History of the Lviv Automobile Plant. 50th anniversary of the USSR

Tourist bus LAZ-697 E "Tourist" USSRThis tourist (passenger) bus was produced by the Lviv Bus Plant named after the 50th anniversary of the USSR.

LAZ, conceived as a car assembly, began to produce its first products in the fall of 1951 - AK-32 truck cranes. Since 1957, the automobile plant has specialized in the production of suburban, tourist and intercity buses with a rear power unit.

In 1964, LAZ produced the first domestic bus with automatic transmission - LAZ-695Zh. In the same 1964, the LAZ-699A bus with air springs in the suspension went into series - the result of several years of experimental work at the plant.

LAZ-699A is also interesting in that it became the first domestic bus with independent front wheel suspension - a rare feature in those years. In 1978, the production of its first model of the LAZ-4202 city bus with a KamAZ diesel engine and a new automatic transmission began.

LAZ also produced trailers for trucks.

Specifications:

The body is a carriage type, with a bearing base, has two doors, including one for passengers.

Number of seats - 33

Own weight - 6950 kg

Curb weight - 7 300 kg

Gross weight - 10 230 kg

Wheel formula - 4х2

Tire size 11.00-25

Base - 4 190 mm

Track - 2 076 mm

Minimum ground clearance 270 mm

Dimensions:

length 9190 mm

width 2500 mm

height 2990 mm

Maximum speed - 75 (87) km/h

Engine - ZIL 130 Ya2, 150 hp, carburetor, V-shaped, four-stroke, overhead valve

Cylinders - 8, working volume - 5,966 cm3

Compression ratio 6.5

Crankshaft speed - 3 200 rpm

Clutch single disc, dry, hydraulically actuated

Number of gears - 5

The main gear is double: a pair of bevel and a pair of cylindrical gears

Steering gear globoid worm and crank with roller

Fuel consumption - 35-40.5 liters per 100 km

Years of release - 1961-1970

From 1975 to 1978, a modernized LAZ-697N was produced

drawings of the bus LAZ-697 E "Tourist"

Today, this bus is quite difficult to find, there are only a few left and they are in a deplorable state. A year ago, I saw a couple of such buses in the backyard of a car park, and outwardly they were very well preserved. But now they are no longer there - the owners of the fleet "cleaned up" the territory and removed all the "trash" - where it is not known, but it is clear that not into the hands of restorers, but to the nearest landfill. It's a pity. The bus was interesting, and with the current surge of interest in the history of domestic technology and in the original design, this model means something!

Illustrations from the magazine "Young Technician" No. 3, 1973

The legend of "LAZ"

On April 13, 1945, a government decree was adopted on the establishment of an automobile assembly plant in Lviv, and on May 21 measures for its construction were determined. This date is considered the birthday of LAZ.

For almost ten years, single-axle trailers, trailer vans for transporting bread, mobile shops, etc. were produced here. 3-ton LAZ-690 truck cranes on the ZIS-150 chassis were also assembled (photo in the header below).

A good start

In the mid-50s, the Moscow Automobile Plant was preparing to produce a new medium-sized city bus ZIL-158, and they wanted to transfer the production of the already outdated ZIS-155 to the periphery - to the Lvov car assembly plant. However, a team led by Viktor Osepchugov took up the development of their own model. In 1956, prototypes of the LAZ-695 bus were tested, and the following year, its mass production began.

It must be said that this machine in all respects surpassed not only the old ZIS-155, but also the Moscow novelty. LAZ-695 had an innovative body structure for those times - with a load-bearing base, which was a spatial farm of rectangular pipes. The body frame was rigidly attached to it. The engine was located at the rear, and not at the front, like the ZIL-158. This significantly reduced the noise in the cabin and improved the working conditions of the driver. And one more thing - thanks to the spring suspension with additional corrective springs, the car had a good ride, regardless of the load. It should be noted and successful, then fashionable design. The body had strongly rounded shapes and glazed roof slopes.

It is no coincidence that in 1958, at the International Exhibition in Brussels, the Lviv car was awarded a gold medal and an honorary diploma.

Click on photo to enlarge!

The old bus…

The very first LAZ-695 had a small decorative grille on the front body panel, although the radiator was at the back. And above it was the inscription "Lviv". Model 695B, introduced in August 1958, had no grille. At the suggestion of the "internationalist" ideologues, the inscription in Ukrainian was also removed. It was replaced by one large letter "L" in the center, which became the hallmark of Lviv buses for many years.

Since 1961, instead of the in-line "six" ZIL-158 (109 hp), they began to install a new V-shaped 8-cylinder ZIL-130 engine. Such machines received the designation LAZ-695E. The maximum speed has increased by 10 km / h - up to 75 km / h. In 1969, they also began to produce LAZ-695Zh - with a 2-speed hydromechanical gearbox. Its manufacture, by the way, was established on the territory of the enterprise itself.

In 1969, the LAZ-695M appeared. The stern of the body has become more angular, due to which the doorway in the upper part has increased. The air intake was removed from the roof, which significantly blocked the view to the rear. Instead, they made grilles at the base of the roof pillars.

In 1976 he saw the light of the LAZ-695N. Externally, the bus was distinguished by a new front body panel, with a high windshield. The central passage in the cabin was expanded from 50 to 58 cm. The speed increased to 80 km/h.

… and others

LAZ-695 was originally designed as a suburban bus, but it was widely used as a city bus. At the same time, a tourist version was also produced - LAZ-697. In the cabin there were "sleeping" aircraft-type chairs, a radio with a microphone attachment. All fundamental changes in the design of the "695th" were transferred to its tourist "brothers".

However, the capacity of the LAZ-697 "Tourist" bus (33 passengers) was often insufficient. And therefore, since 1964, a model extended by 1.4 m began to be produced - LAZ-699 "Tourist 2", designed to carry 41 people. Since the own weight of the car has increased, it has received a more powerful, 180-horsepower ZIL-375 engine. The highlight of the bus was the pneumatic suspension of all wheels, and at the front it was independent. Unfortunately, it was later abandoned.

In 1979, the construction of a new head building of the plant was completed. Its area exceeded all other production areas twice! This allowed launching the production of a new city bus LAZ-4202. Unlike the veteran "695th", it had two wide (1.2 m) doors. There were only 25 seats in the cabin, but there were spacious aisles and storage areas in front and behind. The suspension was quite comfortable, spring-pneumatic. The engine was still at the back, but, what is very important, it was no longer carbureted, as on all other LAZs, but diesel, 180-horsepower - KAMAZ-7401-5. The gearbox was used automatic, hydromechanical 3-speed, with a hydraulic retarder. In 1984, start producing LAZ-42021 - with the usual "KAMAZ" box, cheaper and more reliable.

In the 1980s, LAZ became the largest bus manufacturer in Europe. Up to 15 thousand cars could be produced here annually.

Difficult years

The beginning of the 90s in Ukraine, as in other post-Soviet states, was marked by a transition to the market. In 1994 LAZ was transformed into an open joint stock company. However, the controlling stake (65.14%) still remained in the ownership of the state.

Hard times have come for the plant. Solid and regular state orders disappeared like a morning mist, and the new owners - car fleets - had very little money. Bus production began to fall catastrophically. If in 1989 LAZ produced 14,200 cars, then in 1999 - only 234, that is, 60 (!) Times less.

Nevertheless, in these difficult years, new models and modifications were actively mastered at the enterprise. Already in 1990, the plant launched the production of a fundamentally new LAZ-42071 intercity bus with a diesel engine. In 1991, work began on the large city bus LAZ-52523 and the trolleybus LAZ-52522 based on it. In 1994, both cars went into series. Interesting experimental buses were also built.

Bus Laz-4202

At a new stage

In October 2001, a controlling stake in LAZ (70.41%) was acquired on a competitive basis by the Ukrainian-Russian OJSC Sil-Avto. The plant went to the winner in a difficult condition: the entire I quarter of the enterprise stood idle. By the end of the year, only 514 cars were produced - that is, 45% less than in the previous year, 2000 (969 units). Moreover, the lion's share was made up of the "veterans" LAZ-695N, which, due to the low price, were in the highest demand. True, 28% of them were already equipped with diesel engines - Minsk MMZ D-245.9.

The product upgrade has begun. In May 2002, at the Kiev International Motor Show, a family of buses "with improved layout and comfort" was presented: Liner 9, Liner 10 and Liner 12 - 9, 10 and 12 m long, respectively. In the same year, they officially announced the cessation of the production of obsolete LAZ-695 and 699 from July. True, their production continued for some time, since there was demand.

At SIA'2002, a new city bus of an especially large class was also shown - a two-section A-291 for 180 passengers. But during peak hours, this "dimensionless" car could accommodate up to 300 people. A similar experimental model LAZ-6202 was built in Lviv in the early 90s. But then the first pancake came out lumpy - the bus was not reliable enough.

In 2003, a one-and-a-half-story tourist bus with the symbolic name "NeoLAZ" was lit up, which amazed everyone. At the Moscow motor show, he was recognized as the best. And in 2004, a fundamentally new "citizen" of a large class appeared - the "low-floor" LAZ-A183 "City", as well as its airfield "brother" - AH183 "Airport".

The new generation of Lviv cars meets modern European requirements, which is confirmed by a number of certificates. They are distinguished by high comfort and good design, equipped with units from leading manufacturers (Mercedes and Deutz engines, ZF gearboxes and axles, etc.). The further fate of these machines depends on the development of the Ukrainian and Russian markets. The plant's plan for 2005 is 615 buses.

Leonid Gogolev

Lvovsky (LAZ) was founded in May 1945. For ten years, the company has been producing truck cranes and car trailers. Then the production capacity of the plant was expanded. In 1956, the LAZ-695 brand rolled off the assembly line, a photo of which is presented on the page. It topped a long list of models for subsequent releases. Each new modification improved the technical parameters and became more comfortable compared to the previous one.

Magirus and Mercedes

The German Magirus purchased abroad was used as a prototype for the construction of the LAZ-695. The car was studied throughout 1955, the design was considered from the point of view of technological application for conveyor assembly in the conditions of the limited capabilities of the Soviet Avtoprom. In the process of preparing the LAZ-695 bus for serial production, the exterior and all external data were borrowed from Magirus, and the chassis, chassis and power plant with transmission were taken from the German Mercedes-Benz 321 bus. German cars cost the Soviet government inexpensively, since in the west automobile equipment is written off early and replaced with a new one. "Magirus", "Neoplan" and "Mercedes-Benz" were bought for a third of the price, and at the same time all the buses were in excellent condition.

Start of production

The LAZ-695 bus, whose technical characteristics were found to be quite reliable, was produced for two years, from 1956 to 1958. Initially, the car was used on urban routes, but it soon became clear that its interior did not meet the requirements of intensive passenger traffic, the interior was uncomfortable and cramped. The LAZ-695 bus began to run on suburban routes, this time having established itself as a comfortable and fast carrier. Its technical data fully met the tasks of operation. In addition, tourist groups rented the bus with pleasure, the car moved smoothly, the ZIL-124 engine worked almost silently. Later, LAZ-695, the technical characteristics of which did not need to be improved, served the Cosmonaut Training Center in Baikonur.

The technical requirements for the bus were somewhat specific. The astronauts had to move from one module to another, following a pre-flight training program, so the cabin was half empty of regular seats, and in their place were aircraft-type chairs on which one could lie.

In addition, the interior of the bus was easily converted for the needs of an ambulance. Apparatus for monitoring the general condition of the human body was installed in it: electrocardiographs, a tonometer for measuring pressure, equipment for the simplest blood test, and much more. Such transport was serviced by a medical team of three people (similar to an ordinary city-type car).

Lvovsky continued to produce the model in various modifications until 2006. The car was constantly improved, and the demand for it was kept at a fairly high level. Bus prices in Soviet times were constant, and this suited consumers. Until 1991, the so-called distribution orders were distributed in the USSR, according to which vehicles, including buses, were centrally distributed. Payment for equipment was made by bank transfer, and subsequent operation, maintenance and repair at the expense of the auto enterprise.

The USSR assumed the phased development of the automotive industry, and city buses were at that time the first in the list in terms of demand in the national economy. Certain hopes were also pinned on Lviv models. However, a car with a five-speed transmission and continuous rows of seats did not fit into the dynamic mode of street traffic. City buses needed a specially equipped interior, as well as a power plant adapted to frequent braking and stopping. A conventional engine tends to overheat. The height of the produced model also did not quite correspond to traffic standards in the city.

Reconstruction attempts

The new buses coming off the assembly line of the Lvov plant repeated the parameters of the basic model, and radical design changes were impossible. The LAZ design bureau made several attempts to change the interior, but it turned out to be easier to create a car from scratch than to change the technical characteristics of an existing model. Thus, all new buses produced in Lviv were sent mainly to serve suburban lines. And trolleybuses, which were produced at the Lviv Automobile Plant since 1963 (based on a bus body), ran on city routes.

First modifications

In December 1957, the LAZ-695B bus, an upgraded version of the previous model, was put into production. First of all, a pneumatic drive was installed on the machine instead of a mechanical one (for opening doors). The side air intakes for cooling the rear engine were abolished. The central air intake in the form of a bell was placed on the roof. Thus, the cooling efficiency has increased, and the dust entering the engine compartment has become much less. The changes also affected the exterior in the front, the space between the headlights has become more modern. In the cabin, the partition of the driver's cabin was improved, it was raised to the ceiling, a door appeared for access to the cabin. Serial production of this model continued until 1964. A total of 16,718 cars were produced.

Simultaneously with the release of the 695B modification, the development of the 695E model with a new eight-cylinder ZIL-130 engine was underway. Several experimental cars were assembled in 1961, but the bus went into series in 1963, while only 394 copies were produced. From April 1964, the conveyor started working at full capacity and by the end of 1969, 38,415 695E buses were assembled, of which 1,346 were exported.

External changes in the 695E version affected the wheel arches, which acquired a rounded shape. From the ZIL-158 bus, the hubs of the front and rear axles were borrowed along with the brake drums. On the model 695E, for the first time, electropneumatics were used to control the doors. On the basis of version 695E, the LAZ "Tourist" bus was produced. This car was perfect for long trips.

Experiments on the introduction of automatic transmission

In 1963, the LAZ plant released another modification - 695Zh. The work was carried out in close cooperation with US, namely with the research center for automatic transmissions. In the same year, the production of buses with automatic transmission was launched. However, over the next two years, only 40 such LAZ-695 units were assembled, after which the production of the experimental model was discontinued.

The development of automatic transmission subsequently came in handy for city-type buses, the LiAZ brand, produced in the city of Likino-Dulyovo, Moscow Region.

Modernization of existing models

The creation of new modifications of buses of the Lviv Automobile Plant continued, and in 1969 LAZ-695M rolled off the assembly line. The car differed from previous models with windows of modern shape and style. Glass was built into the window opening without intermediate aluminum frames. The branded air intake on the roof was abolished, instead, vertical slots appeared on the sides of the engine compartment. Since 1973, modernized light-weight rims have been installed on the bus. The changes affected the exhaust system - two mufflers were combined into one. The bus body has become shorter by 100 mm, and the curb weight has increased.

Serial production of LAZ-695M continued for seven years, and during this time more than 52 thousand buses were produced, 164 of which were exported.

"Patriarch" in the LAZ family with thirty years of experience

The next modification of the base model was the bus with the 695H index, which featured wide windshields and an upper visor, completely unified front and rear doors, as well as a new instrument panel with a more compact speedometer and gauges. Prototypes were presented in 1969, but this model went into mass production only in 1976. The bus was produced for thirty years, until 2006.

Later versions of the 695H differ from the earlier ones in a set of lighting equipment, headlights, turn signals, brake lights and other lighting devices. The model was equipped with a large hatch in the front of the body; in the case of military mobilization, the buses were supposed to be used as ambulances. In parallel with the 695H version, a small number of 695P buses were produced, which were distinguished by increased comfort, softer seats and silent double doors.

gas version

In 1985, the Lviv Bus Plant produced a modification of the LAZ-695NG, which ran on natural gas. Metal cylinders that can withstand pressures up to 200 atmospheres were placed in a row on the roof, in the rear. The gas entered the pressure, then mixed with air and in the form of a mixture was sucked into the engine. Buses under the symbol 695NG gained popularity in the 90s, when a fuel crisis broke out on the territory of the former USSR. The LAZ plant also suffered from a shortage of fuel. Ukraine as a whole also felt a shortage of fuel, so many transport companies in the country switched their buses to gas, which was much cheaper than gasoline.

LAZ and Chernobyl

In the spring of 1986, after the workshops of the Lviv Automobile Plant, a special bus LAZ-692 was urgently created in the amount of several dozen copies. The car was used to evacuate people from the infection zone and deliver specialists there. The bus was protected with lead sheets around the entire perimeter, two-thirds of the windows were also covered with lead. Special hatches were made in the roof for the access of purified air. Subsequently, all the machines that participated in the liquidation of the accident at the nuclear power plant were disposed of, since they were unsuitable for operation under normal conditions due to radiation contamination.

Diesel engines

In 1993, at the Lviv Automobile Plant, as an experiment, they tried to install a D-6112 diesel engine from an energy-saturated T-150 caterpillar tractor on the LAZ-695 bus. The results turned out to be generally good, but the SMD-2307 (Kharkov plant "Hammer and Sickle") was recognized as a more suitable diesel engine. Nevertheless, the experiments continued, and in 1995 the LAZ-695D bus equipped with the D-245 diesel engine of the Minsk Motor Plant was put into mass production.

Dneprovsky plant

A year later, the project was radically redesigned, and as a result, the 695D11 version appeared, which was called "Tanya".

The modification was produced in small batches until 2002, and since 2003, the assembly of buses was transferred to a plant in Dneprodzerzhinsk. It was not possible to immediately establish production at the new location, since the technological processes at the two specialized, at first glance, production facilities differed significantly. The large-sized bodies of LAZ buses did not always fit into the framework of the Dneprovets welding units, and this created certain difficulties. There was even some increase in the cost of LAZ buses, which were assembled in Dneprodzerzhinsk, although the build quality was in most cases impeccable. As a result, the balance of price and quality leveled off, and the production of cars began to gain momentum.

The search for a universal solution

The design bureau of the Lviv Automobile Plant was looking for options for new developments. Over the entire period of production at the Lviv Bus Plant, several attempts were made to create universal LAZs that could be operated both in the city and on international routes. However, the specifics of passenger transportation did not allow this. On long-haul flights, people need comfort and a special soothing atmosphere in the cabin of the bus. On urban routes, passengers enter and exit, several hundred people visit the car per day. Therefore, it was not possible to bring two opposite modes of operation closer together, and the plant continued to produce several modifications at the same time.

LAZ today

Currently, on the roads of the former Soviet Union, you can find buses of the Lvov plant of almost all modifications. A good repair base throughout the entire period of production, starting from 1955, allowed many cars to be kept in good condition. Some LAZ models are obsolete and are used as auxiliary vehicles in various industries.

Many dismantled bodies are ownerless - with the engines removed and the undercarriage that has fallen into disrepair. These are the costs of the automotive industry of the Soviet period, when buses were decommissioned in car fleets, and no one was interested in their further fate. The market economy dictates its own rules, decommissioned cars increasingly fall into the hands of private owners and get a second life. And since the resource of automotive equipment produced in the USSR was quite long, this "second life" can also be long.

Lviv Bus Plant is going through hard times today, the main conveyor was stopped in 2013, many subsidiaries and related companies are going through bankruptcy proceedings. The existence of CJSC LAZ will depend on the results. The prospects for a successful resolution of the difficult situation are rather pessimistic. Of great importance for the successful resuscitation of enterprises is the stability of the political situation in Ukraine, but this stability is not.

Any Soviet bus or truck differs from European vehicles in two important ways. The first is a technique of increased reliability, since all of it is designed for the event of war. The second, logically follows from the first: all vehicles have unified components and mechanisms, which increases its maintainability, facilitates maintenance, and simplifies the study of the machines themselves. In fact, and this has long been known, trucks and buses made in the USSR are designers. Compared to the level of standardization in the USSR, European brands are still babies in this regard: the EU is only 20 years old and the path to total unification and common state standards is still ahead of them.

If you accidentally wedged into a conversation between two normal versed drivers about certain machine components, you are unlikely to immediately understand which model they are talking about. For example, an engine from ZIL or MAZ can be installed on at least 5 different cars, this is at best. Mechanics who repair only KAMAZ or ZILs are quite capable of understanding the mechanics of other Soviet brands. And this is not because locksmiths are deeply interested in the structural differences of all machines, but because all the components of Soviet technology are simple and similar.

The same fate befell the LAZ-695 N. The car turned out to be simple and reliable. Its only radical difference, in my opinion, is the seats in the passenger compartment: I have not seen such ones in any other bus of the Soviet automobile industry. Although the author may be wrong. Now about the technical characteristics of the LAZ 695, in more detail.

Motors and transmissions from ZIL

The ZIL-130 engine has been installed on LAZ since 1961. The carburetor V-shaped eight with 6000 “cubes” of working volume was capable of delivering up to 150 hp. The installation spins up to 3200 rpm, the maximum torque of 402 Nm is achieved at the level of 1800-2000 rpm.

The engine is good because it perfectly perceives two types of fuel: gasoline and gas. Able to accelerate the car up to 80 km / h at full weight. The tank is designed for 154 liters for gasoline, or 6 cylinders for 300 liters of gas are installed. The estimated maximum fuel consumption is 41 l / 100 km in gasoline equivalent (A-76, AI-80), and 38 l / 100 km in the 60 km / h mode in the gas version (methane).

The modern analogue is the updated ZIL-130 (508.10) engine. It is fully suitable for replacing power plants that have exhausted their service life and is offered by the manufacturer in 4 versions, which differ in equipment completeness (the presence or absence of a number of components and assemblies: gearbox, starter, compressor, filter, etc.).

A ZIL-158V manual gearbox is installed on the bus. Gears - 5, with synchronizers in 2nd and 5th gears, single-plate clutch with peripheral springs. Clutch disengagement - hydraulic. The main gear is double spaced (bevel and planetary). Cardan transmission is represented by one integral shaft.

Steering and brakes

The control scheme also came from ZIL. Initially, the ZIL-124 system was installed, without GIR, since 1991 LAZ-695N are equipped with a ZIL-4331 steering unit with a hydraulic booster.

The main braking system is organized into 2 circuits, pneumatic, the executive bodies are brake drums, one of the circuits is used as a spare system. The parking brake is controlled by a mechanical drive to the pads of the rear wheel drums.

Dimensions. Suspension

Length / width / height - 9190x2500x3120 mm. The curb weight of the bus is 6800 kg, the gross weight is 11200 kg. Front and rear suspension spring-spring, the front is equipped with two shock absorbers. Ground clearance - 320mm.

Body and interior

Wagon-type body with load-bearing base. Number of doors 3: two passenger hinged 4-leaf, and a driver's door. The width of the passenger door opening is 830 mm. Ventilation is natural. The heating system is calorific from the engine cooling system.

Number of seats 34, total capacity - 60 people. The seats are arranged in 4 rows, the last 5 seats are combined into one sofa, consisting of 3 sections (two 2-seater and one single). In cars of different years of manufacture, 1 service place is also provided near the rear door.

The driver's seat is movable in 3 directions. Controls and instruments are located organically, control devices with large dials are very informative.

LAZ price - varied

The minimum cost of a LAZ 695 bus with an index of “complete rubbish” is estimated by sellers at $ 2.5-3.3 thousand. These are very old cars, but the engines on them, as a rule, are new, according to the assurances of the sellers with a mileage of 30-50 thousand km A lot of problems with the body, which rests only on Soviet safety margins. Further prices rise, depending on the condition of the bus. The average price for a LAZ 695 N 15-20 years old, in a satisfactory condition, is $4.5-6 thousand. Conditionally new cars aged 10-15 years in really good condition with a mileage of 150-200 thousand km can be purchased for $8-11 thousand .

Historical primer based on LAZ-695

1. Just LAZ

The first serial LAZ-695 "Lviv" rolled off the assembly line in 1956. The machine was designed after studying a number of foreign analogues: Magirus, Neoplan, Mercedes. At LAZ, for the first time in the history of the Soviet bus industry, the rear engine was used. The power plant was the ZIL-124 engine. The transmission (a 5-speed gearbox with a double-disk clutch) went to the car from the ZIL-158, the most common bus at that time.

The LAZ body was also an innovation for the USSR: all loads were distributed on a power frame welded from rectangular pipes, and all body elements were rigidly connected to it. For the manufacture of the lining, duralumin was used, which was fastened by welding. A suspension, unusual for those times, was also introduced - spring-spring. The combined version provided the desired characteristics: stiffness increased with increasing load, the car did not shake, it coped well with any vibrations.

For servicing urban passenger routes, LAZ-695 was inconvenient: there was no wide area at the entrance, the passages and doors were narrow, designed for one person. For long-distance and suburban transportation, the car was quite suitable: 65 km / h plus comfortable seats always delighted passengers. On the basis of the 695th, two luxury models for long-distance travel were built: LAZ-697 and LAZ-699.

The revolutionary design of the LAZ did not leave anyone indifferent: thin elegant window pillars and radial roof glazing gave the bus a modern look. Streamlined hull details added swiftness and visual dynamism to the car.

2. B

LAZ-695B - the first modification of the model, produced in the period 1958-1964. The main differences: the body was reinforced at the base, a pneumatic actuator appeared on the doors (before that it was mechanical), an “aerospace” air intake was installed on the roof. The transmission was also subjected to experiments: at first there was a double-plate clutch and a gearbox with a direct fourth gear and a fifth overdrive, but then it was replaced by a single-plate clutch and a gearbox with a direct fifth gear

The roof of the car also changed dramatically. Either it became opaque, or the glazing was returned: this is how the designers fought for the rigidity of the element and for its beauty in different periods. Radial glazing will soon disappear, but the branded LAZ visor over the windshield, which appeared as a result of many revisions, will remain for a long time on the following modifications.

Many more minor improvements were made to the model, some of them also concerned the design. Over the years, almost 17 thousand cars have been produced from the assembly line.

3. E

In 1961, a new ZIL-130 engine appeared. The motor was introduced into existing models, which were renamed LAZ 695 E. The car went into series in 1963 and lasted 7 years on the assembly line. New hubs for the front and rear axles were also installed on the LAZ-695 E. The kit also got new wheels with ZIL-158.

In 1969, the first electro-pneumatic door drive was installed, and as a result, the control valve was replaced with two toggle switches, which eventually turned into neat buttons. In the same year, LAZs received the rear axles of the Slave from Hungary.

4. F

An experimental model LAZ-695Zh existed in the amount of 40 pieces. It was distinguished by the fact that an experimental hydromechanical transmission was installed on the machine. However, after two years of testing (1963-1965), the program was stopped: functionally, the LAZ-695 never reached the level of a full-fledged city bus. All remaining experimental transmissions were transferred to LiAZ near Moscow. With the advent of LiAZ-677, LAZs finally occupied the niche of suburban and intercity transportation.

5. M

Mass innovations in the design, which took place in 1969, smoothly led the plant to the creation of a new model - LAZ-695 M. The car was produced from 1969 to 1976. Design updates ended with a logical external reincarnation. The 695th with the “M” index was finally deprived of radius roof windows, changing the design of the body frame. But the side windows have become higher, which gave the cabin spaciousness, and made the car visually taller. The branded central air intake on the roof was removed, moving the air intake to the rear hood, and later the inlet bells were again transferred to the area of ​​the side pillars, making elegant grilles on the cladding.

In 1973, new wheels were installed (for 4 segments), in 1974, two mufflers were combined into one. The length of the car has decreased, and the curb weight has increased. In total, more than 52 thousand cars were built in the LAZ-695 M series.

6. H

LAZ 695 N went into production in 1976 and was produced for 26 years! They started preparing the car in 1973, the main changes affected the design. The main external difference concerned the lining of the "front end". The bus was given square, fashionable at that time, headlights from Moskvich-412. They put a plastic grill on the hood (then changed it to aluminum), and left the branded visor over the windshield. In the 80s, the false grille was abandoned, and the headlights were made round.

The design changes were not dramatic. In the early 90s, GIRs began to be installed. At the same time, they abandoned the Hungarian bridges, and again returned to the double final drive.

A distinctive feature of absolutely all cars, until 1991, was the front door-hood. In the event of war, the LAZ-695N could be converted into a sanitary one: the seats were dismantled, and the hatch was used to load the wounded.

7. R

LAZ 695 R is an interesting but limited version with 2-leaf swing doors and comfortable seats. It began to be produced off the assembly line in 1980 for the Olympics and export. According to a number of reports, he had to change cars with the H index. There were few differences in this series, but the bus was made safer and more comfortable. New safety seats were installed on the LAZ 695 R, a solenoid valve for limiting the fuel supply was introduced, steps and steps were made of aluminum sheet with notches. They also improved sound insulation, strengthened the body at the points of attachment to the frame. The overall effect of the introductions was an increase in the resource by 100 thousand km more than that of 695N. Since 1980, LAZ 695 R and LAZ 695 N were produced at the plant at the same time, but in the end, R-ku was removed from the assembly line: due to "difficulties in production."

8. NG, P, NE, NT, D, D11, Soyuz

The gas version of the LAZ 695 NG has been produced since 1985. In the early 90s. NG-marked buses have become especially popular. Many owners converted the existing fleet of LAZs to methane on their own. There are also factory models LAZ 695P, in which propane is used as fuel.

There were also petrol export versions. LAZ 695 NE were sent to countries with a temperate climate, and LAZ 695 NT were specially prepared for dry and humid latitudes.

There are also diesel versions of the 695, they are produced in limited quantities. The first "diesels" were introduced more than 20 years ago by the LAZ-695D "Dana" model and were equipped with SMD-2307 and D-245.9 engines of the Minsk Motor Plant. In 1996, the D-shku was radically redesigned and given the index D11 "Tanya". The latest diesel version with a completely updated design and single-leaf sliding doors was the LAZ-695 SOYUZ with a YaMZ 5340 engine. It is still in production!

So, the history of Soviet buses began with a bus based on AMO F-15.
The first AMO bus with a capacity of 14 passengers was created in 1926 on the chassis of a 1.5-ton AMO-F-15 truck. The body was made on a frame of bent wooden profiles and sheathed with metal, the roof was covered with leatherette. There was only one passenger door - in front of the rear wheel arch. Four-cylinder carburetor engine with 35 hp. allowed the bus to accelerate to 50 km / h. In addition, since 1927, a two-door mail bus was produced (the rear door was behind the rear wheel arch) and an ambulance (without side doors). Third-party manufacturers put their own bodies on the AMO-F-15 chassis, for example, an open one with a tarpaulin awning for serving resorts. Photo from a 1983 postcard:

Later, an extended version appears - AMO 4 (1933). 22 places. Top speed with 60 hp 6-cylinder engine was 55 km/h. A batch of several dozen cars was produced.

Based on the ZIS-5, or rather its lengthened base from 3.81 to 4.42 m, the ZIS-11 chassis in 1934-1936. a 22-seater (total number of seats 29) ZIS-8 bus was produced. Six-cylinder in-line carburetor engine with a volume of 5.55 liters and a power of 73 hp. allowed the ZIS-8 with a gross weight of 6.1 tons to accelerate to 60 km / h. Only 547 units were produced at ZIS. ZIS-8.

In 1938, the ZiS-8 was replaced on the assembly line by a more advanced ZiS-16 that met the trends of that time. The production of the ZIS-16 bus, which, in accordance with the then automobile fashion, had a streamlined body shape, but was still made on a wooden frame, was deployed from 1938 and continued until August 1941. The bus accommodated up to 34 passengers (with 26 seats). Forced up to 84 hp the ZIS-16 engine accelerated the car with a gross weight of 7.13 tons to 65 km / h.

The production of passenger buses was resumed after the war, in 1946.
Then the body was developed, which simultaneously became the MTV-82 tram, the MTB-82 trolleybus and the ZiS-154 bus. ZiS-154 was not just a bus .. In 1946, domestic designers managed to create a hybrid!
The design of this bus was advanced for the domestic auto industry: the first domestic serial all-metal wagon-type load-bearing body (by the way, unified with the MTB-82 trolleybus and MTV-82 tram) with a passenger door in the front overhang and an engine in the rear of the body, a door pneumatic drive, adjustable in three directions driver's seat, diesel and electric transmission with electric generator and electric motor. Forced diesel YaAZ-204D with a power of 112 hp allowed the bus with a gross weight of 12.34 tons to accelerate to 65 km / h. A total of 1164 ZIS-154 buses were produced. However, the diesel engine, which was then just being mastered in production, turned out to be unfinished in terms of exhaust smoke and reliability, therefore the ZIS-154 equipped with it, which also suffered from a whole bunch of "childhood diseases", became the object of serious complaints from the townspeople and operators, which led to a relatively quick removal of the bus from production in 1950. One of them is preserved in the Mosgortrans museum.

The unsuccessful ZIS-154 was replaced by an easier-to-manufacture, but less capacious 8-meter ZIS-155, from the design of which elements of the ZIS-154 body and units of the ZIS-150 truck were used. By the way, it was on the ZIS-155 that an alternating current generator was introduced for the first time in the domestic auto industry. The bus could carry 50 passengers (28 seats). Engine ZIS-124 with a power of 90 hp accelerated the car with a gross weight of 9.9 tons to 70 km / h. A total of 21,741 ZIS-155 buses were produced, which remained the main model of the bus fleets of the capital and other large cities of the USSR from the mid-50s to the mid-60s.
Preserved in the Mosgortrans museum, as well as as monuments in some cities and sheds in some collective farms.

In 1955, for the first time in the USSR, an intercity bus was developed (before that, ZiS-155 cars ran along the Moscow-Yalta route, it’s scary to imagine how much and how it was to go in it ..) It turned out to be a huge, luxurious American-style bus.

The bus with the original load-bearing body 10.22 m long could carry 32 passengers, seated in comfortable aircraft-type seats with headrests and adjustable backrests. The power plant consisted of a YaAZ-206D two-stroke diesel engine, located transversely in the rear of the bus with a gearbox and driving the rear axle with a cardan shaft located at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the bus. In terms of level, design of the body and interior, comfort for passengers and dynamic qualities, the ZIS (ZIL) -127 corresponded to the best foreign analogues and deservedly was the flagship of the domestic automotive industry. However, the overall width of the ZIS-127 is too large, equal to 2.68 m, which exceeded international requirements (the width of the vehicle is not more than 2.5 m) and the emphasis on the development of economic ties with the socialist countries of the CMEA, which was given priority in the production of large buses ( Hungary, Czechoslovakia) decided the fate of a completely competitive model (in fact, the last competitive domestic bus) - in 1960, the production of ZIL-127 was curtailed. In total in 1955-1960. 851 ZIS(ZIL)-127 buses were produced.
To this day, the ZiS-127 has been preserved in perfect condition in a museum in Tallinn. Even on the territory of the former USSR there are several cars in the state of "a shed in the backyard of the motor depot."

Interestingly, on the basis of ZIL-127 in 1959, NAMI created and tested the Turbo-NAMI-053 gas turbine bus, which reached a speed of 160 km / h or more. GTE mounted in the rear of the cabin developed 350 hp. and was twice as light as the base YaMZ-206D diesel engine. However, such a machine did not go into series because of the complexity in production and operation.

ZIL-158, ZIL-158V - city bus. Produced from 1957 to 1959 at ZIL and from 1959 to 1970 at LiAZ. ZIL-158 was the main bus model in the city bus fleets of the Soviet Union in the 60s and early 70s of the XX century. It was a further modernization of the ZIS-155 bus. It was distinguished by a body lengthened by 770 mm with an increased capacity of up to 60 people. nominal passenger capacity (32 seats), redesigned front and rear masks, modified side windows, as well as an engine with a 9% increase in power. The first ZIL-158 had windows in the ventilation hatches in the roof, as well as windows in the corners on the rear roof slopes.
A front-engine layout was used, which subsequently migrated to the LiAZ-677 and PAZ-652.
Sometimes there are buses like this...

At the same time, the production of buses was started in Lvov, at a plant that used to produce truck cranes and trailers.

LAZ-695. I think he needs no introduction. Initially, he looked like this. Huge windows in the ceiling (at the far, earlier - tinted), an interesting air intake on the back of the roof. Rear-engine layout, ZiLovsky engine. It began to be produced back in 1956, since then it has been simplified and transformed many times.

There were quite a few changes to the hodovka during the entire production period.

And in the end, 695 turned into such a dear and familiar worker of suburban routes, which was produced right up to 2002 (and in fact - until 2010 !!!) of the year.

In the late 50s, LAZ began developing intercity buses. There were dozens of interesting options, but only a few went into the series. For example, LAZ-697

In 1961, the LAZ-Ukraine bus was created. Remember "Queen of the Gas Station". Learned?

In 1967, a bus was created that made a real world breakthrough.

In the spring of 1967, this bus took part in the international bus competition in Nice (XVIII International Bus Week), where it received the following awards:
- Prize of the President of France, two Grand Prizes of Distinction and a Special Prize of the Organizing Committee - for participation in the rally.
- Silver medal for bodybuilders - for the competition of bodies.
- Big prize and Organizing Committee Cup - for technical tests.
- Big Cup - for the absolute first place in driving skills (driver - test engineer S. Borim).
Here she is, "Ukraine-67"

Let's go back to LiAZ, which in 1962 started producing the legend. LiAZ-677. Warm, gurgling and swaying to an incredible amplitude, it is familiar to almost everyone and needs no introduction .. In some places they still run, but in most cities they have long been melted down "into pots".

There were many variations. e.g. for the far north.

Meanwhile, Ukravtobusprom engineers prepared a surprise.

1970 The world's first low-floor bus. LAZ-360. Collected two copies. The first one is LAZ360EM. In 1970, when creating the LAZ-360EM (in some sources LAZ-360E), the main task of the designers was to lower the floor level in the bus to 360 mm above the road level (hence the bus index - "360"). It was possible to make the bus low-floor only by abandoning cardan gears, so the transmission on the LAZ-360EM is electromechanical. The bus engine (170 hp / 132 kW), together with the electric generator, was located in front (most likely behind the driver's seat), and the drive wheels were rear, connected to traction motors. A feature of the bus was a four-axle chassis with small diameter tires. Two front axles are steered, two rear axles are driven. The body with an unusual artistic solution was also interesting - windshields bent in a vertical plane and trapezoidal side windows. The length of the bus was 11.000mm.

Some time later, it became clear that the chosen four-bridge scheme with electric transmission did not justify itself, and then the design of the bus was thoroughly revised and practically developed anew. For the updated version, a two-axle scheme was chosen, with the usual mechanical transmission, but with front-wheel drive and steered wheels - thus it became possible to make a flat low floor almost along the entire length of the bus. The engine of the new bus also changed its position in the cabin - now it was on the right side of the driver. The number and arrangement of entrance doors has also changed. The modernized bus was named LAZ-360 (that is, with a low floor level, but without an electromechanical transmission).

1994 LAZ-695N

LAZ-695 "Lviv"- Soviet and Ukrainian city bus of the middle class of the Lviv Bus Plant.

The bus has undergone modernization more than once, mainly with changes in the appearance of the body, but at the same time, the overall dimension and layout of the body and the main units of the bus remained the same. The most significant change relative to the base first generation 695/695B/695E/695Zh was the modernization of the front and rear parts in two stages - first, in the second generation 695M, the rear part was changed (with the replacement of one large "turbine" air intake at the rear of the roof with two side "gills" ) with an almost unchanged front mask, and then the third generation 695N / 695NG / 695D also received a modernized front part (“licked” shape changed to “visor”). In addition, the factory emblems and the headlight space on the front end changed (both from generation to generation, and within generations; for example, in the third - from an aluminum false radiator grille to the same black-plastic one and then its complete removal), headlights and sidelights , front bumpers, wheel covers and more.

There is reason to believe that a small batch of buses with automatic transmission (LAZ-695E) was produced.

Not without a number of shortcomings (cramped interior and doors, frequent overheating of the engine of buses of the 2nd and 3rd generations, etc.), the bus was characterized by simplicity of design and unpretentious operation on all categories of highways. In the post-Soviet space, both manufactured in the 21st century and 30-year-old LAZ-695 buses are still used. Even without taking into account custom assembly in small batches at DAZ, mass production of buses at LAZ went on for 50 years. The total number of LAZ-695 buses produced is about 250 thousand cars (only 695M - more than 52 thousand and 695N - about 176 thousand cars).

background

In 1949, the plant began to manufacture car vans, trailers, truck cranes and (an experimental batch) electric vehicles. With the development of automotive production at the plant, a design team was formed under the leadership of V.V. Osepchugov. At first, they planned to transfer the production of obsolete ZIS-155 buses from the Moscow Stalin Plant to the plant, but such a prospect did not inspire the young staff of the plant and its design bureau. With the support of the first director of LAZ, B.P. Kashkadamov, Osepchugov literally infected young designers and production workers who had just left the institute's classrooms with a “bus dream”.

The initiative to develop and manufacture a new bus model was supported "at the top" and samples of modern European buses were purchased for LAZ: Magirus, Neoplan, Mercedes. They were carefully studied in terms of design and production technology, as a result of which the first Lviv bus was practically developed by the end of 1955. When designing its design, the experience of Mercedes Benz 321 was most of all taken into account, and external stylistic decisions were made in the spirit of the bus " Magirus."

The construction of the first LAZ-695 was started in 1955.

LAZ-695N (1974-2006)

Having received a new front body panel with higher windshields and a large visor on top, the car became known as LAZ-695N. On this model, the rear and front doors have become the same. The instrument cluster and speedometer have become somewhat smaller in diameter. The first prototypes were demonstrated in 1969.

In 1974, the plant began serial production of the LAZ-695N.

Cars LAZ-695N of the late 70s - early 80s. had small windows on the outside above the doors to the salon with illuminated inscriptions "Enter" and "Exit", they were removed on later cars. Also, late LAZ-695N buses differ from earlier cars in the shape and location of the front and rear lighting. On early buses, rectangular headlights manufactured by the GDR, the same as those of the Moskvich-412 car, and an aluminum false radiator grille were installed in front. Since the mid 80s. the aluminum grille was abolished, and the headlights became round.

In 1978, on the basis of the LAZ-695N, a special training bus was developed for training drivers, equipped with an additional control kit and a set of fixing equipment (SL-2M speedometer, 010/10 tachograph, mode meter, ZP-15M three-component overload recorder and tape recorder).

For the 1980 Olympics and export, a small number of LAZ-695R modification buses were produced with more comfortable and soft seats and double-leaf doors (which were also previously on LAZ-695N prototypes, but did not go into series). After the Olympics, buses of this modification were used as excursion buses.

Until 1991, without fail, LAZ-695N buses had a large opening hatch in the front wall of the body - in the case of military mobilization, these buses were converted into sanitary ones, and the hatch was intended for loading and unloading stretchers with the wounded (it would be impossible to carry a stretcher through narrow doors). After 1991, this "extra detail" was quickly abolished.

In the first half of the 1990s, a power steering appeared on the LAZ-695N. At the same time, they stopped installing the rear axles of the “Slave” and again, like many years ago, they began to equip the car with a double final drive (without wheel gears).

On the basis of the LAZ-695N bus, the LAZ-697N "Tourist" and LAZ-697R "Tourist" buses were produced.