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" specimens, which are dear to look at today. But we will start all the same 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This beautiful black sedan replaced the outdated ZIS-110, which was not included in our selection only because its 8 cylinders under the hood were located in a row, and not at an angle. But the ZIL-111 received a new engine with a similar marking, which had 6 liters of working volume, two hundred horse power and a torque of 442 Nm. Together with him worked a two-band torque converter "automatic".

On the basis of this sedan, a little later, the ZIL-111V phaeton was developed - the heir to the representative ZIS-110V convertible.

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This, in turn, is the heir of the ZIL-111 - already at that time it was necessary to follow the automotive fashion so as not to "sleep through" the current design trends. New sedan 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 increased to 7 liters, and the torque increased to 559 Nm. An additional stage was received by the automatic transmission, with which the new engine worked.

In the photo: ZIL-114 "1967–71

Of course, on the basis of the ZIL-114, several special modifications were also produced. 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 basisas 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.

In the photo: ZIL-117 "1971-77

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 to receive the name ZIL-115 as the legal successor previous car collection, due to the change in the index system, it began to be called ZIL-4104. 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 has retained the main features: an aluminum block with cast iron liners, two valves per cylinder, valve pushers and a carburetor power system.

In the photo: ZIL-4104 "1978–83

The government limousine traditionally went to serve in various departments, receiving various modifications. In addition to the ZIL-41044 phaeton, there was a “short” sedan ZIL-41041, and a “Black Doctor” ZIL-41042, and a special version of ZIL-41072 “Scorpion”, and many other special vehicles.

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This car became a cosmetic update of the ZIL-4104: even from the name it is clear. Retaining technical part and the body are unchanged, it received new lighting equipment, a modernized design of the front end and a different style of chrome elements on the body.

In the photo: ZIL-41045 "1983–85

it last update 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 unchanged technically, but refreshed from the outside, making the exterior stricter and more "square".

In the photo: ZIL-41047 "1986-2008

This car, unlike most of the Zilov cars, did not become serial. Initially, it was supposed to replace the "short" ZIL-41041, having received a modern appearance and new technical stuffing. 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 engine ZIL-4104 with a volume of 7.7 liters and a capacity of 315 hp was placed under the hood, and the main technical difference of the new car was the absence of a frame - it was planned to transfer it to a load-bearing body. However, the car did not receive development, remaining in existence in two copies, on which technical solutions and options for internal equipment were worked out.

In the photo: Under the hood ZIL-4102 Experienced "1988

ZIL-118 "Youth"

ZIL-118 "Yunost" is not a passenger car, but a minibus, but we simply could not ignore it: its appearance was too gorgeous - however, only in the first incarnation. The stories of this most curious car, and here we offer you 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: there were sports cars in the history of the plant. One of these is the ZIL-112S: a fast-paced roadster with a fiberglass body. It could be installed not one, but as many as two different V-shaped "eight". The first had 6 liters of working volume and developed 240 hp, and the second - already 7 liters, which gave at different times 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.

GAZ-13 "Chaika" 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 matched its appearance: the 5.5-liter V 8 produced 195 hp. and 412 Nm. It had two valves per cylinder and an aluminum block, and was combined with 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 "Chaika" "1959–81

Of course, it was not without various modifications based on gas cars. For example, the Chaika had an open version with a soft top bearing the GAZ-13B index.

In the photo: GAZ-13B "Chaika" "1961–62

The successor to the first Chaika, the new car under the GAZ-14 designation began to look completely different - stricter, simpler and more angular, approaching in its style to the Zilov limousines. Twin headlights, a long and low profile, a metered amount of chrome - this was the Seagull in the second generation. At the same time, a 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 fed not one, but two carburetors at once.

In the photo: GAZ-14 "Chaika" "1976–89

On the basis of the "second" Chaika, both the traditional phaeton for parades under the symbol GAZ-14-05 and the "Black Doctor" GAZ-RAF-3920 were created.

In the photo: GAZ-14-05 and GAZ-RAF-3920

A separate caste of powerful V 8 gas vehicles are special service vehicles, the so-called. GAZ-23 is a sedan based on the GAZ-21, which received a reinforced body, adapted for the installation of a slightly modernized power unit from Chaika. The ZMZ-23 engine had 5.5 liters of volume 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 modified, 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 an automatic gearbox: with the 5.5-liter ZMZ-2424, according to various sources, it accelerated to 160-180 km / h.

In the photo: GAZ-24-24 "Volga"

The logical development of the model was the GAZ-24-34, which received a body from the GAZ-24-10, in which a V 8 and a three-stage "automatic" were installed according to the worked out scheme, 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 the Chaika at the post, but becoming much more modern and technologically advanced, and at the same time compact. Judge for yourself how many technical innovations were put into the car at the stage of creation: four-wheel drive with forced locking of the center differential, disc brakes on all wheels, hydraulic booster, climate control, original body glazing ... and this is just a small part of interesting technical solutions - we talked in detail about

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 the main problems for the country's economy was the scanty car park. Even small Finland possessed a large number of cars in the early 1920s, and even about America or Germany, it is not worth mentioning at all. The problem of lagging 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 for the production of cars.

Prombron C24 / 45

The first attempt to start mass 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 in 1918 was nationalized. The plant's capacities were idle for 3 years, in the 21st year they began to repair old equipment and at the same time manufacture sets for new cars according to old drawings. Five cars were assembled the next year, and the first car was donated to M.I. Kalinin, who drove it until 1945. In 1923, an all-Union automobile rally took place, in which two cars Prombron C24 / 45 participated, 38 sets for new cars were also created and the launch of small-scale production was being prepared. However, it did not work to expand the production of cars, since the plant was reoriented to the production of aircraft. All the available kits were transferred to the second BTAZ plant and 22 cars were assembled there, but there the plant was redesigned and the production passenger cars had to be postponed indefinitely.

AMO F-15

The first truly serial Soviet car was the AMO F-15 truck. It was produced at the plant of the same name AMO named after Pietro Ferrero (Moscow Automobile Society), the future ZiL. The development of the truck was carried out on the basis of the Italian Fiat 15 ter, the assembly of which from ready-made kits was carried out from 1917 to 1919. In 1924, most of the drawings were received, and the plant also had two ready-made Fiat trucks. The first 10 cars were assembled from ready-made sets of parts in just 6 days and this event was timed to coincide with the proletarian demonstration on November 7. Immediately after that, the AMO F-15 cars went for tests, during which the high quality of the cars was confirmed and a decision was made to establish serial production at the AMO facilities. In 1925, only 113 cars were assembled at the plant, but every year production increased 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 quite 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. It is only 5 meters long and 1.7 meters wide. The carrying capacity was only 1500 kg, and the maximum speed did not exceed 42 km / h. The engine power was 35 hp. at 1400 rpm

US-1

Namely NAMI-1 can be called the first Soviet passenger car. Its development was not purposeful, but was a project of K.A. Sharapov, who tried to combine the simplicity of a motorized carriage and the spaciousness of a car in one product. Its scientific advisor E.A. Chudakov appreciated the ideas of the young engineer and after the graduation project was completed, on his recommendation, Sharapov was hired to work at NAMI, where, under the leadership of Professor Brilling, a team was created to finalize the project. A complete set of 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, which went to the Crimea-Moscow-Crimea rally and showed themselves from 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. 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 a high-quality assembly of machines, which subsequently greatly affected the quality and the 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, a total of 350 to 512 cars were produced, most of which were bought by Avtodor and distributed among government agencies.

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 production, since a new plant was preparing to launch in Nizhny Novgorod with a design capacity ten times higher than the capabilities of Spartak, and its main model should have become licensed Fords.

GAZ-A and GAZ-AA

The Soviet leadership was well aware of the serious lag of the USSR in the automotive industry and any available means were used for accelerated development. One of the most successful steps was the signing on May 1, 1929 with Ford of an agreement on technical assistance for the 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 launched conveyor under license, the production of a Ford-A passenger car and a Ford-AA truck was launched. These two models became truly the first mass-produced cars in the USSR, and the receipt of all the documentation for manufacturing allowed the development of Soviet cars, modern and not inferior to foreign analogues, to begin. Based on model A, a large number of modifications, and already in 1936 at the Gorky plant, the GAZ-M1 became the main model. A total of 42 thousand cars of this model were built, not counting various modifications.

Together with the documentation for model Ford-A, the Soviet Union was given the documentation for the Ford-AA truck, which was as much as possible unified in detail with a passenger car. Release 1.5 ton truck also began in 1932, in 1933 on its basis the first serial Soviet bus GAZ-03-30 was created. 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 lacking - mass production. All factories were hand-assembled, which naturally affected both the price and the quantity of products. The plan for the first five-year plan included the creation of several automobile factories with an assembly line at once and the first was launched in 1931 at the AMO plant, later renamed ZiS (Stalin Plant). At that time, not very successful models AMO-2 and AMO-3 were produced, but by 1933 the models were completely finalized and the new ZiS-5 went into mass production. On full power the plant came out 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 of domestic production and there was no need to pay for licenses and assistance from foreign specialists.

The technical characteristics of the car also looked very worthy for their time. The ZiS-5 was equipped with a 5.5 liter engine with 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 they did not produce the entire line of automotive products, then they would have to buy it abroad and depend on Western states. If there were fewer problems with light and medium trucks, then heavy trucks were not produced in the union by the 30s, and in fact they were very necessary for large-scale construction projects of the first five-year plans. The first heavy truck in the USSR can be called the Ya-5, which was capable of carrying up to 5 tons. However, only 2,200 units were produced, since American engines were installed on it, which had to be abandoned. Later, they began to install engines from the ZiS-5, but they did not provide the required power and, for the sake of traction characteristics, they had to reduce the maximum speed. On the basis of Ya-5, several models were created, including the most lifting, eight-tonne YAG-12.

If in the mid-1920s 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 We also managed to catch up in quality, and the new ZiS, GAZs, Yaroslavl cars were not nearly worse than their foreign counterparts, and all the country's needs were fully met. During the first five-year plan, new KIM and GAZ plants were built, and serious funds were also invested in the modernization of such enterprises as AMO (ZiS), Putilovsky Zavod, YAGAZ and other smaller plants. In terms of the production of trucks, the USSR even took second place, second only to the United States in this indicator. By 1941, the all-time milestone of 1 million cars was reached different brands, and in 1940, 145 thousand different cars were produced.

Volga, Zhiguli, Gaz or Moskvich. These are the most famous Soviet car brands during the Soviet era. Despite this, you will not find enthusiastic owners of these old cars across the country today who would be satisfied with such ownership of this Soviet vehicle. The thing is that most of the cars produced in the Soviet years were very unreliable due to their build quality.

The reason for such dubious reliability is precisely in the fact that most of these cars that were created in the USSR were based and built on the basis of specific foreign analogues. But due to the planned economy Soviet Union car factories were forced to save money on literally everything. Naturally, this includes savings on the quality of auto parts. Despite the lousy quality of the entire Soviet vehicle fleet in the country, we have our own 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. But fortunately, a certain part of these car brands soviet era survived and exist to this day.

Nowadays, the popularity of Soviet vehicles has started to rise and grow again, as many car models are now of collectible and historical value. The public's particular interest usually arises in rare and sometimes strange cars, which were just produced during the Soviet era.

Some of these car models existed only in the drawings in the form of prototypes, which never made it into the series. Such cars that were built by private engineers or designers (homemade products) are especially exclusive.

Dear readers, we have collected for you in our review the rarest soviet cars, which once appeared in the Soviet Union and which make the history of our Patriotic auto world much more interesting today. And so, we proceed:

GAZ-62

"GAZ" is the most famous car brand in our country. Cars under this brand were created and produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant. In 1952, the GAZ automobile plant presented its GAZ-62, which was created to replace the military off-road vehicle of the Dodge brand “three quarters” (WC-52), which was used by the Soviet army during the Great Patriotic War.

This GAZ-62 was designed to carry 12 people. The carrying capacity of the vehicle was 1200 kg.

When creating the GAZ-62, the designers used several innovative solutions in it. For example, the car was equipped with sealed drum brakes, as well as a fan for heating the passenger compartment.

Also, 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 here that after the creation of this prototype, this GAZ-62 passed all the necessary tests. But some design problems did not allow the car to be launched into mass production. Ultimately, at the beginning of 1956, the GAZ automobile plant began working on a new prototype of the car.

ZIS-E134. Layout No. 1

In 1954, a small group of engineers was tasked with building special car for military needs. 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 pass through almost any terrain, carrying a large amount of heavy cargo.

As a result, Soviet engineers presented the ZIS-E134 model to the Ministry. As requested by representatives of the USSR Ministry of Defense, the car received eight wheels for itself, four axles placed along the entire length of the body, which made it possible to create the necessary tractive effort, which was almost similar to the strength of armored tank vehicles. Ultimately, this ZIS-E134 truck easily coped with any rough terrain, which allowed it to drive where none of the equipment available at that time could reach.

The car weighed 10 tons and was able to carry up to 3 tons of cargo. It is worth noting here that in spite of its weight, the car could reach speeds of up to 68 km / h on any type of hard-surfaced terrain. 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 car, Soviet engineers and designers soon presented their second version of the eight-wheeled "monster" to the military department. The car was built in 1956. The second version had a different body structure, as well as reinforced beams, which made it possible to endow the vehicle with amphibious capabilities. In addition, due to the tightness of the body and the special design of the technical part, this machine was able to float like a military tank.

Despite its heavy weight (total weight - 7.8 tons), the car could accelerate overland to 60 km / h. The speed on the water was 6 km / h.

ZIL E167

In 1963, a military off-road vehicle - ZIL-E167 was built in the USSR. The car was designed to travel on snow. This ZIL-E167 was equipped with three axles with six wheels. On non-snow-covered sections of the road, the car could reach speeds of up to 75 km / h. In the snow, the truck could only accelerate to 10 km / h. Yes, undeniably, the car's speed was very slow. But nevertheless, on the other hand, this car had just amazing cross-country ability in the snow. So, for example, in order for this ZIL to get stuck in the snow, something incredible had to happen.

The car was equipped with two outboard (in the rear) engines with a total capacity of 118 hp. The ground clearance (clearance) of the monster was 852 mm.

Unfortunately, this truck never went into mass production, and all due to the great difficulties in the deployment of industrial production and the impossibility of creating a high-quality gearbox.

ZIL 49061

This car is called "Blue Bird". This ZIL-49061 was equipped with six wheels. Unlike its predecessors, the car nevertheless went into mass production and became popular in many countries of the world.

The amphibious vehicle was equipped with a manual gearbox, independent suspension for each wheel and two propellers.

In addition to the ability to move on the water surface, this SUV could also overcome ditches more than 150 cm wide, and snow drifts up to 90 cm high.

The maximum speed of this 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 Armed Forces as rescue operations. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the vehicle was used by the Russian Emergencies Ministry Rescue Service. For example, two such "Blue Birds" were sent to Germany in 2002 to participate in a rescue operation after a terrible flood. They turned to us directly for help, since in Europe itself in those years there was still no similar equipment that was capable of performing difficult tasks on water and on land.

ZIL 2906

If you dear readers think that today's Russian cars look very strange, then after learning about the next rare Soviet car in our rating, you will immediately understand and conclude that the current transport in our country is quite adequate and normal.

During the Soviet era, for example, cars such as the ZIL-2906 were produced in our country, which did not have wheels at all. Instead of them (wheels), the machine was equipped with spiral shafts, which, by their rotation, set in motion this unusual car... This allowed the SUV to navigate the most difficult muddy terrain.

The car body itself was made of fiberglass. The two spirals installed instead of the wheels were made of aluminum. This machine was designed to transport various types of cargo (felling trees, beams, etc. cargo) through swamps and snow.

Despite its advanced technology, the car was moving too slowly. The maximum speed of this ZIL was only 10 km / h (on water), 6 km / h when driving in a swamp and 11 km / h when driving in snow.

VAZ-E2121 "Crocodile"

Work on the creation of a prototype VAZ-E2121 (the letter "E" in the model name means "experimental") began in 1971. The car was developed by order of the Government, which wanted our country to have its own passenger SUVso that it is accessible to the general masses. Ultimately, engineers began to develop such an SUV based on the VAZ-2101 and VAZ-2103 Zhiguli models.

As a result, Togliatti designers developed a prototype of an off-road vehicle - E2121, which later received the nickname "Crocodile" (because of the color of the body, which one of the prototypes received). This machine was equipped with four-wheel drive and a 1.6-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, which was developed for the next generation of VAZ-2106 cars.

Despite a fairly good idea and expended effort, the model never went into mass production. Only two were built, all for engineering research and testing.

AZLK MOSKVICH-2150

In 1973, the Moskvich automobile plant presented a prototype of the AZLK-2150 car. Let us remind our readers that before that, the "Moskvich" automobile plant had already presented several of its conceptual models 4 x 4, but, in comparison with them, this new model of AZLK-2150 had a number of new design solutions. For example, the car received a new engine, the compression ratio of which was reduced to 7.25 (this allowed the car to run on A-67 gasoline). The car was developed for use in rural areas (in agriculture).

To our regret, like many stunning Soviet models of cars, this AZLK MOSKVICH-2150 SUV never entered mass production. The reason is trivial, the lack of funds due to the widespread savings of the state. But then it could not be otherwise. In a planned economy, it was even surprising how so many high-tech cars could have appeared in the USSR. (?)

In total, two prototypes of AZLK-2150 vehicles were built and assembled: Moskvich-2150 (with a hard top) and Moskvich-2148 (with an open top).

VAZ-E2122

AvtoVAZ had another experimental project of a prototype car, which received a code designation for itself as VAZ-E2122. It was an amphibious vehicle project. Development began in the 70s of the last century.

The most surprising thing is that the movement of the car on the water was carried out at the expense of 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 at once.

Unfortunately, due to the adaptation of movement on the water, the car contained many design problems. For example, the engine itself, transmission and front differential very often overheated, due to the fact that all these components were in special closed housings. This was necessary in order to protect the components of this vehicle from water.

In addition, the car had just terrible visibility. There were also significant drawbacks in the operation of the exhaust gas system.

Despite a number of difficulties and problems in the development of the vehicle, the USSR military department was interested in the serial production of this amphibious SUV. Ultimately, the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union ordered several prototypes of this amphibian from AvtoVAZ. But unfortunately, this progressive project of an amphibious vehicle never reached mass production.

UAZ-452k

In the 80s Ulyanovsk car factory developed an experimental model 452k based on the well-known model UAZ-452 "Loaf". The main difference from standard car there was an additional axle that improved the stability and traction of the SUV on rough terrain.

Initially, two versions of cars were created, i.e. 6 x 4 and 6 x 6. But during testing, 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, they decided to partially curtail the project. But not completely. The UAZ car plant eventually produced about 50 copies (pieces) of cars and sent them to Georgia. Ultimately, these off-road vehicles were used by various rescue services in the Caucasus from 1989 to 1994. These copies of cars did not deliver any particular problems and troubles, since the mileage of the cars was relatively small due to the peculiarity of their operation.

ZIL-4102

When the ZIL-4102 car was created, it was considered that it should become a direct successor to the famous ZIL (a) limousine, which was used for many years by State servants and high officials of the Communist Party of the USSR.

ZIL-4102 was equipped with front-wheel drive and also had carbon fiber body elements, namely: roof panel, trunk lid, hood and bumper.

In 1988, two prototype cars were built. It was originally planned that this model will be equipped with three types of engines, i.e., a 4.5-liter V6, a 6.0-liter V8 petrol engine and a 7.0-liter diesel unit.

Since this model was intended specifically for the elite, it is natural that the car was equipped with elements of luxury and comfort. For example, this car had power windows, ten audio speakers, a CD player, an on-board computer, and a white leather interior.

Unfortunately, Mikhail Gorbachev was not impressed by this ZIL-4102 and he did not approve of this project. It is for this very reason that the luxury car ZIL never went into mass production. It's a pity we say. We believe that if this car model appeared in mass production, then our car industry would look completely different today.

US-0284 "DEBUT"

In 1987, the Russian Research Automotive and Automotive Institute (NAMI) developed a front-wheel drive prototype of the car, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1988. The car received the code designation - NAMI-0284.

This car attracted huge public attention at the exhibition and received many positive feedback critics and experts of the world car market.

The car had a unique feature for that time, namely, - an impressive low coefficient of aerodynamic drag (only 0.23 cd). This was surprising, since many modern cars cannot boast of such aerodynamic characteristics to this day.

The length of the prototype car NAMI-0284 was 3685 mm. The car was equipped with a 0.65-liter engine, which in those years was installed in the Oka car (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) and taking into account 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 in those years positioned it as the most modern car ever created by the AZLK Automobile Plant.

According to the plans of the Moskvich automobile plant this car was supposed to enter serial production two years later, when the company planned to start producing new generations of Moskvich-414 engines. The general directors of the Leninsky Komsomol Automobile Plant - "AZLK" insisted on the transfer of this release of the new Moskvich model. He believed that a completely new generation of power units should have been in the new promising car model.

But in the end, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the cessation of state funding stopped this project completely.

Another thing 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 cars, which was produced in three versions, ie: - "Prince Vladimir", "Ivan Kalita" and " Duet".

UAZ-3170 "SIMBIR"

The development of a new off-road vehicle of the UAZ brand 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 car plant presented its first model UAZ-3370 "Simbir". This SUV had a high ground clearance of 325 mm. The car also turned out to be quite high (height - 1960 mm).

Fortunately for us, this car has still entered mass production. True, due to its planned economy, the car plant was unable to release large quantities of an SUV on the market. It is worth noting here that the vehicle was originally created by order of the War Ministry. And in the end, in mass production, the production of both military modifications of cars and civilian vehicles was established.

In 1990, the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant presented its second generation of the UAZ-3171 SUV, the development of which began back in 1987.

MAZ-2000 "Perestroika"

The experimental model of the MAZ-2000 truck was codenamed "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, for example, car parts such as the engine, transmission, front axle and steering were located in the front of the machine, which made it possible to reduce the gap between the cab and the loading area itself. Thanks to the model design of the MAZ-2000 cab, it was possible to increase the volume of the car 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 such prototypes were built. To our deep regret, the project never received the green light and this car model never saw the production line.

Many experts believe that the Perestroika truck was the main inspiration for the designers of the Renault Magnum truck, which entered series production in late 1990 and then won the prestigious Truck of the Year award in 1991.

What is the hidden 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 circulate in the auto world, this project did not take place due to the fact that Mikhail Gorbachev sold the design of this amazing truck to the French. Naturally, all this is not officially confirmed by anything.

Homemade car "Pangolin"

In Soviet times, everyone naturally knew that reliability and performance Domestic cars were not the best, if we talk by world standards. Also, everyone knew that our vehicles did not have a very good design. That is why many Russian engineers decided at that time for themselves that since state car factories cannot create cars that are not inferior to any foreign counterparts, then it is necessary to create them yourself. As a result, it turned out that many engineers in the USSR privately, inspired by Western European and American sports cars, began to create their own home-made vehicles.

One of such examples is the Pangolin auto-sports car, created by Alexander Kulygin in 1983.

The body of the car was made of fiberglass. Also, this sports car received an engine from the VAZ-2101. The designer was inspired by the stunning design of the Lamborghini Countach. Ultimately, Alexander decided to create a car in the same style as well.

It is worth noting here that this homemade car still exists and participates in various car shows.

True, over the years, some additional changes have been made to the design of the car. For example, new doors were installed in the original design of this sports car, which now open upwards.

Homemade car "Jeep"

In 1981, an engineer from Yerevan Stanislav Kolshanosov created an exact copy of the famous American Jeep SUV.

To build the car, the engineer used components from several other Soviet car models. For example, for a homemade copy of an American SUV, the engineer took the engine from the VAZ-2101 model. Rear axle, gearbox, electrics, headlights and drive shafts were taken from the Volga GAZ-21 car.

The suspension system, gas tank, instrument cluster and wipers were borrowed from the UAZ-469 car.

But some parts of the car were created according to an individual project. For example, the front axle of the car was created from scratch by Stanislav himself.

It is also noteworthy that the design of the front axle was repeatedly exhibited at various exhibitions throughout the Soviet Union and received several awards.

Homemade car "Laura"

Another example of a designer car is the Laura sports car designed and built by two engineers from Leningrad, Dmitry Parfenov and Gennady Hein. In our country, even today there is not a single normal Russian sports car. Not to mention the USSR. So the engineers had no choice but to create their own sports car themselves.

But unlike other engineers who actually created copies of cars of foreign analogs, Dmitry and Gennady decided to create a completely new car, unlike any other vehicle.

"Laura" was equipped with a 1.5-liter engine producing 77 hp, front-wheel drive and an on-board computer. The maximum speed of the sports car was 170 km / h.

In total, two of these were built. It is worth noting here that these cars were marked by the leader of the Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev. These sports cars have also received many different 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 the car enthusiast Yuri Algebraistov. The name of the car was coined 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 that was built according to an individual project during the Soviet era, it is still in perfect condition and is used for its entire intended purpose.

The fact is that Yuri is still constantly updating his car, 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 model).

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 all are used to. Instead, the engineer used a design that allowed the entire front of the cab, including the windshield, to be folded back so that the driver and passenger could climb into and out of the car.

Also, the car received independent suspension and what was more surprising was the electronic cruise control system, which could maintain a certain speed even downhill.

In addition, this sports car also had many rare features and various options, which makes it one of the most interesting cars ever created in the Soviet Union. Thus, the "Katran" car can really be considered the most amazing car in the entire history of the Russian automotive industry.

In conclusion, I would like to note that our dear friends have not posted all rare cars, which were created during the Soviet era. We have selected the best ones that, in our opinion, deserve the attention of readers. If you have or have something to offer us in order to supplement our list of Soviet cars, we suggest everyone interested, below in the comments they will share their suggestions with us. We will be very happy.

At the end of 1960, the Kommunar plant in Zaporozhye produced the first series of Zaporozhets cars. The dream of a "people's car" has become a reality. The Soviet car industry fulfilled the dreams of both a peasant car and a car for the party elite.

Zaporozhets

Since the mid-50s, the demand of the population for a compact, inexpensive "people's" car began to take on more and more mass character. The task of creating such 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 runabout. Many structural units have undergone significant changes. ZAZ 965 has become a real "people's car", "starred" in such films as "Three plus two", "Queen of the gas station" and many others. There was a "hunchback" even in the cartoons "Wait a minute" and "Holidays in Prostokvashino".

The Ukrainian auto industry, having experimented on the "humpback" "Zaporozhets", which was a replica of the six hundredth Fiat, during the years of Brezhnev's rule released new model, an almost full-fledged, but very compact sedan, in the exterior similar to the Chevrolet Corvair. A distinctive feature of the car was the large air intakes, which the people immediately christened with 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, 19-year-old law student won his first car in the DOSAAF lottery.

ZIL-111

"Catching up and overtaking America" \u200b\u200bwas the main goal in the development of Soviet industry in the 1950-60s. This trend concerned and domestic auto industry, especially its representative segment. The first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev wanted the same car as the American president, only better. By the end of the 50s, the "Stalinist" ZIS-110, which served faithfully for 13 years, became obsolete and ceased to suit at once for several reasons. Firstly, it outwardly did not in any way 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, the Zil-111 combines all the best that the auto industry could give: automatic transmission push-button transmissions, power windows, V-shaped eight-cylinder engine, power steering, four-headlight lighting system and a seven-seater executive salon. During the production of the model, only 112 cars were produced. An interesting fact: when the production of representative cars "Huntsy" began in China, the design of the ZIL-111 was taken as a basis.

"Gull"

The most beautiful car Soviet Union, "Chaika" was the most massive Soviet executive class car. In terms of its appearance, the car was a compilation of design solutions of the American car industry, the so-called fin style, or "Detroit baroque". "The Seagull" can be attributed to the long-livers of the Soviet automobile industry: cars were produced from 1959 to 1981. Heads of ministries and departments, first secretaries of republican communist parties, ambassadors of the USSR abroad traveled on "Chaikas". In addition, several special modifications of the car were produced: filming, semi-phaetons, the case of the production of a railcar on the basis of "GAZ-13" is also known.
Immediately after the release of "The Seagulls" began, the "hunt" began for them - an elegant, comfortable car seduced the party functionaries, but the obsolete ZiM remained the main member of the group. A way out was found: at one of the defense plants, the front and rear parts of the ZiM were welded to the body of the "Chaika". In practice, it turned out to be a camouflaged car of a high level of comfort, popularly nicknamed "Oslobyk". For a long time "The Seagull" was inaccessible to the mass buyer, after two major overhauls it was supposed to be disposed of. Only in the 70s did Brezhnev allow making money on the Chaikas: the cars began to be widely operated by the registry offices, served by Intourist, diplomatic missions of foreign countries, ministers, military parades, Soviet ambassadors abroad and stars visiting the USSR.

Volga

The 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 a cherished dream of every Soviet citizen. The mass sale of Volgas to private hands, however, was never envisaged: most of the cars were distributed to government agencies, taxi companies and for export. Only very well-to-do people could afford the Volga, compared to the "people's" "Moskvichs" and "Zhiguli" the nomenclature cars were very expensive. "Volga" was produced in several modifications, the most common was, of course, the sedan. There were fewer station wagons, and almost all of them were used for the needs of the national economy, so for a long time they could be bought either in the shops of the Berezka chain for checks, or received on an individual order.

VAZ 2101 ("Kopeyka")

VAZ 2101, "Kopeyka" - a legendary car, the most popular car in the USSR. The Italian Fiat 124 was taken for the prototype of the first Zhiguli model. True, the Italian was significantly improved, more than 800 changes were made to the Fiat design.
The "unit", as the people called the VAZ 2101 lovingly at first, was a revolutionary car for Soviet motorists. The level of execution and assembly of cars was at a very high level. Suffice it to say that many of the changes made by Soviet designers were later used 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 in use, used as 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", 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 the domestic automotive industry, this was a revolutionary model. Prior to that, all Zhiguli models were exclusively rear-wheel drive. Some components and assemblies of the VAZ-2108 were developed jointly with the Western companies Porsche and UTS. The amount of the contract between the Minavtoprom and Porsche is unknown. However, rumor has it that the sharpening of the "chisel" allowed the company to build a full-size wind tunnel to replace the poor climate chamber. For its unusual shape, the "eight" was immediately dubbed the "chisel" among the people, however, despite the nickname, the car "took root".

One of the most interesting pages national history XX century was the chronicle of the development of the USSR automobile industry - an economic industry aimed at creating rolling stock and providing them with the country in all spheres of its multifaceted life. In the pre-war period, this process was inextricably linked with the general industrialization of the state, and in subsequent years it became important part of the rise of the national economy and the creation of a solid economic base. Let us dwell on some of its most significant stages.

How did it all begin?

The history of the automobile industry of the USSR began in 1924 with the release of the first Soviet truck AMO-F-15. Its prototype was the Italian FIAT 15 Ter. The place of creation of this ancestor of the domestic automotive industry was the Moscow plant "AMO", founded in 1916, and in Soviet times renamed and first received the name of Stalin (1933), and then Likhachev (1956) - its first director, who held this position since 1927 ...

A little later, in 1930-1932, this undertaking was further developed by the construction of another car manufacturing plant in Nizhny Novgorod. It was designed for the production of both passenger cars and truckslicensed by the American Ford Motors campaign. Many legendary Soviet cars rolled off the conveyors of these first two enterprises, created within the framework of the national industrialization program, and they became the basis for the further development of this important industry.

In subsequent years, several more car plants were added to these largest auto enterprises in the country: KIM (Moscow), YAGAZ (Yaroslavl) and GZA ( Nizhny Novgorod). Now it seems incredible, but in 1938 the auto industry of the USSR took the first (!) Place in Europe and the second in the world (second only to the USA) in the production of trucks. In the pre-war years, more than a million units were produced, which made it possible to equip the Red Army and enterprises of the national economy with the necessary amount of rolling stock. The creation of a large and sufficiently equipped vehicle fleet allowed the country to achieve success in the implementation of programs of the pre-war five-year plans.

Car production during the war

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Moscow plant "ZIL" (former AMO) was evacuated to the rear, and part of its equipment was used to create new auto enterprises. So, using production facilities ZIL opened the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant - UAZ, which at that time was called UlZIS. Subsequently, it was renamed and became widely known for its products both domestically and abroad. At the same time, at the UralZIS plant, built in the city of Miass, Chelyabinsk region, the production of the first samples of Ural trucks began.

It should be noted that during the war years, the production of cars in the USSR was not limited to the production of models based on domestic developments. To better meet the needs of the front, as well as to provide rolling stock for industrial enterprises evacuated into the interior of the country, the assembly of cars from sets of units and parts supplied under Lend-Lease was established - a special program under which the United States provided the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition with ammunition, equipment, medicines. and food.

Post-war priorities of the domestic auto industry

The post-war years brought with them an exacerbation of relations between former allies, who found themselves on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain, and were marked by the beginning of a general arms race. In the history of those years, there are episodes when humanity was on the brink of a global nuclear catastrophe - suffice it to recall the 1962 Caribbean conflict. These circumstances largely determined the specifics of the development of the entire national economy of the USSR and the automobile industry as one of its most important components.

From the early 50s to the late 70s, the Ministry automotive industry The USSR, supporting the course for the production of trucks, gave priority to those models that could be used with equal success both to maintain the country's defense capability and in various areas of the national economy. These were mainly dual-purpose trucks, as well as multi-axle all-wheel drive tractors. One of the most famous developments of those years was the ZIS-164 truck, which rolled off the assembly line of the Moscow Stalin plant and was the result of a deep modernization of the previously produced ZIS-150 vehicle.

The birth of the first ZILs and "Urals"

The next milestone in the development of the plant was the legendary Soviet car ZIL-130, released in 1963, which can still be seen on the roads of the country. According to their design features he successfully competed with the best world examples of that time. Suffice it to say that the car was equipped with a 150 hp engine. with., as well as power steering and a five-speed gearbox. The washer of the panoramic windshielddeveloped by the engineers of the plant.

At the end of the 50s, the country's car park was replenished with a new product released by the Ural specialists. It was a two-axle UralZIS-355MM truck (photo below). Despite the fact that, in terms of its technical characteristics, this model belonged to the category of medium-duty vehicles (up to 3.5 tons), it was she who was destined to play a leading role in the development of the virgin lands of Kazakhstan, Siberia and the Urals.

Impressive statistics

Statistics show how intensively the production of trucks and tractors went on in the first post-war decades. According to the available data, the total output of this type of product in 1947 amounted to 133 thousand units, and by the beginning of the 70s, the automotive enterprises operating in the USSR increased their number to 920 thousand, that is, almost seven times, which exceeded similar indicators of the leading industrial countries of the world.

No less impressive was the increase in the production of passenger cars, which in the pre-war period received less attention due to the need to provide the country with freight transport. According to the USSR auto industry, about 9.5 thousand units were produced in 1947, while by 1970 this number had increased to 344.7 thousand, in other words, increased almost 36 times.

Cars that have become emblems of the era

Among the passenger cars produced in those years, the most famous was the legendary Soviet car "Pobeda", which rolled off the assembly line of the Gorky Automobile Plant under the M-20 index. Its development has become a new word not only in domestic, but also in foreign automotive industry.

The fact is that "Pobeda" was the world's first model of mass-produced passenger cars with a monocoque body that did not have protruding elements such as headlights, footrests and fenders with all their rudiments. An important distinguishing feature of this design was the absence of a frame, the function of which was performed by the body itself. The Gorky plant "Pobeda" were produced in the period 1946-1958, and their number on the roads of the country then reached almost a quarter of a million units.

It is noted that the 50s as a whole were an unusually productive period in the activities of the designers and designers of the Gorky Automobile Plant. At the World Exhibition, held in 1958 in Brussels, three of their designs were awarded the highest award - the Grand Prix. These were cars: "Volga" GAZ-21, which replaced the "Pobeda", "Chaika" GAZ-13 and the truck GAZ-52. Later, the famous Volga GAZ-24 cars brought glory to the plant.

The brainchild of the capital's car manufacturers

Another original emblem of that era was the Moskvich-400 passenger car, the production of which was launched at the enterprise of the same name in the capital, opened in 1930. Its specialists, taking as a basis a German car Opel kadett pre-war design, developed their own model, launched into mass production in 1947. Its first samples were released on captured equipment exported from Germany.

After 7 years, the design of the car was significantly modernized, and it began to be produced under the designation "Moskvich-401". In subsequent years, its new models were developed and launched into mass production, which replenished the country's car park. The most famous among them is the Moskvich-408 car, which has earned a good reputation for its reliability and unpretentiousness.

The era of "Zhiguli"

In the mid-60s, the USSR auto industry was tasked with organizing the mass production of passenger cars available to a wide range of citizens, and thereby eliminating the difficulties associated with their acquisition. As part of the implementation of this project, in the summer of 1966, an agreement was concluded with the management of the Italian concern Fiat for the construction of a plant for the production of passenger cars in the city of Togliatti. The brainchild of the new enterprise was Zhiguli cars, which were produced in an unprecedented quantity for that time. In the 70s, their output reached 660 thousand per year, and by the beginning of the 80s it had increased to 730 thousand. This period is considered to be the beginning of the country's mass motorization.

Small cars from the banks of the Dnieper

The Zaporozhye Automobile Building Plant also made a tangible contribution to the provision of Soviet people with individual transport. In 1961, it launched the production of a small car ZAZ-965, popularly called the humpbacked Zaporozhets. It is curious that its design was developed by the specialists of the Moscow automobile plant, which produced Moskvichs, and it was planned to start its serial production there, but in the absence of the necessary production capacities, they transferred the finished project to colleagues from the banks of the Dnieper.

In 1966, an updated and radically different model from its predecessor, known as "Zaporozhets-966", came out of the gates of the enterprise, and in the following decades, more and more new developments appeared. Their characteristic feature was air cooling engine located at the rear of the body. For the entire production period, which covered the period 1961-1994, almost 3.5 million cars were produced.

The contribution of Ukrainian specialists to the development of the automotive industry

For several decades, the main load on the transportation of passengers in the field public transport was assigned to the products of the Lviv Bus Plant (LAZ). Built in the early post-war years, until the collapse of the USSR, it was one of the main Soviet enterprises specializing in this field, and in 1992 it was transformed into a Russian-Ukrainian joint venture, which existed for 22 years.

The most famous among its products were the LAZ-695 buses intended for city routes, the production of which began in 1957. In addition, models designed to serve an ever-increasing flow of tourists have left a noticeable mark in the history of the domestic automotive industry. These include developments such as LAZ-697 and LAZ-699A. In 1963, the plant mastered the production of new products for it - city trolleybuses LAZ-695T.

The creators of the famous "Urals"

The specialists of the Ural Automobile Plant operating in the city of Miass did not stand aside either. During the period from 1942, when the first sample of products rolled off its conveyor, and until the collapse of the USSR, they developed an extensive the lineup machines and tractors of various carrying capacity and power.

In addition to the aforementioned two-axle truck UralZIS-355M, which became a legend of virgin lands, the first three-axle vehicle Ural-375, produced in 1961 and having increased cross-country ability, which made it indispensable in off-road conditions, can be attributed to the most striking achievements of that time. For its development, the designers of the enterprise were awarded the first degree diploma of the Exhibition of Economic Achievements of the USSR. High quality new machines were appreciated by many foreign buyers who rushed to conclude contracts for their supply.

The next government award, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, was received by the Ural automakers in 1966 for the modernization of a number of previous models and the development of new ones. Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the millionth car rolled off its assembly line. In the subsequent period, the plant underwent repeated restructuring and today is part of the GAZ Group, which is the largest automotive company in Russia.

Achievements of the Ulyanovsk car manufacturers

In one of the previous sections of the article, it was mentioned that during the Great Patriotic War, an enterprise was formed on the banks of the Volga, which later became known as the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant (UAZ). Its role in the development of the national economy of the country turned out to be so great that it is necessary to dwell on it in more detail.

The history of this famous plant began in May 1944 with the release of the first prototype of the 4-ton truck UlZIS-253. In parallel with this, his team set up the manufacture of the GAZ-MM car, developed and produced at the Gorky plant, and then transferred to Ulyanovsk to continue its serial production. It was the very famous "lorry" - a car with a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons, which, having traveled the front roads, became an indispensable assistant in the post-war restoration of the national economy.

In 1954, Ulyanovsk specialists set up the production of a GAZ-69 off-road passenger car, and after some time, its modified model - GAZ-69A. Both of these machines became bright milestones on the path of the development of the Soviet economy in the post-war years. They turned out to be equally in demand in the Armed Forces of the country and in all areas of the economy. It is also important to note the fact that since 1956 they have been assembled from parts of their own production.

The next labor victory of the factory workers (as it was customary to say during the years of Soviet power) was the production of UAZ-450D low-tonnage trucks and UAZ-452D modifications, established in 1966. These were the legendary “UAZs”, without which it is difficult to imagine the roads of those years. This development was awarded the VDNKh gold medal. Passenger cars of the UAZ-469 and UAZ-469B brands, which had increased cross-country ability and became a continuation of the tradition laid down in the days of the production of GAZ-69, enjoyed no less success.

Afterword

This article contains a far from complete list of products manufactured by enterprises of the automobile industry of the USSR over the years that have passed from the moment of its formation to the collapse of the country. In addition, even most of the models mentioned had various modifications, each of which is of interest for the originality of the design and the boldness of technical thought. In general, the history of the Soviet automotive industry is a fascinating chapter in the annals of Russian history of the 20th century.