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Humpbacked Zaporozhets. Humpbacked "Zaporozhets": photos, specifications, reviews
14.11.2021

In Soviet times, industry developed at a rapid pace. New factories and plants were built every day. With the growth of the economy, the country needed transport. A car in the USSR was considered a luxury, but nevertheless there were also “popular” brands that were available to everyone. So, one of these cars is a humpbacked "Zaporozhets". Photos, review and characteristics - further in our article.

Description

The official name of the car is ZAZ-965. It is a two-door four-seater sedan of an extra small class with a rear-engine and rear-wheel drive configuration. Serial production began in the 60th year. The model ceased to exist in 69. ZAZ-966 became the successor of the "humpback". The assembly of cars was carried out at the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant. This model has become one of the most affordable and received the title of "national".

Why is it so popular?

At first glance, it may seem that the USSR simply did not have a large selection of cars, and therefore bought what was available. But it must be said that in the 50s at the AZLK plant, a similar small-class car "Moskvich-401" was produced. But by the 60s, this model was significantly outdated. And the new 402 became larger and, importantly, more expensive. Therefore, a simple Soviet worker could not afford such a car.

The humpback "Zaporozhets", which was born in the 60th year (the reader can see its photographs in our article), gained great popularity, as it had a modern design and was distinguished by acceptable dynamic qualities. The cost of the car is 18 thousand rubles. After the monetary reform in the 61st year, the price fell 10 times.

Appearance

The prototype of this model is the Italian "Fiat" 600th model. This car was chosen in terms of technical and economic qualities. The body was lightweight, all-metal, shell type. Welded from a minimum number of large-sized panels. However, it should be noted that the Italian car did not have a characteristic hump. At the front, there are round halogen headlights and a compact metal bumper. The radiator grill is fused with the body. The roof is round. Discs are metal, 13 inches.

It should be noted that behind the humpbacked "Zaporozhets" there is an oblong slot. It serves for better cooling. After all, the engine of the humped "Zaporozhets" does not have a classic fluid system. SOD is airy here.

The body is completely metal. It is worth saying that it is painted with high quality. However, to our time, many copies have not survived. Unfortunately, the years take their toll.

The dimensions of the humped "Zaporozhets", clearance, weight

This car has compact dimensions. So, the total body length is 3.33 meters, width - 1.39, height - 1.45 meters. The wheelbase is only two meters. By the way, the track width is different. The front track is 1.14 meters, the back track is 1.16. In this case, the clearance is 17.5 centimeters. This is a very serious indicator. The machine has short overhangs and moves confidently on the dirt road.

The curb weight according to the passport data is 665 kilograms. The total weight is 965.

Salon

Let's move to the salon of the humpbacked "Zaporozhets". It's pretty cramped inside. Rear passengers will not be comfortable. The design itself is ascetic. There is nothing superfluous here. The front panel is iron, monolithic. It has a small dial with speedometers and a couple of buttons. The steering wheel is double-faced, of enormous size. The car did not have a hydraulic booster, but nevertheless the steering wheel rotates easily. Inexpensive leatherette was used as upholstery. There is no noise isolation here. Particularly noisy at the rear, as the engine was located there.

Specifications

The gearbox and engines for the humpbacked "Zaporozhets" were entirely domestic development. Initially, the MeMZ-965 engine was installed on the car. This is a gasoline four-cylinder V-shaped engine with an eight-valve timing chain mechanism. With a volume of 746 cubic centimeters, it develops only 23 horsepower. The torque is 44 Nm in the range from 2.2 to 2.5 thousand revolutions.

What are the characteristics of the humpbacked "Zaporozhets"? The maximum speed of the car is 90 kilometers per hour. At the same time, fuel consumption is 6.5 liters per 100 kilometers. The power supply system is carburetor. Different carburetors were installed:

  • K-100.
  • TO-123.

Moreover, both were single-chamber, with a falling flow and horizontal air supply. The cooling system is air. The cylinder block is made of ML-5 magnesium alloy. In this case, the head was aluminum. According to passport data, the engine was designed for 72nd gasoline.

A little later, a more modernized unit appeared in the line. This is MeMZ-966. It is a gasoline four-cylinder internal combustion engine with a displacement of 887 cubic centimeters. This engine is designed for 76th gasoline. The maximum power of the unit is 27 horsepower. The timing mechanism is the same as on the previous motor (chain, eight-valve).

What do the reviews say about the hunchbacked "Zaporozhets" with MeMZ-966? With more power, this car consumed less fuel. On average, the engine consumed 5.5 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers. In this case, the maximum speed of the car is 100 kilometers per hour. The compression ratio of the motor is 6.5. The power supply system is carbureted. A single-chamber K-125 unit with a horizontal air supply was used as a carburetor. The cylinder block is made of the same magnesium alloy, the head is aluminum.

Among the advantages of this engine, it should be noted the low cost of spare parts. In Soviet times, it was easy to find the right parts and easily repair the motor if necessary.

About engine problems

There were many jokes about the reliability of the Zaporozhets among Soviet motorists. As you know, there is some truth in every joke. Unfortunately, the MeMZ motor was not reliable. Since there was no classic liquid cooling system here, the motor overheated significantly. Moreover, he boiled even at speed. Very often, these cars got up at the side of the road, waiting for the engine to recover. Almost every car owner has encountered overheating. Also, the engine did not have a high resource. Before the overhaul, the Zaporozhets traveled a maximum of 80 thousand kilometers. And this is with proper maintenance.

The owners also complained about fuel consumption. He never matched the passport data and was always taller. On average, the car wasted 8 liters of gasoline. But I must say that Soviet engines were not picky about fuel quality. Therefore, even 72 gasoline was quietly poured into the modernized engine.

Tuning

Was the tuning of the Soviet Zaporozhets possible? Practice has shown that the motor could be easily modified. The most popular upgrade was the volume increase. So, the experts bore the sleeves for the "Zhiguli" piston. In addition, another intake manifold for a two-chamber carburetor was installed on the humped "Zaporozhets". Another tuning option is cylinder head groove. Thus, it was possible to increase the maximum power by 10-20 percent. However, it was not possible to get a large increase in any case, since there are no more than 27 forces in the motor. A more popular tuning option is to replace the engine with another.

Chassis

Despite the fact that the car largely repeated the Italian "Fiat", the design of the chassis and chassis underwent significant improvements. So, instead of "Fiat" suspension on a transverse spring (which was used in front and was fragile for our roads), Soviet engineers used a system on double trailing arms with transverse torsion bars. A similar layout was used on the Volkswagens of those years. At the same time, plate torsion bars were used on the humped "Zaporozhets". Such a suspension design made it possible to move the beam forward a little, as well as to move the pedal assembly into the distance. The latter began to be located where previously Fiat had a transverse spring.

In addition, this solution allowed to expand the space in the cabin. It should be noted that wheels of a larger diameter with an increased profile were chosen for the Zaporozhets. The suspension travel has been increased. Thus, the machine has become more suitable for operation on roads outside the asphalt surface.

How does this car behave on the move? As noted by reviews, the car does not have a high ride comfort and handling characteristics. She shakes on bumps, the cabin is hot and noisy. Also, the car rolls heavily in corners.

Why not front-wheel drive?

Front-wheel drive was already practiced in Western Europe. But why was it abandoned at ZAZ? This was due to insufficient traction on the drive wheels. Since the motor was located at the rear, practically no stress was created on the front axle.

In addition, with the presence of a front-wheel drive, it became necessary to manufacture hinges of equal angular velocities. In view of all these shortcomings, it was decided to build a humpbacked "Zaporozhets" on a rear-wheel drive platform.

Price

At the moment, you can buy such a car for 50-70 thousand rubles. The price will depend on the condition of the engine and bodywork. Many examples have corrosion problems. Mostly such machines are purchased for restoration. Humpbacked "Zaporozhets" after restoration becomes a weekend car, which attracts the attention of many motorists and passers-by. This is truly a rarity today. The restoration of a humpbacked "Zaporozhets" can include a lot of operations, up to replacing the engine, not to mention repainting and welding.

Summing up

So, we found out what the Zaporozhets 965 model is. At the moment, there are very few of these machines left. Of course, there is no point in buying such a car for everyday driving. The car is outdated in all respects. This "Zaporozhets" should become at least the second car in the family. It is bought mainly by fans and amateurs of Soviet technology. It is much easier to restore it than, for example, the Volga. And the "Zaporozhets" looks no less stylish and original.

"Humpbacked" ZAZ - Soviet passenger car of category "A". Years of production - 1960-1969. During this time, more than 322 thousand copies were produced. Trunk volume is one hundred liters, rear-wheel drive. A gasoline engine with a four-speed manual transmission is used as a power unit. Fuel consumption in the city is about 7 liters per 100 km. The maximum speed threshold of the car is 90 km / h. People also call it "bug", "zhuzhik", "baby elephant". Consider its features, characteristics and tuning capabilities.

History of creation

For the humpbacked ZAZ, NAMI specialists have designed a 746-cc V-shaped engine with four cylinders. The engine had a unique design with cast-type shafts. The parameters of the new power plant for that time looked very decent. It was mounted at the back, assembled at the Zaporozhye plant, and then refined in Melitopol at MeMZ.

Difficult internal tests of the unit took place for several months. Two experimental cars drove them 5 and 14 thousand kilometers. Then the transport was received by a special interdepartmental commission. Comments were indicated that the estimated weight is 54 kilograms more, and the body height does not correspond to the drawings (it differs by almost 300 millimeters). After eliminating the defects, the "humped" ZAZ went into mass production (1960). The price of the car was 18 thousand rubles, which is one and a half times cheaper than the 407th "Moskvich". At the end of 1962, engineers improved the engine, increasing the cylinders to 72 mm, and the volume to 887 cubic meters. cm, power - up to 27 horsepower.

Design

From the first years of production, the car in question fell in love with buyers and did not cause serious complaints. "The humpback proved to be excellent when driving on rural and problematic roads. Good cross-country ability is ensured by the presence of a smooth bottom, independent suspension on all wheels, as well as a decent load on the driving elements. The weight of the car is only 665 kg, it could easily be pushed out by two people.

A distinctive feature of the "zhuzhik" was the ability to drive between rough tracks left by trucks. Other passenger cars could not do it. The owners of the "humped" ZAZ pleased not only with good maneuverability, but also with a durable body, efficiency and ease of maintenance of the power unit.

Exterior

When creating a car design, the designers did not attach much importance to decorative elements and wide additional functionality. This is not surprising, because the main task was to create a budget model for the general population. The closed one is made of solid metal, which made it somewhat bloated. The frontal part was distinguished by a pair of folds of the original symmetrical shape.

The curved transitions of these elements had a small radius, and the wheel edges were slightly protruded. The hubcaps had three bolt heads, and the rear wheels had noticeable camber. The power unit was located at the back, respectively, the trunk was moved forward. Its lid was closed from the inside.

Interior

ZAZ "hunchback", the photo of which is presented above, was equipped with adjustable movable separate seats. The back seat in the shape of a sofa was quite comfortable. Useful accessories include sun visors, door pockets, 12 volt single-wire electrical equipment.

In the interior of the car, the preference was given to minimalism. There are several control devices behind the steering column, on the right side - the ignition, control buttons, radio and heater. The windshield guaranteed acceptable visibility; there were vents in the form of corners on the side elements. Although the car in question had only two doors, it belonged to a full-fledged four-seat class.

Landing on the back seat was carried out by folding the front passenger seat forward. The disadvantages include high noise, poor soundproofing of the cabin, swinging the doors in the opposite direction and placing the fuel tank in front, which is dangerous in a collision.

ZAZ "humpbacked": technical characteristics

The main body part is the crankcase. Its inner baffle has a special cavity to support the one-piece bearing. On the walls of the crankcase there is a mount for the camshaft, on the top there are 4 holes for mounting cylinders with aluminum heads and cooling fins. There are four inlet channels, two outlet channels.

The four-range gearbox has two shafts and three strokes. One gear is reverse, the rest are equipped with synchronizers. Unit couplings move with forks and rods. The cooling system tends to overheat, especially on long journeys.

The front suspension is borrowed from the Volkswagen Beetle. It includes a pair of transverse torsion bars with four levers. The fists of the driving wheels are additionally connected to them. The rear knot consists of two diagonal levers with axle shafts. Later, the engineers changed the design to an oblique lever block with hinges on the axle shafts.

main parameters

Below are the main characteristics that the ZAZ "hunchback" has, the photo of which is presented in the article:

  • Length / width / height - 3.3 / 1.39 / 1.45 m.
  • Body type - all-metal two-door sedan.
  • Ventilation - local type.
  • Weight - 665 kg.
  • Wheel track (front / rear) - 1.15 / 1.16 m.
  • Clearance - 17.5 cm.
  • The minimum turning radius is 5 m.
  • The maximum speed is 100 km / h.
  • The power unit is an atmospheric-cooled gasoline engine with overhead valves.
  • Compression - 6.5.
  • The clutch is a dry single disc assembly.
  • Carburetor type - vertical with a feed flow.
  • Brakes - pads.
  1. The assembly of the ZAZ "humpback" engine was carried out simultaneously by two manufacturers.
  2. In Odessa, the car was often called the "Jewish tank".
  3. Among the nicknames of the car were such: "baby", "zazik", "constipation".
  4. "Humpback" was the last Soviet car, the doors of which were opened against the movement.
  5. The stable air intakes were called "Wasserman graters" after their inventor.

Modifications

Several developments of the machine in question are known. Among them:

  • 965AB - manually operated.
  • 965AR - a special vehicle for disabled people with one injured arm or leg.
  • 965C is a right-hand drive mail van.
  • 965E "Yalta" is an export model supplied to Finland and Belgium. It had the best equipment, noise insulation and interior trim.
  • "Pickup" - produced for internal use at the plant.

ZAZ "humpback": tuning

To carry out the correct modernization of the vehicle in question, you will need to create sketches on paper or in 3D. This will allow you to see the big picture from the expected tuning. The project will provide an opportunity to determine the scope of work and further actions. As a rule, the hubs are changed, drum discs with ventilation are installed, and the standard springs on the rear suspension are changed to a more rigid version. In front, you can mount the suspension from the ZAZ-968. "Humpback" after that will become tougher and tougher.

Reducing fuel consumption will allow new connecting rods, boring of the intake and exhaust manifolds, installation of a pump from the "figure eight" and a carburetor zeroer. At the same time, the power of the power unit will increase. Disc wheels are often used to provide better cornering stability, making steering easier.

Reinforcement of the engine

Increasing the power indicators of the motor is a very justified operation. After all, the native installation has a capacity of only three dozen "horses" at a speed maximum of 100 km / h. Taking into account the fact that the motor is located at the back, it is necessary to choose a suitable gearbox designed for the rear power units.

The transmission unit will fit from the later Zaporozhtsev versions, as well as from Volkswagen, Porsche and Tatra vans. If you install the MeMZ-968 engine, you get an increase in power up to 45 horsepower. True, it will be necessary to replace the native carburetor with a two-chamber analogue of the "VAZ" type. You can fix it directly in the trunk. It is also advisable to change the stove to an improved heating system.

Body

The body of the ZAZ "humpbacked" car is also subject to restyling. Tuning, the photo of which is presented above, allows you to improve aerodynamics and appearance. Since on the machine in question, the doors open in the opposite direction, which is dangerous in the event of unforeseen traffic situations, it is better to outweigh these elements from the rear sheds to the front hinges. The outdated lock is also being replaced by a modern version.

Exterior upgrades also include the widening of the wheel arches for 195/60 / R14 tires. To enhance the vehicle's originality and purify the incoming air, the intakes are mounted on top. In addition, a kenguryatnik, anti-wings, side arches, an aerodynamic kit made of plastic are installed. In this design, the car will look great and very stylish.

Salon

This element of the Soviet car has become obsolete for a long time. Even before, it was not distinguished by high comfort for passengers and the driver. Improving the interior of the ZAZ-965 is not so difficult. Install new seats, a sports steering wheel, oil pressure indicators and other performance indicators, including a temperature and fuel level sensor.

On the ceiling, you can adapt the trim from natural black or red leather, and lay carpet with similar shades on the floor. You should also replace the door trim, pedals. If you do not want to throw away the regular seats, you should make them high-quality upholstery. If you are not confident in your own abilities, entrust the hauling of the salon to specialists.

Electrical equipment

The electronics on the machine in question has a voltage of 12 V, powered by a single-wire system. Headlights from IZH-12 are suitable as lighting elements. At the beginning of the improvement, you should remove the native optics. To do this, the movable socket is taken out, the wires are unhooked, the tongue is sawn off on top of the "eye socket". Then a round headlight is taken from the "Moskvich", tried on to the installation place. Six holes are planned, two of which are made with a larger diameter for adjustable chips.

The location of the element will be vertical, so you need to grind off the tongue. The optical element and adjustment chips are removed. The wires are brought out to the standard sockets. The headlamp is attached with bolts from the inside and external nuts. After that, the optics are mounted and pressed with control nuts. The protruding parts of the bolts are cut off. For the outer edging, a rim from the 968 model will do. With proper handling, it will be possible to install dimmable halogen lamps.

Additionally

To enhance the quality of the engine cooling unit, you can mount a pair of radiators from "Ford" or "Tavria". The new ZAZ "humpback" will become even more attractive and practical if you install a transmission, for example, from a VAZ-2108 with five ranges. External changes are mainly associated with reshaping the skeleton for a new engine, since the wheel arches expand, and the rear axle of the car is moved.

6,5 Supply system: Carburetor K-123 - single chamber with a falling flow and horizontal air supply Cooling: aerial Valve mechanism: OHV Cylinder block material: cast iron Cylinder head material (English) Russian : aluminum Cycle (number of measures): 4 The order of the cylinders: 1-3-4-2 Recommended fuel: A-72

mechanical

Specifications

Mass-dimensional

Width: 1395 mm

Dynamic

ZAZ-965- Soviet subcompact car, produced from 1963.

ZAZ-965A- modification with a 27 hp engine, produced from November to 1969.

The study of the experience of the global automotive industry already at that time made it possible to come to a completely unambiguous conclusion: a minicar cannot be just a reduced copy of its “big brothers”. It should be recalled that at that time most cars had an engine in the front and a rear drive axle - the so-called "classic layout". However, for a car the size of a future Zaporozhets, it was clearly irrational, since it limited the useful space of the passenger compartment, increased the overall height, cost and weight of the car due to the presence of a propeller shaft passing under the floor of the body. All attempts to produce cars of the "classic" layout in the "especially small" class inevitably ended in the appearance of tall, heavy, small-sized and rather clumsy outwardly structures. It was possible to get rid of these shortcomings by interlocking the engine and transmission into a single unit and placing it directly at the driving wheels - front or rear.

Meanwhile, Soviet designers approached the design of the Italian prototype quite creatively. The body, having retained a power structure similar to Fiat, in particular - a floor panel located low between widely spaced boxes, which increased the car's capacity while maintaining an acceptable height, - received a more modern external shape, becoming from a two-volume fastback with stampings on the sidewall, imitating separate fenders, a three-volume two-door sedan with a flat sidewall, a clearly defined trunk volume and a large rear window, unified with the windshield (see also external car comparison). At the same time, the doors remained hinged on the rear hinges, which provided a more comfortable fit into the cabin, but reduced safety. But the glass doors from the sliding became more comfortable downward, there were "vents". In the chassis, a more advanced front suspension was used on two transverse torsion bars (the so-called Porsche system, the same was used on the first sports cars of the same name and the Volkswagen Zhuk) - instead of Fiat's on a transverse spring, as well as increased 13-inch wheels, which required larger wheel arches and a redesign of the car as a whole. The engine and transmission were entirely of domestic design.

Initially, it was envisaged to equip the car with a motorcycle-type engine MD-65. But it turned out to be unsuitable for a car, and in conditions of work with overload had a scanty resource - no more than 30 thousand km before overhaul. Later, NAMI created two prototypes of power units, these were supposed to be boxer engines according to the Citroën 2CV scheme. As a temporary solution, the 444-BKR prototype (1958) was fitted with an engine from a BMW 600 - also boxer, but two-cylinder.

The designers of the army amphibious transporter TPK, who just needed an engine of this type and had previously experimented just as unsuccessfully (NAMI 049, 1958) with the Irbit MD-65, also became interested in these developments. Further work was carried out taking into account their proposals.

In the end, they came to a compromise option - ZAZ and the military amphibian were unified in terms of the power unit, which had a working volume of 746 initially, later 877 cubic meters (with the possibility of further build-up) and differed in the military (MeMZ-967) and civil (MeMZ-965) versions only in isolated details.

At the same time, on the TPK, the engine had to be located in the front with the flywheel backwards, and in the ZAZ - at the rear with the flywheel forward. Since the considerations of the army customer turned out to be more weighty, the engine was generally designed specifically for the front location in the sealed volume of the amphibious motor compartment, without cooling by the oncoming air flow, therefore it was equipped with an exhaust fan. The blower fan was installed later, which, according to the developers, should have improved the cooling of the engine located at the rear. But problems with overheating of the power unit were to some extent common to all Zaporozhets up to the ZAZ-968M, whose cooling system was completely redesigned (however, the car owners themselves were largely to blame - the Zaporozhets were often operated from overload, and regular cleaning of the cooling fins of the cylinders, which was the key to good heat exchange with the cooling air, was neglected). The noise of the engine was also not standardized by the military and, in comparison with other Soviet cars with water-cooled engines, was unsatisfactory.

Later, a modification of the same engine and amphibious transmission was also used on civilian versions of the TPK, LuAZ-969, which are often mistakenly described as "made on the basis of Zaporozhets."

Price

At the time of its appearance in 1960, "Zaporozhets" cost 18,000 pre-reform rubles (1,800 rubles after the reform). According to legend, the price was determined as the total cost of 1,000 bottles of vodka (1.80 rubles each). With the average wage in the USSR in the early 1960s, this value correlated approximately as 20: 1, that is, "Zaporozhets" could be bought for about 20 average wages in the country.

The current cost of ZAZ-965 in the secondary market varies greatly depending on the safety of the car and the seller, ranging from several thousand rubles to several thousand dollars.

Modifications

Design

Salon ZAZ-965

The machine was driven by an air-cooled engine of a rare configuration with a working volume of 746 cm³ (MeMZ-965 model) air-cooled with a camshaft in the collapse of the block between the cylinder heads. Location - behind the rear axle. Partly aluminum alloy was used, the crankcase was made of magnesium alloy. Power - 23 HP

The original feature of the car was the cantilever hanging of the power unit at three points on the transmission housing - the engine itself had no supports or attachment points to the body.

On the ZAZ-965A model in 1962-1965, the MeMZ-966 engine was installed, with an increased displacement up to 887 cm³, developing 27 hp, and in 1966-1969 - MeMZ-966A with the same displacement, but already in 30 h.p.

The basic model was produced in the period from 1964, and the modernized ZAZ-965A - from 1962 to 1969. At the beginning of sales, the price for the population was 18,000 rubles in the old price scale (before the denomination 1:10, carried out in 1961).

Since it was assumed that Soviet car owners would have to service the car on their own, air cooling was assessed positively and seemed to be very practical in harsh winter conditions (at low temperatures there is no risk of freezing of the coolant in the parking lot). In addition, the low weight of the power unit, its simplicity and collapsible design (removable cylinders) made it possible to repair the car practically "in an open field".

Nevertheless, in general and in general, the engine turned out to be one of the main drawbacks of the car: its resource was relatively small due to the intense temperature regime, the thin walls of the block, air cooling and a short muffler led to a significantly increased noise level, and due to the lack of liquid cooling systems, a separate gasoline heater was distinguished by low reliability, with irregular maintenance - even a fire hazard (disadvantages typical for many other cars with similar technical solutions).

The main parameters of the comparison participants:

Make and model: FIAT 600
Production years: 1955-1969
Body type: 2-door fastback
Engines: 0.6; 0.8; both - I4
Length: 3215 mm
Width: 1380 mm
Height: 1405 mm

Make and model: ZAZ-965 "Zaporozhets"
Production years: 1960-1969
Body type: 2-door sedan (coupe)
Engines: 0.9; V4
Length: 3330 mm
Width: 1395 mm
Height: 1450 mm

Cars are large, regular, and small. They can also be tiny. This is the FIAT 600 - a small car weighing only 585 kg, and this is already equipped. Several men, if necessary, could pull such a car out of any hole with their hands. And another indisputable advantage of this funny vehicle was the price, enthusiasts thought that if this car were sold today, its cost would be about € 6500. Cheaper than any other European car. It was cars such as the FIAT 600 and FIAT 500 that were able to make an automobile country out of post-war Italy. From 1955 to 1969, two and a half million FIAT 600s were produced, after stopping production in Italy, the car continued to be made in South America; to the total you need to add both the Spanish SEAT 600 and the Yugoslavian Zastava 750, all of which were copies of the famous minicar.
If it was required to pick up an illustration for the expression "a car is not a luxury, but a means of transportation," then the Italian minicar would fit perfectly. It is truly a "vehicle" - four wheels, a motor and a steering wheel. A cramped interior, seats like a grandmother's chair (from the adjustments only "back and forth"), the trunk is smaller than another suitcase; what a luxury here!
Meanwhile, it was these machines that were popular in unspoiled post-war Europe. In an even less spoiled victorious country - the USSR - the need for an extremely simple and inexpensive car was simply enormous! And it is not surprising that the FIAT 600 was taken as a model for the development of such a machine. We must pay tribute to the MZMA team (the future AZLK), they did not limit themselves to simple copying. The ideas laid down in FIAT were rethought by Soviet designers, the cars received a different suspension and a slightly more spacious body. The tiny wheels of the prototype were replaced with larger ones, they were better suited for Soviet roads. The result is a car named Moskvich-444. But it never went into production, the capacities of the Moscow plant were fully loaded. It was necessary to urgently reorient the Kommunar agricultural machinery plant in the Ukrainian city of Zaporozhye to produce a new car. This is how the ZAZ-965 appeared, the legendary "humpback" ...

FIAT 600 - the prototype of the first "Zaporozhets"

"Zaporozhets" is slightly larger than its progenitor. And the main difference is that FIAT has no "hump"

A small lyrical digression: who would have thought then, in the middle of the twentieth century, that in the new, twenty-first century, the former combine plant, having outlived the country that made it automobile, would continue to exist, becoming the only major automobile plant in Ukraine and producing copies of Korean cars. Even the most daring science fiction writer could not have predicted this in 1960. But even this is not interesting, it is curious to know what will become of the country and the plant after another half a century, what zigzags history will write out - this is really interesting. It remains only to wait for these same half a century :-)

Let's go back to FIAT. I managed to meet such a car on the streets of Helsinki last summer. Interestingly, the car was just parked on one of the streets of the city center. I don’t know, the owner uses it as an everyday car, but I didn’t manage to meet ZAZ-965 in the cities of the former USSR for many years. We are not talking, of course, about exhibition cars during various retro events. There they are often found, among collectors "humpback" - one of the most favorite toys. And so, just walking, it is almost impossible to see this car on the street in our time.

FIAT 600 on Helsinki street in summer 2011

Let's see what these little cars were like. There will be a little more photos today than usual.


The doors hinged on the rear hinges are one of the striking features of the FIAT 600 and its Soviet counterpart. It's not worth talking about the spaciousness of the cabin, but if desired, five people could squeeze into the car, unless, of course, they did not have the dimensions of Nikolai Valuev


Despite its super miniature size, there was ample legroom in the front seats thanks to the rear engine layout. The interior of the car is touching - take a look at the door handles


The trunk, which is already small, is compressed to the size of a cradle by a spare wheel and a gas tank. The jack can also be seen next to the spare wheel. Although Nikolai Valuev, I think, would have done without him, raising such a car for a Russian giant is not a problem :-)


The front panel was metal and painted in body color. The driver was not spoiled with an abundance of instruments either.

All photos of the blue car from the Microcar museum website

The Zaporozhye 965 is not far from its prototype. The same laconicism of the salon. Take a look:


Painted metal, tumblers sticking out here and there and a niche under the panel instead of the "glove compartment". But people managed to travel all over the USSR in these cars!


For the current car enthusiast, as an example :-) What kind of climate controls and on-board computers are there! Speedometer, oil temperature gauge, fuel meter and two controls for headlights and turn signals. It's all.

The Humpback was an iconic vehicle for the Land of the Soviets. Perhaps it symbolizes the best that was in it. This is a car of the era of the sixties and sixties, a time of hope and optimism. That was the time when space seemed close and accessible: just about after Gagarin and other cosmonauts hundreds of new ships will fly to the stars, soon we will open a base on the Moon, and there are not far from cities on Mars. It was a time of kindness and self-confidence: no one is imprisoned anymore, and the times of the Gulag are publicly condemned. Strange, but it is this little funny machine that evokes the warmest feelings among the inhabitants of the former Soviet state. And this is probably not without reason.
So thanks to the Italian designers who created the FIAT 600 and inspired Soviet engineers for the ZAZ-965. They were small cars, but big epochs.


Not only mothers with children, but also quite adult men did not disdain to ride a mini-car FIAT.


ZAZ-965. Small car of a big country

Probably, there was not a single yard where Zaporozhets did not meet. There was such a car in the yard of my childhood. It was owned by an elderly taxi driver. I wonder what it was like for him to change from a working "Volga" to a personal "Constipation"? :-) The owner looked after the car well. Not a single weekend passed without a round bald taxi driver digging around with his car. Every summer, on fine days, he drove her out into the air and painted with a vacuum cleaner always the same pale blue.
This continued until the early nineties. Once a taxi driver appeared in the yard in a creamy Zhiguli "kopeck". The honored "hunchback" was kicked out of the garage and settled under the windows of the house for several years. The taxi driver's grandson periodically drove around the neighborhood in an elderly "Zaporozhets". They stopped painting it and rust began to appear on the uneven sides of the old hard worker.
And then they disappeared: the old taxi driver, and his grandson, and the Zaporozhets. Apparently, they moved to a different address. The garages were demolished a few years later, and now nothing reminds of the old cars and their owners.

In real life, you can see ZAZ-965 and FIAT 600 side by side only at the exhibition. Never did these machines work side by side, then automobile Italy and automobile USSR were too far away.

Text, photos - phantomserge

& copy Iron Ghosts of the Past - 2012

Additions or amendments to

It is surprising that in the worst times for private motoring in the USSR, a car appeared, aimed at selling to private traders. As it turns out, I.V. Stalin had nothing against private cars. Thanks to the Stalinist order, a CMM was specially designed for private owners. War intervened in his fate, but as soon as it ended, in May 1947, the People's Commissar of the Automotive Industry of the USSR S.A. Akopov issued a decree authorizing the sale of new "Muscovites" and "Victories" to private individuals.

And under Khrushchev, prejudices raised their heads that a private car was "an alien phenomenon." The chief designer of the MZMA AF Andronov was forced to hide behind statements that "the plant makes cars for export." In 1962, at the Italian exhibition in Moscow, FIAT showed a model of an automobile plant proposed for construction in the USSR and similar to the future VAZ. But only when Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev came to power, such a project became a reality, like the other two - the reconstruction of the MZMA and the duplication of the production of "Muscovites" in Izhevsk.

How did it happen that in those years Zaporozhets saw the light? Very simple. It is still unknown who came up with the idea to replenish the type of Soviet cars with a small-sized vehicle for the front line, whose task on the way "there" is to bring weapons and ammunition to the battlefield, and to take out the wounded on the way back. The problem is that this machine was required in small quantities, and its production would become unprofitable. But before my eyes was the experience of Volkswagen and DKW, which produced small military and civilian vehicles on the same base.

From the NAMI institute, which was entrusted with the project, a counter-offer came - to execute several machines on the same units:

  1. A passenger car for general use, suitable for export.
  2. A car for the disabled, superior to the Serpukhov motorized carriage.
  3. Small-capacity pickup, van, and miniature bus in unified bodies.
  4. Light all-terrain vehicle for the village.
  5. A staff vehicle with a simple body for the army.
  6. The front end conveyor itself in wheeled and tracked versions.

Characters and performers

Boris Mikhailovich Fitterman, who headed the NAMI Passenger Cars Laboratory in the 50s and 60s, in the late 80s "attributed" the development of the first Zaporozhets to himself, and now many sites thoughtlessly call him "the chief designer of the ZAZ-965". But that was not the case. Fitterman really headed research work on the study of European minicars and sidecars, supervised tests of purchased foreign cars, among which were products with 1-2-cylinder motorcycle engines, the simplest bodies for 2 people, barely suitable for public roads. But there were also full-fledged cars, albeit the cheapest ones: FIAT-600, DAF, Citroen 2CV and, of course, the famous Volkswagen Beetle. Fitterman developed a front edge conveyor NAMI-032 and a double invalid NAMI-031 unified with it. And the civilian car was not engaged in NAMI, but OGK MZMA.

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How it actually happened, Alexander Fedorovich Andronov described in his memoirs. He was summoned by the Minister of the Automotive Industry (in the recent past, the chief engineer of GAZ) Nikolai Ivanovich Strokin and instructed to develop a minicar. Andronov refused - OGK MZMA was engaged in modifications of Moskvich, jeeps of the 415/416 series, a promising model was already conceived. Andronov himself offered to pass this on to US. Strokin replied that for such work a team is needed, which is not in NAMI, so the institute will not cope with the task, and no one in the country knows small cars better than Andronov and his subordinates. Strokin also added that he liked the FIAT-600, which should be taken as a model.

The minister knew very well how Andronov hated copying foreign cars and had just completely independently developed the original Soviet Moskvich-402 family with modifications. Therefore, he made a reservation that "ripping off FIAT" is not necessary, but the division of body units, which is most important for automotive production, will have to be repeated in Italy. The external form (i.e. design) Andronov can change as he wants.

We add that Fitterman described in detail the structure of the FIAT-600 body units, substantiating that this is a good modern car, convenient for mass production. But he was engaged in pure theory, and all the rough practical work fell on the shoulders of Andronov and the designers of the OGK MZMA. There was practically no experience in the design of rear-engined cars with independent suspension of all wheels in the USSR. Two "avant-garde" projects by Yuri Dolmatovsky showed how difficult it is to make such a machine.

The first development of NAMI-013 was hardly "taught to ride". The second, "Squirrel", turned out to be uncomfortable for the driver (the owner of the car) and the passenger (a member of his family), who were seated directly on the front axle, and even under the cap of the end door leaking in the rain. On the move, the "Belka" showed handling, which is dangerous for an inexperienced driver. NAMI-013 and "Belka" came out unrepairable and incompatible with the technology of mass production.

Andronov had to mobilize all WGCs, repair and technological workshops of the plant. Designers and production workers worked in two shifts, did not sleep at night. Andronov also wrote to Strokin in the Moscow Economic Council: we are “stitching ourselves up,” provide additional people, allocate space, and finally write off money. They did not answer him. But the platoon fulfilled the order perfectly - in three years, the designers of the OGK MZMA developed the body and chassis. The gearbox of the design bureau of the MZMA chassis under the leadership of K.I. Faibisovich made not only for her car, but also for NAMI-031 and NAMI-032. The production of a minicar at MZMA was out of the question. The tight "old territory" of the plant excluded the simultaneous release of Moskvich and rear-engined novelties. The Moskvich-444 index was used temporarily for drawing up drawings and specifications, and in Zaporozhye, documentation and modernized prototypes were already transferred, as Moskvich-965.

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Meanwhile, at NAMI, Alexander Semyonovich Aizenberg, who had designed the 8-cylinder overhead valve "king-engine" for the ZIS-101 before the war, was conjuring over the engine. I rejected one option, the second, the third. As with FIAT, it is impossible - a customer in uniform needs air cooling for the TPK so that the radiator is not shot through in battle. The "air" motor had to be designed as many as 6 times. A system error was found by Andronov's team. Almost instantly they rejected the "opposed" from the "Ural" motorcycle, unsuitable for a 4-seater car. Tests have shown that the car is not capable of driving on two cylinders - it is necessary, without options, four. For comparison, Eisenberg's group presented boxer or V-shaped 4-cylinder options. The first barely fit in the small engine bay, guaranteeing cooling and maintenance problems. The second turned out to be so compact that there was room on the left in the engine compartment for an autonomous gasoline heater, and on the right there was free space.

Moskvich-965 with boxer engine

The design service of ZAZ was recruited from the most experienced gas workers. Muscovites from MZMA and from NAMI did not want to go to Zaporozhye, losing their Moscow registration. The documentation from the MZMA was handed over to the Gorky designers Grigory Moiseevich Wasserman, Yuri Naumovich Sorochkin, Ivan Alekseevich Sandalov. They successfully brought Zaporozhets to the conveyor. The production of engines was mastered by the diesel plant in Melitopol, 112 km away. from Zaporozhye, included in one production association with ZAZ.

FIAT, Moskvich and Zaporozhets

The ZAZ-965 adopted for production differed from the Moskvich-444 not only in the engine. In Moscow, they held on to the Fiat front suspension with a transverse floating spring. The testers have proven that it is not suitable for off-road conditions. The chief designer of NAMI, the famous A.A. Lipgart ordered a copy of Volkswagen's torsion bar suspension. It is interesting that such a suspension has already been tested on NAMI-031, and not just anyone, but the designers of the MZMA OGK considered it “impossible” to install it on the Moskvich-444. The rear suspension practically remained from the FIAT-600 and the same Volkswagen with the same shape of the levers. Therefore, the ZAZ-965's rear wheels were at an angle to the vertical, and mockery sounded about its "clubfoot".

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Not quite ordinary wheels went from MZMA. Firstly, 13-inch tires were used for the first time in the USSR at Zaporozhets. But for FIAT they were generally 12-inch! Secondly, Zaporozhets was distinguished by light “donut”-shaped discs with a large hole. This is the legacy of the first samples of the Moskvich-444, in which, in order to somehow insert a motorcycle motor into the car, it was necessary to equip the rear wheels with final drives that protruded outward. In the doors of the first samples there were "beggarly" sliding windows, but in the design bureau of the bodies of the MZMA, normal vents and power windows were introduced.

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Andronov just then attracted professional designers with art education to the body design bureau. They corrected the external shape as much as possible. Unlike the FIAT-600, the ZAZ-965 has a "stepped", not a "sloping" tailgate. At FIAT, the line of the front fenders "goes" into the stamping on the door and breaks off like a "path to nowhere." Below from the rear wheel arch there is also a rib, which also breaks off. There is nothing terrible in this, only the MZMA artists Boris Ivanov and Efim Mastbaum did much better. The sidewall of the Moskvich-444 gained integrity when a flat horizontal line appeared, running from nose to tail, and connecting the front fenders with the rear fenders.

The sidewall of the Zaporozhets resembles the Victory of the M-20, which is not surprising. The people who created it, every day saw the Victory going in a continuous stream on the street. In preparation for production, unnecessary decorations were “gone”: a “comb” on the rear fender, a horizontal rib on the door, which made the look solid and laconic. Only the original front fenders did not take root - the Fiat fenders were easier to produce in large quantities.


The rearward-opening doors with external hinges seemed like an atavism of the pre-war bodies. But in OGK MZMA they were left from FIAT intentionally. Andronov came up with a sensible idea. A disabled car should not be performed as an original model requiring separate preparation of production, like NAMI-031, but as a modification unified with a public car. The experience of developing disabled versions of Muscovites at the plant was accumulated by the designer B.V. Efremov, who walked on prostheses of his own design. The wide "Fiat" door opening against the move was perfect for disabled people. In terms of ease of use and driving performance, the Zaporozhets could not be compared with the Serpukhov motorized carriages.

Growth Disorders

The rebuilt farm machinery factory had difficulty in mastering the car. According to the plan, ZAZ counted on 150 thousand cars a year. Documentation for model 965 MZMA transferred to ZAZ from December 1958 to March 1959. In the fourth quarter of 1960, the first 537 commodity Zaporozhets passed through the sales department, and in 1961, only 8297 cars went into the distribution network. Over the next two years, production gradually revived, approaching 20 thousand cars a year. But one could only dream about the design capacity of the plant, so in 1966 about 45 thousand Zaporozhians were released. Several thousand were disabled cars, a little more than a thousand a year - a modification for medical assistance. Exotic postal ZAZ-965S with right-hand drive was built for two years: 200 cars in 1962 and 450 in 1963.

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The Zaporozhian Cossacks dispersed throughout the country, but no one thought about pre-sale preparation or service maintenance. Private traders unofficially repaired the Volga in taxi fleets, and Muscovites - in communication and medical service car depots. Nobody knew what to do with Zaporozhets, especially in the outback.


There were complaints about breakdowns, lack of spare parts and questions about where to repair such a car in general. Growing pains were inevitable. But who overcame the difficulties, he appreciated that Zaporozhets can turn around "on a patch" in a cramped city courtyard, in terms of cross-country ability it is not inferior to all-wheel drive vehicles (it is light and with heavily loaded driving wheels), that it is not difficult to start it in frost, having previously "fired up" heater. True, the flammable stove did not forgive mistakes and required a careful study of the instructions.


The "cramped" salon turned out to be not so cramped, and many owners of the Zaporozhtsev traveled to Moskvich in the "420th body". And then a small 4-seater closed car on four wheels - this is a fundamentally different level of convenience compared to a motorcycle. Let me remind you that there were a lot of private motorcycles in the USSR even before the war, and by the 60s they became widespread.

New Zaporozhets, cargo Zaporozhets, military Zaporozhets

From 1961 to 1966, ZAZ OGK developed a new generation ZAZ-966 Zaporozhets with a more spacious interior and a more advanced suspension. All speculation that he was "copied from NSU Prinz" turned out to be untrue. Neither ZAZ nor NAMI had such cars purchased as analogues, the creators of ZAZ-966 did not know anything about this NSU model at all, and under the apparent similarity of the external shape, there is a completely different division and design of the body units. In December 1966, ZAZ barely mastered two (!) Commercial copies of the "new Zaporozhets", and for the whole of 1967 put on sale only 933 cars.


ZAZ-965 and ZAZ-966 could well coexist in the USSR - they belonged to different groups of an especially small class, differed in capacity, consumer qualities and price. The hasty withdrawal from production of the ZAZ-965 in May 1969 was unanimously condemned by car owners - the cheapest car left the market. Outraged voices sounded until the 80s when Oki's upcoming release was announced. Despite the technical solutions frankly borrowed from FIAT and Volkswagen, ZAZ-965 sold well in Europe, which cannot be said about ZAZ-966. Where it was possible to sell hundreds of "old" Zaporozhians, a few tens of "new" ones could hardly find buyers.

As for the family of cars for various purposes, the role of a public car was played by Zaporozhets himself, the role of a disabled person, as mentioned above, is its modification. A car for agriculture with the same power unit was released in the late 60s, like the LuAZ-969 in different versions.


ZAZ-970 wagon layout in the form of a van, pickup and mini-bus, was designed, tested and abandoned halfway. I also did not see the serial production of ZAZ-971D with the simplest open body and rear engine. And the conveyor of the front edge, for the sake of which the whole project was started, got to the Lutsk conveyor for a long time. The first commercial batch of LuAZ-967 was manufactured only in 1975.

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