Star trucks

Logo used after privatization on a grille

Star is a Polish commercial vehicle manufacturer . The name is derived from the original plant in Starachowice .

history

As early as 1920, the forerunner of what would later become the company FSC Star was established in Starachowice , initially producing chassis and fittings for Lilpop, Rau & Loewenstein . After the Second World War , the production of the first complete commercial vehicles began in 1948, which were eventually sold under the Star brand . The best-known models were Star 20 , 25 , 28 , 66 , 200 as well as the all-wheel drive Star 244 (4x4) and the Star 266 (6 × 6) designed for the Polish armed forces . The three-axle Star 660 military vehicle formed the basis for the first popemobile used in 1979 for Pope John Paul II's trip to Poland. The 100,000th Star truck left the factory in 1962, and annual production at that time was 12,000 units. A special feature at the time was that all truck components were obtained directly from Poland; imports were not necessary.

After the political and economic system change in 1989, FSC Star , like the domestic competitor brand Jelcz , was privatized and taken over by the group of companies of the industrialist Sobiesław Zasada . As a result, the company was split into Star Trucks Sp. Z oo and Inwest Star SA, which is listed on the stock exchange . In 1999, however, the German MAN SE group took over the company. In 2003, the company headquarters moved to Sady , the company's name was changed to MAN Star Trucks & Busses Sp. Z oo and the increased use of technology from MAN SA .

In 2009, after 631,500 commercial vehicles were produced under the Star brand, production was discontinued. Since then, the company has only produced under the brand names MAN and Neoplan Nutzfahrzeuge.