MAN Auto-Uzbekistan
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn Uzbek-German joint venture assembling MAN commercial trucks in Uzbekistan.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
MAN Auto-Uzbekistan is an Uzbek-German commercial-vehicle joint venture established in 2009 by German truck manufacturer MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG and Uzbek state-linked automotive group UzAvtosanoat. The venture was created after the collapse of UzAvtoSanoat's earlier SamKochAvto partnership and was intended to strengthen Uzbekistan's position in Central Asia's commercial-vehicle industry. Its assembly operations were based at the SamAuto facility in Samarkand, where trucks were assembled from completely knocked-down kits supplied by MAN or by affiliated manufacturing operations abroad. The joint venture was formally consolidated on 4 September 2009 at the Oqsaroy Residence in Tashkent. The Uzbek side was represented by President Islam Karimov and UzAvtosanoat chairman Ulugbek Rozukulov, while MAN was represented by chief executive Håkan Samuelsson. Vehicle assembly began at the time the joint-venture agreement was signed. MAN personnel trained local employees in assembly procedures and related technical knowledge, supporting the development of a domestic heavy-vehicle workforce. Early production focused on MAN TGA trucks supplied from Germany in kit form. The company also assembled the MAN CLA, a truck associated with India's MAN Force Trucks operation. Later production references identify the CLA and TGS ranges as key models. The product portfolio was intended to serve demanding commercial applications, including oil, gas, mining, infrastructure, and general freight transport. Older MAN families, including the F2000, M2000, and F8, were also identified as available in the broader vehicle range, although their status within local production was not uniform. UzAvtosanoat established a dedicated dealer network for sales. The initial production target was approximately 500 to 1,000 vehicles annually, with an anticipated later capacity of more than 2,000 units. Reported output increased from 100 TGA units in 2009 to 480 TGA and CLA units in 2010, 658 CLA and TGS units in 2011, 1,016 CLA and TGS units in 2012, and approximately 1,400 units in 2014. The 2013 figure of 1,300 units was presented as a plan rather than a confirmed production result. The venture's intended market was Uzbekistan, with possible exports to other Commonwealth of Independent States markets. The project was also linked to wider infrastructure development and anticipated demand from resource industries. Plans discussed a modified version of the Indian CLA for Central Asian conditions, potentially to be marketed as the MAN CLE. The available reference material does not establish whether that proposed model entered sustained production. MAN Auto-Uzbekistan should be distinguished from MAN's global corporate operations and from other MAN-branded businesses. It is primarily an industrial assembly and commercial-vehicle manufacturing venture rather than a consumer passenger-car brand. Publicly available reference material supplied for this dossier does not establish its current ownership structure, production status, website availability, or present operating scale.
History
MAN Auto-Uzbekistan emerged from an effort to establish a modern heavy-truck manufacturing and assembly base in Uzbekistan. UzAvtosanoat, the country's principal automotive-industrial group, sought a new international partner after the failure of its former SamKochAvto joint venture. MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG became the strategic partner, bringing truck platforms, engineering expertise, and production-training support. The venture was founded in August 2009. Its contractual consolidation took place on 4 September 2009 at the Oqsaroy Residence in Tashkent. Islam Karimov represented Uzbekistan, together with UzAvtosanoat chairman Ulugbek Rozukulov, while MAN was represented by chief executive Håkan Samuelsson. Assembly reportedly started on the day the agreement was signed. The operating site was the SamAuto assembly plant in Samarkand, which provided the industrial base for the new truck program. The manufacturing model initially relied on completely knocked-down kits. MAN TGA trucks were supplied from Germany for local assembly, while MAN CLA trucks were associated with kits originating from the Indian MAN Force Trucks operation. MAN personnel trained Uzbek employees in vehicle assembly and technical theory. This arrangement allowed the venture to begin production comparatively quickly while developing local industrial skills, rather than requiring an immediate transition to full local manufacturing of components. The venture's commercial purpose was broader than ordinary domestic vehicle sales. UzAvtosanoat organized a separate dealer network, and the intended market included Uzbekistan and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries. The trucks were designed for sectors such as oil and gas, mining, freight transport, and infrastructure construction. The project was framed as part of the country's wider industrial and infrastructure expansion, which was expected to create demand for heavy commercial vehicles even during the global economic downturn. Initial plans called for annual output of approximately 500 to 1,000 vehicles, with a possible later expansion beyond 2,000 units. Reported production rose from 100 TGA trucks in 2009 to 480 TGA and CLA units in 2010. The reported 2011 total was 658 CLA and TGS vehicles, followed by 1,016 CLA and TGS vehicles in 2012. A production total of 1,300 units was listed as a 2013 plan, while approximately 1,400 units were reported for 2014. These figures indicate a substantial ramp-up from the venture's first year, although the supplied references do not explain whether all figures represent completed vehicles, kits, or a consistent accounting period. The portfolio included the TGA, CLA, and TGS families, alongside references to TGA TGM variants and older MAN F2000, M2000, and F8 models. MAN also considered adapting the Indian CLA for Central Asian requirements under the proposed MAN CLE name. The available material does not confirm the launch or sustained production of that proposed model. The venture was discussed in the context of MAN's late-2009 bribery scandal because Samuelsson was identified as a MAN contract representative involved in the matter. The reference material reports speculation that UzAvtosanoat might have been entangled in or affected by the scandal, but it does not document a final finding that MAN Auto-Uzbekistan itself committed wrongdoing. No reliable current information is supplied here about the venture's present ownership, production, model range, or operational status, so those aspects remain unresolved.
- 2014
Reported output reaches approximately 1,400 units
[1]The reference material lists approximately 1,400 vehicles for 2014.
- 2012
Production passes one thousand units
[1]Reported production reaches 1,016 CLA and TGS trucks.
- 2010
First reported production ramp
[1]Reported output reaches 480 TGA and CLA trucks, compared with 100 TGA units in 2009.
- 2009
Joint venture founded
[1]MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG and UzAvtosanoat establish MAN Auto-Uzbekistan in August, creating a commercial-vehicle assembly venture in Uzbekistan.
- 2009
Agreement consolidated in Tashkent
[1]The contractual joint venture is consolidated on 4 September at the Oqsaroy Residence, with representatives of MAN, Uzbekistan, and UzAvtosanoat present.
- 2009
Assembly begins in Samarkand
[1]Vehicle assembly starts at the SamAuto plant using MAN truck kits, initially including the TGA.
Products and positioning
A locally assembled MAN commercial-truck platform intended for Uzbekistan and wider Central Asian freight, infrastructure, oil, gas, and mining applications.
Heavy-duty truck · 2009
MAN TGA
The TGA was one of the first truck families assembled by the venture. Vehicles were supplied as completely knocked-down kits from Germany and assembled at SamAuto in Samarkand. The model formed the basis of the company's initial 2009 program and remained part of the reported range during the early production ramp.
Commercial truck · 2010
MAN CLA
The CLA was assembled from kits associated with MAN Force Trucks in India. It became one of the venture's principal volume products and was reported alongside the TGA in 2010 and the TGS in later production figures. The model was intended for demanding freight and industrial applications in Uzbekistan and neighboring markets.
Heavy-duty truck · 2011
MAN TGS
The TGS appears in the venture's reported 2011 and 2012 production mix, together with the CLA. It represented a newer heavy-commercial-vehicle family within the Uzbek assembly program and was aimed at freight, construction, infrastructure, and resource-sector use.
Proposed Central Asian truck variant
MAN CLE
MAN discussed a modified version of the Indian CLA for Central Asian operating conditions under the proposed CLE designation. The available reference does not confirm that the model entered production or became a sustained commercial offering.
Legacy truck families
MAN F2000, M2000 and F8
These older MAN truck families were listed as available in connection with the Uzbek program. The reference does not establish the precise local assembly status, production years, or volumes for each model.
Controversies
2009
Association with the MAN bribery scandal
The late-2009 MAN bribery scandal involved Håkan Samuelsson, who the reference identifies as MAN's contract representative in the joint-venture agreement. The material reports suggestions that UzAvtosanoat could have been connected to or affected by the affair, but does not establish wrongdoing by MAN Auto-Uzbekistan itself.
Brand decisions
2010
Develop a dedicated commercial-vehicle dealer networkStrategyBackground
The venture required a sales and service structure for locally assembled MAN trucks.
Action taken
UzAvtosanoat established a separate dealer network for the vehicles.
Aftermath
The network was intended to support domestic sales and potential exports to Commonwealth of Independent States markets.
2009
Create a MAN-UzAvtosanoat joint ventureM&ABackground
UzAvtosanoat sought a new strategic partner after the collapse of its former SamKochAvto venture and aimed to develop Central Asia's commercial-vehicle sector.
Action taken
MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG and UzAvtosanoat established a truck assembly venture using the SamAuto plant in Samarkand.
Aftermath
Assembly began in 2009, with planned expansion from roughly 500–1,000 vehicles annually toward capacity above 2,000 units.
2009
Use CKD assembly to enter the Uzbek truck marketStrategyBackground
A knock-down-kit model enabled rapid industrial start-up while local employees were trained by MAN personnel.
Action taken
The venture imported TGA kits from Germany and CLA kits associated with MAN Force Trucks for assembly in Samarkand.
Aftermath
The program expanded its reported model mix from TGA to CLA and TGS and increased reported output through 2012.
Sources1 sources
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