ZAZ-965 “Zaporozhets”

The domestic auto industry came to the choice of the prototype for the production of small-car very responsibly — was based on FIAT600 miniature, won in Europe, indeed wildly popular. The design of the new “vehicle” was entrusted to design Bureau of the Moscow plant of small cars — MZMA. Within a year, was created prototypes of the machine, which received the name of the factory “Moskvich-444”. The car is initially equipped with two-cylinder motorcycle engine MD-65 capacity of 17.5 HP, but tests showed that it is rather weak for such a vehicle. Instead, he designed a four-cylinder V-shaped 23-horsepower air-cooled engine.

 

Serial production of the car was decided to place the former combine plant “Kommunar” in Zaporozhye. The minicar, respectively, was named “Zaporozhets”, which was interpreted by the Soviet motorists in a purely ironic sense. The first car ZAZ-965 off the line in November 1960. Motorists met a miniature car is very sympathetic — she was durable, had good traffic and, more importantly, maintainability. The production continued until 1967.

 

Now 40 years have passed since the release of the latest “humpbacked” “Zaporozhets”, but on the roads of the former Soviet republics, you can still find these cars. There are patched-pereletnye the old and lovingly restored old-timers, and unique designs created by artisans on the base of ZAZ-965.

 

“Zaporozhets” ZAZ-965: length — 3326 mm, width 1464 mm, height — 1413 mm; motor power — 23 HP, cooling air, location: rear, size 0,746 l; maximum speed — 95 km/h.