BIAMAX (Proper Greek pronunciation Viamax) was a Greek vehicle manufacturer. In the late 70's it was one of the biggest Greek companies, operating three factories (in Athens, where its headquarters were located, Thessaloniki and Larissa) and several other auxiliary facilities throughout the country. In addition, BIAMAX became a leading industry in Greece, in areas including Quality Assurance, technical training, process documentation and Research & Development. Although its main activity was vehicle manufacture (in the late 1970s its industrial sector employed more than 2,000), some of its subsidiaries were also involved in areas like tourist services, exports of farm products and shipping. Early activities Its origins date back to the 1930s when the Fostiropoulos family became importers of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The company with that name was founded in 1956, the name reflecting its original activity, as it started with production of bus bodies on Mercedes-Benz chassis (BIAMAX, stands for "Biomihania Amaxomaton", or "Vehicle Body Building Industry"; the name was retained although the company soon became a complete vehicle producer). Original developments The first chassis developed by BIAMAX was introduced in January, 1960. In the same year the famous R series of coaches and inter-city buses was introduced. One of the earliest chassisless bus designs in the world, it was an engineering achievement involving novel approaches in suspension and structure, developed by the engineers Antonios Rizos (who lent his name initial to the series) and Ioannis Dracoulis (who was responsible for its extremely elegant, streamlined design). Models R495 (inter-city bus) and R514 (coach) became common sights in the country, establishing the BIAMAX brand. In 1962 a trolleybus type (also chassisless) was designed and built, with Lancia axles and transmission and CGE electricals; as an imported type was ordered for Athens, only one trolleybus was produced but it nonetheless entered service remaining in operation for more than 15 years. 1960s and 1970s: The "Golden Age" The very successful F series of city and inter-city buses (named after Fostiropoulos initial, a designation used earlier as well) was introduced in 1965 employing a ladder-type chassis developed by BIAMAX, and, as most of its products, Mercedes-Benz engines. The most common types produced were the F530 and F580, with several body variations for a variety of end uses. At the same time BIAMAX introduced railway wagons, and kept producing an extended range of bus and truck bodies, assembling 4x4's and tractors etc., with thousands of vehicles coming