Év raba automotive holding plc.raba.hu/english/en.raba.hu/doctar/120/raba_history.pdf · separate...

Raba Automotive Holding Plc.

1896-2016

120ÉV

The impact of the industrial revolution of the mid-19th century originating in Western Europe, England, primarily, reached Hungary, as well. This affected Győr, the centre of the trading region of Northern Trans-Danubia in the 1880s and ‘90s, when several factories and industrial plants were established in the town.

Among these facilities was the Spirit Factory, founded in 1884 by 7 of the so-called “virilists”, the wealthi-est taxpayers of Győr, among them Ágoston Léderer, principal shareholder. In addition to the daily produc-tion of 150 hectolitres of alcohol, the Spirit Factory also kept 1800 cattle on its 10-hectare premises.

By the end of the 1890’s the importance of animal husbandry declined, there seemed to be considerable demand for transport and machinery production, though. This was when the idea of wagon production first emerged, supported by the leaders of the town, who also provided sizeable land for the unused plot of the Spirit Factory.

At the founding general assembly meeting held 28th

December in 1896, 9 shareholders, including Emil Léderer and his partners, established the Hungarian Railway Carriage and Machine Works Plc.

Excerpts from the minutes of thefounding general meeting

of Hungarian Railway Carriageand Machine Works Plc., 1896

The first product of the Carriage Factory: petroleum transport tank vehicle, 1897

Motor wagon for the London Underground Railway, 1905

Production began in the vacant stables of the spirit facility, with energy initially supplied by its steam boilers. At the beginning, the factory had 200 workers. Production began in the summer of 1897. In terms of the level of mechanisation, the facility represented the leading edge of Hungarian industrial production.

The first product of the Wagon Factory was the 15-ton dual axis petroleum tanker vehicle manufactured upon the order of Galíciai-Kárpát Petróleum Rt. The first order was for 30 items.

The plant developed rapidly during the years following its foun-dation. In 1898, the one thousandth railway wagon rolled out of the factory, capable at the time, of manufacturing 8-10 wagons daily, with 1200 employees.

The products of the company were successful on the interna-tional market as well. The company delivered urban tram cars to Amsterdam and Antwerp and passenger railway carriages to Egypt, East-India and South Africa. The trainsets of the London underground were also manufactured in Győr at the time. The technical and engineering achievements of the factory earned significant international recognition and an invitation to the World Exposition in Paris in 1900.

A factory is born

Raba Automotive Holding Plc.History

With the development of road transportation and motorisation, the turn of the century brought profound chang-es in the automotive industry. In the early years of the 20th century, experiments aimed at manufacturing motor vehicles for road transportation began in the Waggongyár as well. In 1904 the first automobile manufactured in Győr was powered by steam engine but the construction of a special combustion engine vehicle was commenced during the same year.

In March of 1905, the Győr factory presented a unique structure at the 5th

International Autoshow in Vienna. The world’s first mechanical all wheel-drive and –steer highway vehicle was manufactured based on the design of colonel Tlaskal and under the leadership of engineer Koroknay. The special vehicle was suitable to tow as many as five trailers, with an individual load of 2 tons per trailer. Owing to its all-wheel steering structure, the trailer originally designed for military purposes could equally be used for forestry and agricultural applications and lent itself to transportation on even the most rugged terrain, including sinuous mountain roads as well.

It was the competitive tender invitation of the postal service that gave new impetus to the initial attempts at the production of motor vehicles in Hungary. The Wagon Factory in Győr applied to the second tender invitation with parcel transport vehicles manufactured on the basis of János Csonka’s designs. The first experimental postal car was completed in May 1905 and was launched on a 2000-kilometre test run, accomplished in ten days with flawless operation. By 1911 the postal service ordered almost one hundred of these vehicles. The manufacturing of the automotive chasses was overseen by János Csonka personally in Győr.


Postal vehicle chassis,between 1905-1911

Csonka-type postal vehicle

World’s first mechanical four-wheel-drive and –steering road vehicle

Mechanical four-wheel-drive road towing vehicle, 1904

The production of the “V” type Rába trucks began in 1913. By 1918 the army purchased some 300 of the 3-5 ton load capacity, 35 horsepower vehicles. The product was adjusted to meet civilian needs at the beginning of the 1920s, and was sold with increased loading capacity and in countless customized versions. Tilting trucks, tankers, watering trucks, as well as fire fighting vehicles and repair trucks were built on the “V” chassis using special car bodies. Noteworthy is a multidirectional vehicle developed by 1922, of which an armoured version was also completed.

On 1st June, 1913. the Győr Chamber of Trade and Industry registered the Rába trademark. The name was given by the river Rába dissecting the town and linking the surrounding regions. Although the logo was renewed on several occasions during the history of the company, the message of the trademark remains the same as that of nearly one hundred years ago: it reflects quality guarantee, an international flair, reliable traditions and modernity at the same time.

In 1913 the production of the “V” type trucks and later of the passenger cars “Grand” and “Alpha” began in Győr, based on the “Praga” licence following Frantisek Kec’s concept. In 1916, the Automotive Divi-sion celebrated the com-pletion of the 500th engine already.

In 1914 the first series of 10 of the 5-15 horsepower “Alpha” cars was completed. The two- and four-seater cars were de-signed for civilian use, at the outbreak of the war, however, the

six-seater “Grand” type, better suited to the needs of the army gained special attention. During the years of

WWI the vehicles were equipped with troop commander and casualty transport

car bodies. The civilian versions of the “Grand” type were also successful, winning prizes at the 1913 Alpine Tour and the 1914 Carpathian Tour as well. In 1917 a special luxury edition of the Rába “Grand” passenger car was manufactured in Győr for King Charles the Fourth.

The first Rába logo

The 500th engine of the Car Department, 1916

Rába-Grandpassenger vehicle ofKing Charles 4th, 1918

Rába-Grand car, winner of the 1914 Kárpáti Tour

Alpha-typetwo-seater sports car, 1913

Rába „V”-type truck with trailer


During the years of the war, the Railway Carriage Factory continued to manufacture its usual products. Since the facility was suitable for the production of equipment and supplies for the army, developments and modernizations were implemented to step up production, primarily in the automotive section. During this period the factory turned out transport equipment of key military importance, including coal transport wagons used to keep the military industry running, as well as military trucks and command vehicles.

Following the outbreak of WWI, the factory began to manufacture agricul-tural machinery. KI and KII type, 40 HP motorized ploughs, earning inter-national success, among others on the Rumanian, Bulgarian, Spanish and Moroccan markets, were manufactured around this time.

The K II. type power plow, 1915

View of Hungarian Railway Carriage and Machine Works Plc.

The K II. type power plows manufactured from 1915 onwards, were powered by the Grand engine with reduced rpm. The same engine could be used to power other agricultural machinery, including shredders and grinders, it even lent itself to applications to tow trailers both in the fields and on the highway.

The end of WWI saw the end of an era in the technological history of the plant as well. By 1918 a large-scale operating plant with state-of-the-art equipment emerged. By then the factory occupied some 300 thousand sqm of land, with its own iron and steel foundry, material testing unit and a state-of-the-art forging facility. Separate construction units and workshops served each product division (railway cars, bridge and iron structures, automotive, military vehicles, power plows and lifting equip-ment, railway structures). The energy needs of the plant were supplied by a 2800 horsepower power plant and a separate steam facility.

In 1924 the management of the factory thought it was time to review the pro-duction programme of the automotive department and set new directions for the period ahead. By 1925 the produc-tion of the Rába V. and Rába P. types, as well as of the K II. power plows and the Rába Grand vehicles, and thus of passenger cars came thus practically to an end.

War period


1925 saw the beginning of the construction of 3-ton quick trucks and 24-30 passenger buses based on the new “L” type chassis developed in collaboration with the specialists of the Praga factory.

In 1927 the foundation of the Metro-politan Bus Plant (Fővárosi Autóbusz Üzem) and the changing demands of the market gave new impetus to technical development. In 1928 the Győr company introduced new truck and bus types. The sales of the vehicles based on state-of-the-art structural principles, was hindered by the world economic crisis. The mid-1930s saw major restructuring meas-ures at the company.

The sale of the modern Rába-Krupp quick trucks for the transportation of goods and materials began in 1929. The vehicles featuring four or six cylinders were manufactured to carry 3-10 tons of useful load, including the trailer. A special off-road vehicle was developed for military applications already in 1931 in addition to the fuel transport tan-ker vehicles, watering and three-way tilting vehicles manufactured for communal use. Urban and long-distance buses with a capacity of 30, 35 and 50 passengers respectively were also running, featuring bus bodies. The production of the Rába-Krupp vehicles was discontinued in 1939, to be replaced by the more modern Super and Special types.

L-type postal busbuilt under the ’Praha’ licence

Rába-Krupp fuel transporttanker vehicle

Rába AFi truck

Rába A.F. truck

Rába-Krupp truck with trailer

In 1928, the Győr Waggongyár concluded a licence agreement with the Austrian Automo-bile Co. (previously Austro-Fiat) and in 1929 introduced the Rába A. F. 1.5-ton light utility vehicles on the market. These vehicles were manufactured in 6 type variations until 1934. The same Rába AF chassis accommodated among others postal parcel vehicles, plateau trucks, vans, ambulance vehicles, as well as 20-22 passenger urban and long-distance buses. By 1935, the improved version of the quick truck, marked AFi for military applications was completed.


The production of the Rába-developed 2.5-ton Rába Super quick trucks and the 24-passenger buses began in 1936. A year later a new version, with increased capacity (3.5 tons) was also manufactured, under the name Rába Special. An im-portant structural novelty of the Rába Super and Rába Special buses was the welded steel structure introduced with these types for the first time, to replace the earlier wooden frame. Some 2500 vehicles were manufactured until 1951 of this most successful vehicle family of the period.

In the 1930s, Hungarian specialists also became increasingly interested in the idea of manufacturing diesel engines. The management of the Győr plant decided to introduce crude oil engines in 1937 and to this end concluded a licence agreement with the company MAN. The four-cylinder, 65 and 80 HP die-sel engines were used in the Rába Super D and Rába Speciál D types. The six-cylinder, 100 HP engines were used in the 50-passenger “trambuses” in Budapest after 1940.

The first power plows were replaced by the Rába small tractor, the new product developed in Győr by the late 1920s, to meet the demands of medium-size and small agricultural operations. The two-cylinder engine of the tractor could run on both petrol and petroleum. The biggest advantage of the structure was its light weight and small turning radius, together with its reliability and easy handling.

Rába Superquick truck

Rába Super quick truck

First Rába DST tram bus

Rába small tractor

Rába Mindenes(all-purpose) tractor, 1939

Rába Specialtype urban bus

Based on the experience gained through the Rába small truck and on the emerging demand, engineers of the Győr plant began to develop a multi-purpose agricultural equipment equipped with gear-shift. From 1939 this type, the Rába Mindenes, was the only type in production.

The tractor Mindenes became the favoured utility vehicle of medium-size businesses and it was also used in large agricultural enterprises for the preparation of the soil, as well as for threshing and grinding.


Vehicle manufacturing saw a revival in the second half of the 1930s, with preparation for the war in the focus. In his “Győr speech” in March 1938, Darányi announced a military development programme of 1 billion pengő, the Hungarian currency at the time.

In 1938, based on the drawings of Dezső Winkler, the Botond military off-road vehicle, one of Rába’s legendary products was born. The prototype vehicle was tested by the specialists of the Institute for Defense Technology for thousands of kilometers under the most challenging conditions. The vehicle passed the test with flying colours and in 1939 the Ministry of Defense ordered more than 1400 pieces of this type.

The 1.5-ton, extremely reliable vehicles, excellently adaptable to terrain conditions gained immediate popularity – according to some military experts, the best off-road vehicle of the war was constructed in Győr. The production was organized as a cooperation of six Hungarian factories supervised from Győr. A new order came in the early 1940s and 1400 new vehicles were manufactured in the Botond II programme.

In 1942 the Ministry of Defense ordered 3-ton, 65 HP trucks. The factory manufactured 350 pieces of the vehicle named Maros. Similarly, upon orders received from the Ministry of Defense, the engineers in Győr developed a four-wheel artillery tractor reliable under off-road circumstances as well. The prototype was completed by 1943, serial production, however, never materialized.

Troop exercise in 1938 with Rába Botond military offroad vehicle, in Hajmáskér

Four-wheel-drive artillery towing vehicle

Rába Maros truck


Rába was also involved in the production of the mid-size armoured vehicle Turán based on Skoda licence. The military vehicles featured a 250 HP gasoline engine and were ca-pable of a speed of 2.5 km/h off-road and of between 40 and 50 km/h on the highway and could be used on inclines of up to 45°. The manufactur-ing works and material require-ments of the armoured vehicle equaled those of nearly seven trucks. The first vehicles were delivered to the troops in 1942.

During WWII, the Győr factory was active in aircraft manufacturing as well. In the aircraft workshop established in 1936, initially aircraft engines, later aircraft bodies were repaired to be followed by the independent produc-tion of aircrafts as well. By the end of the decade, as a result of the ongoing development, an aircraft factory, with its own airfield was in place with nearly 1000 workers. Besides the Sólyom (falcon) reconnaissance planes developed in-house, italic FIAT, german Focke-Wulf practice bombers and later Messerschmitt fighter planes and fighter bombers were also manufactured in the Győr hangars.

In 1944 the plant suffered multiple bomb attacks, the first and most dramatic one occurring on 13 April. The air strike had claimed a death toll of some 300 people, and nearly two thirds of the buildings and 70% of the production equipment were damaged. In March 1945 the factory was subjected to Soviet military command and was nationalized in 1946, with the name of the company changed to Magyar Vagon és Gépgyár (MVG – Hungarian Wagon and Machinery Factory). In 1949 a decision was adopted to reorganize vehicle manufacturing in Hungary, which put an end to independent motor vehicle production in Győr.

„FIAT-Cr 32” single person fighter plane

Destructionsof the war

Turán medium-size tank


In the early 1960s, the company reverted to vehicle production. The first prototype of the floating reconnaissance motor vehicle (FUG) was completed and as a result of the ongoing development work, the PSZH was born. The armoured vehicle characterized by excellent maneuverability both on land and in water, produced in various type variants, represented significant firing power and offered armoured protection to its operators.

Through the involvement in the highway vehicle programme in the 1960s, the highway vehicle manufacturing division came to the forefront of attention again. The division focused on the production of modern main units, axles developed in-house, capable of the transmission of increased engine performance, as well as on diesel engines based on the MAN licence.

Assembly of port travelling crane

Rába-MAN Diesel engine

FUG (Amphibious armoured vehicle)

navigatinga trench

Danube bridge at Révfalu

The floating reconnaissance motor vehicle (FUG)

The new steel foundry


Following WWII, In 1951 car manufacturing was discontinued in the Győr factory. The bridge and iron structures plant, as well as the wagon manufacturing unit of the factory gained a prominent role in the restoration of transport in Hungary, as well as in the compensation works. The company was involved in the reconstruction of a number of destroyed bridges in the country. The post-war years saw the addition of new products to the company’s portfolio. The company offered to produce industrial, bridge, as well as portal cranes, electric forklifts and special iron structures.

The Győr Gas Works ordered gas containers and a revolving bridge for the delta of the Nile was also built in Győr. In 1949 a new steel foundry was put into operation, featuring state-of-the-art machinery and a conveyor belt system.

The years ofthe rebuilding

The new Rába trucks were introduced at the 1969 Buda-pest International Fair. The vehicles featured the newly developed Rába axles and 215 HP diesel engines. Serial production began in 1970, with the delivery of 100 pieces of 38-ton Hungarocamion trucks. Truck manufacturing came to its peak in the eighties, with the majority of the over one thousand units produced annually sold on the export mar-ket. Rába trucks were sold in 16 countries in the world and by 2002 nearly 18 thousand trucks rolled out of Győr.

Fifty thousandthRÁBA-MAN engine

Rába 831type truck

Rába 836 type truck

Axle assembly in the Rába factory

Diesel engine manufacturing in Rába

One of the first Rába axles


Large-scale capital expenditure programmes were launched in order to develop the necessary production base. By 1967, the 28,000 sqm production hall equipped with modern machinery was completed, together with the tooling and maintenance workshops, ready to launch large-series axle production. The new engine factory was inaugurated in 1969 and in 1973 the one hundred thousandth axle was completed, to be followed by the fifty thousandth RÁBA-MAN engine two years later.

Owing to the fast and ongoing expansion of production capacities, by 1980 Rába became one of the leading industrial companies in Hungary, ranking third among Hungarian companies in production value and second in headcount. Axles represented 40% of the production, engine manufacturing represented over 30% and trucks and power machinery, together with agricultural machinery made up 7.5% each. Rába, with its nearly 20 thousand employees had component manufacturing plants and assembly bases in 7 provincial towns in addition to the Győr headquarters.

Historical life cycle calculations

Rába-Steiger prime mover axles

Rába-Steiger prime mover

Rába 831 type truck

Rába-Steiger prime movers


By 1974 the Rába-Steiger prime mover adapted to the needs of large-scale agricultural production in Hungary was completed and in the following year already more than 400 units were manufactured. These high-performance tractors were coupled by state-of-the-art utility machinery.

In 1977 the company Steiger ordered axles for power machinery protected by Rába patent. Thus, the axles manufactured in Győr emerged on the market of the United States. During the years, Rába developed market contacts with the leading companies of the automotive industry and in a mere two decades Rába exports to the US already exceeded USD 700 million.

The activities of Rába Automotive Holding Co. Ltd. are today based on three interrelated but legally independent pillars.

As the largest member of the group, the axle business is involved in the development and manufacturing of complete axles, axle units and parts of axles. The business unit is producing mainly for export, its strategic markets include the United States, Europe and the CIS countries. The products of this division are installed primarily in medium and heavy freight vehicles and special vehicles, as well as in tractors and utility vehicles, buses and trolley buses.In 1992 Rába was once again turned into a joint stock

company. As a result of the privatization strategy developed and implemented together with the administration, Rába

Rt.’s shares were listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange on 17 December, 1997.

In 1999 the company outsourced a substantial portion of its activities and continued its operation as a holding. In 2001 the engine division no longer profitable was sold and the bus manufacturing activities were also discontinued. Since 2005 the company has been operating as a publicly listed company.

Gears

Axle assembly

3D axle drawing


During the Kádár-regime, the business partners of the Győr plant included the Soviet Union in the first place and the COMECON countries, as well as Yugoslavia and the Arab countries.

1989 brought significant changes in the life of the company as well. In the early 1990s the state owned company lost a substantial portion of its market contacts and had to thus face serious challenges: its product mix and market contacts, as well as its network of suppliers and resources had to be restructured.

Since the company was most acknowledged by the markets of the more developed countries primarily because of its axles and axle parts, the management of the company set the strategic goal to maintain and possibly improve the competitiveness of this business division even at the expense of other units. Since the 1980’s, Rába has been regarded as an acclaimed global producer of front and rear axles. The division continues to generate the best results within the company.

The yearsof the transition

Robot-X at Rába Axle Ltd.

The Mór plant is primarily involved in the production of seats and seat components, whereas the Sárvár operation manufactures machined and pressed metal components. This business unit is linked to the regional automotive industry as a tier one and tier two supplier to vehicle manufacturers active in the European Union and in Hungary.

Rába seat frame

Wire bending machine

Cover production

Rába’s Sárvár plant

Rába Technological Demonstration Centre

Rába components


In 2010 the company launched a comprehensive innovation and technological development programme, implemented with-in the framework of the Rába Development Institute. The new technological centre allows the development of a new genera-tion of axles, suspension and transmission systems at higher intensity and at an advanced level for modern buses, trucks and agricultural power ma-chinery.

In the early years of the 21st

century Rába established its uniform component business with an eye towards the integration into the international supply chains of the automotive industry.Component manufacturing and customer service are currently taking place at the Mór, Sárvár and Esztergom sites.

Protected Rear Compartment (PRC)

Rába S91 midibus

First fire-fighting chassis

Military vehicles

Chassis


Since 2003 the vehicle business manu-facturing complete vehicles, automotive structures and chassis, together with its international partners, has been the exclusive off-road vehicle supplier to the Hungarian Ministry of Defense. Relying on its expertise developed over the years, it also produces chassis for state-of-the-art construction vehicles, utility vehicles and buses for the European market.

The Rába H type family of vehicles for special military and civilian applications – including peace-keeping missions, as well as disaster prevention – is the result of development efforts spanning over more than a decade. The vehicles, fully compliant with modern warfare and special engineering requirements, can be transported by rail, air or sea and can be armoured, as an

option. These vehicles are upgraded on an ongoing basis, in line with special defense needs.

In addition to the military transport vehicles and civilian structures, the strategic product portfolio of the business division is complemented by road vehicles suitable for urban and suburban community transport. Products intended for civilian use represent a steadily increasing portion within the orders of the company.

3D axle drawing

Rába onglobal market


Rába with its products is present in numerous countries worldwide and has long-term business relations with its key partners. Rába’s cooperations and strategic partnerships are based on mutual trust, as well as on the company’s demonstrated automotive expertise. We can meet the diverse needs of customers from various continents and diverse cultural backgrounds at a high standard.

•Theabilitytoinnovateandthe operation of a knowledge base both individually and with partners

•Engineeringexperience,creativity, and a customer-focused team of professionals

•Complexsolutionsfromconceptualdesign to complete product development and testing to mass production

•Qualityapproach,weaimtoprovide the highest standard of supply and level of product quality in cooperation with our partners.

Rába places the following solid values at the foundations of its progress:

Continuing the technological modernisation and business development efforts of the past years, Rába plans to implement capital expenditure projects, with possible acquisitions aimed at further modernisation of strategic significance, as well as to strengthen its international presence.

International presence

Front axle robot cell

Raba Automotive Holding Plc.9027 Győr, Martin u. 1.

[email protected] • www.raba.hu/english

Published: 2016.

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