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MeMZ is short for "Melitopol Engine Plant" (Ukrainian: "Мелітопольський моторний завод"). The factory was founded in 1908 by a Ukrainian entrepreneur by the name of Zaferman. Until 1925 the factory focused mainly on diesel engines specifically for applications in agricultural machinery and fishing ships. In the maelstrom of events occurring in Soviet Union and the world, the small factory was forced to slow down production, until completely evacuating the plant in 1941.
| Type | Privately-held company |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1908 |
| Founder(s) | Zaferman |
| Headquarters | Melitopol, Ukraine |
| Industry | automobile manufacturing |
| Products | automobile engines |
| Parent | ZAZ |
| Website | http://www.memz.com.ua |
Contents |
The large industrial city of Melitopol was freed from Nazi occupation in 1944, at which time the National Committee of USSR ordered the factory to resume operations.
In 1958 the factory was renamed MeMZ and started developong micro car engines for ZAZ. In 1960 MeMZ released the first gasoline powered engine - the MeMZ-965. The original engine had a peak power output of 23 horsepower, roughly 17.2 kilowatts. Despite being small, the engine produced a great-deal of heat, all of which could not be effectively dissipated by an air-cooling system. In 1963 the initial design saw some improvements and the new MeMZ-966 model was released into mass production.
The factory was incorporated into AvtoZAZ holding in 1975.
The MeMZ-966 was an economy model; underpowered, but quite cheap to produce. As a result it was implemented in what the Soviet government hoped to be the first "National" vehicle; the ZAZ (often referred to as Zaporozhets) - short for Zaporozhia Automotive Factory. The ZAZ model-line cars were intended to be affordable, therefore they were neither safe nor reliable; nevertheless they were a success since people would rather have some means of transportation as opposed to none at all. MeMZ continued to upgrade its engines, which eventually found uses in other vehicles.
Interestingly, the engine looks a bit like the VW aircooled boxer four, except that the two cylinder banks are at a 90 degree angle. As Russian car owners were expected to do much of the servicing themselves, and auto workshops were in short supply anyway, this layout was more practical.
With the establishment of AutoZAZ-Daewoo in 1998, the factory was renamed AutoZAZ-Motor, and then incorporated into the ZAZ in 2002.
| Model | MeMZ965 | 965A/966 | 968 | 2471/2477 | 301/3011 | 307/3071 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | OHV V4 | OHV V4 | OHV V4 | I4 | I4 | I4 |
| Volume | 746 cc | 887 cc | 1.2L | 1.091/1.197L | 1.299L | 1.299L |
| Power | 23 hp (17.2 kW) | 27 hp (20.1 kW) | 42 hp (31.3 kW) | 51-58 hp (37-43 kW) | 63 hp (46 kW) | 64-70 hp (47-51.5 kW) |
| Cooling | Air | Air | Air | Water | Water | Water |
| Used in | ZAZ-965 Zaporozhets | ZAZ-965A/966 Zaporozhets | ZAZ-968 Zaporozhets | ZAZ-1102 Tavria, ZAZ-1105 Dana/Slavuta, Daewoo Sens | ||
MeMZ 307/3071 are fuel injection versions of 301/3011