Moskvich

Company logo of АО Moskvich

Moskvich-400

The OAO Moskwitsch ( Russian OAO Москви́ч) was a Soviet or Russian automobile manufacturer from Moscow that went bankrupt in 2006 . By 1991, the company (Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского комсомола, abbr. For Russ. Was called "AZLK" Awtomobilny zavod imeni Lenin skowo Komsomola ) and used "Moskvich" (also Moskvich or Moskvitch ) as a car brand .

history

KIM-10 as a sedan, built in 1940

In November 1930, the Moscow State Automobile Assembly Plant "KIM" was founded, which in December 1930 was named the Moscow Automobile Plant "KIM" (Russian: Московский автосборочный завод имени "КИМ", Moskovsky awtosborotschny zavod imeni ). The abbreviation "KIM" stood for the Communist Youth International (Russian Коммунистический интернационал молодёжи, Kommunistitscheski internazional molodjoschi ). Initially, under license, the assembly of Ford type A cars (from 1933 as GAZ-A ) and the truck type AA (from 1933 as GAZ-AA ), which were produced there until 1939, began in the factory. From 1933 the Moscow plant became a branch of the Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Sawods with headquarters in Gorky . In 1939 the Moscow GAZ branch became independent again under its name "Moscow Automobile Plant KIM". At the same time, the development of a small car prototype based on the Ford Prefect began . From 1940/41 the production of the KIM-10 started in the Moscow automobile plant . Relatively high production numbers were aimed for in order to promote motorization in the country. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, the plants were converted to war economy and armaments production and evacuated to the Urals .

In May 1945 the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union passed a resolution for the resumption of automobile production in the Moscow Automobile Plant and for the development and production of a small car called “Moskvich” (translated: “the Muscovite”). At the same time, the automobile plant was renamed the "Moscow Factory for Small Engine Cars" (Russian Московский завод малолитражных автомобилей, Moskovsky zavod malolitraschnych avtomobilej , abbreviation MZMA). In mid-1946 the production facilities of the Opel Kadett (model 1938) were brought from Rüsselsheim to Moscow as reparations . There have been attempts to copy the Opel Kadett before that . The Moscow company MZMA has now been commissioned to build an automobile based on the Kadett, which could be offered on the Soviet and international market. In 1947 the first copies of the Moskvich-400 rolled off the production line. Export only began in 1950 with the delivery of the Moskvich-400 to Finland, where it was sold by Konela .

Moskvich-410 , series car with all-wheel drive

In 1955 the Moskvich-402 appeared - a further development based on the Moskvich-400 with a pontoon body and an engine powered by 35 hp. The Moskvich-423 station wagon was derived from this . Also based on the Moskvich-402 , there was a higher-level vehicle with all-wheel drive, the Moskvich-410 , the technology of which was later brought up to the level of the Moskvich-407 . The drive of the front wheels on the Moskvich-410 could optionally be switched on, and the vehicle also had two reduction levels for off-road driving . This vehicle was one of the first mass-produced cars in the world with all-wheel drive. From 1959 the Moskvich-411 station wagon was added. A modern 45 hp engine with overhead valves appeared with the Type 407 in 1958. The Moskvich-407 was later developed into the Moskvich-403 , with the body largely corresponding to that of the Moskvich-402 and Moskvich-407 models.

In 1964 the vehicle was completely modernized, it was now called the Moskvich-408 and was equipped with a four-speed gearshift, larger window areas, higher front and rear windows and 13- or 15-inch wheels. Its engine was still based on the previous vehicle and had 50 hp. The one millionth Moskvich was a Type 408 in 1967. The Moskvich-408, with its relatively large body for the time, its very solid construction and its reliable, low-compression engine, was an ideal vehicle for the Soviet domestic market, which was affected by difficult road conditions, significant climatic differences and an only slightly expanded service network made very special demands. The vehicles were also exported, but did not meet western standards in all respects, with the engine-transmission unit in particular being criticized (noise, acceleration performance). In October 1968, MZMA was renamed AZLK. During this time, the plant also moved to the newly built production facilities in Moscow.

Restored Moskvich-412 (2014)

Four-stroke engine of the Moskvich-412, 1500 cm³ with OHC valve control

The Moscow automobile plant made a significant technical leap at the end of 1967 with the Moskvich-412 , which received a 1.5-liter light-alloy engine with an overhead camshaft and hemispherical combustion chambers ( Hemi design), a brake booster and a stick shift. The new engine developed 55 kW (75 hp). Its design was based on the BMW M10 engine, but in contrast to this, it already had an aluminum cylinder block. The cylinder liners were exchangeable. In its time, the design was very modern and efficient, even in comparison with the engines of western cars. In the late 1960s to early 1970s, the Moskvich-412 helped its manufacturing plant achieve considerable international rallying successes. Here it was in particular the long-distance rallies in which the vehicle was successful thanks to its solid construction, its ease of maintenance and its powerful and reliable engine. At the London-Sydney rally in 1968 (London-Sydney Marathon), the new Moskvich-412 was able to prove itself to the international public for the first time. Externally, the vehicles still had the “old” body of the Moskvich-408, while the new 1500 light alloy engine was already working on the inside. 100 vehicles had started, only a good half of all vehicles arrived in Sydney after more than 15,000 km, including, to the great surprise of the press, all four of the Moskvich started. After this success, the export figures increased significantly. These long-distance rally successes were repeated later at the grueling 25,000 km World Cup rally in 1970 or at the Tour d'Europe rally in 1974. The latter ended with an overall victory for Stasis Brundsa with his Moskvich-412. He prevailed in an international race that was otherwise won in those years with vehicles such as the Opel Ascona or the Porsche Carrera. This time was the most successful of AZLK.

Prototype Moskvich-356, 1975

At the beginning of the 1970s, the connection to the world standard that had just been gained in the late 1960s with the Moskvich-412 was lost again. At first it was not possible to bring a new type 355 and 356 (with a more modern body and engines from 70 to about 100 hp and automatic transmission) into series production. The reasons for this are likely to have been of an economic nature.

In 1975 the Moskvich-412 received an improved brake system in addition to an external modernization and was renamed the Moskvich-2140 . Despite its already outdated design, this type was continued to be built. At the beginning of the 1980s, export success collapsed even within the Eastern Bloc. At home, too, the Ladas with their more modern bodies have long been preferred. The Moskvich-2140 (1500 cm³) and Moskvich-2138 (1360 cm³) were still used (mainly for the less well-developed areas in the east of the country) and were built until 1988.

When a new vehicle finally appeared in the 1980s with the Moskvich-2141 , it was already technically obsolete. Significantly, there was still an engine with the engine of the Moskvich-412 for this model.

Efforts in the 1990s to catch up to the global automotive standard also failed. In addition to the Moskvich-2141, AZLK built mid-range sedans and coupés with Renault engines, but these were not known in Western Europe. They were not suitable for export.

With debts of around 700 million euros, Moskvich was finally declared bankrupt by a Russian court in the spring of 2006 . By then, the manufacturer had produced more than four million vehicles.

The Moskvich in the GDR

Moskvich-408 / IE in Berlin 1970

In the GDR , the Moskvich had gained a good reputation in the 1960s as a private car, but also as a taxi, driving school and company vehicle. The model of this time was the Moskvich-408 with its then contemporary body and its indicated tail fins. With 50 hp it was adequately motorized. Until the end of the 1960s, the vehicle was one of the most powerful and robust cars in everyday GDR life and was accordingly popular.

In 1967 the new Moskvich-412 appeared for the first time with a 1500 cc OHC aluminum engine with 55 kW that was very modern for its time (and unique in socialist automobile construction). In the GDR, however, you only got to see it five years after its appearance - in 1972. Outwardly, the car was no different from its little brother, the Moskvich-408, the facelifted body of which was imported as the Moskvich-408IE. At first, the car testers were particularly enthusiastic about the vehicle's performance data - there had never been a car engine of this modern design in the entire Council for Mutual Economic Aid (RGW) - and it shouldn't be there for the next 17 years until the fall of the Berlin Wall .

Private car buyers were divided. The performance of the new Moskvich was impressive. It accelerated even faster than the great Volga . For many, however, the external shape and the interior were just as important. After all, eight years had passed since the development of the basic body shape of the car, and the outside of the car looked like the well-known Moskvich-408IE. At the same time, from the beginning of the 1970s, Polski Fiat as well as the new Lada models ( 1200 and 1300 ) and Dacia 1300 came to the GDR - all licensed builds by Western manufacturers, which, due to their more modern body, were more popular with private customers, even if the engines all of these vehicles still had conventional cast iron engine blocks and, in the case of Fiat and Dacia, camshafts that were positioned below. So it happened that the Moskvich-412, despite its superior motorization, was even available without waiting. In the later years, the Lada models followed suit with engine power. From then on, the 1500s and 1600s Ladas remained the most desirable cars for most GDR citizens.

In the GDR, the Moskvich-412 became the car for people who were looking for a strong, comfortable and robust car. It was designed for this in the Soviet Union and it was accepted that it was more "to be" than "to appear", was pleased with its resilience, its ease of maintenance, its properties as a towing vehicle for heavy caravans and when it was in the small GDR third gear on the highway on the steep mountain still accelerated to 110 km / h and literally left all other bodies standing still. Many remained loyal to him in his new dress as the Moskvich-2140 and not infrequently until the end of the GDR. It was not surprising that the Moskvich served for decades as a company car for the agricultural sector or for the GDR country doctor's clinics.

The last Moskvich imported into the GDR were vehicles of the Moskvich-2140 (sedan) and Moskvich-2137 (station wagon) in 1979 . Since, apart from a body facelift and a better braking system, they did not differ significantly from the Moskvich-412 developed in 1967, the criticism of the high body and the spongy chassis with rear rigid axle, which was out of date for the 1980s, was not surprising. The Moskvich-2141, introduced in the mid-1980s, no longer played a role in the GDR until 1989; there were no imports.

After the fall of the Wall, the Moskvich soon disappeared from the streets. The distance to the automotive standard had become too great.

Other export destinations

At its peak, the export of Moskvich vehicles was not restricted to Eastern European countries . About half of the production of the Moskvich-412 was exported. At the beginning of the 1960s , 6000 Moskvich and Volga were exported to the Netherlands , Luxembourg and Belgium alone over the course of 3 years. Other Western European customers were Finland , Denmark , France and Great Britain .

Only in West Germany could the Moskvich never gain a foothold. Especially in the Federal Republic were the main benefits of the Moskvich - its robust and designed for rough roads chassis, its durability and ease of maintenance - not the criteria were for the car buyers of a midsize sedan from the 1960s still in the foreground. While the Lada was later accepted as a cheap Fiat replacement, the idea of ​​driving a real long-legged Russian car was too absurd, especially since this vehicle, along with Trabis and Wartburgs, was part of the typical street scene in neighboring East Germany.

In other western countries you could be a bit more unbiased. In 1971, the former racing driver John Bolster wrote in his vehicle test about the Moskvich-412 in the British magazine AUTOSPORT as a resume: “Despite the lack of superficial attraction, this car from the USSR manages to outperform some capitalist cars. … Myself, whom the Russians would probably condemn politically as an aristocrat of the extreme right, they have to congratulate them for this robust little Sputnik who embodies many of our own principles that we have perhaps inadvertently almost forgotten. ”He means by that The robustness of the construction also means the ease of maintenance and engine performance of the vehicle.

Moskvich-2140 on a flooded street in Moscow, 1996

If even today, after more than 30 years, Moskvich-412 or Moskvich-2140 can still be seen in traffic in Iraq, Mongolia, African countries, Cuba and of course in the countries of the former Soviet Union, that speaks for the fulfillment of one of the main design principles of the Moskvich: its durability.

In the 1980s, export figures fell significantly. A luxury variant of the Moskvich-2140, the 1500SL, was introduced for export to the West in the early 1980s. But because it stayed with the outdated narrow and high body and because Lada was able to offer a much more convincing product range, only a few buyers saw a point in buying the now technically outdated Moskvitch.

In 1990 and 1992–1995 attempts were made to sell the new Moskvich-2141 as Lada Aleko in Germany, which remained without significant success.

Models

construction time	model series	annotation	image
Pre-war models
1930-1933	Ford Model A build under license	The Ford Model A was the successor to the Ford Model T , which had been in production for 18 years .
1930-1933	Ford Model AA license build	Truck based on the Model A.
1930-1939	GAZ-AA	Truck based on the Ford Model AA
1934-1935	GAZ-A	Passenger car based on the Ford Model A.
1940-1941	KIM-10	In-house development based on the Ford Prefect
Post war models
1946-1956	Moskvich-400 Moskvich-401	Replica of the Opel Kadett with confiscated production facilities
1956-1958	Moskvich-402 Moskvich-423	New pontoon body , first series production as a station wagon
1957-1961	Moskvich-410 Moskvich-411	Model with all-wheel drive, initially based on the Moskvich-402, later based on the Moskvich-407
1958-1963	Moskvich-407 Moskvich-423N Moskvich-430	New engine and gearbox, hardly any body changes
1962-1965	Moskvich-403 Moskvich-424 Moskvich-432	Still the old pontoon body, but already on the new chassis from the Moskvich-408
1964-1975	Moskvich-408 Moskvich-426 Moskvich-433	A more modern body with tail fins . Round headlights and vertical rear lights until 1968 (photo). From 1969 facelift with square headlights and horizontal taillights. From that time on the export model was called Moskvich-408 / IE.
1967-1976	Moskvich-412 Moskvich-427 Moskvich-434	A more modern body with tail fins, completely new engine with 1500 cm³ and 55 kW. Round headlights and vertical taillights until 1968. From 1969 facelift with square headlights and horizontal taillights. From this time on the export model was called Moskvich-412 / IE.
1975-1988	Moskvich-2138 Moskvich-2136	Not a completely new model, just a revision of the Moskvich-408 with front disc brakes, improved cooling system, modernized interior and body details.
1975-1988	Moskvich-2140 Moskvich-2137	Revision of the Moskvich-412 with front disc brakes, improved cooling system, modernized interior and body details.
1986-1998	Moskvich-2141	A newly developed front-wheel drive vehicle with a hatchback body largely inspired by the Simca 1307 . Marketed in Germany as “Lada Aleko”.
1998-2002	Moskvich-2142	It was sold in three versions: " Yuri Dolgoruki ", " Ivan Kalita " and " Knjaz Vladimir ". The "Duet" model was added later.

Ischmasch branch

ISCH-21251, hatchback version of the Moskvich-412

Since 1966, the Moskvich-408 has also been manufactured in the Ischmasch branch in Ischewsk . Starting in 1967, Ischmasch produced the Moskvich-412 under the brand name ISCH in partially different body and equipment variants and different numbering. Moskvich vehicles were manufactured in Izhevsk in the following variants and derivatives:

• 1966–1967: Moskvich-408 (sedan)
• 1967-2001: Moskvich-412 (sedan)
• 1982–1997: ISCH-412-028 (sedan)
• 1968–1973: ISCH-434 (delivery van)
• 1973–1982: ISCH-2125 or ISCH-1500 station wagon (ИЖ-1500 Комби) (hatchback)
• 1982–1997: ISCH-21251 (hatchback)
• 1973–1982: ISCH-2715 or ISCH-1500GR (high roof combination)
• 1982–1997: ISCH-2715-01 (high roof combination)
• 1973–1982: ISCH-27151 or ISCH-1500GR (pickup)
• 1982–1997: ISCH-27151-01 (pickup)

IZH-2126

The Ischmasch plant later produced its own car with the ISCH-2126 model and its derivatives. This was mechanically partly based on the Moskvich-2140, but had a more modern body. The English transcription IZH was now used as a brand name outside the Soviet Union.

• 1989–2004: IZH-2126 (in the variants Oda, Inka and the combi Fabula)
• 1990-2004: IZH-2717 (van based on the IZH-2126)
• 1990–2004: IZH-27171 (pickup based on the IZH-2126)

Licensed buildings

From 1967 the Moskvich-408 was also assembled by Balcancar in Bulgaria and was called the Rila 1400 there. Later the models Moskvich-412 and Moskvich-2140 were manufactured, some of which were delivered under the name Rila 1500. The Moskvich-2138 rolled off the assembly line as the Rila 1360. Some of the vehicles were equipped with British Perkins diesel engines manufactured under license , otherwise the Rila cars corresponded to their Soviet originals.

Moskvich variants were also completed in Belgium and some were equipped with Perkins diesel engines. These vehicles were marketed as the Moskvich elite or Scaldia . The Moskvich-408 completed in Belgium was offered as the Scaldia 1300. At short notice, the AZLK-2141 Aleko was also assembled at Scaldia-Volga AS in Belgium and equipped with a Ford diesel engine.

literature

• Anna Kuznetschowa: We are building the "Moskvich" (=  library of activists . No. 24 ). Verlag Tribüne, East Berlin 1951, DNB  452665078 (Original title: Po normam 1950 goda .).
• Hans-Joachim Heinze: I drive a Moskvich. Vehicle presentation, vehicle handling, technical inspection, troubleshooting and troubleshooting, useful additions . 5th, newly developed edition. Transpress, East Berlin 1981, DNB  810417421 .

Test reports

• Moskvich 408 - A Russian paradox. In: Motor Magazine, London, August 13, 1966.
• Road Test Moskvich de luxe 1,360 [408]. In: Autocar, London, November 2, 1967, pp. 17-21.
• Moskvich: A vehicle for the country [412]. In: Autosport, London, December 9, 1971 pp. 32–33.
• Moskwitsch 408 and 412. In: Der Deutsche Straßenverkehr 3/1971, Transpress, Berlin, pp. 17-21.
• Moskvich 21412 Aleko. In: KFT motor vehicle technology 1/1990, pp. 17–21.

Web links

Commons : Moskvich Vehicles  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• OAO «Москвич». Автомобильный завод АЗЛК. ASLK, May 20, 2004, accessed October 13, 2012 (Russian). 
• Peter Korthals: Moskvich Oldtimer. Retrieved October 13, 2012 . 
• Ernst Benser: Moskwitsch 412 - technology, history, classic car driving. Retrieved October 13, 2012 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Brochure page for the model 412 at www.Moskwitsch.de
2. ↑ Brochure page of the Moskwitsch-407 at www.moskwitsch.de
3. ↑ ^{a b c} website on the history of the KIM-10 (Russian) ( Memento from February 21, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
4. ^ German Historical Museum
5. ↑ Michael Dünnebier, Eberhard Kittler: Passenger cars of socialist countries. transpress VEB Verlag für Verkehrwesen, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-344-00382-8 , p. 139.
6. ↑ Two new types of Soviet motor vehicles. In: Motor vehicle technology 6/1955, p. 214.
7. ↑ New Soviet passenger cars. In: Motor Vehicle Technology 11/1957, pp. 405–409.
8. ^ The automobile industry of the USSR in the seven-year plan from 1959 to 1965 . In: Motor Vehicle Technology 9/1959, pp. 370–373.
9. ↑ Former manufacturer website from AZLK on the factory history (Russian)
10. ^ GDR advertisement for Moskvich-412 on Youtube
11. ↑ Briefly noted. In: Motor vehicle technology 2/1964, p. 76.
12. ↑ Michael Dünnebier, Eberhard Kittler: Passenger cars of socialist countries. transpress VEB publishing house for transport, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-344-00382-8 , p. 19.
13. ↑ Michael Dünnebier, Eberhard Kittler: Passenger cars of socialist countries. transpress VEB Verlag for Transport, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-344-00382-8 , p. 145.