years

1944 the Steyr 380 lorry was born in Austria, it was the licence of the Csepel lorries and engines. The production stoped of the MÁVAG and the RÁBA lorries after the nationalization in 1946. 3 years later Hungary bought the licence of Steyr 380 lorry, D413 and D613 engines from Sovietunion. (This time Sovietunion possessed Austria.)

1949 established in the NIK (Nehéz Ipari Központ - en: Heavy Industry Center) the automobile factory in the earlier Dunai Repülőgépgyár - en: Danube Aircraft Factory place at Szigethalom. The first Csepel (NIK) engine was ready on 7 November. The first director of the factory was Ferencné Bíró. She was a mechanical engineer and she had learnt in Moscow. She was Mátyás Rákosi's sister-in-law.

1950 the first 3 Csepel D-350 was ready on 3 April. The D350 and B350 types produced between 1950 and 1958. The B-130 4x4 rover pickup lorry made since 1949. (The prototypes made in Győr and Ikarus). It won on lorry race in Poland, 1950.

1968-1975 structure change in Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance): Hungary had got the bus product for first function, so it had to subordinate all production capacity. The Ikarus had not transported materials to the Csepel, the Csepel started the transport of undercarriage of bus to the Ikarus. Labor-MIM in Esztergom, later the polish Jelcz & Star made the box of Csepel lorry.

1968 the RÁBA started the new generation of production of RÁBA lorries with the new engine MAN licenced.

1975 the Csepel stopped the engine production. After that the lorry have got RÁBA engine and it made in small series.

1976-1980 Volvo Laplander production was in this time (1000 pieces made).

1996 Csepel went bankrupt because Ikarus had not paid for the transported undercarriage. Ikarus had not paid, because the Russian customer had not paid also.

2007 a D344 EZF lorry arrived with success on the Budapest-Bamako Rally in touring category (www.csepelcsapat.hu).

2009 a D420 fire-engine bodywork built on a D344 undercarriage lorry arrived with success on the Budapest-Bamako Rally in touring category (http://bamako.spidergold.eu/).

References

Boldizsár János: Csepel D350 könyve

External links

• http://sites.google.com/site/csepelek/