At the end of 1960, the Zaporozhye plant "Kommunar" produced the first series of cars "Zaporozhets". The dream of a "people's car" has become a reality. The Soviet automobile industry fulfilled the dreams of both a peasant car and a car for the party elite.
Zaporozhets
Since the mid-1950s, people's requests for a compact, inexpensive "people's" car have become more and more widespread. The task of creating one was set by the state economic planning authorities for development in the period 1959-1965. It was decided to take the Fiat 600 as the basis for the future car. It must be said that the “humpback” was not a blind copy of the Italian small car. Many structural units have undergone significant changes. ZAZ 965 became a real "people's car", "starred" in such films as "Three plus two", "Queen of the gas station" and many others. A “humpback” appeared even in the cartoons “Just you wait” and “Vacation in Prostokvashino”.
The Ukrainian auto industry, having experimented on the “humpbacked” Zaporozhets, which was a replica of the six hundredth Fiat, released a new model during the years of Brezhnev’s rule, almost a full-fledged, but very compact sedan, in the exterior similar to the Chevrolet Corvairs. Distinctive feature the car became large air intakes, which the people immediately dubbed ears, from which ZAZ 966 got its nickname. In later models, the "ears" were cropped, but the nickname remained. "Eared" was the first car of Vladimir Putin, a 19-year-old law student won his first car in the DOSAAF lottery.
ZIL-111
"Catching up and overtaking America" was the main goal in the development of Soviet industry in the 1950-60s. This trend also affected the domestic auto industry, especially its representative segment. The first secretary of the CPSU, Nikita Khrushchev, wanted the same car as american president, only better. By the end of the 50s, the “Stalinist” ZIS-110, which had served faithfully for 13 years, became obsolete and ceased to suit immediately for several reasons. Firstly, it did not outwardly correspond to the trends in the development of auto design, and secondly, the ZIS-110 was not a piece, it was produced on an assembly line and filled taxi fleets. It is clear that the head of the Soviet Union could not drive the same car with mere mortals. An order was given for the production of a new executive car; the result of this order was the ZIL-111. Suspiciously similar to the American Cadillac, Zil-111 combines all the best that the auto industry could give: automatic transmission push-button gears, power windows, a V-shaped eight-cylinder engine, power steering, a four-headlight lighting system and an executive seven-seater saloon. During the production of the model, only 112 cars were produced. Interesting fact: when the production of executive cars "Huntsy" began in China, the design of the ZIL-111 was taken as the basis.
"Gull"
The most beautiful car Soviet Union, "Seagull" was the most massive Soviet executive class car. As part of his appearance the car was a compilation of the design solutions of the American automobile industry, the so-called fin style, or "Detroit Baroque". "The Seagull" can be attributed to centenarians Soviet car industry: cars were produced from 1959 to 1981. The heads of ministries and departments, the first secretaries of the republican communist parties, the ambassadors of the USSR abroad traveled on the "Seagulls". In addition, several special modifications of the car were produced: filming, semi-phaetons, the case of the production of a railway railcar based on the GAZ-13 is also known.
Immediately after the start of the release of "Seagulls", a "hunt" began for them - elegant, comfortable car seduced party functionaries, but the obsolete ZiM remained the main member carrier. A way out of the situation was found: at one of the defense plants, the front and rear end from Zim. In practice, a camouflaged car of a high level of comfort was obtained, popularly nicknamed "Oslobyk". "The Seagull" for a long time was inaccessible to the mass buyer, after two overhauls it was supposed to be disposed of. Only in the 70s, Brezhnev allowed to make money on the "Seagulls": the cars began to be widely used by registry offices, served by Intourist, diplomatic missions of foreign countries, ministers, military parades, Soviet ambassadors abroad and stars visiting the USSR.
"Volga"
Volga should be black. The black 24th Volga was a symbol of an entire era, which is not surprising - the car was produced from 1970 to 1992. This car was an indicator of well-being and the cherished dream of every Soviet citizen. The mass sale of the Volga into private hands, however, was never envisaged: most of the cars were distributed to government agencies, taxi companies and for export. Only very wealthy people could afford the Volga, in comparison with the “popular” Moskvich and Zhiguli, nomenclature cars were very expensive. "Volga" was produced in several modifications, the most common was, of course, a sedan. There were fewer station wagons, and almost all of them went to the needs of the national economy, so for a long time they could be bought either in Beryozka chain stores for checks, or received on an individual order.
VAZ 2101 ("Penny")
VAZ 2101, "Kopeyka" - a legendary car, the most popular car in the USSR. The Italian Fiat 124 was taken as the prototype of the first Zhiguli model. True, the Italian was significantly improved, more than 800 changes were made to the Fiat design.
"One", as the people at first lovingly called the VAZ 2101, was a revolutionary car for Soviet motorists. The level of performance and assembly of cars was very high level. Suffice it to say that many of the changes made by Soviet designers were used later in the production of cars in Italy. "Kopeyka" was a favorite car not only in the Soviet Union, but also in the countries of the socialist bloc. In Cuba, to this day, "penny limousines" are used as fixed-route taxis. In 2000, according to the results of a survey of almost 80 thousand motorists from Russia and the CIS countries, conducted by the magazine Za Rulem, the VAZ 2101 was recognized as "the best Russian car of the century."
VAZ-2108 ("Chisel")
"Eight" was the first front-wheel drive Soviet car. For domestic automotive industry it was a revolutionary model. Before that, all Zhiguli models were exclusively rear-wheel drive. Some components and assemblies of the VAZ-2108 were developed jointly with Western companies Porsche and UTS. The amount of the contract between the Ministry of Automotive Industry and by Porsche unknown. However, it is rumored that sharpening the "chisel" allowed the company to build a full-size wind tunnel instead of a poor climate chamber. For its unusual shape, the “eight” was immediately dubbed the “chisel” by the people, however, despite the nickname, the car “took root”. The "eight" (and later the "nine") deserved special popularity during the years of perestroika among representatives of the underworld. Frisky front-wheel drive cars with "predatory" outlines - perfect car"brothers".
VAZ 2121 "Niva"
The task of making a Zhiguli all-wheel drive car was set for VAZ by Alexei Kosygin, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The task was not easy, but they did it even better than well. Niva became the world's first small SUV. In fact, it was with the Niva that the era of crossovers began. In addition, the Niva was the first car with a permanent all-wheel drive. The decision on permanent all-wheel drive was made by the designers because of the economy, in order to reduce the load on the transmission: when assembling the first Soviet jeep used parts from passenger cars "Zhiguli". "Niva" has become very successful model and enjoyed well-deserved love not only in the USSR, but abroad. The export versions of the Niva were thoroughly tuned, the price for them abroad was comparable to the price of the Mercedes, the demand was no less. "Niva" was successfully sold in more than 100 countries of the world, it was assembled in six countries: in Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Panama, Greece, Canada. In many countries there are still Niva clubs, and in England Niva fans even publish their own magazine.
In the first years after the revolution, the Soviet leadership faced a number of serious problems, and the USSR was especially far behind the developed countries of the West in technological terms. One of major problems for the country's economy was a meager fleet of cars. Even small Finland had a large number of cars in the early 20s, and it’s not worth mentioning America or Germany at all. The problem of lagging behind was solved in the shortest possible time, and already at the end of the 30s, the USSR reached one of the first places in the world in the production of cars.
Prombron C24/45
The first attempt to start serial production of cars was made back in 1921 at the 1st BTAZ plant in Fili, aka the former Russo-Balt, which was evacuated from Riga in 1916, and was nationalized in 1918. The plant’s capacities were idle for 3 years, in the 21st year they began to repair it old equipment and in parallel to produce kits for new machines according to old drawings. Five cars were assembled the following year, and the first car was donated by M.I. Kalinin, who rode it until 1945. In 1923, an all-Union automobile run took place, in which two Prombron C24 / 45 cars participated, 38 sets for new cars were also created and a small-scale production was being prepared. However, it did not work out to expand the production of cars, since the plant was reoriented to the production of aircraft. All available kits were transferred to the second BTAZ plant and 22 cars were assembled there, but even there the plant was redesigned and the production of passenger cars had to be postponed indefinitely.
AMO F-15
The first truly serial Soviet car was the cargo AMO F-15. It was produced at the Pietro Ferrero AMO plant of the same name (Moscow Automobile Society), the future ZiLe. The truck was developed on the basis of the Italian Fiat 15 ter, which was assembled from ready-made kits from 1917 to 1919. In 1924, most of the drawings were received, and the factory also had two finished Fiat trucks. The first 10 cars were assembled from ready-made kits of parts in just 6 days and this event was timed to coincide with the proletarian demonstration on November 7th. Immediately after that, the AMO F-15 vehicles went for testing, during which it was confirmed high quality cars and it was decided to establish serial production at the facilities of AMO. In 1925, only 113 cars were assembled at the plant, but production increased every year and by 1931, a total of 7,000 copies were assembled. In 1931, it was replaced by new models AMO-2 and AMO-3, and in 1933 the legendary ZiS-5 began to be produced.
AMO F-15 had pretty good technical specifications for its time and for the emerging Soviet industry, the production of such machines was very important. Its dimensions were not much larger than a modern passenger car. The length is only 5 meters, and the width is 1.7 m. The carrying capacity was only 1500 kg, and the maximum speed did not exceed 42 km / h. Engine power was 35 hp. at 1400 rpm
NAMI-1
It is NAMI-1 that can be called the first Soviet passenger car stock car. Its development was not purposeful, but was a project of a student of the Moscow Mechanics and Electrotechnical Institute K.A. Sharapov, who tried to combine the simplicity of a motorized stroller and the spaciousness of a car in one product. His scientific adviser E.A. Chudakov appreciated the ideas of the young engineer and after passing the graduation project, on his recommendation, Sharapov was hired by NAMI, where, under the guidance of Professor Brilling, a team was created to finalize the project. Full set drawings was made already in 1926 and the car was ready for the first pre-production batch. In 1927, two copies were released in different bodies, who went on the Crimea-Moscow-Crimea rally and showed their best side.
However, there were problems with the launch of the series. At the Moscow State Automobile Plant No. 4 Avtomotor (later Spartak), there was simply not enough experience to establish mass production, and there were also constant interruptions in the supply of components. At the plant "Spartak" took place final assembly, and almost all parts were ordered at other enterprises or abroad. Also, the workers lacked the qualifications for high-quality assembly of machines, which subsequently greatly affected the quality and final price. NAMI-1 cost almost three times more than Ford-T, which was then produced in the USSR under license, and it was simply not bought even in conditions of shortage. According to various sources, from 350 to 512 cars were produced in total, most of which were bought by Avtodor and distributed among state institutions.
However, despite the mediocre quality, NAMI-1 had good characteristics. It could accelerate to 90 km / h, its three-liter 22-horsepower engine consumed only 8-10 liters of fuel per 100 km, which was an excellent indicator for that time. Subsequently, in the early 30s, a greatly improved version of the car was created, but it did not go into the series, since in Nizhny Novgorod getting ready to launch new plant with a design capacity ten times greater than the capabilities of Spartak, and its main model was to be licensed Fords.
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GAZ-A and GAZ-AA
The Soviet leadership was well aware of the serious backlog of the USSR in automotive industry and for accelerated development, any available ways. One of the most successful steps was the signing on May 1, 1929 with by Ford agreement on technical assistance organization and establishment of mass production of cars and trucks. The plant was built in record time and already on January 1, 1932, it was opened, and on its first running conveyor, production of a passenger car was launched under license. Ford-A cars and a Ford-AA truck. These two models became truly the first mass-produced cars in the USSR, and obtaining all the documentation for manufacturing made it possible to begin the development of Soviet cars, modern and not inferior to their foreign counterparts. On the basis of model A, a large number of modifications were created, and already in 1936, the GAZ-M1 became the main model at the Gorky Plant. In total, 42 thousand cars of this model were built, not counting various modifications.
Along with the documentation for Ford-A model, the documentation for the cargo Ford-AA was transferred to the Soviet Union, which was maximally unified in detail with passenger car. Release 1.5 ton truck also began in 1932, in 1933 the first serial soviet bus GAZ-03-30. In 1938, the model received a new 50-horsepower engine and was produced in this form until 1949, and a total of 985 thousand of these trucks were produced in various modifications.
ZiS-5
By 1930, the USSR produced many different cars, however, the most important thing was missing - mass character. All factories were hand-assembled, which naturally affected both the price and the quantity of products produced. The plan of the first five-year plan included the creation of several automobile plants with a conveyor at once, and the first one was launched in 1931 at the AMO plant, later renamed ZiS (Stalin Plant). At that time they were not produced very much. successful models AMO-2 and AMO-3, but by 1933 the models were completely finalized and the new ZiS-5 went into mass production. The plant reached its full capacity by 1934, when up to 1500 cars were produced monthly. But the main advantage of the new car was the fact that all the details were domestic production and it was not required to pay for licenses and the help of foreign specialists.
The technical characteristics of the car also looked very worthy for its time. The ZiS-5 was equipped with a 5.5 liter engine, which had a power of 73 hp. The carrying capacity was 3000 kg, while it could still be equipped with a trailer weighing up to 3500 kg. Max speed- 60 km/h. The design turned out to be so successful that it was produced in various modifications until 1958, and a total of 570 thousand copies were produced.
I-5
The leadership of the Soviet Union was well aware that if you do not produce the entire line of automotive products, then you will have to buy it abroad and depend on Western countries. If there were fewer problems with light and medium trucks, then heavy trucks in the union were not produced by the 30s, but for large-scale construction projects of the first five-year plans they were very necessary. First heavy truck in the USSR you can call Ya-5, which was able to carry up to 5 tons. However, only 2200 pieces were produced, since it was equipped with american engines which had to be abandoned. Later, they began to install engines from the ZiS-5, but they did not provide the necessary power and, for the sake of traction characteristics, the maximum speed had to be reduced. On the basis of the Ya-5, several models were created, including the most load-lifting, eight-ton YaG-12.
If in the mid-20s it can be said about the Soviet automotive industry that it practically did not exist, then after only 10 years several giant factories were launched at once, which allowed the USSR to become one of the leaders in the industry in terms of the number of cars produced, and by 40 Mu and also managed to catch up in quality, and the new ZiSs, GAZs, Yaroslavl cars were just as good foreign analogues and all the needs of the country were fully provided. During the first five-year plan, new KIM and GAZ plants were built, and serious funds were invested in the modernization of such enterprises as AMO (ZiS), Putilovsky Plant, YaGAZ and other smaller plants. In terms of the production of trucks, the USSR completely came in second place, second only to the United States in this indicator. By 1941, the milestone of 1 million cars of different brands had been reached for all the time, and in 1940 145 thousand different cars were produced.
The history of the first passenger car in the history of the USSR began with the fact that in 1925 a student last year Konstantin Sharapov of the Moscow Mechanics and Electrical Engineering Institute, who for a long time could not decide on the topic of his thesis, finally decided what he wanted to write about and approved the work plan from his supervisor. Then the Soviet automakers were faced with the task of developing a small car that can be used without problems in domestic realities. Some experts suggested simply copying the Tatra foreign passenger car, but it turned out that in many respects it still did not fit, so it was necessary to design something of our own. It was this problem that Sharapov took up.
Did he understand then that his work called "Subcompact car for Russian conditions exploitation and production” will become historical, it is incomprehensible, but he approached it with all seriousness.
The student was attracted by the idea of combining a simplified design of a motorized carriage and an automobile passenger capacity in one unit. As a result, his manager liked Sharapov's work so much that he recommended him to the Automotive Research Institute (NAMI), where he was accepted without any competition and tests. The project of the car he developed was decided to be implemented.
The first drawings of a small car, prepared by Sharapov in 1926, were finalized for the needs of production by the later famous engineers Andrei Lipgart, Nikolai Briling and Evgeny Charnko.
The final decision on the release of the car was made by the State Trust of Automobile Plants "Avtotrust" in early 1927. And the first sample of NAMI-1 left the Avtomotor plant on May 1 of the same year. It is noteworthy that at that time the designers assembled only the chassis of the car for testing, there was no talk of creating a body yet - first it was necessary to understand whether the innovative design could generally show itself well in real road conditions.
The passenger car was tested a week later, in the first test races the car proved to be worthy, and by September 1927 two more cars were assembled at the factory. For them, the engineers prepared a more serious test - the cars had to overcome the route Sevastopol - Moscow - Sevastopol.
For safety net, along with a pair of NAMI-1, they sent Ford cars T and two motorcycles with sidecars. The test subjects also performed well this time.
None serious damage did not happen on the way, especially considering that there was almost nothing to break in the design of new cars.
One of the main advantages that allowed NAMI to overcome the track without any problems was the high ground clearance. In addition, the passenger car turned out to be very economical - a full tank of the car was enough for about 300 km.
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After the successful completion of the tests, the designers proceeded to create a body for NAMI-1. Initially, two options were developed: one is simpler and cheaper, and the second is more advanced, having a two-section Windshield, three doors and a trunk, but at the same time quite expensive. However, none of them got into production - they began to put a third prototype body on cars, which was rather outstanding and by no means elegant, which subsequently caused dissatisfaction with drivers and passengers.
NAMI went into series
The decision to start serial production of NAMI-1 was made in the same 1927. The Avtorotor plant took up the assembly of cars. Separate parts of the passenger car were manufactured at other enterprises, in particular, the 2nd car repair plant and the Automotive Accessories Plant No. 5.
Cars were assembled by hand, because of this, the process of their production was quite lengthy and expensive. As a result, by the autumn of 1928, only the first 50 vehicles were ready. And they got to users in the spring of 1929.
It is noteworthy that in those days, cars were not sold to ordinary people - they were distributed between the garages of enterprises, where they were driven by professional drivers. At first, many drivers, accustomed to moving on foreign vehicles, reacted to the novelty with skepticism. During operation, NAMI-1 really showed a number of significant shortcomings: an uncomfortable interior, an improperly designed awning, strong vibration from the engine, for which the passenger car was popularly nicknamed "primus", and the absence of a dashboard.
In the press, even a discussion broke out about whether NAMI-1 has the right to further existence and development. For its small size, efficiency and special design among the people, the car received another name - "motorcycle on four wheels." And this, according to the drivers, did not paint him.
“I believe that, by its design, NAMI is not a car, but a motorcycle on four wheels, and therefore NAMI cannot play any role in the motorization of the country,” they wrote in the magazine “Behind the wheel” of 1929.
Many engineers stated that the car needed to be heavily reconstructed and that its production could be continued only after these changes were made to the design. At the same time, Andrey Lipgart, one of the developers of the small car, answered his opponents that this car has a great future, and existing shortcomings can be eliminated, but this will take time.
“By examining NAMI-1 diseases, we come to the conclusion that all of them can be easily and quickly eliminated. No major changes in general scheme machine, nor in the design of its main mechanisms for this it is not necessary to carry out. You have to make small design changes, the need for which will be revealed by exploitation, and most importantly, it is necessary to improve production methods. The production workers themselves are well aware that they do not make cars the way they should, but they do not always dare to admit this, ”wrote in the 15th issue of the magazine“ Za Rulem ”in 1929.
At the same time, despite numerous complaints from drivers, NAMI-1 performed well on the narrow Moscow streets, where it easily overtook even more powerful foreign competitors.
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The village also spoke well of the new small car - provincial drivers claimed that the car had a high cross-country ability, which was so necessary in rural conditions.
Small car drove into a dead end
As a result, in the dispute over the further "life" of NAMI-1, supporters of the termination of production of the car won. The last small car left the factory in 1930. In total, in less than three years, according to various sources, from 369 to 512 cars were produced. The order of Avtotrest to stop production spoke of the actual impossibility of correcting design defects. The slow pace of car production also played a role - the industry then needed about 10 thousand NAMI-1 a year, but the Avtorotor plant could not cope with such volumes.
However, the creator of the small car did not stop there - by 1932, an improved model of NAMI-1 appeared at the institute where he worked, which received the name NATI-2. However, this model was also waiting for failure - it never went into mass production.
Not the best way in the future was the fate of Sharapov himself. During the Stalinist repressions, he was detained on suspicion of handing over car drawings to a foreign citizen.
The engineer was sent to serve his sentence at a motor depot in Magadan. There he continued to design various devices and even on his own initiative developed a diesel aircraft engine. Sharapov was released only in 1948, after which he was appointed deputy chief engineer of the Kutaisi car assembly plant.
However, life again played a cruel joke on the talented engineer - less than a year later, in January 1949, Sharapov was again arrested and exiled to Yeniseisk. He was finally released only after Stalin's death in 1953.
After rehabilitation, Sharapov worked at the Engine Laboratory of the USSR Academy of Sciences, then at the Central Research Institute of Engine Building. In this organization, the engineer took part in the development of an onboard power plant for an artificial Earth satellite.
Phrase " american car with V8" sounds as logical as "borscht with donuts". The phrase "Soviet car with V8" still sounds as unusual as "ice cream with bacon." Meanwhile, both ice cream with bacon and Soviet cars with eight-cylinder engines existed and continue to exist - we recall the glorious carriers of the glorious V-shaped units.
Of course, the vast majority of these cars are big black sedans for the party elite. However, in the development in the Union there were also such “folk” copies, which are still expensive to look at today. But let's start with BChS.
This beautiful black sedan replaced the outdated ZIS-110, which was not included in our selection only because its 8 cylinders under the hood were arranged in a row, not at an angle. But ZIL-111 received new motor with a similar marking, which had 6 liters of displacement, two hundred horsepower and a torque of 442 Nm. In tandem with him, a dual-range torque converter "automatic" worked.
On the basis of this sedan, the ZIL-111V phaeton, the successor to the ZIS-110V executive convertible, was also developed a little later.
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This, in turn, is the heir to the ZIL-111 - already at that time it was necessary to follow the automotive fashion so as not to “oversleep” the current design trends. The new sedan also received a new engine - of course, with the same markings as the sedan itself. This carburetor unit already gave out 300 forces with a volume that had grown to 7 liters, and the torque increased to 559 Nm. The automatic transmission, with which the new motor worked, also received an additional step.
Of course, several special modifications were also produced on the basis of the ZIL-114. One of these is the ZIL-114A station wagon, which received a medical specialty. In the USSR, such machines were called "Black Doctors".
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This is a shortened version of the ZIL-117 limousine, which received the same technical basis as the original. The seven-liter ZIL-114 engine, with a reduced weight of the car, provided more confident dynamics, and a decrease in the base had a positive effect on handling.
ZIL-117 also did not escape popularity as the basis for special vehicles. In addition to copies for the special services, a two-door phaeton with a cloth awning was also produced - such cars participated in parades on Red Square.
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The limousine, which was supposed to receive the name ZIL-115 as the legal successor to the previous car in the collection, became known as the ZIL-4104 due to the change in the index system. The same name was given to its engine - V 8 with a volume of 7.7 liters. This unit received a slight increase in power relative to its predecessor - it increased to 315 hp, but the torque increased more noticeably, to 608 Nm. The motor retained the main features: an aluminum block with cast iron sleeves, two valves per cylinder, hydraulic valve lifters and a carburetor power system.
The government limousine traditionally went to serve in various departments, receiving various modifications. In addition to the ZIL-41044 phaeton, there was also a “short” sedan ZIL-41041, and the “Black Doctor” ZIL-41042, and a special version of the ZIL-41072 “Scorpion”, and many other special vehicles.
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This car has become a cosmetic update of the ZIL-4104: this is clear even from the name. Having saved technical part and the body are unchanged, it received new lighting equipment, a modernized version of the design of the front end and a different style of chrome elements on the body.
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This is the last update of the ZIL-4104: such cars were produced until 2002, and after that they began to be produced piece by piece on special orders. The car was again left technically unchanged, but refreshed from the outside, making the exterior stricter and “square”.
This car, unlike most Zilov cars, did not become serial. Initially, it was supposed to replace the "short" ZIL-41041, having received a modern appearance and a new technical filling. The appearance of the new car was noticeably “more democratic” than that of the rest of the family, but the equipment was not inferior to them.
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The same ZIL-4104 engine with a volume of 7.7 liters and a power of 315 hp was placed under the hood, and the main technical distinction the new car was the lack of a frame - they planned to transfer it to a load-bearing body. However, the car did not receive development, remaining to exist in two copies, on which technical solutions and options for internal equipment were worked out.
In the photo: Under the hood of the ZIL-4102 Experienced '1988
ZIL-118 "Youth"
ZIL-118 "Youth" is not a car, but a minibus, but we simply could not ignore it: its appearance was too chic - however, only in the first incarnation. The history of this curious car, but here we offer just to admire this example of the style of its time and class.
In the photo: ZIL-118 "Youth" '1962-70
Finishing the speech about Zilov cars, you can take a break from black sedans: in the history of the plant there were sports cars. One of these is the ZIL-112S: a fast roadster with a fiberglass body. Not one, but two different V-shaped “eights” could be installed on it. The first had 6 liters of working volume and developed 240 hp, and the second - already 7 liters, which at different times gave from 270 to 300 horsepower. The maximum speed of the roadster was about 270 km / h, and acceleration to hundreds took less than 5 seconds.
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GAZ-13 "Seagull" is another legend of the Soviet automobile industry. Having absorbed the style of foreign cars of that time, it looked luxurious, bold and solid at the same time. The GAZ-13 engine was a match for the exterior: a 5.5-liter V 8 produced 195 hp. and 412 Nm. It had two valves per cylinder and an aluminum block and was mated to a three-speed automatic transmission. In addition to it, the GAZ-13D engine was installed on the car, which, with the same volume and torque, already had 215 hp.
In the photo: GAZ-13 "Seagull" '1959–81
Of course, it was not without various modifications and based on gas machines. So, for example, Chaika had an open version with soft top, which bore the GAZ-13B index.
In the photo: GAZ-13B "Seagull" '1961-62
The successor of the first Seagull, new car under the GAZ-14 index, it began to look completely different - stricter, simpler and more angular, approaching Zilovsky limousines in its style. Twin headlights, long and low profile, a dosed amount of chromium - this was Chaika in the second generation. At the same time, the GAZ-14 engine was registered under the hood, developed on the basis of the same GAZ-13 and having 5.5 liters, but a little more power and torque - 220 hp. and 450 Nm, respectively. It was fed by not one, but two carburetors at once.
In the photo: GAZ-14 "Seagull" '1976–89
On the basis of the "second" Chaika, both the traditional phaeton for parades under the GAZ-14-05 index, and the Black Doctor GAZ-RAF-3920 were created.
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In the photo: GAZ-14-05 and GAZ-RAF-3920
A separate caste of powerful gas vehicles with V 8 is cars for special services, the so-called. GAZ-23 - a sedan based on the GAZ-21, which received a reinforced body, adapted to install a slightly modernized power unit from Chaika. The ZMZ-23 engine had a volume of 5.5 liters and 195 hp. power, accelerating the sedan to one hundred kilometers per hour in 16 seconds and providing a top speed of 160 km / h. Of course, under the new technical realities, not only the body was finalized, but also brake system, and transmission, and chassis.
In the photo: GAZ-23 "Volga" '1962–70
This sedan replaced the GAZ-23. The new "catch-up" also received an upgraded engine from Chaika and automatic transmission: with a 5.5-liter ZMZ-2424, according to various sources, it accelerated to 160-180 km / h.
The logical development of the model was the GAZ-24-34, which received a body from the GAZ-24-10, in which, according to a well-established scheme, a V 8 and a three-stage “automatic” were installed, simultaneously modifying all the main components of the car.
In the photo: GAZ-24-34 "Volga" '1987–93
This little known car was supposed to become a representative car of a new generation, not just replacing Chaika, but becoming much more modern and technologically advanced, and at the same time compact. Judge for yourself how much technical innovations was put into the car at the stage of creation: four-wheel drive with forced blocking center differential, disc brakes on all wheels, hydraulic booster, climate control, original body glazing ... and this is only a small part of the interesting technical solutions- we talked in detail about
In the photo: Under the hood of the GAZ-3105 Volga '1992–96
Unfortunately, the new GAZ-3105 was never destined to become serial: the cessation of state funding and the emerging competition with foreign models made the model too costly to develop. The car, which had become unprofitable, was left in the past as a model of what the conservative Gorky plant was capable of, provided there was sufficient incentive.
Volga, Zhiguli, Gaz or Moskvich. These are the most famous soviet stamps cars during the Soviet era. Despite this, you will not find many enthusiastic owners of old cars who were satisfied with the possession of Soviet vehicles. The thing is that most cars produced in Soviet years were very unreliable due to build quality.
The reason for the dubious reliability is that most of the cars created in the USSR were based on foreign analogues. But due to the planned economy of the Soviet Union, car factories were forced to save on literally everything. Naturally including savings on the quality of spare parts. Despite the quality of the fleet in our country, we have a rich history of the auto world.
Unfortunately, many Soviet car brands ceased to exist after the fall of communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Fortunately, some of the Soviet era auto brands have survived and exist to this day.
Nowadays, the popularity of Soviet vehicles has grown again, as many car models are now of collectible and historical value. Particular interest of the public arises in rare and sometimes strange cars, which were produced during the Soviet era.
Some of these models existed only in the form of prototypes, which never went into production. Cars that were built by private engineers and designers (homemade) are distinguished by a special exclusivity.
We have collected for you the rarest soviet cars, which appeared in the Soviet Union and make the history of our Patriotic auto world much more interesting.
GAZ 62
GAZ is the most famous car brand in our country. Cars under this brand were produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant. In 1952, the GAZ automobile plant introduced the GAZ-62 car, designed to replace the Dodge “three quarters” (WC-52) military SUV that was used the Soviet army during the Great Patriotic War.
GAZ-62 is designed to carry 12 people. The carrying capacity of the machine was 1200 kg.
Car designers have used several innovative solutions when creating the GAZ-62. So the car was equipped with sealed drum brakes, as well as a fan for heating the passenger compartment.
The car was equipped with a 76 hp six-cylinder engine. This allowed the car to accelerate to 85 km / h.
It is worth noting that after the creation of the prototype, the GAZ-62 passed all the necessary tests. But some design problems did not allow the machine to be put into mass production. As a result, in 1956, GAZ began working on a new prototype.
ZIS-E134 Model No. 1
In 1954, a small group of engineers was given the task of building a special military vehicle for military purposes. The order came from the USSR Ministry of Defense.
According to the instructions of the Ministry, it was supposed to be a truck with four axles of wheels, which could drive through almost any terrain, carrying a large amount of heavy cargo with it.
As a result, Soviet engineers presented the ZIS-E134 model. As requested by representatives of the USSR Ministry of Defense, the car received eight wheels, four axles, placed along the entire length of the body, which made it possible to create pulling force, which was similar to the strength of armored tank vehicles. As a result, the ZIS-E134 truck easily coped with any rough terrain, which allowed it to go where no vehicle could reach.
The car weighed 10 tons and was able to carry up to 3 tons of cargo. It is worth noting that, despite the weight, the car could reach speeds of 68 km / h on any type of terrain with a hard surface. Off-road, the car accelerated to 35 km / h.
ZIS-E134 Layout No. 2
After the appearance of the first modification of the ZIS-E134, soon Soviet engineers and designers presented the second version of the eight-wheeled monster to the military department. This machine was built in 1956. The second version had a different body structure, reinforced beams, which made it possible to endow the car with landing capabilities. In addition, thanks to the tightness of the body and the special design of the technical part, the car was able to swim like a military tank.
Despite the heavy weight (total weight of 7.8 tons), the car could accelerate on land up to 60 km / h. The speed on the water was 6 km / h.
ZIL E167
In 1963, an off-road military vehicle ZIL-E167 was built in the USSR. The car was designed to move in the snow. ZIL-E167 was equipped with three axles with six wheels. On non-snowy sections of the road, the car could accelerate to 75 km / h. In the snow, the truck could only accelerate to 10 km / h. Yes, it was very slow. Nevertheless, the car had an amazing patency in the snow. So for ZIL to get stuck in the snow, something incredible must have happened.
The car was equipped with two mounted (in the rear) engines with a capacity of 118 hp. The ground clearance of the monster was 852 mm.
Unfortunately, the truck never went into serial production due to the great difficulties in expanding industrial production, as well as due to the inability to create a high-quality gearbox.
ZIL 49061
This car is also called "Blue Bird". ZIL-49061 was equipped with six wheels. Unlike its predecessors, this machine went into mass production and became popular in many countries around the world.
The amphibious vehicle was equipped with a manual transmission, independent suspension for each wheel, and two propellers.
In addition to the ability to move on the water surface, the SUV could overcome ditches more than 150 cm wide and snowdrifts up to 90 cm high.
The maximum speed of the ZIL-49061 on land was 80 km / h. On the water, the car could accelerate to 11 km / h.
The car was mainly used by the USSR military as rescue operations. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the car began to be used by the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation. For example, two "Blue Birds" were sent to Germany in 2002 to participate in an operation to rescue people from a terrible flood. They turned to us for help, since in those years there was no similar equipment in Europe that was capable of performing difficult tasks in water and on land.
ZIL 2906
If you think that today Russian cars very strange, then after learning about the next rare Soviet car, you will understand that the current transport of our country is quite adequate and normal.
During the Soviet era, ZIL-2906 cars were produced in our country, which did not have wheels. Instead, the machine was equipped with spiral shafts, which, rotating, set in motion unusual car. This allowed the SUV to move on the heaviest muddy terrain.
The body of the car was made of fiberglass. Two spirals installed instead of wheels were made of aluminum. This machine was designed to transport various loads (logged trees, beams, etc.) through swamps and snow.
Despite its advanced technology the car was moving too slowly. The maximum speed of the ZIL was 10 km / h (on the water), 6 km / h when driving through the swamp and 11 km / h when moving through the snow.
VAZ-E2121 "Crocodile"
Work on the creation of a prototype VAZ-E2121 (the letter "E" in the name of the model means "experimental") began in 1971. The car was developed by order of the Government, which wanted our country to have its own passenger SUV, available to the masses. As a result, engineers began to develop an SUV based on the VAZ-2101 and VAZ-2103 models.
Ultimately, Togliatti designers developed a prototype of the E2121 SUV, which later received the nickname "Crocodile" (because of the body color that one of the prototypes received). The car was equipped with all-wheel drive and a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, which was developed for the next generation of VAZ-2106 cars.
Despite not bad idea and the effort expended, this model went into mass production. A total of two examples were built for engineering research and testing.
AZLK MOSKVICH-2150
In 1973, the Moskvich Automobile Plant presented the prototype AZLK-2150. Recall that before that, the Moskvich automobile plant had already presented several conceptual 4 x 4 models. But compared to them new model AZLK-2150 had a number of new constructive solutions. For example, the car received a new engine whose compression ratio was reduced to 7.25 (this allowed the car to run on A-67 gasoline). The car was designed for use in rural areas (in agriculture).
Unfortunately, like many stunning Soviet models, the AZLK MOSKVICH-2150 SUV never went into mass production. Reason for lack Money due to the widespread economy of the state. But it could not be otherwise. In a planned economy, it is generally surprising how so many high-tech cars appeared in the USSR.
In total, two AZLK-2150 prototypes were built: Moskvich-2150 (with a hard top) and Moskvich-2148 (with an open top).
VAZ-E2122
AvtoVAZ had another experimental car project, which received the code designation VAZ-E2122. It was an amphibious vehicle project. Development began in the 70s of the last century.
The most amazing thing is that the movement of the car through the water was carried out due to ordinary wheels. As a result, the maximum speed of the car on the water was only 5 km / h.
The car was equipped with a 1.6 liter gasoline engine, which transmitted torque to all four wheels.
Unfortunately, due to adaptation for movement on water, the car had many design problems. So the engine, transmission and front differential often overheated due to the fact that these components were in special closed cases. This was necessary to protect the vehicle components from water.
In addition, the car had terrible visibility. There were also significant shortcomings in the operation of the exhaust gas system.
Despite a number of difficulties and problems in the development of the machine, the USSR military department was interested in mass production of an amphibious off-road vehicle. As a result, the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union ordered several prototypes from AvtoVAZ. But unfortunately, this progressive car project never reached mass production.
UAZ-452k
In the 80s, the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant developed an experimental model 452k based on the famous UAZ-452 "Loaf". The main difference from standard car there was an additional bridge that improved the stability and grip of the SUV in rough terrain.
Initially, two versions of cars were created 6 x 4 and 6 x 6. But during the testing process, the developers realized that due to the complexity of the design, the car turned out to be very heavy, which led to huge fuel consumption. As a result, the project was decided to be partially curtailed. But not completely. The UAZ automobile plant eventually produced about 50 copies and sent them to Georgia. As a result, SUVs from 1989 to 1994 were used by various rescue services in the Caucasus. These instances did not cause any particular problems, since the mileage of the cars was relatively small, due to the peculiarity of operation.
ZIL-4102
When ZIL-4102 was created, it should be the successor to the famous ZIL limousine, which was used for many years by government servants and senior officials of the Communist Party of the USSR.
ZIL-4102 was equipped with front-wheel drive, and also had carbon fiber body elements: roof panel, trunk lid, hood and bumper.
Two prototypes were built in 1988. It was originally planned that the model will be equipped with three types of engines: 4.5 liter V6, 6.0 liter V8 and 7.0 liter diesel.
Since this model was designed for the elites, the car was naturally equipped with elements of luxury and comfort. So the car had power windows, ten audio speakers, CD player, trip computer and white leather interior.
Unfortunately, Mikhail Gorbachev was not impressed with the ZIL-4102, and he did not approve the project. That is why the luxurious ZIL did not go into mass production. It's a pity. We believe that if this model appeared in mass production, then our auto industry today would look different.
NAMI-0284 "DEBUT"
In 1987, the Russian Research Automobile and Automotive Institute(NAMI) developed a front-wheel drive prototype car, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1988. The machine received the code designation NAMI-0284.
This car attracted great public attention at exhibitions and received many positive reviews from critics and experts from the global car market.
The car had a unique feature for that time - an impressively low coefficient of aerodynamic air resistance (only 0.23 cd). This is surprising since many modern cars cannot boast such aerodynamic characteristics.
The length of NAMI-0284 was 3685 mm. The machine was equipped with 065 liter engine, which in those years was installed in the Oka (VAZ-1111).
In addition, the experimental model was equipped with electronic servo steering and cruise control.
Despite the low power of the engine (35 hp), given the low weight of the car (less than 545 kg), it was able to accelerate to 150 km / h.
Moskvich AZLK-2142
The first AZLK-2142 "Moskvich" was presented to the public in 1990. Engineers positioned the car in those years as the most modern car ever created by the AZLK automobile plant.
According to the plans of the Moskvich automobile plant, the car was to go into serial production in two years, when the company planned to start producing new generations of Moskvich-414 engines. He insisted on postponing the release of the new Moskvich model CEO car factory named after Lenin Komsomol - AZLK. He believed that in the new perspective model new generation power units should have been installed.
But in the end, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the cessation of state funding stopped the project.
It is noteworthy that despite the fact that the car was not mass-produced, it became the starting point for the development of a new generation of Moskvich-2142, which was produced in three versions: "Prince Vladimir", "Ivan Kalita" and "Duet".
UAZ-3170 "SIMBIR"
The development of the new UAZ SUV began in 1975. It was invented and developed by the leading designer of the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant Alexander Shabanov. As a result, by 1980, the automobile plant introduced the UAZ-3370 Simbir model. The SUV had a large ground clearance, which was 325 mm. Also, the car turned out to be quite high (height 1960 mm).
Fortunately, this machine entered mass production. True, due to the planned economy, the car plant could not produce large batches of SUVs. It is worth noting that the car was originally created by order of the Ministry of War. But in the end, the production of both military and civilian modifications was launched in mass production.
In 1990, the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant introduced the second generation of the SUV - UAZ-3171, the development of which began in 1987.
MAZ-2000 "Perestroika"
experimental model truck MAZ-2000 received the code name "Perestroika". The truck was designed with the aim of creating a modern truck for use by Soviet transport companies.
The main feature of the model was the model design of the truck. This meant that vehicle parts such as the engine, transmission, front axle and steering were located in front of the machine, which reduced the gap between the cab and the loading area. Thanks to the model design of the MAZ-2000 cab, it was possible to increase the volume of the body by 9.9 cubic meters. meters.
The stunning MAZ-2000 truck was first shown at the Paris Motor Show in 1988, where it made an incredible impression on the public from all over the world. In total, several prototypes were built. But unfortunately the project never got the green light and the model didn't see the production line.
Many experts believe that the Perestroika truck has become the main inspiration for the designers developing the truck Renault car Magnum, which went into series production at the end of 1990 and then in 1991 received the prestigious " Freight car of the year".
What is the reason that our ambitious project MAZ-2000 "Perestroika" did not take place? After all, apparently there were no obstacles to mass production. According to rumors that go around in the auto world, the project did not take place due to the fact that Mikhail Gorbachev sold the design of an amazing truck to the French. Naturally, all this has not been officially confirmed.
Homemade car "Pangolin"
In the Soviet years, everyone knew that the reliability and performance of domestic cars were not the best in the world. Also our vehicles didn't have a very good design. That is why many Russian engineers decided that since state-owned car factories cannot create cars that are in no way inferior to foreign counterparts, then it is necessary to create them on their own. As a result, many engineers in the USSR, in private, inspired by Western European and American sports cars, began to create their own home-made vehicles.
One such example was the Pangolin sports car created by Alexander Kulygin in 1983.
The body of the car was made of fiberglass. The sports car also received an engine from the VAZ-2101. The designer was inspired by the stunning design of the Lamborghini Countach. As a result, Alexander decided to create a car in the same style.
It is worth noting that this homemade car still exists and participates in various car shows.
True, over the years, some changes have been made to the design of the machine. For example, new doors were installed in the original design of the sports car, which now open up.
Homemade car "Jeep"
In 1981, Stanislav Holshanosov, an engineer from Yerevan, created an exact copy of the famous American Jeep SUV.
In order to build a car, an engineer used components from several other Soviet models cars. For example, for a homemade copy of the American SUV, the engineer took the engine from the VAZ-2101. rear axle, transmission, electrical, headlights and drive shafts were taken from the Volga GAZ-21
The suspension system, gas tank, instrument cluster and windshield wipers were borrowed from the UAZ-469.
But some parts of the car were created on an individual project. For example, the front axle of the car was created from scratch by Stanislav himself.
It is noteworthy that the design of the front axle has been exhibited more than once at various exhibitions throughout Soviet Union and received several awards.
Homemade car "Laura"
Another example of an author's car is the Laura sports car designed and built by two engineers from Leningrad, Dmitry Parfyonov and Gennady Hein. In our country, even today there is not a single normal sports car. Not to mention the USSR. So the engineers had no choice but to create their own sports car.
But unlike other engineers who actually created copies of cars of foreign analogues, Dmitry and Gennady decided to create a completely new car that is nothing like more than one vehicle.
"Laura" was equipped with a 1.5 liter engine with 77 hp, front-wheel drive and on-board computer. The maximum speed of the sports car was 170 km / h.
Only two examples were built. It is worth noting that these cars were even marked by the leader of the Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev. Sports cars have also received many awards.
By the way, both cars are still preserved and are currently exhibited at various exhibitions.
Homemade car "Yuna"
This sport car was created by motorist Yuri Algebraistov. The name of the car was invented on the basis of combinations of the first letters in the name of the designer and his wife ("Natasha"). The car was built in 1982. This is the only sports car today, built on an individual project during the Soviet era, which is still in perfect condition and is used for its intended purpose.
The fact is that Yuri is still constantly updating his car and carrying out all the necessary technical work on time. That is why the machine is still in good condition and works like new.
At the moment, "Yuna" has covered more than 800 thousand km. True, this became possible thanks to the use of a foreign engine (from the BMW 525i).
Homemade car "Katran"
This car was created by a man who has been obsessed with cars all his life. This car was created by a car enthusiast from the city of Sevastopol. The sports car received a unique body structure. For example, the car did not have the doors we are used to. Instead, the engineer used a design that allowed the entire front of the cab, including the windshield, to be folded down so that the driver and passenger could get into the car.
Also, the car received an independent suspension and, more surprisingly, electronic system cruise control, which could maintain a certain speed even on the descent.
