NAMI (automotive institute)
The Central Scientific Research Automobile and Automotive Engines Institute, abbreviated as NAMI (Russian: Государственный научный центр Российской Федерации Федеральное государственное унитарное предприятие "Центра́льный нау́чно-иссле́довательский автомоби́льный и автомото́рный институ́т "НАМИ" (ГНЦ РФ ФГУП "НАМИ") is the leading scientific organization in Russian Federation in the field of automotive industry development.
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Formerly | Tractor Research Institution (1931—1946) |
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Type | Federal state unitary enterprise |
Founded | 1918 |
Headquarters | , Russia |
Revenue | $32.3 million[1] (2017) |
-$35.3 million[1] (2017) | |
$352,143[1] (2017) | |
Total assets | $293 million[1] (2017) |
Total equity | $16.6 million[1] (2017) |
Website | nami |

The institute was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.
History
The research and development automobile and engine institute was established on 14 March 1920 on the basis of Scientific Automobile Laboratory (Russian: Научной автомобильной лаборатории (НАЛ)) of Scientific and Technical department of VSNKh. This laboratory was established on 16 October 1918. From 1924 the institute permitted purchases of foreign automobiles and automobile accessories. The first original automobile, the NAMI 1, had been developed by 1927 (the first car of the USSR).
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During the 1930s the institute became the leading development department of the Soviet automotive industry. Following that year they developed and produced the first Soviet trolleybuses, created several tractor models and several lorry models. For the Red Army half-tracks and armored vehicles had also been actively developed.[2]
From 1931 to 1946 the institute bore the name Automobile and Tractor Research Institution (Russian: Научный автотракторный институт (НАТИ)).[3]
At the beginning of 1946, because the tractor industry was transferred to be under the supervision of the Ministry of Agricultural Machinery, NATI was split in two. The automobile branch was kept under supervision of Ministry of Automobile Industry and was reorganized into Scientific and Research automobile and engine institute (NAMI) (Russian: Научно-исследовательский автомобильный и автомоторный институт (НАМИ)). The tractor division was transferred under the supervision of Ministry of Agricultural Machinery. This division served as a basis for the Union Tractor Research Institution (NATI) (Russian: Научно-исследовательский тракторный институт (НАТИ)).
Multiple experimental and prototype engines were developed at the institute, many which served as basis for the mass production ones. In the 1960s the Institute developed some front-wheel drive and automatic transmissions which weren't put into production until much later, as these were deemed too expensive and complex for the current state of the industry,[3] citing the example of a GAZ-21 automatic transmission, for which the service infrastructure was virtually non-existent.
Post-Soviet era
In 2014 the NAMI purchased the Yo-Mobile project for 1 Euro.[4]
In May 2018, NAMI unveiled for the first time in public the first generation of the "Kortezh" presidential state car for the fourth presidential inauguration of Vladimir Putin. It replaces the German-made cars that the government has been depending on for its VIPs since the end of ZIL production.
Testing facility
In the 1960s the testing facility of NAMI Russian: (Научный испытательный центр автомобильной и мотоциклетной техники, НИЦИАМТ)) was opened, which is near Dmitrov, Moscow Oblast.
Prototypes
The only period of NAMI vehicle production were 1920s and 1930s. Since then the NAMI vehicles are exclusively prototypes and concept cars.
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References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to NAMI. |