10 little-known Soviet cars that ordinary drivers did not see
The 1980s turned out to be full of changes not only in social terms, but also for the auto industry of the USSR. Then the projects of cars that could claim to be the best in the whole world were developed, however, the general public did not know about them. In this review, we give a dozen of these machines.
1. Moskvich-2143 “Yauza”
A similar fate befell the Yauzu sedan – model 2141. Looking at the car now, you realize that he could easily claim the 1st place in the nomination “the most stupid windows” – the upper part of the glasses was motionless, and only the lower ones remained functioning. At that time, only 3 cars were assembled.
2. NAMI-LuAZ Proto
In the late 80s, this development had every chance to go into the series. This SUV had high rates of safety and maneuverability, and was also very comfortable. The basis of the car was a reinforced metal body with lightweight fiberglass panels, and under the hood was the engine from the “Tavria”. The car could pick up speed up to 130 km / h. Engineers have created a wonderful family-type SUV with great potential, which was rejected in Moscow, which did not make it into mass production.
3. Moskvich-2139 “Arbat”
In the 80s, the management team of the Moskvich plant decided to replace the outdated model 2140 with something more recent. A group of engineers developed and proposed several projects that radically changed the situation a decade in advance. The following three cars were among those very “ideas”.
2139 model called “Arbat” could well become a family minivan of domestic production. The car had a seven-seater salon with the function of transformation and a multifunctional steering wheel. But, unfortunately, the novelty has remained to exist solely as a concept car.
4. NAMI 0288 “Compact”
This car in a single version is the result of the work of the Institute NAMI. When assembling the car, technologies were used, most of which were new to the Soviet automobile industry. “Compact” was equipped with a computer that controlled the suspension, and an updated engine from “Tavria”. The car was “fed” with both hydrogen and gasoline; it had a low fuel consumption — only 5.4 l. If the fate of “Compact” would have been different, and he would have entered the series, he would undoubtedly become a serious contender for Daewoo Matiz.
5. US “Ohta”
Like the previous model, “Hunting” was assembled in the amount of one unit. This car contained seven passengers and had a transforming cabin. For example, the seats in front rotated 180 °, which turned the usual salon into a comfortable coupe. And when there was a need for cargo transportation, the second and third row seats could be removed – then the minivan was transformed into a van.
For those times, the design of the car was very futuristic. The streamlined body and impressive glass area, low headlights and automatic spoiler at speed – then it was all very unusual.
6. Moskvich-2144 “Istra”
Of all that AZLK was invented in the plans before 2000, the 2144 model – Istra seemed the most plausible. The car body was made of aluminum, and its side door swung open like a sports car – up – and gave free entry to an interesting interior. Inside was a lot of unusual things. For example, the speed of the car was reflected on the windshield, and the data from the night-vision camera was also displayed here. Engineers have thought about the safety of the car – here and the ABS and the brakes, and seat belts with airbags. Passenger comfort was provided by a split system, which compensated for the inability to open the windows, but small vents remained in effect.
With the collapse of the country, work on Istra, Yauza and Arbat stopped, and besides them, many projects with great potential turned out to be abandoned.
7. ZIL-4102
The model was developed at the direction of Gorbachev himself and was to replace the outdated ZIL-41041. To this end, for a thorough analysis in the UK purchased a completely new Rolls-Royce. But in the development of their car relied not only on the purchase, looked also toward American limousines and Volvo 760 sedans.
