KAZ-608 Kolkhida: the Soviet cab-over tractor unit

The KAZ-608 Kolkhida was a cab-over semi-tractor built at the Kutaisi automobile plant in Soviet Georgia from 1967. It combined the cab-over layout developed for the earlier KAZ-606 with the V8 engine and transmission of the new ZIL-130, and it remained the plant’s main product for many years.

KAZ-608 Kolkhida at a glance

There is no English Wikipedia article on the model; the history comes from the Russian article on the Kolkhida, while the model list and dates are from the English article on the Kutaisi plant.

History of the KAZ-608 Kolkhida

From the KAZ-606

In the late 1950s a team under the plant’s chief designer D. Kartvelishvili developed two cab-over trucks, the KAZ-605 flatbed and the KAZ-606 tractor unit. The first prototypes were built in 1958 and shown at the VDNKh exhibition in Moscow in February and March 1959. The ministry gave priority to the tractor, because Soviet hauliers lacked such vehicles, and the KAZ-605 never entered production. Series production of the KAZ-606 began in 1961 under the name Kolkhida. Only the layout was the plant’s own; the units came from the ZIL-164. The KAZ-606 was the first Soviet cab-over tractor, with a two-seat all-metal cab, a 90 hp 5.5-litre ZIS-120 engine and a sleeping berth behind the driver’s seat, the first in a Soviet series truck. The gear lever sat to the right of the steering column and the handbrake to the left of the driver. The improved KAZ-606A of 1962 had a 110 hp version of the engine, a five-speed gearbox and could tow a 9.5-tonne semi-trailer. It was praised for its comfort but criticised for build quality and a fuel consumption of up to 50 litres per 100 km.

The KAZ-608

Work on the next model began in 1962, immediately after the KAZ-606A entered production. The new tractor was to use the units of the ZIL-130, then the most modern Soviet truck: a six-litre V8, the ZIL-130Ya5, slightly altered with a different air filter and rated at 150 hp. The first prototype was ready in 1963, but ZIL could not supply engines in quantity until 1967, and series production started that year. The towed load rose to 15,500 kg at 70 km/h, though such loads were recommended only on flat roads with a hard surface; with a 10,500 kg trailer the top speed was 80 km/h.

A new cab

The engine was moved back, which allowed a third seat in the cab, and the cab now tilted forward by 45 degrees for access. The gear lever moved to the floor to the driver’s right, and the steering gained power assistance. Each bank of the V8 had its own silencer and exhaust pipe. The plant designed a matching semi-trailer, the KAZ-717 of 3.8 tonnes empty and 11.5 tonnes payload, but it was too heavy for the tractor and operators often replaced it with lighter trailers. The front of the cab was restyled with a smaller false grille, and later cars had smaller side windows that no longer reached the rear of the cab.

Later versions

The basic KAZ-608 was improved as the KAZ-608V in 1976 and the KAZ-608V2 in 1986. Other members of the family were the KAZ-608D tractor of 1969 and the KAZ-608G prototype flatbed of the same year, while an experimental 1966 version with a two-speed rear axle remained a one-off. The Kolkhida name was later used for the KAZ-4540 agricultural dump truck of 1984. The Kutaisi plant, which had begun with the ZIS-150 in 1951, continued to build lorries into the 1990s.

Design and features

• Cab-over layout: the cab sat above the engine and tilted forward 45 degrees for servicing.
• ZIL-130 V8: a six-litre 150 hp engine with two silencers, one for each cylinder bank.
• Heavier towing: up to 15,500 kg at 70 km/h, or 10,500 kg at 80 km/h.
• Three-seat cab: the engine was moved back to make room for a third person, the gear lever was on the floor and the steering was power-assisted.
• Own semi-trailer: the KAZ-717 was designed for the tractor, but at 3.8 tonnes empty it was usually replaced.

KAZ-608 Kolkhida versions

• KAZ-608 (1967): first series version with the ZIL-130Ya5 engine.
• KAZ-608V (1976): improved version of the 608.
• KAZ-608V2 (1986): further improvement of the 608V.
• KAZ-608D (1969): tractor unit version.
• KAZ-608G (1969): prototype flatbed.
• Two-speed axle prototype (1966): experimental version with a two-speed rear axle; it was not produced.

The KAZ-608 used the engine and gearbox of the ZIL-130. More vehicles from the Kutaisi plant are in the KAZ collection.

Sources

• Колхида, Russian Wikipedia: history, design, versions
• Kutaisi Auto Mechanical Plant, English Wikipedia: model list, dates, plant history
• Кутаисский автомобильный завод, Russian Wikipedia: plant history, production dates