There are cars that the whole world knows. There are also some cars that are known only in certain regions. And then there are such machines that today are almost unknown to anyone. A lot of cars, left behind the scenes of history, were created in the Soviet Union. Today we will focus on a dozen of just such cars.
1. NAMI-LUAZ "Proto"
This car had every chance of being in mass production. It was released in 1989. The car was positioned as a four-seater SUV. The car stood out for its reinforced steel frame, protected by removable panels, which, by the way, greatly facilitated the repair work. The seats in the saloon fold out to form a large bed. Unfortunately, the concept car was not approved by the commission of engineers.
2. US 0288 "Compact"
Another Soviet automobile concept from 1989, marketed as a compact car. Its maximum speed was 150 kmph … Fuel consumption was about 6 liters per 100 kilometers. The car received an on-board computer that controls the suspension. The car took up very little space, for which it got its name. At the then Tokyo Motor Show, the Compact was able to take fifth place among the 30 concepts presented. The collapse of the USSR put an end to the project.
3. ZIS-112
The fact that communism was being built in the Soviet Union did not mean that sports cars were not built in it. At least 7 very daring models were created on the ZIS. The most notable of these was the ZIS-112. The car unexpectedly turned out to be incredibly stylish and even distinctive. Unfortunately, the length of the car was 6 meters, which made the ZIS-112 not the most popular model among racers. The car weighed a little less than 3 tons. It was a real problem to enter corners on this dude, but on a straight line the car worked wonders!
4. Moskvich-408 "Tourist"
This car appeared back in 1964. The car was with a very unusual (by Soviet standards) coupe-convertible body. Despite the visual similarity with the 408 sedan "Moskvich", "Tourist" had many differences. For example, the car boasted electronic fuel injection and a more powerful 63bhp engine. The maximum speed at the same time reached 130 kmph … Unfortunately, the models were not given the green light, as all production facilities were thrown into the production of the "classic" 408 model.
5. "Okhta"
The Okhta car was conceived as a Soviet wide consumer car. To improve these very "consumer" qualities, the car was designed to fit seven people! The model was assembled in Leningrad. The main feature of the car was its transforming salon, which could easily turn into a business or dining area. Even the front seats could be rotated 180 degrees, and the middle row could be turned into a table. The car also had some very curious headlights built into the front bumper. Unfortunately, the collapse of the USSR and the subsequent "dashing 90s" put an end to this bold project of domestic engineers.
6. ZIL-4102
In order to create a really high-quality executive class car for members of the country's government, the plant purchased several foreign similar models entirely. The car received a powerful V8 engine, which even then accelerated it to 100 km / h for some 10 Seconds … An interesting detail was the state-of-the-art 10-speaker speaker system, which could read CDs as early as the late 1980s (when the car was being built). The car was created in two copies, but Gorbachev did not like it.
7. "Muscovites" of the 80s
In the late 1980s, designers and engineers of Soviet enterprises came to a completely "unexpected" conclusion - the produced Moskvich models were irrevocably outdated and inferior in all respects to their foreign counterparts, both technically and in design. It was then that the designers began to create fundamentally new models of "Moskvich", including "Moskvich-2139" Arbat.
No less arch model was "Moskvich-2143" Yauza
Another interesting model was the "Moskvich-2144" Istra
Unfortunately, work on the best "Moskvich" in history collapsed along with the USSR.
8. VAZ-2702 "Pony"
The widespread use of heavy trucks in the USSR began to affect the environment, especially in large cities. In this regard, back in the 70s, VAZ engineers began work on a compact electric truck for small and medium transportation in urban environments. Many innovative ideas have been implemented in this machine, such as an ethyl alcohol heater and a photo-aluminum tube frame. Unfortunately, the car turned out to be extremely unreliable and failed all three test stages.
9. ZIL-118 "Youth"
An absolutely incredible bus with an increased level of comfort, which was primarily reflected in the incredibly high-quality interior trim. At the bus exhibition in Nice in 1967, the development of Soviet designers received 12 awards! But the state did not find money for the implementation of this project, as a result of which the bus did not get into mass production. They made the car only for special orders for the KGB, ambulance and television.
10. MAZ-2000
In 1985, in Minsk, at the MAZ plant, work began on the MAZ-2000 heavy truck. Then no one can think that this project will be so successful. The machine was developed by a team of young engineers who patented more 30 new technologies … After the collapse of the USSR, these technologies were purchased by the world's leading car manufacturers. Most of them are also used in modern heavy-duty trucks. The designers of MAZ-2000 seriously considered the idea of creating modular road trains based on their creation, capable of carrying 80 tons each. In 1988, the car was shown at the Paris Motor Show, where it received gold medal for outstanding technical solutions.
Continuing the topic, a short story about how the popular van became the ideal vehicle for hunters and fishermen and not only.