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Rába Automotive Holding Plc.

Rába Automotive Holding Plc. with a hundred and twenty years of experience is one of the largest Hungarian companies in the automotive industry. The three strategic business units of the company produce axles for commercial vehicles, agri-machinery and earthmovers as well as automotive components and specialty vehicles. Rába is a Gyor-based (Western-Hungary) company employing more than 1700 people. Nearly 90 percent of its overall sales revenue comes from its export activities, mainly from the three strategic markets: the EU, the US, the CIS. Rába is a public limited company with shares listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange.

Rába's Axle Business Unit embraces the whole range of industry-related services enabling Rába to provide complex industrial solutions for its most demanding clients as well. The axle business unit manufactures its products mainly for export, traditionally, for its largest buyer's market the USA. However, thanks to its high-quality products, it has been increasing its market share in the EU and CIS countries as well.

The Components Business Unit relies on two West-Transdanubian plants. The Mór plant is the center of up-to-date welding and pressing processes while the key technology in the Sárvár plant is cutting and machining. The business unit primarily sells its products to international automotive companies operating in Hungary and in other EU countries.

The Vehicle Business Unit manufacture complete vehicles, automotive structures and chassis. It has been producing rolling bus chassis and high mobility military trucks that comply with special transportability and defense requirements as well as carrying out development and adaptation activities for these products. Its main long-term client has been the Hungarian Army. In addition to the military vehicles, the company supplies various category bus and earthmover chassis for its domestic and international partners as well. In addition, the strategic product portfolio of the business division is complemented by road vehicles suitable for urban and suburban community transport.

Csepel Motor Vehicle Plant produces a range of military trucks (4 x 2, 4 x 4, 6 x 6 and 8 x 8), while GEPFET Ltd is the design and production company responsible for the production of the Szöcske, a new fast-attack vehicle. The Vehicle business unit together with its international partners – manufacturing chassis and steel structures for the automotive industry – is the exclusive supplier of the Hungarian Defence Forces till 2018 regarding off-road military vehicles. Raba’s capacities and experiences – built up during a long period of time – are complemented by projects such as manufacturing chassis for buses, construction vehicles and commercial vehicles.

The military supplies include vehicles in 5 off-road vehicle classes according to the frame contract signed in 2003. The Raba H family of vehicles – intended for special military use – is the result of a decade long design work. Its design is in accordance with the modern military and technical demands. The vehicles can be transported by rail, by air, they are equipped with an anti-reconnaissance system and as an option they can be fitted with an armoring kit.

The vehicles designed for special military or civil use, e.g. peace-keeping missions, emergency actions _ are to meet such requirements as good off-road capability, transportability by air and by rail, effective protection of the crew and the availability of a wide range of types. Rába Jármû Kft. (Rába Vehicle Ltd.) has aimed at the complete fulfilment of these requirements when developing the special truck family.

According to the 20 November 2018 framework contract to continue the Vehicle Procurement Program between 2018 and 2026, Rába Vehicle Ltd. supplies the customer with off-road vehicles tailored to the needs of the Hungarian Defence Forces, which have already gained recognition in previous cooperations. The diverse military vehicles, named the H-family, developed and manufactured by Rába support the long-term development of the fleet of the Hungarian Defence Forces.

Under the framework contract there are no preset procurement obligations, the quantities to be supplied will be determined by the Ministry of Defence according to the schedule of the development of the defence forces. The extension of the Vehicle Procurement Program ensures that the Hungarian Defence Forces continue to fulfil their duties with the help of NATO-compatible, state-ofthe-art military vehicles.

At 10.00 a.m., December 28, 1896 a group of 9 shareholders founded the Hungarian Railway Carriage and Machine Works Plc. in Gyor with 1 million crown capital at the general assembly with Emil Léderer presiding in the room of the savings-bank of Gyor town and county. In 1897 the first product of the Railway Carriage Factory were 30pc, 15 ton, two axle tank cars for the Galicia-Carpathian Petroleum Plc. In 2 years the 1000th railway carriage was made.

From 1901 the countries of the Monarchy could have a share in the orders by the army in the ratio of the maintenance of the joint army. From 1902 the Railway Carriage Factory supplies limbers, tumbrels, gun-carriage parts to the joint army.

Darányi in his speech in Gyor announced a military preparation program of 1 million Pengo. The Botond derived from the successful RÁBA AFI was born under the direction of Dezso Winkler. Its manufacture was organized together with 6 Hungarian factories and under the direction of Gyor.

The first 150 Botond off-highway vehicles were supplied. The total quantity (1402 pcs) was delivered by June 30, 1940. The steel works was modernized, armor plate quenching and hardening and tempering plant was set up. The old hydraulic presses were replaced. The railway carriage assembly workshop was enlarged and new buildings were built for the Car Plant and new machines were installed. The prototype of all-wheel drive artillery tractor type RÁBA 41 M was made with the RÁBAM.A.N. 6 cylinder, 100 HP engine on the basis of the experiences with Botond.

From 1939-40 an assembly hall and store of parts were built for the manufacture of aircraft's. The independent aircraft production was started. The airframes of 12 Sólyom reconnaissance aircraft's and 2 later developed reconnaissance aircraft's were made. The prototype of Levente type aircraft was manufactured. Between 1940 and 1942 the Railway Carriage Factory made 27 Sólyom and 29 Focke-Wulf aircraft's.

In 1941 the manufacture of Turán tank began on the basis of the Skoda T21 license. The manufacture of Turán tank began on the basis of the Skoda T21 license. 1942 The Medve bridge across the Danube was built between 1940 and 1942. 1940-43: The new car factory was built. July 1, 1941: After Arnold Barcza's retirement Ábrahám Imre Pattantyús became the new director of the factory, who had been the director of Rimamurány-Salgótarján Iron Works previously. 1942. The Messerschmidt Program started: the manufacture of Me Bf 109 fighter aircraft, then Me 210 fighter-bomber aircraft began together with the Danubian Aircraft Factory.

In March 1944 the Railway Carriage Factory was given permission for removing the plants into the surrounding settlements. In autumn and in the spring of 1945 the remaining machines, tools and stores of parts were shifted to the West. Many workers and technical experts were also moved and used in German military plants. The goods relocated by force were treated as spoils of war. April 13, 1944: Within the actions decided at the Teheran conference the first tragical bombing of the Railway Carriage Factory resulted in 300 fatalities and large damage in machines and buildings.

On March 28, 1945 the direction of Railway Carriage Factory was taken over by the Soviets. In 1949 the Hungarian auto manufacture was reorganized. The independent car manufacture stops in Gyor. The units are designed in the Vehicle Development Institution under the direction of Director Dezso Winkler. Dezso Winkler was awarded the Kossuth prize for his work in the automotive production in 1951. The bus manufacture went to Ikarus, the truck chassis, engine, body manufacture and the finishing assembly to Csepel Auto Factory. The front and rear axles, steering gear and transmission are manufactured in Gyor.

As a result of the privatization strategy that was devised and executed with the government, the shares of Rába Rt. were listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange on December 17, 1997.

In 2003 the company started to supply special vehicles to the Hungarian Army.