Ganz Motor Kft.

History

History

Expertise since 1844

With a professional expertise dating back to more than 175 years, Ganz Motor Kft. is a Hungarian manufacturer of major engineering units for railway vehicles. The company is 100% owned by Ganz Holding Corporation. We feel important to mention the rich experience accumulated within the Ganz Holding Co. that is also our investment into the future.
Among others this specialized knowledge – contributed by such outstanding and well-known experts as Mechwart András, Kandó Kálmán or Jendrassik György – allowed for Ganz companies to supply railway vehicles to 38 countries worldwide in all populated continents, for satisfaction of both operators and passengers. The Ganz Group of companies founded by Ganz Ábrahám in 1844 and the ’Magyar Királyi Államvasutak Gép- és Kocsigyára’ (Machine and Coach Factory of Hungarian Royal State Railways) established in 1870 – that later on became the ’MÁVAG’ – have played a basic role in the history of the company.
Starting from the manufacturing of steam locomotives, these companies – first apart, then after their merge in 1959 (establishment of Ganz- MÁVAG) by means of joint efforts and the application of the results of continuous innovations and that of the leading technologies reached the development of diesel and electric driven vehicles (locomotives, trainsets, trams, metros and LRVs). Apart from the development and supply of driven vehicles, diesel engines, transmissions, the manufacturing of the hauled vehicles and that of passenger coaches and freight wagons was also continuous, and always in compliance with the highest technical niveau of the actual era.

When in 1988 the Ganz-MÁVAG split up, its manufacturing activities, technical traditions and intellectual heritage were passed on to its successor companies. Out of its main activities the railway vehicle manufacturing was continued in several steps by Ganz- Hunslet Rt., then Ganz Vagon Kft., while the engineering activity was continued by Ganz Gépgyár Vállalat. By means of the transformation of the latter company, in 1991 the Ganz Holding Co. came into existence, incorporating production-, service-, development and trade companies, each of diversified profile. In 1991 Ganz Holding Co. established Ganz Motor Kft. that also continues the activities of Ganz David Brown Kft. and that of Ganz Vagon Kft., which companies finished their activities in the meantime.

From technological point of view the company is featured of customised and small scale production. The company disposes of universal machinery, qualified engineers and skilled workmen and by means of continuous
developments a flexible background is available to satisfy the highest level of individual customer requirements.
Our company is committed to satisfy the customers’ requirements primarily by means of cooperation and innovation, based on the more than 175 years of tradition and in compliance with actual and future challenges. Our aim is to turn to a remarkable factor of the Hungarian mechanical engineering in the 21th. century, to improve our competitiveness and to increase our international prestige. We contribute to the successful and efficient operation of railway vehicles by supplying our worldwide known vehicle manufacturing partners with high-quality products.

1844
Acquisition of the first property. That time Kórház street – today Ganz street –„the cradle of Ganz”
1844
1845
Establishment of the first Ganz enterprise – a casting workshop
1845
1867
Establishment of Ganz and Co.
1867
1869
The family sold the factory
1869
1869
The partners also sold their stake (buyers: M.P. Blau and I. Brüll et Co., later Wahrmann & Son, the Baron brothers and Kohén J.J. took 3/5 of ownership)
1869
1869
Establishment of Ratiborz’ site (in Silesia, today in Poland)
1869
1869
Creation of the Ganz és Társa Vasöntő és Gépgyár Rt. (Ganz & Co. Casting and Machinery Join Stock Company)
1869
1878
Establishment of electrotechnical workshop in Kacsa street 18 (the cradle of the production of electric machinery)
1878
1880
Acquisition of the Első Magyar Vasúti Kocsigyár Rt. (First Hungarian Railway Carriage Production Joint Stock Company, start of production of railways rolling stock and machinery)
1880
1887
Acquisition of Leobersdorf Machinery Production JSC
1887
1891
Acquisition of Petrovagon Iron Smelter
1891
1906
The Electric Department, created from the first workshop transformed into Ganz Electric Works JSC
1906
1909
Establishment of the Ganz Hajógyár Fiume (GANZ Shipyard Fiume – today Rijeka, Croatia)
1909
1911
Creation of Ganz és Társa, Danubius Gép-, Vagon- és Hajógyár Rt. (Ganz & Co., Danubius Machinery, Wagon and Shipyard (with unification of Ganz és Társa Vasöntő és Gépgyár Rt. és a Danubius Hajógyár Rt)
1911
1916
Creation of Ganz FIAT Magyar Repülőgépmotorgyár (Ganz FIAT Hungarian Aircraft Engine Factory, with unification with Österreichische Fiat Werke)
1916
1918
After Versaille Peace Agreement the Petrovagon Vasolvasztó transferred into Romanian, the Ratibori Gépgyár – into Polish, the Fiumei hajógyár into Italian ownership.
1918
1929
Creation of Ganz & Co., Danubius Electric Machinery, Wagon and Shipyard JSC (Ganz és Társa Danubius Villamossági Gép-, Vagon- és Hajógyár Rt., from Ganz és Társa Danubius Rt. és a Ganz Villamossági Gyár Rt)
1929
1946
With creation of Heavy Industry Centre of Hungary all Ganz Properties, those are located in Hungary are nationalized, all others went in foreing ownership
1946
1949
The nationalised Ganz properties are transformed into independent State Companies
  • Ganz Vagon- és Gépgyár (Wagon & Machinery)
  • Ganz Villamossági Gyár (Electric Works)
  • Ganz Hajógyár (Shipyard)
  • Ganz Kapcsoló- és Készülékgyár (Switchgear & Electric Equipment)
  • Ganz Árammérőgyár (Electric Measuring Equipment)
  • Aprítógépgyár – (Shredding Equipment) in city of Jászberény
1949
1868
Creation. Magyar - Belga Gép- és Hajóépítő Társaság (Hungarian-Belgian Machinery and Shipyard Company) and Magyar – Svájci Vasúti Kocsigyár (Hungarian-Swiss Railways Coach Production Factory
1868
1870
With acquisition of two above mentioned companies the Magyar Királyi Államvasutak Gép- és Kocsigyára (Machinery and Railways Coach Production Factory of Hungarian Royal State Railways)
1870
1873
Creation of Magyar Királyi Államvasutak Gépgyára (Hungarian Royal State Railways, short name: MÁV Gépgyár), Északi Főműhely (Norther Main Workshop)
1873
1880
Unification of MÁV Gépgyár and Diósgyőri Magyar Királyi Vas és Acélgyárak (Royal Hungarian Metal and Steel Works of Diósgyörgy)
1880
1902
Creation of Magyar Királyi Állami Vasgyárak (Hungarian Royal State Metal Works), wich absorbs the Gun Factory of Gyor and in
1902
1925
The Magyar Királyi Állami Vas-, Acél- és Gépgyárak (Hungarian Royal State Metal, Steel and Machinery Works, short name: MÁVAG)
1925
1943
MÁVAG renamed. MÁVAG renamed into Vitéz Horthy István Magyar Királyi Állami Vas-, Acél- és Gépgyárak (Vitéz István Horthy, the son of the Governor of Hungary)
1943
1945
Creation of Magyar Állami Vas-, Acél- és Gépgyárak (Hungarian State Metal, Steel and Machinery Works)
1945
1949
Creation of MÁVAG Mozdony- és Gépgyár (Locomotive and Machinery Works)
1949
1959
Unification with MÁVAG – creation of Ganz-MÁVAG Mozdony-, Vagon- és Gépgyár (Locomotive, Wagon and Machinery Production Corporation)
1959
1987
Extinction of Ganz-MÁVAG with creation of independent companies, one of which is Ganz Gépgyár Vállalat (Machinery Production Ent., est. January, 1988)
  • one of the biggest legal successors
  • inherits almost full machinery production profile
1987
1990
Ganz Gépgyár Vállalat founds three production LLC-s
1990
1991
Creation of Holding structure
1991
1991
Ganz Motor Kft was established as Ganz Gépgyár Motor és Hajtómű kft (Machinery, Motor and Transmission Production)
1991
1991-93
Creation of further LLC-s with foreign investors
1991-93
1992
Became Ganzeg Gépgyár Motor Kft., after Ganz David Brown sold their stake
1992
1997
Became Ganz Motor Kft.
1997
2004 – 2005
The business of two liquidated LLC-s cég (Ganz Vagon Kft., Ganz-David Brown Hajtóműgyártó Kft.) is continued in GANZ Motor Kft.  
2004 – 2005