Tabiczky Zoltánné: A Magyar Vagon- és Gépgyár története 1. 1896-1945 (Győr, 1972)
Negyedik fejezet. A háborút megelőző időszak és a második világháború évei. 1930-1945
nenfabrik AG. to manufacture motor-cars with trade mark ,,Praha" on basis of a licence. With these cars has the Wagon Factory first used the trade mark ,,Rába”, registered with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Győr on the st June 1913. In the spring of 1914, also on the basis of the licence of the Erste Böhmisch- Mährische Maschinenfabrik, the production of motor ploughs started, too. During the First World War, in order to stimulate production, the machinery of the plants - first of all of the automobile department — was developed an modernized. An important stage of the development of ancillary plants was the starting of the new steel foundry in 1917. In the course of the war years living conditions gradually aggravated in Győr. Organised workers of the Gun Foundry and the Wagon Factory in Győr demonstrated together against the abuses of food distribution, profiteers, black marketeers and called out together for peace. During the Hungarian Soviet Republic many workers of the Wagon Factory — as town and county leaders — did their best to carry into effect the old catchwords of the movement. They joined also the Red Regiment of the Little Hungarian Plain to defend the power of the working class with arms in hand. After the lost war the industry manufacturing means of transportation had to wrestle with grave difficulties. Only by the end of the 20'-ies strengthened the demand, first of all for road transport vehicles. Beginning with 1926 buses are also manufactured in the Wagon Factory The licence agreement with the Erste Böhmisch- Mährische Maschinenfabrik was terminated in 1927 and rights to manufacture lorries were purchased in 1927 and 1928 from the German KRUPP and Austrian AUSTRO—FIAT factories. In 1929 there appear already in the market the quick lorries RÁBA—KRUPP with a payload of 3—5 tons and the lorries RÁBA AUSTRO-FIAT with a payload of 1,5 tons, all manufactured on basis of licence. Manufacture of motor ploughs is stopped and the agricultural small tractor RÁBA developed. The majority of shares of the Wagon Factory, distressed by the World Economic Crisis of the years 1929—1933, was taken over from the Austrian capitalists by the Rimamurány—Salgótarján Iron Works Joint Stock Company in 1935. In the same year the RIMA has purchased the high-alloy steel and special tool manufacturing plants of the Count László Csáky Ajax Steel Works Joint Stock Company as well as the screw, rivet and tool manifacturing equipment of the Kaszab Screw and Ironwares Joint Stock Company and the Ignác Szenes Screw and Ironwares Joint Stock Company, both situated in Budapest. The machines were transported to Győr and 175 the Wagon Factory made preparations for high-alloy steel, screw and tool production. New processing machines were bought, first of all for the motor-car producing plant where after 1935 principally the further developed varieties of the lorry RÁBA Austro-Fiat, the lorries RÁBA Super and RÁBA Special were manufactured. As an independent design, the cross-country car RÁBA-Botond was developed in the Wagon Factory during 1936—37. In 1937 a Diesel motor licence was bought for the firm M. A. N. In 1939 the RÁBAGeneral Factotum tractor with changespeed gear, developed from the RÁBA small tractor and multi-purpose, was ready for serial production. By the end of 1936 an aircraft repair shop was installed. First motors, later on fuselage of aircraft were repaired here. Soon they were prepared to manufacture fuselage, and even airplanes (1939). After the outbreak of the world war military orders show an upward tendency which entails the development of plants important for war production. Between 1939 and 1941 the modern bridge and steel structure plant is built. Here was finished in 1941—42 the iron structure of the bridge on the Danube at Medve. In 1940 a new laboratory was built close to the steel works. In 1941 an armour plate hardening and treating workshop is constructed for the manufacture of Túrán armoured eras. The overwhelming part of the amounts assigned for development are, however, used with the two most important plants for war production, the aircraft factory and motor car factory. In 1941 Hungary joins the anti- Soviet war so that plants manufacturing military equipment are developed henceforward from State subsidies. The value of investment between July 1941 and June 1944 amounted to 75 million Pengős. Out of this amount round 42 million Pengős were used for the development of aircraft production. The aircraft factory manufactured beginning with 1940 on basis of a licence Focke—Wulf bombers, and from March 1942 on Messerschmitt fighters. Considerable sums were expended also for the development of automobile production and ancillary plants connected therewith. The new automobile factory was completed between 1941 and 1943, in 1941—42 a new iron foundry was built and the capacity of the steel foundry was increased. The motor car factory continued to manufacture Botond cross-country cars, later on Túrán armoured cars and RÁBA—Maros military lorries. A power station with a performance of 10 000 KVA was built to supply power to the Wagon Factory. The manpower of the factory rose sharply, in 1944 it exceeded 10 000. After March 1944 - when the country was occupied by the Germans - the factory was hit by air raids in sucession which.
