Boris M. Shpotov
Businessmen and Bureaucrats: American Technical Assistance in the Construction of the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Factory, 1929-1931,
in: Ekonomicheskaja istorija. Ezhegodnik (Economic Hystory. Yearbook). 2002, Moscow: ROSSPEN, 2003, p.191-232.

Summary
Adopting the First Five Year Plan, the Soviet Government included thereto the construction of a big automobile factory, with production capacity not less than 100,000 cars and trucks per year. In the summer of 1929, the Austin Company: Architects, Engineers and Builders (Cleveland, Ohio), made a proposal to the VSNH Presidium to design such a factory and supervise its construction, completing the whole task in 15 months. The Ford Motor Company provided technological designs, shop layouts and launched the plant. The Soviet state trust "Autostroy" was appointed to be their business partner, supplier and examiner. The Austin Company also took part in designing the "Socialist Workers City", where the factory personnel (about 50,000 men and women) would live. The story of the factory and city construction was full of dramatic encounters between Austin, Autostroy and numerous Soviet sub-contractors. The construction work was finished in general by the fall of 1931. The Austin men tried to teach Russians the most advanced methods of designing and building, but in many cases met stubborn resistance and neglect.

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