AK Hellas

AK Hellas (the initials standing for the full name of the company, 'Aggelopoulos-Karkanis O.E.') was a Greek manufacturer of light trucks and other metal products. It designed and produced two basic types of vehicles - all three-wheelers with 50cc engines, taking advantage of a favorabe classification as "motorbikes" according to Greek law . One group of models were light trucks with "motorcycle" structure (steering and controls), a type of vehicle also produced in Greece by "MEBEA" (by far the most successful), "Mego", "Alta", "Saracakis", "Pitsos" (a big home appliances manufacturer), "Markal", "Naxos" and others. The other group of models were "proper" micro-trucks, with "automobile" structure of steering, controls etc. It was in this category that "AK Hellas" became the biggest truck manufacturer in Greece, leaving behind "MEBEA", "Delta" (a product of "Attica"), "Minicar", "Zamba" and other smaller Greek manufacturers. The company's "T200" model, using a "Sachs" 50cc 4.8hp engine and with a payload of 150Kg was produced between 1968 and 1975 with three different cab designs and in several versions (including van models). The company survives to date as "Aggelopoulos Group" still manufacturing metal products.

References

*L.S. Skartsis and G.A. Avramidis, 'Made in Greece', Typorama, Patras, Greece (2003)
*G.N. Georgano (Ed.), "The Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles", Krause Publication, Iola, Wisconsin (1979)
*H. Linz and H. Schrader, "Die grosse Automobil Enzyklopaedie - 100 Jahre Geschichte", BLV Verlag Munchen (1985)