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The Hungarian motorization - the first
102 years
MARTA - the first Hungarian automobile factory
During the early years of the Hungarian motorization a few companies already
added car-manufacturing to their activities.
Arad which now belongs to Romania was one of the centres of the rural
Hungary before the First World War. It was a developed industrial city.
It all started in the early 1900s. The chief engineer of the
Arad-Csanád Associated Railways Company (ACSEV), Endre Sármezey
contacted the French arm of the American Westinghouse company. ACSEV asked
for electrical generators which could be applied for carriages and other
accessories. The French representative at the negiotiations was a Hungarian:
Jenô Böszörményi, who worked for Westinghouse since
1903. He organized the manufacturing of Westinghouse cars and engines in
France.
During the negotiations the city of Arad offered free ground to establish
a car factory there.
Böszörményi asked the French Westinghouse directors and,
after a brief debate, they supported the idea.
At the spring of 1908 the organizing work started with the help of baron
Géza Pap. He started to sign shares. Within a few months the necessary
capital was guaranteed and on the 29th of November the statutory meeting was
held, where Ernest general director Francis Drake represented the French
company. The name was "Magyar Automobil
Részvénytársaság Westinghouse Rendszer"
(Hungarian Automobile Ltd System Westinghouse). Its profile was to
manufacture, repair and sell: engines to use in railways and other purposes,
touring-, passenger- and commercial-vehicles.
The plant was finished half year later and the work started with 160
workers.
The plant was fully geared up on the first day of March, 1910.
But there were serious marketing problems which resulted in slow work at
the factory and the stocks piled up. The only constant customer was the
Hungarian Post.
After years of financial problems finally the Wiener Bakwerein took over
the company throughout the Hungarian tire-making factory, Magyar
Ruggyantárugyár. The French
directors resigned and so did the board of directors. The whole company
was transformed. In 1912 the name changed to "MARTA Magyar Automobile
Részvénytársaság, Arad" (MARTA Hungarian Automobile Ltd, Arad).
The cooperation was ceased with the Le Havre company. So
Böszörményi and his collegaue, Jenô (Eugene) Fejes
also resigned. Fejes became engineer at the biggest Hungarian car-maker:
MÁG. The new leaders reorganized the factory:
built new marketing strategy, e.g. Samu Haltenberger, formerly
the chief engineer at the Hungarian post brought orders with him.
To prove that the MARTA cars could match the quality of foreign makes
three small cars were entered at the 1912 Hungarian small car race and
they won gold cup. And also in 1912 the city of Budapest ordered 200
taxis. When horse-drawn carriages were replaced by cars the Hungarian
taxi company was another official organization to buy Hungarian-made vehicles
in bigger quantities.
Now MARTA faced with too many orders: the plant had to be expanded. New
workers were also employed, the staff reached 320.
In 1913 the production went smoothly: 1.5 ton and 2.5 ton lorry chassises
were supplied to the Post. ACSEV ordered engines. There were small problems
with the taxis: the Hungarian coachbuilders didn't have enough capacity so
the Austrian Lohner was also asked to help.
As the factory realised the taxi-business they convinced other cities to
establish taxi-companies, MARTA will supply the cars.
In late 1913, new models were introduced. They were powered by the
British Daimler-Knight valveless engine. Back than this was a hi-tech engine
and the factory and the drivers had high hopes because they heard about
its quitness, low rev.
The city of Budapest announced a competition for autobuses. MARTA had the
cheapest offer.
And in the middle of prosperity the First World War broke out. From that
on airplane- and truck-engines became the sole products at MARTA, although
in 1915 a few MARTA buses were in traffic.
Expansion was required again due to the big military orders. Neither
the tire company, nor the bank wanted to take part so they were replaced
by another bank and the Benz company.
After the War Arad became part of Romania. The assets of MARTA were sold
to a banker and the last meeting of stock-holders were held on the 12th
of January, 1922 where the liquidation of the company was announced.
According to a statistic 451 vehicles were produced altogether:
But the first Hungarian automobile factory was established at Arad in 1908.
A year later the Hungarian Automobile-traffic Ltd was formed to
deal with the marketing of the products.
The first models were mainly made from French components. Only a few passenger
cars were assembled, the main activities were commercial vehicles and
autobuses. They also supplied chassises to the Hungarian Post.
To advertise their products they organized bus lines on the most popular
beaches.
During the war the lack of raw material meant problems, which after years
became serious.
The factory during the War
The statistic is slightly unreliable. After Benz took over
the company there were a few cars made. And I doubt that the taxis
were made after Austro-Daimler pattern.
Text was taken from: "Sándor Bálint: The first Hungarian
car factory. In: The yearbook of the Hungarian Museum of Transport. Volume
II, 1972-1973. Budapest, 1974, pp. 235-263". Translated with permission.
Statistic was taken from "István Zsuppán: The Hungarian
car. Budapest, 1995".
Images were supplied by: Gyula Burányi (who took over the GL
Hartner collection), István Zsuppán and the Hungarian
Museum of Transport.
Copyright and Copy, 1997: Paul
NegyesiBudapest, Hungary.