Zbrojovka Brno

Pre-war Československá zbrojovka, akc.spol. and post-war Zbrojovka Brno, n.p. was a maker of small arms, light artillery, and motor vehicles in Brno, Czechoslovakia. It also made other products and tools, such as typewriters and early computers.

Zbrojovka Brno, s.r.o.
Private limited company
IndustryFirearm
SuccessorGomanold 
Founded1918 
Defunct2009 
Headquarters
Brno
,
Czech Republic
ParentČeská zbrojovka a.s.
Websitewww.zbrojovka-brno.cz
For the football club, see FC Zbrojovka Brno.
Zbrojovka Brno headquarters and gateway

In 1946, Zbrojovka started making tractors, which it branded "Zetor" ("Z-tractor"). Zetor continues to make tractors in Brno.

History

The company was founded in 1918 as a state company called Czechoslovak arms factories in Brno. It also assembled German and Austrian rifles Mauser and Mannlicher, later her own. In 1924–1925 a new factory was built, where cars, engines and other machines were produced in addition to rifles and machine guns. In the 1930s, it also produced Remington licensed typewriters and Skoda tractors.

During World War II, it produced weapons for the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS. In 1944, the factory was severely damaged in the bombing of Brno. After liberation, it worked again. In the second half of the 1940s, it produced engines, weapons and tractors. In November 1945, a prototype of the Zetor Z-25 tractor was produced, the name Zetor, which was maintained to this day, comes from the words "Zet" (the proclaimed first letter of the armory) and "or" (the end of the word tractor).

In the 1980s and 1990s, the In the 1980s, the company refocused mainly on communication and computing technologies and technology, at the expense of weapons production and repair. In the 1990s and 1990s, the in the 1990s, the number of employees began to decline. Since 2003, the company has started to fail. In June 2006, arms production was discontinued and as of 31 December 2006, the production of arms was discontinued. On 8 August 2006, the last employees were made redundant. [1] Right after, at the beginning of September 2006, BRNO RIFLES auctioned machining centers and part of other Zbrojovka Brno machine equipment at public auction. The auctioneers did not intend to waste their money unnecessarily, so they were not interested in machines for the production of main and arm. These machines are owned by CZUB and it is easier to buy their arms from Uherské Brod. Further efforts were made to ensure the purchase of the industrial rights of the most promising weapons of the portfolio of the former Zbrojovka Brno, the BO 800 series goats and the Brno Effect rifles. It was also not easy to find the original employees of Zbrojovka Brno, which brno rifles adopted by mid-October twenty-nine. All the effort led to a happy ending, and on 15 December 2005, the united state of The New York City Council approved a new On January 1, 2007, BRNO RIFLES shipped the first goat, which according to contractual relations was purchased by her sister Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod, providing for BRNO RIFLES everything related to trade.

The 22.5 ha premises in Brno were auctioned at the end of January 2008 for 707 million CZK ( 30 million US Dollars,24 milion GBP). It was acquired by the Slovak holding company J&T, which, however, has nothing to do with the production of weapons. Now the campus is used by several companies. Due to the aesthetics of the premises, it is used for photographic work. There are also music rehearsal rooms. The lease agreement between the Brno Armoury and the new owner has been extended and is continuing production in rented premises.


Products

Firearms
Bren light machine gun

Motor vehicles
1929 Z 18 pick-up truck

Zbrojovka built cars and light commercial vehicles with two-stroke engines. The first model was the Disk, which was a two-door light car with a four-cylinder, 598cc, 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) engine launched in 1924.[1] This was succeeded in 1926 by the Z 18, which was a two-door sedan powered by a two-cylinder, 1005 cc engine producing 18 horsepower (13 kW).[2] This was succeeded in 1929 by the Z 9,[3] which had a 993cc engine producing 22 horsepower (16 kW).[4] Body options for the Z 9 included a four-door sedan or convertible, two-door, four-seat sedan, two-seat convertible and a commercial light truck.[5]

In 1933, Zbrojovka introduced the Z 4, again with a two-cylinder engine. Early versions displaced 905 cc (55.2 cu in) and produced 19 horsepower (14 kW).[6] In 1934, Zbrojovka introduced a 980 cc (60 cu in) version that produced 25 horsepower (19 kW) in standard tune or 35 horsepower (26 kW) in the sports coupé version.[4]

Zbrojovka Z 5 Express two-door sedan

In 1935, Zbrojovka widened its range with two new models, the Z 6 Hurvínek and Z 5 Express. The Z 6 had a two-cylinder engine that displaced 735 cc (44.9 cu in) and produced 19 horsepower (14 kW).[7] The Z 5 engine was modular with the Z 6: a four-cylinder version that displaced 1,470 cc (90 cu in) and produced 40 horsepower (30 kW).[8] Zbrojovka designed a rakish new body style for the Z 5 and Z 6[9] and updated the Z 4 body to a similar style.[10]

Zbrojovka Zetor 15

Zbrojovka ceased production of the Z4 and Z5 in 1936 and the Z6 in 1937. After the Second World War the company concentrated its vehicle manufacturing on tractors.

References
  1. Tuček 2017, p. 89.
  2. Tuček 2017, p. 91.
  3. Tuček 2017, p. 93.
  4. Tuček 2017, p. 187.
  5. Tuček 2017, pp. 188–189.
  6. Tuček 2017, p. 189.
  7. Tuček 2017, p. 305.
  8. Tuček 2017, p. 306.
  9. Tuček 2017, pp. 305–307.
  10. Tuček 2017, pp. 303–304.

Bibliography
  • Tuček, Jan (2017). Auta první republiky 1918–1938 (in Czech). Prague: Grada Publishing. ISBN 978-80-271-0466-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)


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