LIAZ (LIbereckéAutomobilové Závody – Liberec Automobile Works) was a former Czech and Czechoslovak manufacturer of trucks. The company was formed in 1951 by the government as a division of Škoda, incorporating eight other truck manufacturers into a single conglomerate. In 1953, LIAZ became independent of Škoda but continued to use its name until 1984 (Škoda LIAZ). After the 1989 revolution, there was a significant decrease in production.
LIAZ's headquarters in Liberec were originally occupied by the former Reichenberger Automobil Fabrik (RAF).[1] RAF opened its Liberec plant in 1907, was bought by Laurin & Klement in 1912, and in 1916 moved its production technology to Mladá Boleslav, leaving Liberec's production facilities to textile entrepreneurs.
Škoda LIAZ's main truck plants were located in Liberec, Rýnovice, Mnichovo Hradiště, and Jablonec nad Nisou. Eventually, factories were opened in Mělník, Zvolen, Veľký Krtíš, Přerov, and Holýšov. LIAZ gradually expanded, employing 11,000 workers and producing 13,600 utility vehicles annually by 1975. In the 1970s, LIAZ was the largest Czechoslovak truck manufacturer, with an annual production of 15,000 trucks and plants operating at full capacity.[1]
However, after the 1989 revolution and subsequent economic problems, LIAZ lost almost all of its sales and was unable to find new customers, leading to a gradual decline in production. Not even the introduction of a new, modern Škoda 400 line (Xena and Fox) could improve the company's fortunes. In 2000, the company was bought by Slovakian Sipox Holding, which lacked sufficient funds to sustain production. Production of LIAZ vehicle ceased in September 2003.[2]
In 2006, Tedom Truck, based in Třebíč, acquired all rights to produce LIAZ trucks, including the factory, technical documentation, and engine production know-how. It produced the Fox model line and modernized older LIAZ vehicles. However, the company went into liquidation on January 1, 2010. Due to financial difficulties, only 19 vehicles were produced annually out of the planned 5,000, with only nine being modernized LIAZ models.[3]
The LIAZ brand was acquired by the Czechoslovak Group, and on December 22, 2017, LIAZ Trucks was established.[4]
1952–1958 - Škoda 706 R, developed from the pre-war 706 D
1957–1990 - Škoda 706 RT - a cab-over design with LIAZ' own 12-liter inline-six of the M 634 series[1]
1969–1990 - Škoda 706 MT - used the frame, engine, and cab of the RT, but was intended for special uses. They were fitted with splitter transmissions and planetary drive rear axles, all to increase max loads.[1]
The engine plant of LIAZ trucks has been purchased by TEDOM Trucks which has also purchased all the technical data and drawings and is now marketing LIAZ Concept Trucks under the brand of FOX. In the late nineties, LIAZ in Jablonec and Nisou was mainly producing diesel engines that were assembled and tested at the industrial estate.
The engine line production actually tested every single engine by running it and collecting various parameters about it. Every n-th engine was sent to disassembly to check for any engine tolerances. The testing rigs were called Brzda (brake) where the engine was connected to fuel, exhaust extraction piping, and electronic probes.
The industrial estate of LIAZ has also been used for the production of steam which is routinely used to heat housing estates. This highly pressurized steam is piped to smaller transformer stations around the town of Jablonec nad Nisou. In the transformer stations, the pressure is reduced and used for heating blocks of flats.
