ČKD

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ČKD Tatra-T3 tram car in Kiev. T3 was the most successful ČKD tram manufactured from 1960 to 1989; 13991 units were sold worldwide

ČKD (Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk) was one of the largest engineering companies in the former Czechoslovakia and today's Czech Republic.

ČKD was formed in 1927 from the merger of two smaller companies, Českomoravská-Kolben and Breitfeld-Daněk.

From 1927 until 1929 ČKD's products included a motorcycle designed by JF Koch. It was an advanced four-stroke single-cylinder unit construction double overhead camshaft design of 500cc. It was sold under the marque BD, thus perpetuating the Breitfeld-Daněk identity. In 1929 ČKD sold its motorcycle business to Praga Hostivař, which re-branded the motorcycles under the Praga marque. It was one of the main suppliers to the Czechoslovak state of military vehicles during the Thirties.

During the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II, the company was renamed BMM (Böhmisch-Mährische Maschinenfabrik AG) and manufactured arms for the Wehrmacht. The company's most notable products in this era were a light tank of the company's own design – the Panzer 38(t) – and the Jagdpanzer 38(t) tank destroyer, which was built on the Panzer 38(t)'s chassis.

After the war, ČKD was nationalized and became one of the world's leading producers of trams. It was also known for the production of diesel locomotives, that were exported into other socialist countries. One such example from the T-series of Czech locomotives was exported into the USSR and given a Russian designation "ЧМЭ" there. In the socialist era ČKD employed up to 50 000 people.

After 1989 with worldwide economic and political changes the company lost many of its traditional trade outlets in Central and Eastern Europe, mainly in former countries of Soviet Union. In 1994 company was privatized by Czech management and transformed to holding. But new management was unsuccessful and in 1998 holding was close to bankrupt. Some companies went bankrupt, others went back to state ownership through its debts to state-owned bank IPB. State sold some companies separately to new owners (most notable was transport company sold to Siemens AG), rest of holding (also with a brand ČKD) was sold to Czech company 11 FITE in 2004.

Known Products

• LT vz. 34 light tank
• Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) light tank
• BS-80 narrow gauge steam locomotive
• T 466.3 diesel locomotive
• T 434.0 locomotive
• T 478.3 locomotive
• R1 Metrocar

See also

• Škoda Works

External links

• ČKD Group
• ČKD T669 in Albania