Construction of the Kama automobile plant began in 1969: on December 13 the first bucket of soil was excavated at the production site of the future automobile giant. The first five KAMAZ-5320 trucks rolled off the assembly line on February 16, 1976.
Today, KAMAZ is a major automaker in Russia and a world leader in truck production. The industrial group consists of 109 companies located in Russia, the CIS and other foreign countries and covers the entire production cycle from product design to marketing and service.
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Speech at a special meeting
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends. Hello,
Today is a great day, a jubilee – KAMAZ is 50 years old. Congratulations!
And of course, I think this was already mentioned, but there is no harm in repeating it: we bow to those who laid the foundation for this enterprise and put their heart into it. I mean the workers, builders, engineers and scientists, who launched this outstanding and exciting project in 1969. People came here from all over the Soviet Union; they formed a unique workforce in terms of composition.
Of course all of you love your native city, your Republic of Tatarstan and your heart and soul are with our greater common Homeland, Russia. People of various ethnic origins, religions and different ages have worked and are working here today. We have a good mix here – very energetic and forward-thinking. Wonderful young people. We have just visited the production shops – people are thinking about the future. And what cutting-edge, remarkable products you make, great machines!
Naturally, we are proud of our brand in this country, but KAMAZ has become an international brand too, partly due to your and our rally drivers who achieve impressive results every year and never spare themselves at these prestigious international competitions. Let’s congratulate them on their victories once again.
I want to thank you all again for your work. All of us, the entire country is proud of your achievements. My congratulations on the 50th anniversary of KAMAZ. Good luck!