Zaporozhets
Encyclopedia
ZAZ Zaporozhets was a series of subcompact cars designed and built from 1958 at the ZAZ
factory
in Soviet Ukraine ("Zaporizky Avtomobilny Zavod", or Zaporizhian Automobile Factory). Different types of Zaporozhets were produced until 1994.
The name Zaporozhets means a Cossack
of the Zaporizhian Sich
. It can also mean а man from Zaporizhia oblast
.
Zaporozhets is still warmly remembered in many ex-USSR countries. Like the Volkswagen Beetle
or East Germany's Trabant
, Soviet Zaporozhets was destined to become a "people's car". It was the cheapest Soviet car and so the most affordable to common people. At the same time, it was rather sturdy and well suited to Soviet roads. They were known for good crossing performance on poor roads; better, than bigger Soviet passenger cars. Their advantage was also ease of repairs. The very looks of this car gave birth to several nicknames that stuck with it forever: Gorbatyi ("hunchback
", due to ZAZ-965 insect
-like form; ZAZ factory workers never used this nickname), Malysh (Kiddy), ushastiy ("big-ear
ed", due to air intakes on sides to cool down the engine
in the rear of the ZAZ-966/968), mylnitsa ("soap-box", for ZAZ-968M, lacking "ears").
All Zaporozhets cars featured rear wheel drive (with engine in the rear
) and aircooled engines.
Numerous special versions of Zaporozhets were equipped with additional sets of controls that allowed operating the car with a limited set of limbs or completely by hands, and were given for free or with big discounts to the disabled people, especially war veterans, as an alternative to SMZ-series microcars (such variants reached at times up to 20% of ZAZ output).
car plant, and first prototypes were designated as Moskvitch-444. The car was patterned upon the Fiat 600
, with similar general composition, body, transmission, steering mechanism and rear suspension. Among main differences was air-cooled V-engine of indigenous design, bigger wheels and front suspension on torsion bars. One of reasons of choosing a rearwards-opening doors was easier access for disabled persons. In 1958 the Soviet government decided to start production of the car in reformed ZAZ
factory, under a designation ZAZ-965. Further development of the car was carried out in ZAZ factory.
The original ZAZ-965 differed from the ZAZ-965A. The turn signal light was moved from above of the head light to below, as seen in ZAZ-965A.
The engine was designed in Moscow's NAMI institute and produced by MeMZ
factory. A basic model ZAZ-965 was powered by a rear-mounted, aircooled
746 cc V4 engine
. Power was 26 PS.
It was powered by a MeMZ-965 rear-mounted, aircooled
OHV
887 cc V4 engine
of partially aluminium design, giving 27 PS. From November 1966 some cars were fitted with 30 PS MeMZ-965A engine. A common (and false) urban legend is that the Zaporozhets engine was used as a starter motor in Soviet tank
s.
Interestingly, the engine looks a bit like the VW aircooled boxer four, except that the two cylinder banks are at a 90 degree angle. As Soviet car owners were expected to do much of the servicing themselves, and auto workshops were in short supply anyway, this layout was more practical especially in harsh winter conditions.
Apart from versions for the disabled (ZAZ-965B, AB, AR), a small number were made in more luxurious export variant ZAZ-965AE Yalta.
or the German NSU Prinz
. It introduced significant "ears" - air intakes on sides. Also a rear suspension was new. A simpler and first produced variant was ZAZ-966V (ЗАЗ-966В in Russian), with 27 hp engine from ZAZ-965A, while a main variant ZAZ-966 was fitted with upgraded 41 hp MeMZ
-968 1.2 l engine. ZAZ-966V was also produced in several special variants for disabled (VR, VB, VB2 - until January 1973).
-968, only the body was slightly modernized. Most visible difference was replacing a fake chrome
grill in the car's front with a horizontal chrome decoration. Among other changes was less austere dashboard and better front brakes. Basic model ZAZ-968 was produced until 1978. From 1973 until 1980 there was produced model ZAZ-968A, which introduced new safety measures, including safer driving wheel and black plastic dashboard instead of a metal one. Also ZAZ-968 had its variants for the disabled, with weaker 27 hp engine (ZAZ-968R, B, B2, AB, AB2).
ZAZ-968 was replaced by the heavily updated ZAZ-1102 Tavria
hatchback
, which was radically different from the Zaporožec, featuring front wheel drive and a watercooled engine.
ZAZ
ZAZ or Zaporizhia Automobile Building Plant is the main automobile-manufacturer of Ukraine, based in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhia. It is also known for its former mother company name, AvtoZAZ...
factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
in Soviet Ukraine ("Zaporizky Avtomobilny Zavod", or Zaporizhian Automobile Factory). Different types of Zaporozhets were produced until 1994.
The name Zaporozhets means a Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
of the Zaporizhian Sich
Zaporizhian Sich
Zaporizhian Sich was socio-political, grassroot, military organization of Ukrainian cossacks placed beyond Dnieper rapids. Sich existed between the 16th and 18th centuries in the region around the today's Kakhovka Reservoir...
. It can also mean а man from Zaporizhia oblast
Zaporizhia Oblast
Zaporizhia Oblast is an oblast of southern Ukraine. Its capital is Zaporizhia.This oblast is an important part of Ukraine's industry and agriculture.-Geography:...
.
Zaporozhets is still warmly remembered in many ex-USSR countries. Like the Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
or East Germany's Trabant
Trabant
The Trabant is a car that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Sachsen. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc...
, Soviet Zaporozhets was destined to become a "people's car". It was the cheapest Soviet car and so the most affordable to common people. At the same time, it was rather sturdy and well suited to Soviet roads. They were known for good crossing performance on poor roads; better, than bigger Soviet passenger cars. Their advantage was also ease of repairs. The very looks of this car gave birth to several nicknames that stuck with it forever: Gorbatyi ("hunchback
Hunchback
Hunchback may refer to one of the following.*A derogatory term for a person who has severe kyphosis*The Hunchback of Notre Dame*Hunchback , an arcade and computer game from the 1980s*The Hunchback, a 1914 film featuring Lillian Gish...
", due to ZAZ-965 insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
-like form; ZAZ factory workers never used this nickname), Malysh (Kiddy), ushastiy ("big-ear
Ear
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
ed", due to air intakes on sides to cool down the engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
in the rear of the ZAZ-966/968), mylnitsa ("soap-box", for ZAZ-968M, lacking "ears").
All Zaporozhets cars featured rear wheel drive (with engine in the rear
RR layout
In automotive design, a RR, or Rear-engine, Rear-wheel drive layout places both the engine and drive wheels at the rear of the vehicle. In contrast to the RMR layout, the center of mass of the engine is between the rear axle and the rear bumper....
) and aircooled engines.
Numerous special versions of Zaporozhets were equipped with additional sets of controls that allowed operating the car with a limited set of limbs or completely by hands, and were given for free or with big discounts to the disabled people, especially war veterans, as an alternative to SMZ-series microcars (such variants reached at times up to 20% of ZAZ output).
ZAZ-965 Zaporozhets and ZAZ-965A Zaporozhets
ZAZ-965 Zaporozhets
ZAZ-965 Zaporozhets model was made between 1960 and 1969. Design work started in 1956 in MoskvitchMoskvitch
Moskvitch was an automobile brand from Russia produced by AZLK from 1945 to 1991 and by OAO Moskvitch from 1991 to 2002...
car plant, and first prototypes were designated as Moskvitch-444. The car was patterned upon the Fiat 600
Fiat 600
The Fiat 600 is a city car produced by the Italian automaker Fiat from 1955 to 1969. Measuring only 3.22 m long, it was the first rear-engined Fiat and cost the equivalent of about € 6,700 or US$ 7300 in today's money . The total number produced from 1955 to 1969 at the Mirafiori...
, with similar general composition, body, transmission, steering mechanism and rear suspension. Among main differences was air-cooled V-engine of indigenous design, bigger wheels and front suspension on torsion bars. One of reasons of choosing a rearwards-opening doors was easier access for disabled persons. In 1958 the Soviet government decided to start production of the car in reformed ZAZ
ZAZ
ZAZ or Zaporizhia Automobile Building Plant is the main automobile-manufacturer of Ukraine, based in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhia. It is also known for its former mother company name, AvtoZAZ...
factory, under a designation ZAZ-965. Further development of the car was carried out in ZAZ factory.
The original ZAZ-965 differed from the ZAZ-965A. The turn signal light was moved from above of the head light to below, as seen in ZAZ-965A.
The engine was designed in Moscow's NAMI institute and produced by MeMZ
MeMZ
MeMZ is short for "Melitopol Engine Plant" . The factory was founded in 1908 by a Mennonite entrepreneur by the name of Zaferman. Until 1925 the factory focused mainly on diesel engines specifically for applications in agricultural machinery and fishing ships...
factory. A basic model ZAZ-965 was powered by a rear-mounted, aircooled
Aircooling
Air cooling is a method of dissipating heat. It works by making the object to be cooled have a larger surface area or have an increased flow of air over its surface, or both. An example of the former is to add fins to the surface of the object, either by making them integral or by attaching them...
746 cc V4 engine
V4 engine
A V4 engine is a V form engine with four cylinders and three main bearings.-Automobile use:Lancia produced several narrow-angle V4 engines from the 1920s through 1960s for cars like the Lambda, Augusta, Artena, Aprilia, Ardea, Appia, and Fulvia....
. Power was 26 PS.
ZAZ-965A Zaporozhets
The base model was manufactured between November 1960 and 1963, and the modernized ZAZ-965A, between November 1962 and May 1969. 322,106 were made in total.It was powered by a MeMZ-965 rear-mounted, aircooled
Aircooling
Air cooling is a method of dissipating heat. It works by making the object to be cooled have a larger surface area or have an increased flow of air over its surface, or both. An example of the former is to add fins to the surface of the object, either by making them integral or by attaching them...
OHV
Overhead valve
An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...
887 cc V4 engine
V4 engine
A V4 engine is a V form engine with four cylinders and three main bearings.-Automobile use:Lancia produced several narrow-angle V4 engines from the 1920s through 1960s for cars like the Lambda, Augusta, Artena, Aprilia, Ardea, Appia, and Fulvia....
of partially aluminium design, giving 27 PS. From November 1966 some cars were fitted with 30 PS MeMZ-965A engine. A common (and false) urban legend is that the Zaporozhets engine was used as a starter motor in Soviet tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s.
Interestingly, the engine looks a bit like the VW aircooled boxer four, except that the two cylinder banks are at a 90 degree angle. As Soviet car owners were expected to do much of the servicing themselves, and auto workshops were in short supply anyway, this layout was more practical especially in harsh winter conditions.
Apart from versions for the disabled (ZAZ-965B, AB, AR), a small number were made in more luxurious export variant ZAZ-965AE Yalta.
ZAZ-966 Zaporozhets, ZAZ-968 Zaporozhets and ZAZ-968M Zaporozhets
ZAZ-966 Zaporozhets
ZAZ-966 Zaporozhets model was made from late 1966 to 1972, although the prototype was ready in 1961. It had a completely restyled bodywork, no longer resembling the Fiat 600, but now resembling Chevrolet CorvairChevrolet Corvair
-First generation :The 1960 Corvair 500 and 700 series four-door sedans were conceived as economy cars offering few amenities in order to keep the price competitive, with the 500 selling for under $2,000...
or the German NSU Prinz
NSU Prinz
The NSU Prinz is an automobile produced in West Germany by the NSU Motorenwerke AG. The car was built from 1957 to 1973, and received a model change in 1961 .-NSU Prinz 30:...
. It introduced significant "ears" - air intakes on sides. Also a rear suspension was new. A simpler and first produced variant was ZAZ-966V (ЗАЗ-966В in Russian), with 27 hp engine from ZAZ-965A, while a main variant ZAZ-966 was fitted with upgraded 41 hp MeMZ
MeMZ
MeMZ is short for "Melitopol Engine Plant" . The factory was founded in 1908 by a Mennonite entrepreneur by the name of Zaferman. Until 1925 the factory focused mainly on diesel engines specifically for applications in agricultural machinery and fishing ships...
-968 1.2 l engine. ZAZ-966V was also produced in several special variants for disabled (VR, VB, VB2 - until January 1973).
ZAZ-968 Zaporozhets
ZAZ-968 Zaporozhets was produced from 1971 to 1980. The engine remained the same 41 hp MeMZMeMZ
MeMZ is short for "Melitopol Engine Plant" . The factory was founded in 1908 by a Mennonite entrepreneur by the name of Zaferman. Until 1925 the factory focused mainly on diesel engines specifically for applications in agricultural machinery and fishing ships...
-968, only the body was slightly modernized. Most visible difference was replacing a fake chrome
Chrome plating
Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.-Process:A component to be chrome plated will...
grill in the car's front with a horizontal chrome decoration. Among other changes was less austere dashboard and better front brakes. Basic model ZAZ-968 was produced until 1978. From 1973 until 1980 there was produced model ZAZ-968A, which introduced new safety measures, including safer driving wheel and black plastic dashboard instead of a metal one. Also ZAZ-968 had its variants for the disabled, with weaker 27 hp engine (ZAZ-968R, B, B2, AB, AB2).
ZAZ-968M Zaporozhets
ZAZ-968M Zaporozhets had the ears removed and was made from 1979 to 1994. Some of the special models include the ZAZ-968B2, for drivers who have only one foot, the ZAZ-968B for drivers who have no feet, and the ZAZ-968A which had the smaller 0.7 Litre engine.ZAZ-968 was replaced by the heavily updated ZAZ-1102 Tavria
ZAZ Tavria
ZAZ Tavria is a range of front wheel drive subcompact cars made by Ukrainian ZAZ. ZAZ-1102 Tavria and subsequent ZAZ-1105 Dana and ZAZ-1103 Slavuta replaced rear wheel drive Zaporozhets in the product lineup.-ZAZ-1102 Tavria:...
hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
, which was radically different from the Zaporožec, featuring front wheel drive and a watercooled engine.
See also
Similar aircooled and rear engined vehicles:- Chevrolet CorvairChevrolet Corvair-First generation :The 1960 Corvair 500 and 700 series four-door sedans were conceived as economy cars offering few amenities in order to keep the price competitive, with the 500 selling for under $2,000...
- NSU PrinzNSU PrinzThe NSU Prinz is an automobile produced in West Germany by the NSU Motorenwerke AG. The car was built from 1957 to 1973, and received a model change in 1961 .-NSU Prinz 30:...
- Hillman ImpHillman ImpThe Hillman Imp is a compact, rear-engined saloon car that was manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group from 1963 to 1976...
- Hino Contessa