Soviet cars. How the first passenger car was invented in the USSR

13.04.2019

copying foreign cars began with the very first Soviet passenger cars produced under license from Ford. Over time, copying took place most often without the permission of Western car factories. Research automotive institute The USSR bought several advanced models “for study” from the capitalist oppressors of the working people at once, and a few years later the Soviet analogue rolled off the assembly lines. True, often by that time the prototype had already been discontinued, and the Soviet copy had been produced for more than a decade.

GAZ A (1932)

The first mass passenger car of the USSR was borrowed from the American automobile industry. GAZ A - licensed copy American Ford-A. The USSR bought equipment and documents for production from an American company in 1929, and two years later Ford-A release was terminated. A year later, in 1932, the first GAZ-A cars were produced.

Despite the fact that the first cars of the plant were manufactured according to the drawings of the American Ford, they were already somewhat different from the American prototypes.

But after 1936, the operation of the obsolete GAZ-A was prohibited in Moscow and Leningrad. Small car owners were ordered to hand over the GAZ-A to the state and purchase a new GAZ-M1 with an additional payment.

GAZ-M-1 "Emka" (1936-1943)

GAZ-M1, in turn, was designed according to samples Ford Model B (Model 40A) 1934, the documentation for which was transferred to GAZ by the American side under the terms of the contract.

During the adaptation of the model to domestic conditions operation, the car was largely redesigned by Soviet specialists. Emka in some positions surpassed the later products of Ford.

L1 "Red Putilovets" (1933) and ZIS-101 (1936-1941)

The Soviet experimental passenger car was an almost exact copy of the Buick-32-90, which by American standards belonged to the upper-middle class.

The Krasny Putilovets plant, which previously produced Fordson tractors, produced 6 copies of the L1 in 1933. A significant part of the cars could not reach Moscow on their own without serious damage. As a result, "Red Putilovets" was reoriented to the production of tractors and tanks, and the completion of L1 was transferred to the Moscow "ZiS".

Stalin inspects the ZIS-101 together with the director of the ZIS plant Likhachev, the people's commissar of heavy industry Ordzhonikidze, the people's commissar of trade Mikoyan

Since the Buick body no longer corresponded to the fashion of the mid-thirties, it was redesigned at ZiS. Based on Soviet sketches, the American body shop Budd Company designed an elegant and outwardly modern body for those years. It cost the state half a million dollars and took 16 months.

KIM-10 (1940-1941)

The first Soviet mass-produced small car, which was based on the Ford Prefect during development.

In the USA, stamps were made and body drawings were developed according to the models of a Soviet designer. In 1940, the plant began production of this model. KIM-10 was supposed to be the first truly "people's" Soviet car, but the implementation of the ambitious plan of the country's leadership to provide the majority of citizens personal cars interrupted by the Great Patriotic War.

"Moskvich" 400, 401 (1946-1956)

The Soviet small car was a complete analogue Opel car Kadett K38, produced in 1937-1940 in Germany at the German Opel branch of the American concern General Motors, recreated after the war on the basis of surviving specimens, documentation and equipment.

Part of the equipment for the production of the car was removed from the Opel plant in Rüsselheim (located in the American occupation zone) and assembled in the USSR.

A significant part of the lost documentation and equipment for production was recreated, and the work was carried out in Germany by order of the Soviet military administration by mixed labor teams, consisting of seconded Soviet and civilian German specialists who worked in the design bureaus created after the war.

The next three generations of "Moskvich" will lagging behind the production of Opel.

"Moskvich-402" (1956-1964)

The appearance of a passenger car of a small class repeated the model Opel Olympia Rekord (1947-1953) - the successor Opel Kadett K38. The participation of specialists from GAZ, where the development of the Volga GAZ-21 was in full swing, had a strong influence on the designed car. Moskvich adopted many elements of its design from her.

Moskvich-408 (1964-1975)

The ancestor of the third generation of Moskvich cars was an imitation of the Opel Kadett A (1962).

Compared to its predecessors, the length and width of the car have grown while significantly reducing its height. Significantly increased the spaciousness and comfort of the cabin.

It was produced in Moscow at the MZMA (AZLK) plant. From 1964 to 1967, he was the main model of the plant, after which he was replaced in this role by Moskvich-412, although after that they were produced in parallel for a long time. It was also produced in Izhevsk from 1966 to 1967, only about 4000 cars of this model were assembled there, after which Izhevsk plant, unlike MZMA-AZLK, completely switched to the production of the modernized Moskvich-412 model.

Moskvich-412 (1967-1976)

Came to replace the obsolete model M-408 and became the result deep modernization its predecessor inspired by the Opel Kadett B (1965).

Moskvich-412 has become a more prestigious version of the M-408: increased engine power and maximum speed, improved passive safety, which now met UNECE regulations, which was confirmed by crash tests in France.

Moskvich 2141 (1986-1998)

A replacement for the Moskvich-412 was designed only in the 1980s, and it was already a completely different car - the Moskvich-2141, a front-wheel drive hatchback based on the body of the French Simka and the UZAM engine, which was already outdated by that time. Export name - Aleko, from the Automobile Plant of Lenin Komsomol.

As the best prototype for speeding up the design of a new car, the Minavtoprom saw the recently appeared Franco-American model Simca 1308 produced by the European branch of Chrysler Corporation. The designers were ordered to copy the car right down to the hardware.

However, during the development process, the body of the Moskvich was redesigned, as a result of which the exterior of the car differed significantly from the French model and, albeit with some stretch, corresponded to the level of the mid-eighties.

ZIS-110 (1945-1958)

Body design of the first Soviet post-war passenger car executive class almost completely imitated the American "Packards" of the "senior" (Senior) series of pre-war production. Down to the smallest detail, the ZIS-110 was similar to the Packard 180 with the Touring Sedan body of the last pre-war model of 1942. An independent Soviet development was specially betrayed by the appearance of the American Packard in accordance with the taste preferences of the country's top leadership and, mainly, Stalin personally.

It is unlikely that the American company liked such a creative development of its ideas in the design of the Soviet car, but there were no complaints from it in those years, especially since the production of "large" Packards was not resumed after the war.

GAZ-12 (GAZ-M-12, ZIM, ZIM-12) 1950-1959

A six-seven-seater large-class passenger car with a "six-window long-wheelbase sedan" body was developed on the basis of the Buick Super.

Serially produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant (Molotov Plant) from 1950 to 1959 (some modifications - until 1960).

The plant was strongly recommended to completely copy the Buick of the 1948 model, but the engineers, based on the proposed model, designed a car that relies as much as possible on the units and technologies already mastered in production. "ZiM" was not a copy of any particular foreign car, neither in terms of design, nor, in particular, in technical aspect- in the latter, the plant's designers even managed to some extent "say a new word" within the global automotive industry

"Volga" GAZ-21 (1956-1972)

The passenger car of the middle class was technically created by domestic engineers and designers from scratch, but outwardly copied mainly american models early 1950s. During the development, the designs of foreign cars were studied: Ford Mainline (1954), Chevrolet 210 (1953), Plymouth Savoy (1953), Henry J (Kaiser-Frazer) (1952), Standard Vanguard (1952) and Opel Kapitän (1951).

GAZ-21 was mass-produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1956 to 1970. The factory model index is originally GAZ-M-21, later (since 1965) - GAZ-21.

By the time mass production began, by world standards, the design of the Volga had already become at least ordinary, and it no longer stood out against the background of serial foreign cars of those years. Already by 1960, the Volga was a car with a hopelessly outdated design.

"Volga" GAZ-24 (1969-1992)

The middle class passenger car became a hybrid of the North American Ford Falcon (1962) and Plymouth Valiant (1962).

Serially produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1969 to 1992. The appearance and design of the car were quite standard for this direction, the technical characteristics were also approximately average. Most of the "Volga" was not intended for sale for personal use and operated in taxi companies and other government organizations).

"Seagull" GAZ-13 (1959-1981)

Executive passenger car of a large class, created under the clear influence of latest models the American company Packard, which in those years were just being studied at US (Packard Caribbean convertible and Packard Patrician sedan, both 1956 model years).
"The Seagull" was created with a clear focus on the trends of American style, like all GAZ products of those years, but was not a 100% "stylistic copy" or Packard's modernization.

The car was produced in a small series at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1959 to 1981. A total of 3,189 cars of this model were manufactured.

"Seagulls" were used as a personal transport of the highest nomenclature (mainly ministers, first secretaries of regional committees), which was issued as component the required "package" of privileges.

Both sedans and convertibles "Chaika" were used in parades, served at meetings of foreign leaders, prominent figures and heroes, were used as escort vehicles. Also, "Seagulls" came to "Intourist", where, in turn, everyone could order them for use as wedding limousines.

ZIL-111 (1959-1967)

Copying the American design at various Soviet factories led to the fact that the appearance of the ZIL-111 car was created according to the same patterns as the Chaika. As a result, the country simultaneously produced externally similar cars. ZIL-111 is often mistaken for the more common "Seagull".

The high-end passenger car was stylistically a compilation of various elements of American middle and high-end cars of the first half of the 1950s - predominantly reminiscent of Cadillac, Packard and Buick. The exterior design of the ZIL-111, like the Seagulls, was based on the design of the models of the American company Packard in 1955-56. But compared to the Packard models, ZIL was larger in all dimensions, looked much stricter and “square”, with straightened lines, had a more complex and detailed decor.

From 1959 to 1967, only 112 copies of this car were assembled.

ZIL-114 (1967-1978)

A small-scale executive passenger car of the highest class with a limousine body.
Despite the desire to move away from American automotive fashion, the ZIL-114, made from scratch, still partially copied the American Lincoln Lehmann-Peterson Limousine.

In total, 113 copies of the government limousine were assembled.

ZIL-115 (ZIL 4104) (1978-1983)

In 1978, the ZIL-114 was replaced by a new car under the factory index "115", which later received the official name ZIL-4104. The initiator of the development of the model was Leonid Brezhnev, who loved quality cars and tired of the ten-year operation of the ZIL-114.

For creative rethinking, our designers were provided with a Cadillac Fleetwood 75, and the British from Carso helped domestic automakers in their work. As a result of the joint work of British and Soviet designers, ZIL 115 was born in 1978. According to the new GOSTs, it was classified as ZIL 4104.

The interior was created taking into account the intended use of cars - for high-ranking statesmen.

The end of the 70s is the height of the Cold War, which could not but affect the car transporting the first persons of the country. ZIL - 115 could become a shelter in case of a nuclear war. Of course, he would not have survived a direct hit, but there was protection on the car from a strong radiation background. In addition, it was possible to install hinged armor.

ZAZ-965 (1960-1969)

The main prototype of the minicar was the Fiat 600.

The car was designed by MZMA ("Moskvich") together with the NAMI Automobile Institute. The first samples received the designation "Moskvich-444", and already differed significantly from the Italian prototype. Later, the designation was changed to "Moskvich-560".
Already at the very early stage of design, the car differed from the Italian model by a completely different front suspension - as on the first Porsche sports cars and the Volkswagen Beetle.

ZAZ-966 (1966-1974)

A passenger car of an especially small class demonstrates a considerable similarity in design with the German subcompact NSU Prinz IV (Germany, 1961), which in its own way repeats the often copied American Chevrolet Corvair, introduced in late 1959.

VAZ-2101 (1970-1988)

VAZ-2101 "Zhiguli" - a rear-wheel drive passenger car with a sedan body is an analogue of the Fiat 124 model, which received the title "Car of the Year" in 1967.

By agreement between the Soviet Foreign Trade and Fiat, the Italians created the Volga Automobile Plant in Togliatti with a full production cycle. The concern was entrusted with the technological equipment of the plant, training of specialists.

VAZ-2101 has been subjected to major changes. In total, over 800 changes were made to the design of the Fiat 124, after which it received the name Fiat 124R. "Russification" of the Fiat 124 turned out to be extremely useful for the FIAT company itself, which has accumulated unique information about the reliability of its cars in extreme operating conditions.

VAZ-2103 (1972-1984)

Rear-wheel drive passenger car with a body type sedan. It was developed jointly with the Italian company Fiat on the basis of the Fiat 124 and Fiat 125 models.

Later, on the basis of the VAZ-2103, the "project 21031" was developed, later renamed the VAZ-2106.

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 terms of technology. One of major problems for the country's economy was a meager fleet of cars. Even little Finland had big amount cars in the early 20s, and even about America or Germany, it’s not worth mentioning 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 S24/45

First attempt to run mass production automobiles was undertaken 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 technology 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 cars went for testing, during which the high quality of the cars was confirmed and it was decided to establish serial production at the AMO facilities. 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 characteristics for its time, and for the nascent 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 mass-produced passenger 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 themselves with the 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. The final assembly took place at the Spartak plant, and almost all parts were ordered from 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, as it was preparing to launch in Nizhny Novgorod 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 backwardness of the USSR in the automotive industry and any available ways. One of the most successful steps was the signing on May 1, 1929 with Ford of an 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 on Gorky plant GAZ-M1 became the main model. In total, 42 thousand machines 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. The production of a 1.5 ton truck also began in 1932, in 1933 the first serial Soviet bus GAZ-03-30 was created on its basis. 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, many different cars were produced in the USSR, but the most important thing was missing - mass production. 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 factories with a conveyor and the first was launched in 1931 at the AMO plant, later renamed ZiS (Plant named after Stalin). 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 parts were domestically produced and there was no need 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. The maximum speed is 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 units were produced, as 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 He also managed to catch up in quality, and the new ZiSs, GAZs, Yaroslavl cars were just as good as their foreign counterparts, and all the needs of the country were fully met. 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 all-time milestone of 1 million cars had been reached. different brands, and in 1940, 145 thousand different cars were produced.

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The history of the first passenger car in the history of the USSR began with the fact that in 1925 the last year student of the Moscow Mechanics and Electrical Engineering Institute Konstantin Sharapov, who for a long time couldn't decide on a topic 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.

Whether he understood then that his work entitled “Subcompact car for Russian operating and production conditions” would become historical is not clear, 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 reasons, Ford T cars and two motorcycles with sidecars were sent to the test run along with a pair of NAMI-1s. The test subjects also performed well this time.

There were no serious breakdowns along 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 at that time ordinary people cars were not sold - they were distributed among the garages of enterprises, where they were driven by professional chauffeurs. 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. There is no need to carry out any fundamental changes either in the general scheme of the machine or in the design of its main mechanisms. 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.

We all love our auto industry very much, we don’t have a soul in it. But at the same time, many of us are not aware of the opportunities that Soviet engineers and designers were endowed with. And the possibilities were almost limitless.

Here I have compiled a list of rare, unique and simply unusual Soviet cars that you will never see with your own eyes.

I am proud of the Soviet engineers and resent the Soviet officials, who spoiled a lot of promising developments.

And what technological backlog was lost as a result of Perestroika is simply incomprehensible to the mind.

I promise it will be interesting.

Let's start with government projects in the automotive industry.

PROTOTYPES

GAZ-62 - our answer to the Americans

GAZ-62 (1952) - a prototype of an army off-road vehicle, created to replace the Dodge 3/4, which had proven itself in the army during the war (which was supplied to the USSR under lend-lease).

The car had dimensions 5000x2100x1800 mm and a wheelbase of 2850 mm, was designed to carry 12 people or 1200 kg of cargo, the maximum speed of the all-terrain vehicle was 85 km / h. A 6-cylinder 76-horsepower engine was used as a power unit.

A number of progressive solutions for that time were used in the design of this car: to prevent the ingress of water, dirt and sand, the drum wheel brakes were sealed, rubber pads in the seals of the springs reduced the amount of maintenance. The all-terrain vehicle was distinguished by comfort: there was a powerful heater with a windshield blower, and rear springs possessed variable stiffness providing a high level of smoothness.

In addition to the main passenger version, it was also developed cargo modification cars - GAZ-62A with an enlarged body and a horizontal spare wheel.

GAZ-62 passed all the necessary tests and in 1958 was demonstrated as perspective model Gorky Automobile Plant at the All-Union Industrial Exhibition in Moscow (later - VDNH), but for unknown reasons it was not put into production.

ZIS-E134 layout No. 1

In the summer of 1954, the newly formed SCV ZIS, which initially numbered only 20 people, was given the task of creating a fundamentally new medium multi-purpose four-axle (8 × 8) ultra-high cross-country vehicle (aka the ATK-6 high-speed artillery tractor) with a payload capacity of 5 -6 t.

Since there was no experience in developing such machines, to study the issues of increasing cross-country ability wheeled vehicles, as well as to assess the influence of individual design parameters on the patency during July-August 1955, an experimental four-axle (8 × 8) truck ZIS-E134 layout No. 1 was built.

Experienced ZIL-E134 proved its worth. Practically not inferior to the caterpillar tractor in terms of cross-country ability and traction, it had a number of significant advantages - higher speed on the highway and a running gear resource, cheaper operation. The tests carried out made it possible to identify the directions further research. Both the developer and the customer wanted to see a more advanced machine. According to the requirements of the military, its carrying capacity was to be at least 6 tons, the weight of the towed gun doubled. Nevertheless, the invaluable experience gained in the design, construction and testing of the ZIL-E134 layout No. 1 gave confidence in the successful completion of the new task at a high technical level.

ZIS-E134 layout No. 2

In order to determine the parameters and constructive solutions on April 9, 1956, a prototype 8 × 8 ZIS-E134 layout No. 2 was built. It differed from its predecessor in a displacement hull, lack of elastic suspension wheels (based on the experience of testing the ZIS-E134 model No. 1), the presence of a water jet (not installed immediately) with a rotary nozzle that performs the functions of a water rudder. The water jet impeller was borrowed from the PT-76 tank. By power plant, transmission, propulsion and control system new car did not differ from the ZIS-E134 layout No. 1.

MAZ-505

MAZ-505 (1962) - an experienced four-wheel drive truck with an onboard platform, created for the army. This model did not go into mass production, most likely giving way to another novelty of those years - the GAZ-66.

ZIL-132R - super truck for the agricultural industry

The machine, created under the leadership of the chief designer A. I. Filippov in the department of the chief designer of the ZIL, headed by V. A. Grachev, had a number of interesting features. The chassis had a uniform placement of three (2100 + 2100 mm) axles along the base, the power unit (ZIL-130 engine, boosted to 165 hp) with a clutch and gearbox was located between the first and second axles, and a fiberglass cabin with steel doors - in front of the engine. The transmission was carried out according to the n-shaped scheme, that is, with on-board distribution of the power flow so that the wheels of each side had a rigid (non-differential) kinematic connection with each other. Double disc clutch supplied hydraulic drive, and a manual 5-speed gearbox - remote control. The cylindrical differential of the inter-board transfer case was equipped with a locking mechanism. A power take-off mechanism with a hydraulic pump was mounted on the gearbox to drive a tipper body or fertilizer application equipment.

The change in direction of movement was provided by turning the front and rear steered wheels due to hydraulic system without a rigid connection between the front and rear steered axles. Tires 16.00-20 with a diameter of about 1400 mm were installed on the car, which, in combination with an independent suspension, provided ground clearance from 480 to 590 mm, centralized system air pressure control in tires and ventilated disc brakes with dual-circuit hydraulic drive, which were not located in the wheel hubs, but on the final drives of the front and rear steered wheels. Among the serial trucks ZIL-132 R at that time there was no equal. Moreover, the cross-country performance of the car was so high that it freely competed, and in many cases surpassed caterpillar tractors used in the countryside.

But the car was built in single copy.

ZIL-E167 - snowmobile off-road

ZiL-E167 (1963) is an experimental off-road wheeled all-terrain vehicle designed for use in complete off-road under adverse climatic conditions. The machine was created using components and assemblies from the 135L chassis, which was practically ready by that time, the frame of which was additionally reinforced.

The super all-terrain vehicle was driven by two ZIL-375 engines of 118 hp each. each, the power was transmitted according to the onboard circuit. The engines were placed at the rear, for better cooling, air intakes were provided on the sides of the body. Huge wheels, shod in tires with a dimension of 21.00-28 and a diameter of 1790 mm on unique fiberglass (!) Prefabricated disks with metal elements, weighed almost three times less than their metal counterparts. The ground clearance of the car with these wheels was 852 mm, the bottom was covered with steel sheets to protect the units and better glide through snow and mud.

The cabin of the driver and passengers was also made of fiberglass; longitudinal seats were installed in the cabin. The cabin, borrowed from the ZIL-135L, and the interior were heated by independent heaters. Among other things, a winch with a pulling force of 7 tons was installed on the machine.

Suspension corresponded to that of 135L, drum brakes were actuated by a hydropneumatic system. During the tests, the car proved to be excellent, the maximum speed in winter on the highway was 75 km / h, on virgin snow 10 km / h. However, the all-terrain vehicle did not go into series, because due to the complexity of the transmission design, it was inferior in terms of maintainability to the GT-1 tracked tractor.

ZIL-49061

ZIL-49061 is a three-axle all-wheel drive floating vehicle based on the ZIL-4906 all-terrain vehicle. It is part of the search and rescue complex "Blue Bird".

These amphibians were equipped with ZIL-131 engines with mechanical gearboxes; applied independent suspension of all wheels, two propellers; the front and rear wheels were made steerable, and the connection between the two was provided by a hydrostatic servo drive, due to which the turn rear wheels begins after turning the front ones at an angle greater than 6 °. The solution for the brake mechanisms was very non-standard: they were disc brakes, but they were not located in the wheels, but in the body of the car.

The machines of the 490 complex have successfully passed the tests and have been mass-produced for many years. These "Blue Birds" are still serving in the Military Space Forces. There is no replacement for them. Two 4906s were sent to Germany during the floods that swept over it in the summer of 2002, where they were used very effectively to evacuate residents from flooded areas. In Europe, there was nothing like it, which caused the Germans a feeling of admiration and outright envy.

In addition, the Blue Bird complex included ZIL-2906.

ZIL-2906 is a rotary auger snow and swamp vehicle carried on a cargo ZIL-4906. After the improvement, he received the index 29061.

The swamp vehicle was equipped with two VAZ rotary piston engines with an onboard transmission scheme, the body and augers were made of aluminum alloy, and the cabin was made of fiberglass.

To this day, no other country in the world has such a unique complex, which, thanks to the ZIL-29061, has almost absolute all-terrain capability.

ZIL-4904

The auger snow and swamp all-terrain vehicle ZIL-4904 was built in 1972 and is the largest in the world. Payload- 2.5 tons. However, he developed a very low speed - 10.1 km / h on the water, 7.3 km / h in the swamp, 4.45 km / h on the rafting, 10.5 km / h on the snow.

Lightweight hollow or polymer-filled (for example, foam) augers allow the machine to float on water, cross such deadly places where any wheeled and tracked vehicles get stuck or sink. However, since the augers are made of a hard material, usually non-ferrous metals, an auger-rotary all-terrain vehicle is completely unsuitable for paved roads. On asphalt, concrete and even rubble, such a car will have to be transported on a tow truck.

VAZ-E2121 "Crocodile" - an early prototype of the legendary Niva

VAZ-E2121 "Crocodile" (1971) - an early prototype of the experimental VAZ-2121, with a frame and an open body, switchable front and rear axles. In the future, the design of the car was almost completely changed, in total two prototypes of this model were produced.

AZLK-2150 - a prototype of the off-road Moskvich

AZLK-2150 is a light SUV from AZLK, created in the USSR in 1973, as part of a project to create a compact comfortable SUV. The aggregate part of the prototype was unified with the M-2140 model, which was planned for production at that time. In total, two prototypes of the M-2150 were created with canvas and hard tops.

The Moscow SUV turned out to be different in concept from the Niva, closer to the "classic" SUVs - with a separate spar frame, continuous axles and stiff springs. In the competition of three plants (at AvtoVAZ - the future VAZ-2121 Niva, and at IZH-mash - Izh-14), AvtoVAZ won, having managed to create the most comfortable and competitive on the world market, although less "off-road" design.

The military department became interested in the M-2150 prototype, formally an order was received from the Ministry of Defense for the production of 60 thousand vehicles per year at a plant in the city of Kineshma, but the matter never came to production.

VAZ-E2122 - army SUV from Tolyatti

VAZ-E2122 (1976) - the first version of an experimental, floating off-road vehicle, developed by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense (initially, the project was created on the plant's own initiative). The car was designed using components and assemblies of the civilian VAZ-2121 Niva car, which was being prepared for production at the same time.

E2122 differed from analogues in the first place original design, which did not give out an amphibian in it, small size and maneuverability (for example, the turning radius on water and land practically did not differ). The sealed body allowed the car to move through the water at a speed of 4.5 km / h by rotating the wheels. The 1.6-liter engine, permanent all-wheel drive, contributed to the good maneuverability of the car (on land and on water), which was not inferior to the “old man” UAZ-469 at all. From UAZ (for the purpose of unification), the prototype got a winch and a tow bar, at the request of the military, the bumpers were made as flat as possible, with lights recessed into them so that a car stuck in front could be pushed, the windshield and side door frames folded. In addition, the "jeep" was equipped with two gas tanks, and the body structure provided for the installation of a stretcher.

On the first version of the car, the awning did not have side windows, but during the tests it became clear that rear visibility was sorely lacking and they were included in the design. However, the tightness of the body was badly affected by the temperature regime of the "Nivovsky" units, as a result of which they quickly failed, the light body could not withstand serious loads. But the customers still liked the prototype, it was decided to continue work and design the second version of the jeep.

VAZ-2E2122 - the second version of the floating jeep

VAZ-2E2122 (1977) - the second version of the floating SUV for the army, created on the basis of the E2122 prototype. On this prototype, VAZ designers tried to take into account all the wishes of the military department and get rid of the shortcomings of the first version: overheating of the engine and transmission, breakdowns in exhaust system, poor visibility, and work out several other important points, like the ability to start at low temperatures.

UAZ-452K - triaxial loaf

UAZ-452K (1973) - an experimental sixteen-seater bus with a 6x4 wheel arrangement. Based on this bus, Medea resuscitation vehicles were developed for the needs of Georgian mine rescuers. There was also a variant with a 6x6 wheel formula, later in Georgia a small-scale production of reanimobiles was established from 1989 to 1994, approximately 50 units per year.

But this project was not buried - the car was produced from 1989 to 1994 by the Vezdekhod cooperative from the Georgian city of Bolnisi.

ZIL-4102 - the prototype of the last "membership"

ZIL-4102 is a promising limousine that was supposed to replace the outdated five-seater ZIL-41041 sedan. In 1988, the sixth ZIL workshop produced two prototypes of the car. The fundamental difference between the new model and others Soviet limousines consisted in the absence of a frame, in connection with this, the ZIL designers had to do a lot of work to reduce the vibrations of the supporting body. The new sedan was half a meter longer than the Volga, and weighed half a ton less than the ZIL-41041. Roof and floor panels, trunk lid, hood and bumpers were made of fiberglass.

NAMI-0284 "Debut" (1987)

A car - a concept car, as they wrote then, "of an especially small class", was built with the prospect of using some solutions for a serial ZAZ car.

The original body was good aerodynamics(drag coefficient Cx - 0.23). The Oka engines (VAZ-1111 and VAZ-11113) were installed on the car, and the MeMZ-245 was installed on a later version with a slightly modified finish ("Debut-II"). They also planned to test a car with turbocharged VAZ-11113 and MeMZ engines with a 16-valve block head. "Debut" was equipped with an electrovacuum clutch, a cruise control system.

AZLK 2142 "Moskvich" - an experienced sedan

AZLK 2142 "Moskvich" (1990-96) is an experimental sedan created on the basis of AZLK-2141 and presented to the general public in 1990. The car was fully tested and practically ready for production, it was planned to send the car to the conveyor already in 1992, equipping it with a new Moskvich-414 engine.

After the collapse of the USSR, the death of the then general director of AZLK V.P. Kolomnikov, these plans were not destined to come true, but with various engines the prototype was assembled for several more years. Moreover, a car that did not actually exist later served as the basis for the small-scale models "Prince Vladimir" and "Ivan Kalita" produced in small batches.

Project "Istra"

AZLK-2144, "Istra" - an experimental car of the AZLK plant, created in the mid-late 1980s. It was made in a single copy around 1985-88, never mass-produced.

Notable for a number of unique solutions, including - duralumin body without a central pillar; two wide side doors opening vertically upwards; diesel, rapeseed oil powered; night vision device and indication of instrument readings on windshield; unique automatic transmission.

Istra was ahead of its time in many ways. At that time, this machine was much superior to its predecessors.

The only model sample, previously kept in the AZLK museum, is now in the museum on Rogozhsky Val in Moscow.

UAZ-3170 Simbir

In 1975, at UAZ, under the chief designer Startsev, development began, and in 1980 a demonstration model of a "car general purpose off-road" UAZ-3170 "Simbir". The car had a ground clearance of 325 mm and a height of 1960 mm - both parameters differed from the "469th" (215 and 2050 mm). The suspension was dependent spring.

Alexander Sergeevich Shabanov was the lead designer of the GAK theme and the head of the test group. Military samples of the machine were tested and protected by the project in the Moscow Region in 1982-1983.

Subsequently, according to the results, the second version of Simbir was born - UAZ-3171 (1985-1987).

Simbir 1990 army

Simbir 1990 civil

NAMI-LuAZ "Proto" - the ghost of a Russian country road

NAMI-LuAZ "Proto" (1989) - a prototype created in the Leningrad branch of NAMI as part of a competition announced by the Ministry of Autoselkhozmash, a team of designers and designers led by G. Khainov. The body was a metal frame, on which plastic panels were hung, which simplified repairs, improved the performance of the car.

The MeMZ-245 engine from Tavria was used as a power plant, the transmission was developed almost from scratch: a non-switchable cardan gear, a gearbox that drives and connects front axle(without transfer box). Gearbox, front-wheel drive power take-off, front final drive were assembled in one block. Front suspension independent (McPherson), rear dependent (De Dion). The motor, along with the front suspension and radiator, was mounted on a removable subframe, which facilitated the repair and assembly of the car.

Salon "Proto" is designed for four passengers, the seats have been transformed, forming a single sleeping area. Rear end the roof was removed, it was possible to install an awning.

In parallel with the Proto, LuAZ developed its own version of the future car, which had serious differences, as part of the competition.

LuAZ 1301 (1984/88/94) is a prototype of a light SUV, which was supposed to replace the outdated 969M model on the conveyor. The first version of the car was designed back in 1984 and was the same 969M with a new body. The 1988 prototype was different frame-panel body(steel frame and plastic panels), pneumatic elements in independent spring suspension, allowing you to change the ground clearance. The upgraded MeMZ-245 engine from Tavria was used as a power plant.

The drive of all wheels is permanent, the transmission had a lockable center differential. The roof and sidewalls were removed, making it easy to convert a jeep into a pickup truck, and a soft top version was also planned. The rear door of the car was made of two sections - upper and lower, spare wheel and a set of tools were placed in niches under the front seats, thus completely freeing the luggage compartment.

But for unknown reasons, not a single version of the machine was chosen, and a year later it was completely out of time for prototypes.

MAZ 2000 "Perestroika"

Brilliant name. Well, it just delivers wildly.

MAZ 2000 "Perestroika" (1988) - prototype main truck, which was distinguished by an original modular design: most of the units were located in front - the engine, gearbox, drive axle and steering. If necessary, any of the "passive" bogies was replaced by a similar set of units, allowing you to build road trains of any length and carrying capacity.

It was the first Soviet car designed specifically for truckers. In the autumn of 1988, at the Paris Motor Show, this design was highly appreciated, but the prototype never got into production, for obvious reasons.

The wrong country was called Honduras.

Of course, this is not the whole list. There were still a lot of interesting projects that remained in single copies. And even in the form of drawings.

Why were these projects not implemented? There are reasons for that. The Soviet system, again, was imperfect, it often gave rise to brilliant projects and revolutionary ideas, but immediately killed them.

What happened in our time with many of these exhibits?

HOME-MADE CARS

Why not? If you have a technical education, cooks a bowler hat, and claws do not grow from your ass - so why not build your own car?

In the USSR it was quite possible.

In the 1960s, the well-known magazine Tekhnika-molodezhi led the movement of amateur automotive industry in the USSR. For 20 years, on the pages of the magazine, on TV screens, during many car runs around the country, the eyes of millions of readers and viewers have appeared dozens self-made cars. A huge thing in the popularization of the amateur car industry in the 80s was the transfer "You Can Do It" (computer), which enjoyed popular attention. For each 45-minute broadcast, television received up to half a million letters (!!!).

Of all the projects of that time, I selected the most interesting ones.

"Pangolina"

Like the first products of Ford and Benz, the legend of the Soviet author's automotive industry - "Pangolina", was designed and built by almost one person. Alexander Kulygin. Unlike the amusing “Shelf” or “Ant”, Kulygin’s “Pangolin” was a full-fledged car, created by an experienced and talented designer.

The main structural material of the body was fiberglass. Work on the creation of the Pangolin body began with the formation of a master model - a plywood base for fiberglass. The main operations were carried out in Moscow. After Kulygin left for Ukhta, the master model was destroyed. The process of adapting the body to the chassis of the VAZ penny took place in the city of Ukhta. The original engine from the VAZ 2101 was used as the engine - a forced alternative to the planned boxer engine, which never appeared in final version"Pangolins".

Connoisseurs claimed that Kulygin's inspiration was Lamborghini sports car Countach. This is indicated by the shape of the body and the original design of the mechanism for opening and closing doors - implemented in the form of a movable cap that captures part of the roof. A periscope prism was used as a rear-view mirror.

Before us is not a futuristic American car. Despite this almost American design, this is a simple Soviet airfield tractor. That is an aircraft carrier. I know almost nothing about this car, except for some technical data.

38.8 liter engine. Weight 28 tons, towed aircraft weight up to 85 tons. Fuel consumption 120 liters per 100 km. It is also known that it was used at Sheremetyevo Airport.

If anyone knows in more detail from our townspeople about this car - write in the comments.

Promising taxi VNIITE-PT based on Moskvich-408/412 units. Developed at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Technical Aesthetics under the leadership of Yuri Dolmatovsky, as an alternative to the GAZ-21 Volga car as a taxi.
Experimental taxi VNIITE-PT. 1964

The abbreviation stands for Prospective Taxi of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Technical Aesthetics, and the car was developed by a team of designers led by the famous designer Yuri Aaronovich Dolmatovsky. In his books and articles, Dolmatovsky defended the car body layout with a supporting structure.

VNIITE-PT (a promising taxi), underwent trial operation in Moscow, drove everyone and showed its best side, and Muscovites and guests of the capital really liked it - it was free to roll a baby stroller into it.

And who knows, if this car went into production, then maybe the Volga would not always be a taxi?
Since the Perspective Taxi was actually the brainchild of Yuri Aaronovich Dolmatovsky, I would like to note such a "promising" car developed by him as the "Selena".

Start car.
Remember the final shots of the movie" Caucasian captive"? The heroine of the film, an athlete, a Komsomol member Nina leaves in such an unusual car.

The model was experimental, the Start minibus was produced in the amount of 55 units,

And almost a limousine (at that time) “Dawn” existed in only two copies.
Zarya car.

Simultaneously with the development of the first Soviet concept minivan with a fiberglass body, the Zarya car was created at the Lugansk car assembly plant. In those days it was a cutting-edge project. A light four-seater coupe with a fiberglass body was very simply set in motion by a motor from the Volga. The mass of the car (in the two-door version) was only some 1100 kg, and therefore the engine from the Volzhanka could accelerate it to 130 km / h while reducing fuel consumption by 20%.

Meanwhile, "Start" managed to get into the history of Soviet cinema and, in general, to some extent in world history. After all, the film “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, in which the brainchild of Severodonetsk designers and engineers swept along the steep and winding mountain roads, ended up in the Golden Fund of world cinema.

But their merit in the creation of this machine is very high. First, the minibus "Start" was created in car repair shops, on the initiative "from below". Secondly, an unusual car layout and a rather comfortable interior; third, and not least - for the first time in the Soviet Union, the car body was made entirely of fiberglass!

Unfortunately, the Start minibus project, despite being innovative and promising, did not receive further development for a number of reasons: "raw" and labor-intensive technology for the manufacture of fiberglass bodies, not suitable for mass production; high cost of materials; deficiency of Gorky aggregates. But the main reason, according to the creators of the car, was the envy of the “deprived of laurels of glory” plant managers and research institutes of the automotive industry, who tried in every possible way to put spokes in the wheels in order to prevent the implementation of the project in which they were out of work. Naturally, these bureaucrats did everything to make the staff of the small plant give up their initiative.

It would seem that the end ... if you do not remember another remarkable fragment from the history of "Start". At the end of 1966, when the production of minibuses at the SARB was practically curtailed, at the Lugansk car assembly plant, on the initiative of director D.A. Melkonov began to independently develop equipment for the manufacture of "own" "Starts". I do not know the number of those issued in Lugansk.

KD car.

In the late 60s, a group of enthusiasts from NAMI designed and built five identical two-seat homemade sports cars. All nodes and mechanisms are taken from the serial "Zaporozhets". The KD fiberglass bodies were manufactured at the Moscow Bodywork Plant, the director of which was Kuzma Durnov. The model was named after his initials. The car weighed only 500 kg and with a power of 30 hp. developed a speed of 120 km / h. The design of the CD turned out to be very successful, and the car could be produced in small batches - there was a demand for it.

But the production of exclusive sports cars turned out to be impossible in the country where the giant automobile plant in Togliatti was preparing to launch. Of the five made copies of the CD, several are "alive" to this day.

AZLK "Moskvich".

There will be little text here. Just a photo. Much was original development. Very interesting, but we only know the mass production model range: 401-2140.
And there were some...

Moskvich 404-sport

Moskvich 402 1962. Rally variant.

Moskvich 421 "Universal". 1961

And there could be or were such "Muscovites"

"Moskvich-426" Export version. In the USSR it was a curiosity.

"Moskvich-407 Rally"

Well, if in the 60s AZLK had promising developments and serial cars (we are not talking about serial cars now), then it should be mentioned as such,

This is AZLK's own development under the C-1 code.

Another option. The rear is very similar to the BMW-3 series.

Plasticine model of variant 2141. (contours of a modern Izhevsk car are recognizable here).

And another own version of the prototype 2141 "Delta"

But there will be a separate post on the topic "Moskvich-2141". About Simka and Talbot later.
And now further.
GAS.
There was also such a GAZ-61

Then GAZ-62 (car)

And experienced cargo gas 62 1959-62

Actually, this is the prototype of the GAZ-66. With an unusual wagon layout for Soviet trucks, all-wheel drive, this car already claimed the role of an army truck. But at first it was a blank car, that is, a wheeled stand for testing and studying components and mechanisms. Pay attention to the tent cabin. As a result, the result is beautiful - GAZ-66.
Now let's pay attention little-known cars GAS.
Well, if in ascending order of numbering, then there was also
GAZ-18

GAZ-73.

And Victory. But not just the M-20 - it's all-wheel drive.

And there were also such original "Victory" as GAZ M-20 "Aerosani Sever" "1960-61

There were also such "victories"
"Ambulance"

Pickup

Hybrid M-20 and Gas-66

Crossovers are becoming more and more popular among Russians. However, the hero of this story does not quite fit the definition of a crossover.
The creators, apparently, sought to combine two trends in the design of this car. On the one hand, it was necessary that he be comfortable. For this, the GAZ M-20 Pobeda car, popular in the USSR, was taken as a basis.

On the other hand, as conceived by the creators, their offspring should have been able to move off-road from a high-quality asphalt surface at any time and not hit the face in the dirt there. For these purposes, an army GAZ-66 was taken. Their crossing showed the world this magnificent crossover, which was definitely not better in the USSR and is unlikely to be in Russia ...

Pictures in the Crimea, Crimean numbers, photos presumably from the early 70s.

DAZ 150 "Ukrainian" Experienced "1947

The release of this truck was planned to be established at the Dnepropetrovsk Automobile Plant built after the war. A trial prototype of the model was made by the experimental workshop. It was a converted prototype of the ZiS 150 No. 2 truck delivered from Moscow, which, in turn, was the prototype for the future serial ZiS 150.
Ukrainian 66 Pre-production "1967
A distinctive feature of the "Ukrainian" is the original layout of the front end. The smooth contours of the ZiS wings were transformed here into a slightly rough, but expressive original form.

Ukrainian 67. As you can see, here, as it were, a designer mixture of Zis-150 and Gaz-51.

These cars were not destined to go into the series. Zil-150 was nevertheless produced in Moscow, and at this enterprise, which at first bore the name "DAZ", the production of rocket and space equipment was launched with the renaming to "UMZ" (Southern machine building plant), where tractor production was also established.
Car "Squirrel"

"Squirrel" from other microcars was distinguished by an unusual layout. The entire front part of the body and the roof leaned forward on hinges, reinforced at the lower edge, opening access to the front seat. Such a solution, proposed by the designer V. I. Aryamov, was very unusual, and in foreign technical magazines, as well as the design of the rear door - wide and reaching the roof, was highly appreciated. front seat was placed not inside the wheelbase, but between the niches of the front wheels. Access to the rear seat, also designed for two people, is through a single door on the right side of the body. To prevent the seats from getting too tight between wheel arches, on "Belka" small-sized (size 5.00-10") tires were used.

In 1956, along with a prototype that had a closed body, IMZ built an open version of the "Squirrel" with a windshield that leans forward, a spare wheel on the front panel of the body, and handrails along the sides. It used seats without springs - they were replaced by rubber bands stretched over the frame.

Volga
GAZ-3105
A total of 55 cars were produced (according to other sources, 67) and in 1996 the production of the car was discontinued. About how much its development cost the country, history is modestly silent. GAZ-3105 turned out to be the pinnacle of evolution Soviet car industry, and ... the beginning of the end of the Volga brand

The second attempt to replace the veteran GAZ-24 (31029, 3110) on the conveyor was made immediately after the GAZ-3105 finished its short life. And again, the Gorky residents managed to create a very extraordinary car. The car received the GAZ-3111 index and, according to the idea of its creators, was supposed to not only replace the old “twenty-fourth”, but also compete on equal terms with European and Japanese cars E-class.

The first GAZ-3111 rolled off the assembly line on the eve of the new year 2000, and then ... it turned out that no one needed this car either. The new Volga was expensive, suffered from many childhood illnesses, and besides, the trust of Russians in domestic cars, against the backdrop of an increasing number of foreign cars, was, if not completely lost, then greatly undermined. In total, 428 copies of the Volga GAZ-3111 were produced, after which this project was buried.

ZIL-4102
Promising sedan with load-bearing body. In total, two copies were built in 1988. It was planned as a new basic model of the whole family.