10 interesting facts about the Soviet cars Bashny.Net

Text + 10 ph via Sovauto

1. As is known, the VAZ-2101 is based on the car Fiat-124. On the basis of the same car set up and VAZ-2103, which is the luxury version of the "penny." But originally supposed to create a version of the suite on the basis of another car - Fiat-125, which was a luxury version of the Fiat-124. However, since the Soviet side at the request of the unification between models should be not less than 85%, it was decided to make two models based on the same machine.





2. It was originally planned that the car will be called the victory "Homeland." Learning of this, Stalin sarcastically asked, "How much will sell the home?". The name immediately changed to "win." Stalin replied: "slim victory, but let it be" Victory "." The name was approved.



3. Moskvitch 408 (and, later, Moskvich-412) has been widely exported to Europe, and there were quite popular. English Motor magazine wrote: "The machine is generally created as a rational, tolerant and comfortable means of transport ... Russian Moskvich-408 odds as much as they are imported." The Norwegian magazine "Tehnikens verld" ("World of art") in 1968 tested the Moskvich- 408 on the length of vitality in 1240 km of the worst road conditions, the results of which he wrote: "Moskvich-Elite" can withstand abuse, and, moreover, better than we could imagine. We can safely say that there is little in the world of cars, which would have rendered such a test!



4. The most exported Soviet and Russian car is VAZ-2121 Niva. Its share in exports to Europe, the most significant, and it is the only domestic car comes to Japan. From 1, 8 million issued for more than 30 years of production, "Neve" for export to more than 100 countries worldwide sent over 500 thousand.



5. Originally it was planned to do Moskvich-400 with 2 doors instead of 4, for example, the inverse image of his Opel Kadet. There is a version of why even so it was decided to make a car with four doors.
It is said that when Stalin took Moskvich-400, he sat next to the driver and told the director Vasily MZMA Takhtarova: "Sit down, and you, dear." He turned pale. He could not say, "Stalin, you, please, leave for a minute, I Lean back and climbed into the back seat." But the chief was set complacent. He barely got out of the car closer, casually Director: "Do to the people it was convenient" - and left. So there were four-door car.



6. Amazing motives and nuances discontinuation of GAZ-14 - in 1988 came the famous decision of the CPSU Central Committee for the Suppression of privileges. On the basis of his first banned the use of "The Seagull" (replacing "Volga" GAZ-3102), and later "The Seagull was removed from production. And not just removed - was destroyed, all tooling, working documentation, assembly lines, body punches, and so on. In the history of the automobile that was the only case of its kind! In 1996, the leadership of the plant is expected to resume production of The Seagull, but left almost nothing. Working again was economically feasible. The revival did not take place.



7. The car Moskvich-412 has repeatedly become a party to international competition. Thus, in the transcontinental marathon run "London - Sydney" (1968, 16 thous. Km), he took fourth place in the team standings; rally "London - Mexico City" (1970, 26 thousand km.) - third place in the overall team standings (after factory teams firms Ford and British Leyland), the best of the crew took the twelfth place in the individual standings (difficulty of the route shown by the fact that all then crossed the finish line 23 cars of different brands out of 96 starters); he also participated in competitions such as the "Tour of Europe" (1971); "Golden Sands" (stage of the championship of Europe, Bulgaria, 1972); "Safari" in Nigeria (the beginning of 1973; the second, third, fifth place out of 27 cars crossed the finish line eight starters, including - all three "Moskvich" without serious damage); "Reid Polish" (stage of the championship of Europe, 1973); and others.



8. History of the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant begins with the Great Patriotic War. The plant was built in 1942 from the Moscow ZIL evacuated equipment. Initially, this venture was to produce cars for defense purposes, already in 1943, putting the current parts of about 4,000 units. first Oise created to accompany the tank column on the battlefield and were intended for delivery personnel to the site of the combat mission. After the victory over Nazi Germany plant ceased to provide reliable and army passable UAZami. Later, UAZ automobiles have been used in diverse sectors of production.



9. There are several theories on the account, the base of the Zaporozhye car factory factory workers themselves creation date of the plant used to be considered in 1863, when the Dutchman Abraham Koop established a factory for the production of agricultural machinery. Another option - in 1908, when it was founded Melitopol Motor Plant (MeMZ), which since 1960 MeMZ began to supply its engines to ZAZ. Another date - in 1923, while former factory Abraham Coop was renamed the "Kommunar". However, activity remained, taking into account the emergence of new agricultural machinery - tractors, harvesters, and others. In 1961 the plant was renamed in Zaporizhia Automobile Plant.



10. Last.
Officially (default version) ZIL-117 was created as a dynamic, fast and agile against the limousine ZIL-114 vehicle tracking. Unofficially, it was common assertion that the ZIL-117 - "drayverskogo" version created on the personal orders of Leonid Brezhnev, who loved to drive himself. There are many eyewitness accounts that in the second half of 1970 the secretary general personally managed "short" ZIL.



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