Behind last years the territory of the former Union was flooded with cars made not in its expanses. Reliable and strict Germans, creative and sophisticated Japanese, stylish and powerful Americans, cheap French and sickening Chinese ... since foreign cars came, Soviet manufacturers are in the deepest ass! There are an order of magnitude more Cayennes and Escalades on the streets of Kyiv, Moscow, Minsk and those than Muscovites, Volga or Niv.
But what were they, the cars of the USSR? And how would we see them today, without the Internet and digital photography?..
In 1916, the Ryabushinskys concluded an agreement with the tsarist government for the construction car factory in Moscow and the production of trucks for the needs of the Imperial Army. The Fiat 15 Ter developed in 1912 was chosen as the base model of the car, which proved itself well in off-road conditions in the colonial wars of Italy. The plant was founded and received the name of the Moscow Automobile Society (AMO). Before the revolution, they managed to assemble about a thousand cars from ready-made kits, create their own production capacity failed.
In the early 1920s, the Labor and Defense Council allocated funds for the creation of a truck. The same Fiat was chosen for the sample. There were two reference copies and partially documentation.
Automotive industry Soviet Union started on November 7, 1924. On that day, Moscow saw the first cars of the country's first automobile plant. They passed through Red Square during the October parade - ten red trucks AMO-F15, which were manufactured at the plant, whose brand is known to everyone today as ZIL. The F-15 was produced with a power of 35 hp. and a volume of 4.4 liters. A year later, the first domestic 3-ton trucks were assembled in Yaroslavl, and in 1928 the first four- and five-ton trucks ... but we will talk about Soviet cars
NAMI-1 (1927-1932), maximum speed 70 km/h, power 20 l. With. First mass-produced passenger car Soviet Russia, approximately 370 copies were produced. The features of NAMI-1 included a spinal frame - a pipe with a diameter of 135 mm, an engine air cooling, the absence of a differential, which, in combination with ground clearance 225 mm provided good cross-country ability, but affected increased wear tires. There were no instruments in NAMI-1, and the body had one door for each row of seats.
The Spartak plant, the former crew factory of P. Ilyin, where production was launched, did not have the equipment and experience for a full-fledged automotive production. In particular, therefore, the reliability of NAMI-1 caused a lot of criticism. In 1929, the car was modernized: the engine was boosted, a speedometer and an electric starter were installed. There were plans to transfer the production of NAMI-1 to the Izhora plant in Leningrad. However, this was never done, and in October 1930, the release of NAMI-1 was stopped.
Passenger car GAZ-A It was made according to the drawings of the American company "Ford" (1932-1936). Despite this, it was already somewhat different from the American prototypes: for the Russian version, the clutch housing and steering gear were reinforced. Maximum speed 90 km/h, power 40 hp
Passenger car L-1 (1933-1934), maximum speed 115 km/h, power 105 hp. By 1932, the Krasny Putilovets plant (since 1934, the Kirov Plant) had stopped producing obsolete Fordson-Putilovets wheeled tractors, and a group of plant specialists put forward the idea of organizing the production of representative cars. The prototype of the car, which received the name "Leningrad-1" (or "L-1") was the American "Buick-32-90" in 1932. It was a very perfect and complex (5450 parts) car.
Passenger car GAZ-M-1 (1936-1940), maximum speed 100 km/h, power 50 hp On the basis of the GAZ-M1, modifications of the "taxi" were produced, as well as the "pickup" GAZ-415 (1939-1941). In total, 62,888 GAZ-M1 vehicles left the assembly line, and several hundred have survived to this day. Chassis this model exhibited in automotive department Polytechnic Museum in Moscow.
KIM-10 is the first Soviet mass-produced small car.
1940-41, top speed 90 km/h, power 26 hp
Passenger car ZIS-101. 1936-1941, top speed 120 km/h, power 110 hp
This model has been distinguished by many technical solutions, not previously encountered in practice domestic automotive industry. Among them: a dual carburetor, a thermostat in the cooling system, a torsional vibration damper on the engine crankshaft, synchronizers in the gearbox, a body heater and a radio receiver.
The car had a dependent spring suspension of all wheels, a spar frame, vacuum booster brakes, rod-actuated valves located in the cylinder head. After modernization (in 1940), she received the ZIS-101A index.
Passenger car GAZ-11-73. 1940-1948, top speed 120 km/h, power 76 hp
Passenger car GAZ-61 (1941-1948). Maximum speed 100 km / h, power 85 hp.
Passenger car GAZ-M-20 VICTORY (1946-1958). Maximum speed 105 km / h, power 52 hp. A unique car of the Soviet automobile industry.
The GAZ-M20 prototype appeared in 1944. In terms of the design of the body-front suspension, the car was very close to the Opel-Kapitan, but on the whole it looked fresh and original, but it became especially obvious in the first post-war years, when mass production of “victories” began in Gorky, and leading European firms revived the production of pre-war models. On prototypes of the GAZ M20 Pobeda, there was a b-cylinder engine;
In 1948, due to design flaws (the car was put on the conveyor in a terrible hurry), the assembly was suspended and resumed in the fall of 1949. Since then, the car has been reputed to be strong, reliable, unpretentious. Until 1955, a version with a 50-horsepower engine was built, then the M20 V version was modernized, in particular, with a 2-horsepower boost. motor. In small quantities for special services, the GAZ-M20 G was produced with a 90-horsepower 6-cylinder engine. In 1949-1954. built 14,222 convertibles - now the most rare modification. In total, until May 1958, 235,999 "victories" were made.
"ZIS-110" (1946-1958), maximum speed 140 km/h, power 140 hp
ZIS-110, a "representative" comfortable limousine, was indeed a design that took into account all the latest achievements at that time automotive technology. This is the first novelty that our industry mastered in the first peaceful year. The design of the car began in 1943, back in the war years, on September 20, 1944, samples of the car were approved by the government, and a year later, in August 1945, the first batch was already being assembled. In 10 months - an unheard of short time - the plant completed the necessary drawings, developed the technology, prepared the necessary tooling and equipment. Suffice it to recall that when the plant mastered the production of ZIS-101 cars in 1936, the preparation for their production took almost a year and a half. At the same time, it should be taken into account that all the most complex equipment is dies for manufacturing body parts, frame spars, conductors for welding body components - were obtained from the USA. For the ZIS-110, everything was made on their own.
"Moskvich-401" (1954-1956), maximum speed 90 km/h, power 26 hp
Moskvich-401 is actually not even a copy, but in its purest form Opel Kadett K38 of the 1938 model, with the exception of the doors. Some believe that the rear door stamps were lost in transit from Rüsselsheim and were remade. But the K38 was also produced with a 2-door, so it is possible that the stamps of this particular version of the car were taken out. The commander of the American occupation zone did not take the money brought by the Soviet delegation, and ordered to give the Russians everything they needed from the Opel factory. On December 4, 1946, the first Moskvich was assembled.
Indexes 400 and 401 - factory designations of engines. The rest indicate the body model: 420 - sedan, 420A - convertible. In 1954 there appeared more powerful model engine - 401. And the latest Moskvich-401s were equipped with new Moskvich-402 engines.
Passenger car MOSKVICH-402 (1956-1958), maximum speed 105 km/h, power 35 hp.
"GAZ-M-12 ZIM" (1950-1959), maximum speed 120 km/h, power 90 hp Engine. At its core, this is a six-cylinder GAZ-11 engine, the design of which the Gorky residents began in 1937. Its release was launched in 1940, and it was used on GAZ-11-73 and GAZ-61 passenger cars, as well as on light tanks and self-propelled guns of the times of the Great Patriotic War and trucks GAZ-51.
"GAZ-13 CHAYKA" (1959-1975), maximum speed 160 km/h, power 195 hp. With.
Soviet dream car, made in the image and likeness of the Detroit baroque.
"Seagull" was equipped with a V-shaped 5.5-liter engine, X frame, automatic transmission(!!! 1959 in the yard), the salon consisted of 7 seats. 195 l. With. Under the hood good acceleration, moderate consumption - what else is needed for complete happiness? But to say all this about "The Seagull" is to say nothing.
"The Seagull" appeared in 1959, at the very height of the Khrushchev thaw. After the gloomy "ZIS" and the gloomy "ZIM", she was distinguished by a surprisingly human, if not feminine, face. True, this face was created in other parts: in terms of design, the GAZ-13 was an unscrupulous copy of the last Packard family - the Patrician and Caribbean models. And far from the first copy, first with Packard they made a ZIL-111 for members of the Politburo, and later they decided to make a simpler limousine to replace the ZIMs.
"GAZ 21R VOLGA" (1965-1970), maximum speed 130 km/h, power 75 hp
"GAZ-24 VOLGA" (1968-1975), maximum speed 145 km/h, power 95 hp
"Volga GAZ-24", which got on the conveyor on July 15, 1970, was created for 6 whole years. Inventing a new car is not an easy task, but the Soviet automakers of the sixties knew the way. And when they received an order to prepare a replacement for the beautiful, but too ancient Volga GAZ-21, they did not suffer from doubts and remorse. They brought three overseas cars - "Ford Falcon", "Plymouth Valiant", "Buick Special" 60-61 years - and, armed with adjustable wrenches, screwdrivers and other tools for analysis, they began to learn from experience.
As a result, "24th" became a real automotive revelation(compared to its predecessor "21P"). Judge for yourself: the dimensions have decreased, and the wheelbase has increased, the width has remained the same, but the interior has become more spacious, and the trunk is completely huge. In general, a typical case of "more inside than outside".
"ZAZ-965A ZAPOROZHETS" (1963-1969), maximum speed 90 km/h, power 27 hp
On November 22, 1960, the first batch of brand new cars, serially named ZAZ-965, went to happy customers. Which soon lined up a huge queue, since the price for the "Zaporozhets" was set very reasonable - about 1200 rubles. Then it was about the annual average salary.
Strange as it may seem now, but then the ZAZ-965 was more popular with the intelligentsia than with workers or collective farmers. The reason for this was in many ways too tiny trunk, which could not be loaded with bags of vegetables. The problem was solved only by the creation of a lattice pallet, fixed on the roof of the car, on which they immediately began to load half a ton of potatoes, then a whole stack of hay, which made the Zaporozhets look like Asian donkeys.
ZAZ-968 Zaporozhets, maximum speed 120 km/h, power 45 hp
ZAZ-968 was produced from 1972 to 1980. He had such features as an improved MeMZ-968 engine with an increase to 1.2 liters. displacement, while its power increased to 31 kW (42 hp).
He conquered space and launched a technology race that turned the whole world upside down in the future. world history. Thanks to best minds The USSR will then begin to develop the space industry. Together with space technologies, science and medicine, it developed in big country and the automotive industry. However, despite serious progress, the USSR lagged behind other countries in the automotive industry. But this does not mean at all that Soviet cars are bad. Let's get acquainted with the most famous representatives of the domestic auto industry, which today are considered retro classics.
The birth of the domestic auto industry
In 1927, the head of the Soviet Union, Stalin, demanded that during the first five-year plan - from 1928 to 1932 - a powerful and competitive automobile industry be created in the country. At that time, in comparison with the countries of Europe and the USA, the auto industry was virtually absent in the country, and the USSR was not a competitor for the world's auto giants. However, due to the rapid development of industrialization, by the middle of 1928, there were more than 3 million people employed in the production of automobiles.
When the first five-year plan ended, more than 6 million people were already working in the auto industry. Thanks to this plan, a new social class was formed in the USSR - these are workers for the automotive industry with good incomes for that time. But although a huge number of jobs were created and the standard of living grew, for many a car was a luxury even then. bought only wealthy working class. This is taking into account the fact that the capacity of car factories by 1932 reached about 2.3 million copies.
KIM: small car
The head of the auto industry in August 1938 proposes to develop and launch the production of small cars. It was planned to establish it at the Moscow car assembly plant created in honor of KIM.
To develop the car, a design department was formed at the plant. The process was led by a specialist from NATI A. N. Ostrovtsev. GAZ specialists worked on the design and construction of the body. To make the development go faster, they decided to take the American Ford Perfect, which was produced at that time in the UK, as a basis. The solutions that Ford engineers used were well known to engineers from the USSR - several car models based on Ford A and AA were already produced in the country. Although it was taken as a basis English car, body design - completely Soviet. GAZ specialists worked on it. During the process, they created two options - a model with closed body and two doors, as well as an open phaeton. Interestingly, the car was produced on equipment from the USA.
It was planned to connect many factories of the USSR to production. So, frames, springs, forgings were to be manufactured at ZIS. At GAZ, the main body parts and castings were made. A huge number of the most different industries it was supposed to provide the assembly shop with everything necessary - glasses, tires, upholstery materials, as well as all the details that simply could not be manufactured at KIM.
Exterior
The model was called KIM-10, and at that time it was a serious step for the entire automotive industry.
Appearance the car was newer and fresher than the others Soviet cars. The body shape and overall design practically did not differ from foreign samples. The body of this car was very progressive for its time.
The hood opened up and was of the alligator type. In order to open it, the designers created a nose decoration. The sides of the hood served as fairings for the headlights. The doors were wide enough in size, they were additionally equipped with swivel windows. The side windows could be lowered.
Design features
In addition to modern ideas, more conservative solutions were used at the time of the creation of this car. So, an engine with a lower valve arrangement did not have mechanisms for adjusting them. The connecting rod bearings were filled with babbitt. The thermosiphon cooling system is already outdated, but was used on KIM-10. Also among the conservative solutions is a dependent suspension system, mechanical brakes. The turn signals were of the semaphore type.
Specifications
This car was made in two types of bodies - a two-door sedan and a phaeton with side parts. The car could accommodate four passengers.
The length of the body was 3960 mm, width - 1480 mm, height -1650 mm. Clearance - 210 mm. IN fuel tank fit 100 liters of fuel.
The engine was located in the front, longitudinally. It was a 4-cylinder carbureted four-stroke power unit. Its volume was 1170 cubic meters. see. The engine gave out 30 liters. With. at 4000 thousand revolutions. The motor was paired with a three-speed mechanical box gears. The car had rear drive, and its fuel consumption was only 8 liters per 100 kilometers.
The history of this machine ended in 1941.
Car GAZ-13 "Seagull"
The need for this car arose in the 50s. So, in the USSR they had to create a representative-level car that would correspond to the fashion trends of that time. The designers also developed the project ZiS and ZIL. In addition, the ZIL-111 car is already outdated.
The result of the work of GAZ specialists was presented to the public in 1956. In mass production, the car was launched only two years later, in the 59th. For those 22 years that this model was produced, only 3189 copies were produced. The eminent designer Eremeev worked on the legendary design of the described car. In the exterior of the car, you can trace the features
GAZ-13 "Seagull" became the way it was later remembered, far from immediately. In the process of working on the body, two options were created. They differed from the production models rear lights, front sidelights, moldings on wheel arches and windshield frame.
Specifications
This car was huge. The layout is front-engine, and rear-wheel drive. Surprisingly, even then a three-stage hydromechanical box gears.
There were two engines - GAZ-13 and GAZ-13D. These are eight-cylinder V-engines volume of 5.5 liters. But the first unit was calculated on A-93 gasoline, and the second on A-100. Also, the second motor differs more a high degree compression and a power of 215 hp. The first unit had a capacity of 195 liters. With. The design of the motor was innovative - this is an aluminum cylinder head and valves.
The engine was equipped liquid cooled and a carburetor consisting of four chambers. The motor, together with the automatic transmission, could accelerate the car up to 160 km. Up to 100 km, the car accelerated in 20 seconds.
As far as fuel consumption is concerned, combined cycle the car consumed 18 liters per 100 kilometers. The automatic transmission allowed the use of three gears - this is neutral, first gear, movement and reverse. I had to switch them using the keys on the dashboard.
Modifications
So, GAZ-13 is base model. Three rows of seats were installed in the back of the cabin, and the prototypes differed significantly in equipment from the serial ones.
GAZ-13A is the same basic model, but a partition was installed in the cabin between passengers and the driver.
13B is a convertible car, this modification was used in military parades.
13C is a station wagon. This modification did not go into the series. In total, about twenty such machines were produced.
Subcompact car "Moskvich" -400
This is the next model after KIM-10-52. Work on the car started after the war, in early 1946. Also after the war, the plant changed its name to Moskvich. This one should have been created before the war.
The car was made in the image and likeness of the Opel Kadett K38, which was developed in General Motors at 38. All the equipment was taken to Germany, the stamps for the production of bodies could not be saved, so they had to create their own, Soviet ones.
This car was developed by domestic and German engineers. The cost of the car, according to various sources, is from 8,000 to 9,000 rubles. It was a lot of money, and at first only a few could afford the new Moskvich-400, but in the 50s the well-being of people increased, and a whole queue lined up behind the car.
Exterior
Opel Kadett K38 was used as a basis. Stalin really liked the car, and he ordered that an exact copy be made in the USSR. It must be said that Opel was created in Germany before the war, and in the 40s the whole structure, together with the design, was very outdated. Opel produced more than interesting models However, no one dared to argue with Stalin. Later, the appearance will be updated a bit, but this will not affect the body.
Engine
Since there was no documentation on the power unit in Germany, Soviet engineers developed a new motor. The car was equipped with a four-cylinder eight-valve unit, the power of which was only 23 liters. With. with a working volume of 1100 cubic meters. see Motor worked with a pair of three-speed manual transmission. The power unit was created for A-66 fuel. Consumption was 8 liters per 100 kilometers at a maximum speed of 90 km/h.
GAS
A lot of different interesting models were produced at this plant. One of them is GAZ A. The history of the car begins in Detroit. It was then that old man Henry Ford decided that the Ford T was simply hopelessly outdated. And he took it off the assembly line. Instead, model A was launched. First of all, the engine was finalized - after the transformation, its power changed from 23 hp With. up to 40. The volume increased to 3.2 liters. Also in the car was a dry single-plate clutch.
Then Ford created a truck - AA on the basis of passenger car A, and then a three-axle AAA machine went to the conveyor. It is this unified and generally universal car liked by the Soviet leaders. Based on it, they decided to create a simple, reliable and technologically advanced Soviet passenger car. So GAZ A was born. The model was produced from 1932 to 1938.
Design
The bumper was a failure of two elastic strips of steel. The radiator was covered with nickel, and the first nameplate adorned it. The wheels were equipped with wire spokes - their peculiarity was that they did not require adjustment.
Triplex glass was used for the windshield. It had a gas cap in front of it. The tank itself was on the back wall engine compartment- so it was possible to exclude the gasoline pump from the design. Gasoline got into the carburetor by gravity.
These Soviet cars were produced in a chaise-type body for 5 seats. In the event of rain, a tarpaulin awning could be pulled up.
Salon
The steering wheel was black, and the material for it was ebonite. Next to the signal on the steering wheel, the designers placed special levers - with the help of the first, the ignition timing was adjusted, and the second served to supply gas. The speedometer was a drum with numbers. Below the gas pedal, a special heel stand was installed.
Design features
If you disassemble the car, then only 21 bearings will be typed. It was also used, there was no possibility to adjust the valve, a low compression ratio of the engine - 4.2. As a suspension, transverse springs were used.
A little later, this model will be replaced by the GAZ M-1 sedan, which is also based on the Ford A, but modified for off-road patency. So, they increased the strength of the body, strengthened the suspension. The voracious 3.2-liter engine was modified so that its power increased to 50 liters. With.
This GAZ M-1 off-road limousine entered the series in 1936. Released more than 60,000 copies. It was a very successful model.
These are Soviet passenger cars in a body type "sedan". In mass production, the car was launched in 56, and it continued until the 70s. This is the most successful model domestic auto industry.
Development began in 1952. Initially, they worked on the M21 models. L. Eremeev and artist Williams worked on the design. In 1953, the first mock-ups of the M21 were created, the Williams project did not fit. Then, in the spring of 1954, the first prototypes of the Volga GAZ-21 were assembled.
Tests were carried out, during which the cars showed good results. The new "Volga" turned out to be economical, significantly superior in terms of dynamic characteristics to ZIM. In addition, the car has a unique design.
The first models were equipped with a lower-valve engine, its working volume was 2.4 liters. Engine power was already 65 hp. With. This is a motor from Pobeda, which was boosted at the factory. Paired with the power unit, a three-speed manual gearbox worked.
The owners of the car "Volga" (GAZ-21) talked about the high resistance of the body to corrosion, about the good cross-country ability of the car. Today it is already a retro car, and you can see its representatives in private collections.
GAZ-24
Later, in 1968, the GAZ-24 was released on the basis of this car. The car was produced in two bodies - sedan and station wagon. At one time it was the most prestigious car. The model began to be developed immediately after the launch of the 21st Volga. The car managed to survive three restyling, the design gravitated to the features american cars. But were in the exterior and original features, which gave the body swiftness.
Vehicle Specifications
GAZ-24 was produced, as already noted, in two bodies. Ground clearance was 180 mm. The engine was located in front of the longitudinal. As power unit a 2.4 liter petrol engine was chosen. Its power was 95 liters. With. He worked in tandem with a four-speed manual transmission. Fuel consumption - 13 liters per 100 km. With this unit, the maximum speed is 145 km / h.
On the basis of the described Volga, many different modifications were then released. They also produced models for export. Finished production in 1985.
I must say that Soviet cars are much more interesting than those that are produced today. It is now that everything seems uninteresting to modern people, but then each new model was a real treat for motorists. These cars are now being filmed in films, are in museums and private collections, the ZIS-110 car is very popular abroad, including in the USA and Europe. Many motorists give huge sums for the purchase and restoration of such cars. This is real retro. And let them scold the domestic auto industry, but back then in our country they knew how to make good cars.
About rare, little-known versions Soviet cars made in Finland, we have already told (ЗР, 2015, No. 6). But a lot interesting modifications our machines were built by importers in other countries.
FROM MOSCOW AND GORKY
A little later than the Finnish company Konela, the Soviet-Belgian enterprise Scaldia-Volga took up the sale of cars manufactured in the USSR. All our cars were offered to European buyers, starting with Zaporozhets ZAZ-965 with the sunny name Jalta (can you imagine a European who can pronounce the real name of this small car?), but only Volga and Muscovites were seriously sold. The latter - and under the names of Scaldia and Scaldia Elite. In the designation of gas models, the letter M (M21, M22, M24) remained until 1985. Simple, in general, cars, not the fastest and not very richly equipped for their classes, were in good demand in the 1960s and early 1970s. They were valued for their durability and, of course, for their attractive value for money.
Trying to increase sales, the Belgian Scaldia-Volga, with the participation of Sobimpex, began to make modifications at the very beginning of the 1960s. Soviet cars with diesels. Cars arrived in Belgium without an engine and with a native gearbox packed in the trunk. At first, a 1.6-liter Perkins diesel engine with a capacity of only 43 hp was installed on the 21st and 22nd Volga. With it, the sedan reached a speed of 115 km / h, which for an inexpensive family car or a taxi (part of the Volga found its use in this particular profession) at that time was not bad - although the Volga with its own engine developed 130 km / h. Later, the same engine was installed on the Moskvich‑408. Then the "elite" Belgian Muscovites were equipped with a more powerful, 52-horsepower diesel engine - also from Perkins.
And on the GAZ-21 and GAZ-22 from 1962 to 1968 they mounted Diesel Rover. This 2.2-liter unit produced 65 hp, cars with it developed up to 120 km / h. Finally, from 1968, they began to install, including on the GAZ‑24, a 68 hp Indenor diesel engine, and paired with it - four-speed box gear Peugeot. "Twenty-fours" with such an engine GAZ assigned factory indices GAZ‑24–76 (sedan) and GAZ‑24–77 (station wagon). Diesel Volga did quite a bit - about a hundred and seventy.
In addition, about a hundred GAZ-24-56 cars were assembled in Belgium - with a diesel engine and right-hand drive. These Volgas also came from Gorky without engines. They were intended for the markets of Singapore, India and Pakistan, but were not in great demand.
We continue the theme of the right rudder. Versions of GAZ-21P and GAZ-22P (later - GAZ-21N and 22N) were made back in 1962 directly in Gorky. About a hundred of these machines were built, of which a dozen and a half were sold in the UK. But in Foggy Albion, Muscovites-412 turned out to be much more popular. In 1969, only 300 pieces were sold, and in 1973 - already 3692! Sales were clearly affected by the success of the Soviet crews in the 1970 London-Mexico City rally marathon.
Versions of the "four hundred and twelfths" with a right-hand drive were assembled at AZLK. And the British importer Satra Motors added a local modification to the range - a pickup truck made from a van. AZLK itself built such cars only for in-plant needs, they did not enter the market.
Alas, by the mid-1970s, the demand for Muscovites in the UK fell catastrophically. In 1975, having sold only 344 cars, they refused to import Moscow cars.
Let's go back to Belgium. The Scaldia-Volga company, in addition to installing diesel engines, tried to improve the finish and design of Soviet cars, because our factories did not indulge customers with frequent restyling. The Belgians installed additional external chrome parts. They also decided on more noticeable changes. For example, a small batch of GAZ-21 was made with a different grille: “toothiness” was rapidly going out of fashion already in the 1960s. Restyled samples of Moskvich and Volga were ordered not to anyone, but to the famous Italian studio Ghia. It did its job, but these machines did not go into the series, even in a small batch.
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In 1990–1995, 456 Lada Samara Natacha convertibles were built.In 1990-1995, 456 Lada Samara Natacha convertibles were built.
Interest in the Volga in the capitalist countries finally died out by the mid-1980s. Moskvich managed to mark himself in the West with a fresh model 2141. In the early 1990s, they tried to sell it in Germany under the name Aleko 141, and in France - as Aleko S and SL. The car presented at the Paris Motor Show was called Lada Aleko, since Lada was already a well-known brand in Europe.
For the German market, they offered Aleko with a 60-horsepower Ford diesel engine with a displacement of 1.8 liters (borrowed from the Sierra model). On the French Aleko, sold by Poch (the same company that promoted the Soviet Samara and Niva, building cars for the Paris-Dakar rally with units from Western models), they changed the bumpers and the radiator grill, mounted the ABS. It's funny that in 1991 as many as 531 converted Moskvich‑2141 were sold in France! And in total, from 1990 to 1993, 769 cars were found by French buyers. I wonder if any of them survived in France?
THINGS GO GOOD
The rise of Soviet automobile exports began with the advent of Lada cars. The foreign press, especially the British, was ironic about the "car for the working class." Nevertheless, VAZ products were bought well in Western Europe and even in Australia. Of course, it could not do without local fine-tuning. At the very least, tires and wheels were changed, sometimes the trim was improved, sometimes the cars were repainted or the black vinyl roofs that were fashionable in the 1970s were made. Samaras were very often hung with plastic overlays - they were tasteless to one degree or another, but they were liked by those who wanted a lot of unusual car for little money. And they also changed almost all problematic electrics: generators, starters, high voltage wires ...
In addition to cars improved in this way, convertibles based on the VAZ‑2108 were also sold in Western Europe. The design of the version, which bore the name Natacha (well, what else?), was developed by Vladimir Yartsev from Togliatti. It was implemented by Scaldia-Volga. The car offered by Deutsche Lada looked a little less elegant.
Convertibles are the most foppish version of the G8, but in other latitudes of Samara they were used in a completely different capacity. In some countries, in particular in Australia, they were offered as ... cargo vans, sometimes even closing up the side rear windows.
Of course, the Niva has also become a desirable object for creativity. Importers of Soviet cars have invented an uncountable number of various, in varying degrees, attractive or completely ugly body kits.
Convertibles based on the Niva were made in Germany (and in several versions), Holland, Canada and France. But there were also much more utilitarian options. In Norway, Scaldia-Norge sold the Niva with a high roof and a removable rear seat. And in Canada and Australia there were pickups with an extended rear overhang.
In the second half of the 1990s, sales of Lada cars in the West gradually declined. And along with them, the craving of importers for creativity also faded away.
FOR THE GOAT IN THE ANSWER
For several decades, the firm of the Martorelli brothers has been importing Ulyanovsk off-road vehicles. Sparing no effort, the Italians repainted the cars, changed the interior trim, attached decent soft awnings and light removable hard tops to them. Of course, they changed the shoes of the 469s to normal wheels and tires.
The base car was named Explorer. But they also offered versions with European engines. The UAZ Marathon was equipped with a 76-horsepower Peugeot diesel, while the Dakar version was equipped with a 100-horsepower Venturi Motori turbodiesel. Finally, the Racing modification (yes, this is also about UAZ!) received a 112-horsepower Fiat gasoline engine.
The example of Martorelli proved to be contagious. At least two Italian firms converted the "loaves" of the 452 family into campers. There was a version of a minibus with a high roof and a version that was a separate residential module on a "tadpole" chassis. Peugeot diesels (2.3 l, 69 hp) and Fiat (2.4 l, 72 hp) were installed on these cars.
Few people remember that in the early 2000s, the Italians even tried to organize the assembly of UAZ 3160 Simbir cars. And not just anywhere, but at the facilities of De Tomaso, known for its sports cars. The result was, of course, predictable.
A few years before that, another funny story happened. UAZ of America (Virginia) decided to conquer with our all-terrain vehicles New World. To make UAZ nicer American heart, a V6 engine manufactured by General Motors was attached to it. The 4.3 liter engine produced 184 hp. The same motor was put on Chevrolet Blazer, which was sold in Russia around the same time - only slightly more successfully than UAZ in the USA. Of course, the frenzied American UAZ is a technical and commercial curiosity. However, a bright episode, and at the same time - the final chord in interesting history metamorphosis of our cars abroad.
The 1980s became a turning point not only for the country, but also for the Soviet automotive industry. At this time, projects were created for machines that could become the best in the world. The review presents a rating of the 10 most-very cars of the USSR, which few people know about.
10. NAMI-LUAZ "Proto"
In 1989, the car had every chance of becoming production model. In addition to the traditional requirements for SUVs (cross-country ability and reliability), Proto created comfort at the level of a passenger car. The body is made in the form of a power metal frame, on which light glass is hung plastic panels. The engine from "Tavria" provided the acceleration of the car up to 130 km / h. In general, it turned out to be a modern compact SUV With great opportunities for further modernization. But this development of the Leningrad laboratory of NAMI was “hacked to death” in Moscow, the car did not go into series.
9. NAMI 0288 "Compact"
"Compact" - an experimental machine created at the NAMI Institute and built in single copy in 1988. The car had a number of technical solutions that were new in the USSR. On the "Compact" put on-board computer, which controls the operation of the suspension. The engine from "Tavria" was modernized. It ran on gasoline and hydrogen. Fuel consumption - economical 5.4 liters per 100 kilometers. If the "Compact" got into production, it would become a strong competitor to the popular Daewoo Matiz.
8. NAMI "Okhta"
The Okhta project was developed in the Leningrad branch of NAMI and one copy was built in 1987. This is a 7-seater car with an amazing interior transformation capability. The middle row of seats folds down to form a table. The front seats swivel 180 degrees. So a simple salon turns into a cozy compartment. And if it was necessary to carry cargo, the second and third row seats were removed, and the minivan becomes a van.
For the USSR of the late 1980s, the model looked very futuristic with its streamlined body and large glass area. The headlights were very low. And from under the bumper high speed a spoiler was put forward to improve the aerodynamics of the car.
7. ZIL-4102
ZIL-4102 was developed at the direction of the President of the USSR Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev to replace the outdated ZIL-41041. In England bought a new Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit to study. Also, when designing the car, they relied on the American "school" of limousine building and on the design big sedans Volvo 760.
In 1988, two copies of the ZIL-4102 were manufactured. The appearance of the car has become more "democratic" than the former strict style of ZIL-41041. The novelty was radically different from its predecessor. Firstly, the car was frameless, with a load-bearing body. Many exterior panels are made of fiberglass. The car received a V-shaped 8-cylinder engine with a volume of 7.68 liters and a power of 315 hp. Fuel consumption on the highway was 18 ... 21 liters per 100 kilometers.
The interior is very spacious, trimmed with white leather, "leopard" carpets and wood. IN rich equipment presidential limousine Includes power windows, radio, acoustic system for 10 speakers, a player for 10 CDs, an on-board computer and a speech synthesizer. Despite all the innovations, Gorbachev did not like the ZIL-4102, and the project was closed.
6. Moskvich-2139 "Arbat"
In the 1980s, the management of the Moskvich plant decided to replace the 2140 model, which had long been outdated. Engineers developed a number of projects that radically updated the lineup ten years ahead. Consider the most interesting models that few people know about.
Moskvich-2139 "Arbat" could be the first Soviet seven-seater minivan. Like many other models from this review, the Arbat has a steel body on which plastic panels are attached. The car received a transformable interior and a multifunctional steering wheel. In 1991, a working model was built, which remained a concept.
5. Moskvich-2143 Yauza
The Yauza concept car represented the further development of the Moskvich-2141 sedans. The model could claim the title of the car with the stupidest windows: the upper windows were rigidly fixed, and only the lower ones opened. In 1991, 3 copies of Yauza were assembled.
4. Moskvich-2144 "Istra"
Of all the AZLK concepts aimed at 2000, the most realistic is the Moskvich-2144 Istra. Her body is completely aluminum. A single side door opens up like a supercar, giving access to a salon full of new features. Information about the speed of the car was projected onto the windshield, as well as an image from a night vision device. The safety of the car was improved by belts, airbags and anti-lock brakes (ABS). The car has a climate control system, so the side windows were made non-opening, leaving only small windows.
Work on the wonderful concepts "Arbat", "Yauza" and "Istra" stopped with the collapse of the USSR, and most of the other interesting ideas remained on paper.
3. VAZ-2702 "Pony"
In the 1970s, if you needed to transport a small load, such as a TV or a washing machine, you had to drive a car with a carrying capacity of over 3 tons. GAZ-53 and ZIL-130 were the most popular delivery vehicles for different services. This caused unnecessary fuel consumption and worsened the environmental situation, especially in Moscow.
Then at VAZ they designed a compact delivery electric car VAZ-2702 "Pony". The first sample went in 1984. It was made of aluminum, which greatly facilitated the body. But at the same time, this became the main problem of the car: it was not strong enough and reliable enough. Therefore, despite the interesting and promising concept, "Pony" did not receive further development. So the country lost the first mass-produced electric car.
2. ZIL-118 "Youth"
The Yunost bus was developed in the early 1960s on the basis of executive limousine ZIL-111. His concept was unique for those years. The main difference between "Youth" and other buses - elevated level comfort and smooth running. The car drove almost like a car. And it is not surprising, because the engine from the ZIL-130 truck was installed on the Yunost, the power of which was more than enough.
Buses were assembled several units a year on special orders from television, the KGB, and as ambulances for especially important patients. In total, from 1963 to 1994, the plant manufactured 93 cars.
1. MAZ-2000 "Perestroika"
In 1988 on Paris Motor Show the noisy debut of the unique Soviet truck- MAZ-2000. It was an attempt by the engineers of the Minsk Automobile Plant to show how they imagine a long-range truck of 2000. According to the concept called "Perestroika", the tractor is divided into two parts. The cab module is rigidly attached to the van. It has a flat floor, high roof, large panoramic glass. The cabin is equipped with air conditioning, TV, radio, table, refrigerator, electric stove, VHF radio and even a rear view camera. And it's all on an 80s truck!
The traction module rotates relative to the cabin with the help of hydraulic cylinders. A 6-cylinder MAN diesel engine with a capacity of 290 hp was put on the concept. Thanks to improved aerodynamics, the car could accelerate to 120 km / h. Suspension on all wheels - independent, on air springs. The brakes are equipped with an anti-lock braking system.
engineers were actively working on the machine, two working copies were built. They even developed a project on how to combine several trailers in a row, forming a road train with a carrying capacity of 80 tons. But with the collapse of the country, the project was closed, and developments and patents were sold to Western firms.
Unfortunately, concept cars rarely made it into production in the Soviet Union. But they still remain the most exotic.
In recent years, the territory of the former Union was flooded with cars made not in its expanses. And this is not bad at all) Reliable and strict Germans, creative and sophisticated Japanese, stylish and powerful Americans, cheap French and nauseating Chinese ... since foreign cars came, Soviet manufacturers have been in the deepest ass! There are an order of magnitude more Cayennes and Escalades on the streets of Kyiv, Moscow, Minsk and those than Muscovites, Volga or Niv.
But what were they, the cars of the USSR? And how would we see them today, without the Internet and digital photography?..
In 1916, the Ryabushinskys concluded an agreement with the tsarist government for the construction of an automobile plant in Moscow and the production of trucks for the needs of the Imperial Army. The Fiat 15 Ter developed in 1912 was chosen as the base model of the car, which proved itself well in off-road conditions in the colonial wars of Italy. The plant was founded and received the name of the Moscow Automobile Society (AMO). Before the revolution, it was possible to assemble about a thousand cars from ready-made kits, but it was not possible to create their own production facilities.
In the early 1920s, the Labor and Defense Council allocated funds for the creation of a truck. The same Fiat was chosen for the sample. There were two reference copies and partially documentation.
The automobile industry of the Soviet Union started on November 7, 1924. On that day, Moscow saw the first cars of the country's first automobile plant. They passed through Red Square during the October parade - ten red trucks AMO-F15, which were manufactured at the plant, whose brand is known to everyone today as ZIL.
The F-15 was produced with a power of 35 hp. and a volume of 4.4 liters.
A year later, the first domestic 3-ton trucks were assembled in Yaroslavl, and in 1928 the first four- and five-ton trucks ...
but we will talk about Soviet cars
NAMI-1 (1927-1932), maximum speed 70 km/h, power 20 hp. With. The first mass-produced passenger car in Soviet Russia, approximately 370 copies were produced.
The features of NAMI-1 included a spinal frame - a pipe with a diameter of 135 mm, an air-cooled engine, and the absence of a differential, which, in combination with a ground clearance of 225 mm, provided good cross-country ability, but affected increased tire wear. There were no instruments in NAMI-1, and the body had one door for each row of seats.
The Spartak plant, the former carriage factory of P. Ilyin, where production was launched, did not have the equipment and experience for a full-fledged automobile production. In particular, therefore, the reliability of NAMI-1 caused a lot of criticism. In 1929, the car was modernized: the engine was boosted, a speedometer and an electric starter were installed. There were plans to transfer the production of NAMI-1 to the Izhora plant in Leningrad. However, this was never done, and in October 1930, the release of NAMI-1 was stopped.
The GAZ-A passenger car was manufactured according to the drawings of the American company Ford (1932-1936). Despite this, it was already somewhat different from the American prototypes: for the Russian version, the clutch housing and steering gear were reinforced.
Maximum speed 90 km/h, power 40 hp
Passenger car L-1 (1933-1934), maximum speed 115 km/h, power 105 hp.
By 1932, the Krasny Putilovets plant (since 1934, the Kirov Plant) stopped producing obsolete Fordson-Putilovets wheeled tractors, and a group of plant specialists put forward the idea to organize the production of representative cars.
The prototype of the car, which received the name "Leningrad-1" (or "L-1") was the American "Buick-32-90" 1932.
It was a very perfect and complex (5450 parts) machine.
Passenger car GAZ-M-1 (1936-1940), maximum speed 100 km/h, power 50 hp
On the basis of the GAZ-M1, modifications of the "taxi" were produced, as well as the "pickup" GAZ-415 (1939-1941). In total, 62,888 GAZ-M1 vehicles left the assembly line, and several hundred have survived to this day. The chassis of this model is exhibited in the automotive department of the Polytechnic Museum in Moscow.
KIM-10 is the first Soviet mass-produced small car. 1940-41, top speed 90 km/h, power 26 hp
Passenger car ZIS-101.
1936-1941, top speed 120 km/h, power 110 hp
This model was distinguished by many technical solutions that had not previously been encountered in the practice of the domestic automotive industry. Among them: a dual carburetor, a thermostat in the cooling system, a torsional vibration damper on the engine crankshaft, synchronizers in the gearbox, a body heater and a radio receiver.
The car had a dependent spring suspension of all wheels, a spar frame, a vacuum brake booster, rod-driven valves located in the cylinder head. After modernization (in 1940), she received the ZIS-101A index.
Passenger car GAZ-11-73.
1940-1948, top speed 120 km/h, power 76 hp
Car GAZ-61 (1941-1948)
Maximum speed 100 km / h, power 85 hp.
Passenger car GAZ-M-20 VICTORY (1946-1958)
Maximum speed 105 km / h, power 52 hp.
A unique car of the Soviet automobile industry.
The GAZ-M20 prototype appeared in 1944. In terms of the design of the body-front suspension, the car was very close to the Opel-Kapitan, but on the whole it looked fresh and original, but it became especially obvious in the first post-war years, when mass production of “victories” began in Gorky, and leading European firms revived the production of pre-war models. On prototypes of the GAZ M20 Pobeda, there was a b-cylinder engine;
In 1948, due to design flaws (the car was put on the conveyor in a terrible hurry), the assembly was suspended and resumed in the fall of 1949. Since then, the car has been reputed to be strong, reliable, unpretentious. Until 1955, a version with a 50-horsepower engine was built, then the M20 V version was modernized, in particular, with a 2-horsepower boost. motor. In small quantities for special services, the GAZ-M20 G was produced with a 90-horsepower 6-cylinder engine. In 1949-1954. built 14,222 convertibles - now the rarest modification. In total, until May 1958, 235,999 "victories" were made.
"ZIS-110" (1946-1958), maximum speed 140 km/h, power 140 hp
The ZIS-110, a "representative" comfortable limousine, was indeed a design that took into account all the latest achievements of automotive technology at that time. This is the first novelty that our industry mastered in the first peaceful year. The design of the car began in 1943, back in the war years, on September 20, 1944, samples of the car were approved by the government, and a year later, in August 1945, the first batch was already being assembled. In 10 months - an unheard of short time - the plant completed the necessary drawings, developed the technology, prepared the necessary tooling and equipment. Suffice it to recall that when the plant mastered the production of ZIS-101 cars in 1936, the preparation for their production took almost a year and a half. At the same time, it should be taken into account that all the most complex equipment - dies for the manufacture of body parts, frame spars, conductors for welding body components - were obtained from the USA. For the ZIS-110, everything was made on their own.
"Moskvich-401" (1954-1956), maximum speed 90 km/h, power 26 hp
Moskvich-401 is actually not even a copy, but in its purest form Opel Kadett K38 of the 1938 model, with the exception of the doors.
Some believe that the rear door stamps were lost in transit from Rüsselsheim and were remade. But the K38 was also produced with a 2-door, so it is possible that the stamps of this particular version of the car were taken out. The commander of the American occupation zone did not take the money brought by the Soviet delegation, and ordered to give the Russians everything they needed from the Opel factory. On December 4, 1946, the first Moskvich was assembled.
Indexes 400 and 401 - factory designations of engines. The rest indicate the body model: 420 - sedan, 420A - convertible. In 1954, a more powerful engine model appeared - 401. And the latest Moskvich-401s were equipped with new Moskvich-402 engines.
Passenger car MOSKVICH-402 (1956-1958), maximum speed 105 km/h, power 35 hp.
"GAZ-M-12 ZIM" (1950-1959), maximum speed 120 km/h, power 90 hp Engine. At its core, this is a six-cylinder GAZ-11 engine, the design of which the Gorky residents began in 1937. Its release was launched in 1940, and it was used on GAZ-11-73 and GAZ-61 cars, as well as on light tanks and self-propelled guns of the Great Patriotic War and GAZ-51 trucks.
"GAZ-13 CHAYKA" (1959-1975), maximum speed 160 km/h, power 195 hp. With.
Soviet dream car, made in the image and likeness of the Detroit baroque.
"Seagull" was equipped with a V-shaped 5.5-liter engine, X-shaped frame, automatic transmission (!!! 1959 in the yard), the salon consisted of 7 seats. 195 l. With. Under the hood, good acceleration, moderate consumption - what else is needed for complete happiness? But to say all this about "The Seagull" is to say nothing.
"The Seagull" appeared in 1959, at the very height of the Khrushchev thaw. After the gloomy "ZIS" and the gloomy "ZIM", she was distinguished by a surprisingly human, if not feminine, face. True, this face was created in other parts: in terms of design, the GAZ-13 was an unscrupulous copy of the last Packard family - the Patrician and Caribbean models. And far from the first copy, first with Packard they made a ZIL-111 for members of the Politburo, and later they decided to make a simpler limousine to replace the ZIMs.
"GAZ 21R VOLGA" (1965-1970), maximum speed 130 km/h, power 75 hp
"GAZ-24 VOLGA" (1968-1975), maximum speed 145 km/h, power 95 hp
"Volga GAZ-24", which got on the conveyor on July 15, 1970, was created for 6 whole years. Inventing a new car is not an easy task, but the Soviet automakers of the sixties knew the way. And when they received an order to prepare a replacement for the beautiful, but too ancient Volga GAZ-21, they did not suffer from doubts and remorse. Have you brought three overseas cars? "Ford Falcon", "Plymouth Valiant", "Buick Special" 60-61? and, armed with adjustable wrenches, screwdrivers and other tools for analysis, they began to learn from experience.
As a result, "24th" has become a real automotive revelation (compared to its predecessor "21R"). Judge for yourself: the dimensions have decreased, and the wheelbase has increased, the width has remained the same, but the interior has become more spacious, and the trunk is completely huge. In general, a typical case of "more inside than outside".
"ZAZ-965A ZAPOROZHETS" (1963-1969), maximum speed 90 km/h, power 27 hp
On November 22, 1960, the first batch of brand new cars, serially named ZAZ-965, went to happy customers. Which soon lined up a huge queue, since the price for the "Zaporozhets" was set very reasonable - about 1200 rubles. Then it was about the annual average salary.
Strange as it may seem now, but then the ZAZ-965 was more popular with the intelligentsia than with workers or collective farmers. The reason for this was in many ways too tiny trunk, which could not be loaded with bags of vegetables. The problem was solved only by the creation of a lattice pallet, fixed on the roof of the car, on which they immediately began to load half a ton of potatoes, then a whole stack of hay, which made the Zaporozhets look like Asian donkeys.
ZAZ-968 Zaporozhets, maximum speed 120 km/h, power 45 hp
ZAZ-968 was produced from 1972 to 1980. He had such features as an improved MeMZ-968 engine with an increase to 1.2 liters. displacement, while its power increased to 31 kW (42 hp).
