MAZ-538

The MAZ-538 is a heavy four-wheeled bulldozer designed and built at the Minsk Automobile Plant for the Soviet armed forces, over the 1955 to 1990 model years. It grew out of a series of prototypes built from 1955 under the designation MAZ-528, and series production under the MAZ-538 name began in 1964. From 1965 other factories, including MZKT and KZKT, built variants, often named with letter combinations such as BKT or PKT. The machine stands on four equal-sized wheels with low-pressure tires, steers with its rear wheels much like a forklift, and has a blade that began V-shaped and later became flat. Power comes from a 38.88 litre V12 D12A-375 diesel of 375 horsepower, an engine originally designed for tanks in the Second World War, driving all four wheels. Production ended in 1990, and some machines are now in museums or in civilian use.