Kaisis Motor Company (KMC) was a vehicle manufacturer in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

, in business between 1973 and the late 1980s. The branding takes after the name of the founder, Andreas ''Kaisis'', a local entrepreneur. KMC manufactured (in most cases assembled) trucks, buses, and many speciality vehicles such as ambulances, fire engines and airport vehicles (e.g. mobile stair vehicles). The first models were based on British ''

Dennis Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is someti ...

'' models.

History

In 1974 the company started producing trucks based on '' Commer'', ''Dodge'' and ''

M.A.N. MAN SE (abbreviation of ''Maschinenfabrik Augsburg- Nürnberg'', ) was a manufacturing and engineering company based in Munich, Germany. Its primary output was commercial vehicles and diesel engines through its MAN Truck & Bus and MAN Latin Am ...

'' designs. The company produced several other vehicle types, including a number of van and bus designs (such as the Commer/Dodge PB SpaceVan series, the Dodge Walk-thru van range and the Dodge Commando series) and a 6x6 military truck. It also ventured into the 4x4 market with several unsuccessful models (some based on Romanian ARO models). Beyond the small Cypriot market, KMC sold its vehicles to over 20 countries, mostly in the Middle East. Of note was the company’s purchase (in 1974) of the blueprints to the

Clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

sports car, designed by a team of former

Lotus Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...

engineers, with plans to set up an assembly line in KMC’s new factory near Nicosia International Airport. This activity was cut short after the

Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of Cypriot intercommunal violence, intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots, Greek and Turkish ...

in 1974 when the new factory was caught in the buffer zone and thus had to be evacuated. The factory sits vacant to this day.

Gallery

Image:KMC Factory.JPG, ''Photo of the abandoned factory which was completed right before the

Turkish Invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of Cypriot intercommunal violence, intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots, Greek and Turkish ...

in 1974 but was caught in the UN buffer zone after the ceasefire. A derelict truck can be seen on the roof of the office block on the left.'' Image:Abandoned KMC garbage truck.jpg, ''Abandoned KMC waste collection vehicle.This model was based on the

Dodge 100 Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

Commando.'' Image:KMC motors.jpg, ''Abandoned KMC bus.'' Image:KMC 3.jpg, ''KMC waste collection vehicle still in use.

References

* *{{cite book , author=John Carroll , title=The Complete Book of Tractors & Trucks: An Illustrated Guide to Agricultural Machines and Commercial Trucking Vehicles , publisher=Lorenz Books , location=London , year= 2000, isbn=0-7548-0528-X , page=416 Truck manufacturers of Cyprus Bus manufacturers of Cyprus Cypriot brands