Company overview
GAZ (Gorkovsky avtomobilny zavod) is a Russian automobile manufacturer based in Nizhny Novgorod. Established in 1932 as the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant, it began production with assistance from Ford Motor Company. The factory’s name changed to GAZ in 1933 following the renaming of the city to Gorky. Initially, GAZ produced passenger cars and trucks based on Ford models. In the post-Soviet era, the company shifted its focus to light commercial vehicles and entered contract manufacturing agreements with Volkswagen, General Motors, and Mercedes-Benz. GAZ produced a variety of vehicles including armored military vehicles during World War II and the early Cold War, as well as passenger cars like the GAZ-M20 Pobeda (Warsaw). Later developments included acquisitions by SibAl and subsequent contract manufacturing agreements with DaimlerChrysler for vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Chevrolet Aveo. In 2019, GAZ sought a government bailout due to US sanctions. As of November 2021, the company announced plans for mass production of hydrogen engines.
