Cars of the USSR: models and photos

Now on the roads of our home country you can meet a huge number of different cars. The bulk of - of course, beautiful and new foreign cars. But there are representatives of the Soviet automotive industry. This old, long-established retro car is dedicated to our review. So, the cars of the USSR, photos and descriptions of cars.

Government ZIL-111

The main slogan of the domestic industry in the 1960s in general and the automobile industry in particular was the slogan "To Overtake America in All".
The first secretary of the Communist Party, NS Khrushchev, has repeatedly stated that he wants a car similar to the car of the American president. In addition, the "Stalin" government car ZIS-110 is already pretty outdated and did not meet the spirit of the era. As a result of the aspirations of Nikita Sergeyevich and the entire party top, in 1959 a new representative machine ZIL-111 appeared.

Like many cars in Russia and the USSR, ZIL-111 was very similar to the American model Cadillac. All the best that the Soviet car industry could do was embodied in this car: power steering, automatic gearbox, electronic glass lifts and a spacious stylish interior. A representative Soviet car withstood many modifications and enjoyed a well-deserved popularity among officials.

GAZ-13 "The Seagull"

It should be noted that the cars of the USSR were not particularly attractive. But "Seagull" ... Of course, this is the most stylish and beautiful representative car of the Union. Earlier it was already mentioned: the cars of Russia and the USSR are very similar in their design and technical solutions to the products of the Western automotive industry. GAZ-13 is made in the so-called fin style ("Detroit barroco"). The car was launched in 1959, and production did not stop for more than 30 years. "Seagull" was rightly called the long-lived car manufacturer.

As for the technical performance of the car, they were on top. Powerful engine capacity of 5.5 liters allowed to disperse the "hundred" in 20 seconds. The ceiling speed of the "Seagull" was a mark of 160 km / h.

It was not so easy to get the Seagull. Especially in the first years of production, ministers, first party secretaries, diplomats "hunted" behind the car. Therefore, GAZ-13 for a long time was unavailable to ordinary Soviet citizens. Only in the late 70-ies cars were used in Soviet institutions such as registry offices and executive committees.

ZAZ 965-968 Zaporozhets

In the post-war period, Soviet society had a dream of a so-called "public automobile". And she really was destined to come true. At the end of November 1960, the legendary Zaporozhets descended from the conveyor of ZAZ. The car was released according to the plans of the government. For the model of the future car it was decided to use the Italian Fiat 600. But it should be noted that the car did not become a copy of the model, and in some respects even surpassed it, having received a national recognition for compactness, comparative reliability and the main low price (about 3000 Soviet rubles).

The technical characteristics of the machine were quite worthy and at that time modern. The car could accelerate to 90 km / h and overcome significant obstacles on the road. It should be noted that there were several generations of Zaporozhets. Earlier for the form of his body got a comic nickname "hunchbacked", he inherited and later models of cars made in the USSR - ZAZ-966 and ZAZ-968.

GAZ-24 "Volga"

Black and white 24th "Volga" became a famous symbol of the Soviet era. The car produced for as long as 32 years (1970-1992). The "Volga" for every Soviet person was associated with prosperity and well-being, that's why it was a cherished dream. The machine immediately after the release went on a mass sale, but it was very difficult to buy it. Most of the models were distributed to state structures or exported. In addition, it was worth the "Volga" compared to "Muscovites" or "Zaporozhtsy" is very expensive. The car was subjected to a lot of modifications, but the most popular and stylish option was always a sedan.

GAZ-24 was very well equipped technically. The "Volga" equipment included: power steering, four-speed gearbox, two-chamber carburetor, curved glass. Under the hood of the car was a very powerful engine (95 horsepower) in volume of 2.4 liters.

The car was just perfect for that time. The comfort, reliability and unpretentiousness of the Volga made it truly a symbol of the Soviet Union.

VAZ-2101 - Kopeika

So, one more legend. The cars of the USSR were different, but this, perhaps, is the most popular. Again, for the prototype of "Penny" was taken Fiat 124. However, the Italian car was a little more perfect. In 1970, the first model of the "Zhiguli" came off the assembly line of the Volga Automobile Plant, which immediately gained recognition and popularity. The car was revolutionary for its time. High-quality assembly and design solutions combined well with an affordable price. VAZ-2101 was popular and far beyond the USSR, in Cambodia, Cuba, in many other countries of the third world on it go to this day.

Curious fact. As a result of a poll conducted by the Russian automobile magazine Za Rulem, the VAZ-2101 Kopeyka was recognized as the best domestic car of the century.

VAZ-2121 "Niva"

The leaders of the Soviet automobile industry in the mid-1970s were talking about an all-wheel drive car, as the USSR trucks could not perform all the functions assigned to them. The head of the Council of Ministers A. Kosygin put before the plant VAZ a task with which the developers coped more than "perfectly". In 1977, an excellent Soviet car VAZ-2121 "Niva" was produced. It was the first small SUV in the world. The assembly of the machine is characterized by high quality, and the design solutions for the permanent full drive significantly reduced the load on the transmission. "Niva" received recognition abroad, beat a number of world records and enjoyed a well-deserved popularity to this day.

Automobiles of the USSR and the Present

Models of cars of the USSR are very diverse. Many of them can be put on a par with foreign cars. To date, there are modernized cars of the USSR. Photos of some of them you can see both in the article and in other sources. And many of them were made on the model of the first model. In Russia and in the world still use the products of the Soviet car industry, both as retro solutions, and simply in the domestic sense. At the modernized factories of the USSR today, a huge number of modern cars are produced. A striking example is AvtoVAZ, which is based on the foundation of the Soviet Volzhsky Automobile Plant. Speaking about the cars of the Soviet Union, one should speak about quality, reliability and style.