History
The history of Zetor starts in 1946 when the first tractor was produced by Zbrojovka Brno, branded Zetor 25. The Zetor trademark was registered in the same year, and mass production of Zetor tractors started on 7 August 1946. By 1947, about 3400 had been produced. In 1948, the Zetor 15 was approved for production, and it was manufactured until 1949. The Zetor 25A and 25K were manufactured until 1961, and 158,570 were produced, of which 97,000 were exported.[5] The Zetor 35, with a 42 hp four-cylinder engine, was manufactured from 1955 to 1960 and then, as the upgraded Zetor 50 version, until 1968.
In 1952, Zetor moved to a new location within Brno, Líšeň, where all tractors have since been produced.
In the late 1950s, ZETOR was the first to introduce the concept of using unified parts to produce tractors worldwide. The Unified Series I (UŘ I.) was launched, with the models 2011, 3011, and 4011, with two, three, and four-cylinder engines.In 1968, the Unified Series II (UŘ II) was launched. Its development involved technical collaboration with the Polish tractor manufacturer Ursus, particularly in exchanging engineering knowledge and design principles. The series introduced many innovative features for its time, including the world's first safety cabin with a rollover protection system mounted on vibration isolators. The new cabin also reduced noise levels inside to below 85 dB. Thanks to these innovations, the Zetor brand gained international recognition.
In the 1970s, the first six-cylinder Zetor Crystal 12011 tractor was designed. In 1976, Zetor became the name of both the brand and the company. The company continued to evolve and, in 1991, the Unified Series III was launched. It was upgraded at the turn of the millennium and was branded the Zetor Forterra.
The Unified Series III (UŘ III) was launched in 1992, with models 7520, 7540, 8520, 8540, 9520, 9540, and 10540, having power outputs of between 82 and 103 hp, badged as Model 92. In 1994, the 7320 Turbo and 7340 Turbo models extended the range. In 1997, the production of models 3321 super-7341 super turbo was launched, badged Model 97.
The turn of the millennium was a period of significant change for the Zetor brand. It could have disappeared because the state-owned enterprise faced bankruptcy. In June 2002, HTC Holdings of Slovakia became the new owner of Zetor. The new owners invested money to stabilise and restructure the enterprise.
