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Early History
The AMZ was established in 1948 by Archana Communist Government to produce cars for post WWII Archana. With some help from it’s big brother, Archana started manufacturing cars under licence.
Production History
AMZ Model 48-10
In the end of 40s, the party leadership of Archana thought about creating an inexpensive car to use in urban environments. Development of the model took only about a year, prototypes were released May 1, 1948. The constructurors were ordered to create a car affordable to everyone - an Archana rival to Volkswagen. The design had a short wheelbase (2.1 m) and was only 3360 mm long. Double wishbone front suspension was chosen as progressive and having superior dynamic characteristics, rear suspension is leaf spring.
The car is fitted with M-46 I4 OHV 1.3L engine fitted with a single K-1 carburettor. Until early 60s, only A-76 leaded gasoline (with RON of about 78-80) was produced in Archana, apart from aviation fuel. Thus the engine had to have a low compression ratio of 6:1 and run on rich 13:1 fuel mixture. The engine is paired with 3-ratio gearbox, equipped with synchromesh. The engine only produced 35 HP but it was adequate for the time and the car weight (just under 700 Kg). Max speed was capped at 110 km/h which was rather good for the time - on most Archana roads speed over 40 km/h was impossible anyway.
Unfortunately, the car was too high-priced ($5500 was not really affordable in post-war Archana) and due to low-octane fuel usage and outdated carb design, fuel consumption was abyssmal (above 20L / 100 Km). Hence, only 100 cars were produced, most of them became prizes in the state lottery.
Model 48-10 specs:
There was also an export model called 48-10 E with engine tuned for RON 92 fuel significantly increasing fuel economy and power output, leather seats and clock added to the interior, and safety glass and impact-absorbing bumpers retrofitted. The modification never entered mass prodution, only about 10 were produced, used as diplomatic vehicles abroad or police pursuit vehicles.
AMZ Sport (1950)
AMZ Sport was the first and only Archana sports car from built not by a lonely enthusiast or a car club but by the workshops of the main car factory in Archana.
Actually though, it began as a diplomniy proekt - a master’s degree work by five engineering students of AGU State University. After an article about the car was published in Archanskay Pradva newspaper, the factory management decided to give the project a green light and ordered a couple of actual engineers to assist with the project. It was used to commemorate 20 years since the formation of Archana Socialist Republic and was used in propaganda comparing it with premium Western cars.
The car used steel ladder roofless chassis, 3-gear manual gearbox from Model 48 with more sporty gear ratios, the suspension was double wishbones all round. Engine was based on downsized pre-war I8 licensed from Krasnovia, two were used to form a highly unusual V16. Stroke was changed to 50mm making the engine oversquare which allowed for unusually high redline for the time - 7000 rpm. The engine was fitted with an experimental K-2 double barrel carb. Total output was 100 kWt - 136 HP.
Only two cars were built, with one car lost during trial due to poor drivability. The remaining car was used as a drawing card of the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy. It also managed to achive speed of 186 km/h breaking Archana’s national speed record in 1951.
AMZ Sport specs:
AMZ Model 50
Short after releasing Model 48-10, which was not too successful, Archana government on its VII Communist Party congress once again pointed the urgent need to establish mass production of their very own Archanan automobile, intended for individual use and most suitable for use in harsh Archana road conditions. Supporting the speech, a couple of poor engineers were shot for treason and some more sent to GULAG. Highly motivated by that, AMZ’s second attempt at creating a Volkswagen killer was slightly better.
The resulting car was a lot bigger than it’s predecessor which was too confined - reaching 3950 mm in length. However it used pretty much the same platform with ladder chassis, front independent suspension and rear leaf spring solid axle. By default the car had same old M-46 engine paired with 3-gear manual.
The engineers have achieved maximum design simplification allowing the car cost to be lower than $5000. It also feaured nice offroad capabilities. This, and being the only car available for general population, allowed the car to quickly become the most popular vehicle in Archana. However, even if one had the money to buy it ($5000 was still a pretty large sum in post-war Archana - roughly 50K in 2019 money), he would still need to stay in line for it for at least several months.
Naturally, due to the simplification and cutting the corners during development, the car had some serious flaws. Brakes were overheating and pretty much ineffective - luckily speeds weren’t as high those days and drivers mostly used engine braking. The interior was spartan to say the least, and safety regulations was something Archana would start caring about much later. Tyres were abyssmal with no winter studded tyres offered by Archana industry at all - this coupled with RWD made winter driving quite challenging.
AMZ Model 50 specs:
AMZ Begej (1955)
All previous attempts to produce subcompact cars of classic FR layout inevitably ended with the car being too high, too heavy, too complex and too clumsy. It was possible to get rid of these shortcomings by blocking the engine and transmission into a single unit and placing it directly at the driving wheels - front or rear.
Front wheel drive required advanced techologies like CV joints so the engineers decided to go with the RR layout.
Another problem was the chassis. Ladder was too complex for a small mass car because it required much manual labor for production - the solution was to create monocoque body and improve manufacturing process. It was also the first Archana car to use strut suspension, copied from most advanced Western cars of the time. McPherson allowed for more efficient packaging and simplier design than double wishbone.
Meanwhile, Archana oil industry was on the rise, starting to produce leaded petrol in 1954. It was a huge step ahead for engine engineed who were now able to pump up compression ratio and make a competetive engine. The first engine of AMZ Pek small engines family was an opposite four OHV 800 cc engine influeenced by earlier Western counterparts and producing 35 horsepower. Engine was equipped with brand new K-E economy carburetor. This allowed the car to achieve fuel consumption of lower than 10 L / 100 Km.
The car was well received by customers and foreign car journals as well. Prices started at $4547.
1955 AMZ Begej Specs:
1963 AMZ Begej B:
This modification got a new more economical engine - AMZ Pek was tuned for better economy losing 5 horsepower though. The car also got a brand new AMZ-62-1 4-gear manual transmission, radial tyres, front seat belts and 2 mirrors as standard.
1970 AMZ Begej C
Second facelift introduced more powerful engine with the same level of fuel economy at the same time, optional AM radio and better crash protection. This was the first Archana car that used plastics for exterior details to reduce material costs. Although completely outdated by the time it was released, Begej C was produced until 1978.
AMZ Model 63 / Type 63 Military Utility Vehicle
Although the state of Archana was pretty militaristic, it was not until 1962 that AMZ began participating in government defence tenders.
Archana began copying foreign cars in 1920 when it produced a copy of Model A under the [classified] license. Over time, Archana started giving much less attention to licensing (not only cars, but planes and generally everything) and eventually stopped giving a flying f about that with the beginning of Cold War. In 1958, Archana bought a fleet of Anhultz 400 vehicles to be used for government needs. By 1962, they have managed to successfully copy the design and started manufacturing Anhultz 400 on their own.
Of course the design was rather simplified, and the car was fitted with Archana AMZ M-46 engine as well. The powerful and reliable Anhultz 400 was a good base for creating a military utility vehicle for Archana People Liberation Army - though test drivers who had the opportunity to try out both cars had unflattering reviews of the Archanian copy.
As well as getting domestic engine and gearbox, Model 63 had several other minor changes mostly aimed at boosting offroad capabilities and lowering production costs. The car also got a facelift getting a front grill from Begej city car — making the vehicle design rather controversial. In 1963 AMZ won production contract for 15’000 Archana People Liberation Army military vehicles . It is still in limited use by Archana military and other third world countries as well.
AMZ Model 63 Specs:
Anhultz 400 used with kind permission from Elizipeazie
The AMZ Sport would have given quite a few Western carmakers a fright back in the day - surely AMZ ought to try again with a successor, possibly after the fall of communism in Archana?
