Zastava is a manufacturer of weapons and a Serb Car manufacturer .

Manufacturer of weapons

The Belgian Charles Loubri creates in 1863 a munitions factory to Kragujevac to 60 km in the south of Belgrade starting from a foundry of guns established in 1837. As from the years 1860, it produces part of the light weapons necessary to the Serb soldiers and takes the military name of Factory (changed then into military Factory technical in the years 1880) whose weapons are marked VTZ. The VTZ turns to full mode during the Great War. In 1925, it receives machine tools and a license of production (rifles) on behalf of the FN Herstal then of Czechoslovakia. After 1945, the VTZ becomes ZCZ (factory of weapons of the popular Army of Yugoslav release). In the years 1950, ZCZ begin the export massive of civil weapons and war (third world) derived from the Karabiner 98k, AK-47 or SKS.

Car Auto- Zastava Yugo

The first vehicles which were manufactured in the factory of Kragujevac were Ford trucks, at the end of the Thirties following a ordering of the Yugoslav Army. The factory then bore always the name of Vojno-Tehnicki Zavod (technical Institute of the armies). Some trucks of the same series were still manufactured in 1941.

The shortly after the Second world war, the factory was renamed Zavodi Crevna Zastava (red factory flag).

With beginning of the year 50, contacts were made with Willys-Overland, then property of Chrysler, to build jeeps, but the attempt failed.

It is on August 26th, 1953 that the Yugoslav government and the leaders of FIAT S.p.A. Italy sign an agreement of technical collaboration and financier which will make it possible Zastava to build, under license FIAT, certain products of the Italian mark.

Models FIAT built by Zastava

• FIAT Campagnola: November 17th, 1953 the first FIAT Campagnola AR51, an Italian type of jeep which was adopted by the Italian Army and which corresponded well to the needs, exit of the factory; the production continued until 1962 and 4640 specimens will be assembled.

• FIAT 1400: the first truck left on August 12th, 1954. Some models with engine 1900 were also produced. On the whole they are several tens of thousands of these luxurious cars which were manufactured.
• FIAT 1100 D: several tens of thousands of FIAT 1100 were built by Zastava.
• FIAT 600: presented on the Yugoslav market in 1955 under the name of Zastava 750, it was strictly identical to the FIAT 600D. It will remain in manufacture on the Yugoslav chains until April 4th, 2000, after an evolution in Z800. On the whole they are 923  487 " fica" who will have been manufactured by Zastava in 45 years!
• FIAT 615: presented in Italy in 1952, this small truck of 5 tons been very quickly a great business success. It will be manufactured by Zastava Kamioni, following a new collaboration agreement with FIAT V.I in 1957 - More than 36.000 Zastava 615 will be produced.
• FIAT 1300/1500: strictly identical to the Italian original presented in 1961, Zastava 1300 appeared in 1962 and will remain in production until December 20th, 1979. On the whole they are 201  160 Zastava 1300 which was manufactured. A new factory on the site of Kragujevac was built on this occasion.
• FIAT 850: certain specialists affirm that this car was also built by Zastava. No reliable information confirms it.
• trucks FIAT-OM: to replace the FIAT 615, Zastava chose the new Italian vehicle OM in 1969.

• Zastava 101 marketed in France under the name Zastava 1100 because of the monopoly of Peugeot on the numbers with 3 digits indicating the cars with one zero in the center ! This car was derived from FIAT 128 but comprised a Hayon with the manner of the Simca 1100. It was the first time that Zastava presented a product different from the Italian original. Presented on October 15th, 1971 to the Living room of Belgrade, Zastava 101 was an enormous success in its country and much of Eastern European country where it was largely exported. FIAT did not want to include this model in its range because of the important qualitative lacks taking into consideration its own manufacture. It undergoes important technical improvements with the passing of years because its manufacture ended only at December 31st, 2001! after 1.100.000 specimens produced without counting the models exported in CKD to be gone up in Egypt at FIAT-El Nars.
• Truck FIAT-OM 40: starting from August 5th, 1978, Zastava obtains the license to build new small Italian truck OM.

• FIAT 128: one of the production lines of the basic Italian model was transferred at Zastava in 1980. Its manufacture still continues in 2007, it was renamed Skala 128. It is estimated that more 230  000 specimens were manufactured before the armed conflict which mainly destroyed the site of Kragujevac in 1999; no reliable precision on its production since.

• Yugo 45 : encouraged by the success met locally by Z 101, the leaders of Zastava obtained on behalf of the direction of FIAT Auto the technological assistance necessary to create an alternative of FIAT 127 but equipped with a different body. October 2nd, 1980, Z 102 is revealed with the Living room of Belgrade at the sides of new Z 128. Still nowadays manufactured but with some esthetic and mechanical final improvements, it will have been produced with more 750  000 specimens before the armed conflict of 1999. An interesting version Cabriolet was pointed out on the market of the USA where it was largely exported with more 150  000 specimens! From 2002, it is restylée and baptized Zastava Koral.

The Yugo label

• Truck FIAT Daily: FIAT V.I will grant the license of manufacture of its world success the FIAT Daily, with a counterpart: IVECO - subsidiary of FIAT - will take 35% of the capital of the manufacturer Zastava Kamioni and will invest the capital necessary to modernize the factory and to build there other models of its range.

• Yugo 103 Florida : the leaders of Zastava-Yugo who had opened their capital with FIAT Car to a total value of 35%, as for the trucks, obtained its assistance to design a new specific vehicle. FIAT delivered to them, but it was their choice, the model of a project worked out by Giugiaro of FIAT refused Tipo. FIAT on the other hand refused, initially, to provide the new engines which equipped FIAT Tipo. Z 103 Florida taken much delay in its development and the career of Tipo was quite advanced when Z 103 was marketed. FIAT yielded and provides its engines of last generation. Z 103 Florida is always manufactured in 2007. It is estimated that it was manufactured more 160  000 specimens before the stop of the factory in 1999 due to American bombardment.

Since the resumption of the activities in 2002, all the produced cars took again the name and the Zastava logo.

• Zastava Z 10 - FIAT Punto 2: after one long period of uncertainty related to the embargo of the Serbia and the deep financial crisis which the country crossed after the armed conflict, which was balanced for the Zastava manufacturer by the complete stop of manufacture during several years following the Bombardement of the site of Kragujevac in April 1999, FIAT and the Serb government found an agreement to rectify Zastava and refund with FIAT a " part; symbolique" of the 77 million dollars of debts left by the old mode.

It is only in September 2004, after two years of hard negotiations, that FIAT sign a new technological cooperation agreement with the Serb manufacturer who takes again the name of Zastava to assemble FIAT Punto 2nd series version of 2003 with the label Zastava Z 10 by FIAT. A workshop of the factory of Kragujevac thus was rebuilt and equipped with an assembly line FIAT. The assembly of the car began on July 16th, 2007 at the rate/rhythm from 100 specimens per day. Previously, FIAT Punto marketed in Balkans, rebadgées Z 10 manufactured with Turin and were exported.

In June 2007, the Serb government announced that he sought a purchaser for the complete privatization of Zastava.