NAMI (automotive institute)

For other uses, see Nami.

The Central Scientific Research Automobile and Automotive Engines Institute, abbreviated as NAMI,^[a] is a Russian automotive technology development company.

NAMI

Formerly	Scientific Automotive and Tractor Institute, a.k.a. NATI (1931–1946)
Company type	Federal state unitary enterprise
Founded	1918; 107 years ago (1918)
Headquarters	Moscow , Russia
Revenue	$32.3 million[1] (2017)
Operating income	−$35.3 million[1] (2017)
Net income	$352,143[1] (2017)
Total assets	$293 million[1] (2017)
Total equity	$16.6 million[1] (2017)
Website	nami.ru

Vladimir Putin riding in the NAMI-developed Aurus Senat for his 2018 swearing-in ceremony

History

The Scientific Automotive Engines Institute (Russian: Научный автомоторный институт, abbr. НАМИ, NAMI) was established on 14 March 1920, based on the Scientific Automobile Laboratory (Russian: Научная автомобильная лаборатория, abbr. НАЛ, NAL). The laboratory was part of the Scientific and Technical Department of the VSNKh, which was established on 16 October 1918. Starting in 1924, the institute allowed purchases of foreign automobiles and automobile accessories. In 1927 the institute developed its first automobile, the NAMI-1, which also became the first car of the Soviet Union.

NAMI-1 car

During the 1930s, the institute became the main department for development in the Soviet automotive industry. They later developed and produced the first Soviet trolleybuses, and created tractor and lorry models and. They also developed half-tracks and armored vehicles for the Red Army.

See also: NATI (motorcycle)

From 1931 to 1946 the institute was named the Scientific Automotive and Tractor Institute (Russian: Научный автотракторный институт, abbr. НАТИ, NATI)

NATI was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1940.^[2]

Early in 1946, NATI underwent a split, and the tractor division was transferred to be under the supervision of the Ministry of Agricultural Machinery. The automobile branch was kept under the supervision of the Ministry of Automobile Industry and was renamed the Scientific Research Automobile and Automotive Engines Institute (Russian: Научно-исследовательский автомобильный и автомоторный институт, abbr. НАМИ, NAMI). The tractor division later served as a basis for the Scientific Research Tractor Institute (Russian: Научно-исследовательский тракторный институт, abbr. НАТИ, NATI).

Experimental and prototype engines were developed at the institute, some of which served as the basis for later mass production. In the 1960s, NAMI developed some front-wheel drive and automatic transmissions, but these concepts didn't make it to production until much later, as they were deemed too expensive and complex for the state of the industry at that time. For example, they developed the GAZ-21 automatic transmission, for which the service infrastructure was virtually non-existent.

Post-Soviet era

In 2014 the NAMI purchased the Yo-Mobile project for 1 Euro.^[3]

In 2021, NAMI was involved in the design process the Aurus Senat car line, and developed a hydrogen powered model. A laboratory model was presented at its plant in Tatarstan in central Russia.^[4][5]

In May 2022, NAMI acquired Renault's controlling stake (about 68%) in the Russian car manufacturer AvtoVAZ.^[6]

Testing facility

In the 1960s the testing facility of NAMI (Russian: Научный испытательный центр автомобильной и мотоциклетной техники, НИЦИАМТ) was opened.

Prototypes

The 1920s and 1930s was the only period when NAMI was involved in vehicle production. Since then NAMI has only developed prototypes and concept cars.

1920 – BK – aerosan 1921 – Tri-Ka – aerosan 1927-1931 – NAMI-1, the first Soviet passenger car 1928 – NAMI-1 – snowmobile 1929 – Ford-A-NAMI - (also known as Ford Model K) 1930 – NATI "Kar-a-Pet" 1931 – NAMI-IX, aerosledge 1932 – NATI-2 – half-track based on the GAZ-AA 1932 – Ford-NATI-5 (also known as NATI-5) – half-track based on Ford-A 1932 – Ford-NATI-30 (also known as GAZ-NATI-30) – prototype for GAZ-AAA 1933 – NATI-3 – half-track based on the GAZ-AA 1933 – NATI LK-1 1934 – GAZ-A-NATI (also known as GAZ-A Kegress) – half-track based on GAZ-A 1934 – NATI LK-2 1934 – NATI-V – based on the GAZ-AA 1935 – NATI-YaG-10 1936 – NATI-V-3 (later NATI-VG) – half-track based on the GAZ-AA 1936 – NATI-VZ – half-track based on the ZIS-5 1937 – K-1 (also known as NATI-K1) – based on the ZIS-6; led to the ZIS-36 1937 – NATI-VM – half-track based on the GAZ-M1 1937 – NATI-V3 – based on the GAZ-AA 1938 – K-2 (also known as NATI-K2) – two-axle version of K-1; cancelled in favor of the ZIS-32 1938 – NATI-A, bus 1939 – NATI-23A – based on the ZIS-5 1940 – NATI-LB – based on the GAZ-62, became the LB-62 1941 – NATI-K2 – based on the ZIS-5, led to the ZIS-32 1941 – AR-NATI - the prototype for GAZ-64 1947 – NAMI-010 – amphibious vehicle based on the GAZ-63 1948 – Pobeda-NAMI – prototype improved version of GAZ-M20 1948 – NAMI-LAZ-750/NAMI-LAZ-751 1948 – NAMI-011 – based on the GAZ-67B, led to the GAZ-46 1949 – NAMI-012 – steam truck based on the YaAZ-200 1950 – NAMI-013 "Chita" 1951 – NAMI-015/016 – based on the ZIS-151 1951 – NAMI-018 – all-wheel-drive logging truck version of NAMI-012 1955 – IMZ-NAMI-A50 "Belka" (Squirrel) – cancelled in favor of the ZAZ-965 1956 – NAMI-020 – entered production as the Ural-375 1956 – NAMI-021 – transport version of NAMI-020; prototype for Ural-375T 1957 – NAMI-032G – prototype for LuAZ-967 and LuAZ-969 1957-1958 – NAMI-031 1958 – NAMI-044 – first Soviet wheeled tractor, became the KhTZ T-150K 1958 – NAMI-048/048A 1958 – NAMI-049 "Ogonyok" (Spark) – prototype for LuAZ-967 1958 – NAMI-055/055B – based on the Moskvitch 410 1958 – NAMI-058 1958 – NAMI-059 1959 – NAMI-041 1959 – NAMI-053 "Turbo" – based on the ZIL-127 1960 – NAMI-060 – cancelled in favor of the ZAZ-965 1960 – NAMI-074 1960 – NAMI S-3 – based on the Moskvitch 415 1961 – NAMI-032M – entered production as the LuAZ-967 1961 – NAMI-032S 1961 – NAMI-049A "Tselina" 1961 – NAMI-055V 1961 – NAMI-080 1961 – NAMI-0102 1961 – NAMI-787, trailer 1962 – SMZ–NAMI-086 "Sputnik" 1963 – NAMI-032B – prototype for ZAZ-969 1963 – NAMI-076 "Ermak" 1963 – NAMI-094 (ET-8) – based on the 1956 FWD Terracruzer

1964 – NAMI-058T 1964 – NAMI-092 1965 – NAMI S-4 – based on UAZ-451 1965 – NAMI S-3M 1965 – NAMI-067 (M10), hovercraft 1965 – NAMI-072 1965 – NAMI-0100 1965 – NAMI-0103 1965 – NAMI-0105 1965 – NAMI-0106 1965 – NAMI-0112 1966 – NAMI-032SK, hovercraft 1966 – NAMI-058S-862 1966 – NAMI-0107 "Vasilyok" (Cornflower) 1966 – NAMI-0127 1966 – NAMI-0143-SKhZ 1967 – NAMI-0107B 1968 – NAMI-072C 1968 – NAMI-0114 1968 – NAMI-0132 1968 – NAMI-0137 – based on the ZAZ-966 1968 – NAMI-0169 1968 – NAMI-MeMZ-0127 1969 – NAMI-0162 – transferred to IzhAuto and continued as the Izh-5 (Izh-4x4) 1970 – NAMI-0145 1971 – NAMI-0129 1971 – NAMI-0173 – front-drive version of GAZ-24 Volga 1971 – NAMI-0157BK 1973 – NAMI-0159 – based on the LAZ-696 1976 – NAMI-0196 1977 – NAMI-0157M – prototype for Ural-5920 1977 – NAMI-UAZ-469B 1981 – NAMI-0231 – prototype for VAZ-1111 1984 – NAMI-0188 1984 – NAMI-0266 1985 – NAMI-0267 1985 – NAMI-3305 1987 – NAMI-0284 "Debyut" (Debut); first concept car developed during perestroika 1987 – NAMI-0286 "Tayfun" (Typhoon) 1988 – NAMI-0342 "Kuzya" 1988–1989 – NAMI-LuAZ-Proto 1988–1991 – NAMI-0290 "Apel'sin" (Orange) – based on ZAZ-1102 1989 – NAMI-0281 1989 – NAMI-0295 "Rus'" 1990 – NAMI-0284 "Debyut-2" 1990 – NAMI-0288 "Kompakt" 1990 – NAMI-Kompakt-2 1991 – NAMI-0300 "Apel'sin-2" 1992 – NAMI "Oda" Concept 1992–2000 – NAMI-1819 "Umka" 1994 – NAMI-2160 "Kentavr" 1994 – NAMI "Retro" 1995 – NAMI-GAZ "Volga-Prestige" 1997–1999 – NAMI "Grenader" 1998 – NAMI-UAZ-469 "Huntsman" 1999 – NAMI "Tachanka" 2006 – NAMI-1337 2006 – NAMI-2339 2006 – NAMI-GAZ "Valdai" 2011 – NAMI-3333 2016 – NAMI "Shatl" (Shuttle)

Notable employee

• Mozharov Pyotr Vladimirovich

Notes

1. Russian: Государственный научный центр Российской Федерации Федеральное государственное унитарное предприятие «Центральный научно-исследовательский автомобильный и автомоторный институт „НАМИ“» (ГНЦ РФ ФГУП «НАМИ»), romanized: Gosudarstvenny nauchny tsentr Rossiyskoy Federatsii Federal'noye gosudarstvennoye unitarnoye predpriyatiye "Tsentral'ny nauchno-issledovatel'skiy avtomobil'ny i avtomotorny institut 'NAMI'" (GNTs RF FGUP "NAMI").