Minibuses RAF. What has become with Soviet auto plants: RAF, ERAZ, LAZ and others (11 photos) RAF USSR

The dynamics of modern standards is modest. Seventy five horse power The engine for a thousand seven hundred with nuts of kilograms of the exhaust mass is not much at all. But in the sixties it was enough. Some European analogs have been loose more. And now Raf, even if it is not fast, you can take it to quite sufficient for urban speeds. We just need not to forget that the brakes are not at all modern here: drum and without amplifier. Of course, they try, as they can restrain the car, but it is not necessary to put pressure on the pedal, and the slowdown is still not the god of the news.

Roured also requires skills. Even on a straight rate at 50 km / h, "Rafik" begins to swim a little, demanding constant infringement. By the way, the car can rather confidently can go and at a speed of 100-110 km / h, but such a pace is not a rustling of the 977th Rafa.

IN fast turns The high minibus is noticeably cubed, but the stroke is soft. In general, in the 1960s, and in the early 1970s, the comfortable RAF-977 was undoubtedly the best Soviet serial nurse and a car, quite comparable in many of the parameters with imported analogues.

Latvija from Latvia

UAZ was performed primarily for rural areas and at first in very small quantities. So the main urban machine for hospitalization of patients was RAF. In the early 1960s, the challenges, however, began to leave and fast on the basis, but they are again less comfortable for physicians.

It was small, and it is not too great. By the way, the cars collected were drowning on the stands with wheels and pushed along the rails - a shaped hand conveyor. Before the construction of a new plant in Jelgava, there were still almost two decades, so the natives and minibuses on the units of the 21st Volga did only a small Riga plant. In order not to reduce their production, the release of vans was transferred to Yerevan.

The first samples of medical machines were made from 1958 on the basis of RAF-977B. In the large series in 1962, the sanitary raf-977 was launched - this is a modification of the RAF-977D minibus. After modernization in the 1968th, who touched the main body (it was once again strengthened, changed side windows), the medical machine received the index RAF-977. The car on which I managed to ride exactly such.

Cabinet number 977.

Of course, the suspension from the Volga worked on a heavy car at the limit of possibilities (especially the front), but the course of "Rafa" is very soft. And this, believe me, is important and those who are taken, and those who are lucky. At one time I experienced a sanitary gazelle, and then an imported minibus. Difference, I share you, huge! And the raf in the smoothness of the stroke is about in the middle between them, and certainly more comfortable gazelles with a rigid cargo suspension.

The doctor here, of course, is much more convenient than in the 22nd Volga, - Mésta plenty. The sanitary "rafiki" was very different from each other with a complete set, but in any case, the medical compartment was accompanied by everything necessary and possible equipment in those years, including an artificial respiratory unit. In this sense, the car was quite modern. He would have a high roof ... The first such Soviet cars appeared on the basis next model - RAF-2203, and even at first only Finnish production.

The sanitary 977th was shot in dozens, and even in hundreds of Soviet films - in drams, detectives, household stories from medical life. Thanks to this, the connoisseurs of the Soviet retro today can learn how such cars looked and were staffed. By the way, this RAF, on which we went to the challenge today (of course, fictional), participates in filming, helping more accurately recreate the long-stayed era. In general, a car in good health and is ready for this work. We assume that it is not retired, but simply in stock.

The high local authorities praised the car, promised to find investors. Moreover, the second, not less interesting car - "Stils" (M2). Alas, and him, and "Roxane" was destined to remain only prototypes ... But designers and testes of the Riga bus factory were calculated that their minibus and at the beginning of the twentieth century would be modern.

Back in the mid-1980s, when a huge country lived with restructuring hopes, on Rafa, the modernization of the model 2203 was on the raf. grabbed. The durability of the suspension, steering, the brakes was very low. By the way, despite the two hydraulovers (one in each contour), were also ineffective.

Riga designers who have conceived "tighten" RAF-2203 to an acceptable level, found a like-minded person in us - an ardent supporter front drive Vladimir Andreevich Mironova. It created a simple and reliable suspension with the guide apparatus of two inserted one into another pipes and shock absorbers, resting the upper ends in the body - a certain simplified similarity of Mac-Fersson. There were no suitable racks in the USSR, but especially for a relatively small minibus plant, no one would produce them. Pendant designed by Mironov in us, Riga designers called McMiron.

Mironov, together with the chief designer of Rafa, Ivan Stepanovich Danquis conceived and root modernization of the brakes. The minibus was installed on two "nivov" caliper on each front wheel and vacuum, instead of hydraulic, amplifier. Designed a new trauma-safe steering shaft. In parallel, the design "Rafa" was refreshing: new grille appeared, the glass of the front doors, the mirrors. Tests of 1986 showed that not only reliability improved, but also the handling of the car.

The most "little" was to convince the plant management and, most importantly, Maintoprom to allocate considerable funds for modernization. Riga saved as they could. The suspension was decided to do themselves - in Jelgava they planned for this shop. So far, the decision in the top matured, in 1989, two modernized RAF-22038-30 was sent to the mileage to Vladivostok. Machines (one of them passed before the long journey of state tests) returned to Riga almost without complaints. But the series managed to launch only version 22038-02 with an old suspension. As very often happened in those years - "while" ...

And the country has already begun the time of unprecedented hopes and grand projects. What is there modernization of a model of almost 20 years ago? New, first in the USSR selected by the team (remember this?) Rafa Director Viktor Davydovich Bossert proclaimed: We will do the CHI century car! Which of the designers and designers would not respond to such a call. The Bossert initiated a All-Union Competition, patronized by the Komsomol Pravda, on the design of a minibus. Participated specialists of several Soviet factories, but they won their, Riga. No travelers: they were just more "in the subject."

Initially planned the machine with the front actuator, but still stopped on the classic layout. Such a car was easier to bring to the conveyor, relying on the components manufactured in the USSR. On the prototype M1 with the design of Riganina Vladimir Vasilyeva, there was an injection engine ZMZ-406 - the most modern in the union at that time, the rack "Mac-Fersson" from the promising representative's "Volga" GAZ 3105, a five-speed gearbox UAZ. Steering rack And the amplifier for the prototype had to be borrowed from Ford. In the 1990th minibus, a little similar (but not a copy of it!) On Transit, made the first flight near NTC Raf on Dutz Street in Riga.

Prototype trusted to the British company IAD, which has already cooperated with us and UAZ in the creation of a semi-trial truck (SP, 2003, No. 1). The British had a great job, bringing to the mind of the body and the interior of Roxani and taking a lot of Riga. By the way, the car has acquired the car just at this time. But Danquis and Mironov have already promoted another project - the car with a shortened "nose" and, after all, the front-wheel drive. The end of the 1980s is the maximum time!

The RAF-M2 project led the deputy chief designer Roman Popov. The design was developed in us, the layout was done on the promise, with which Rafa had good ties. The motor on the "Stils" collected in 1993 was all the same - ZMZ-406. The front suspension is duct, because high racks in a bad car were not placed. Rear suspension The design resembled Moskvich 2141. Riga dreamed of pneumatic, but they understood that this is not close to tomorrow. Steering At the prototype, imported - from Mercedes-Benz.

Road tests failed. Testers, like other specialists, one after another left the plant, life on which, as in many other enterprises of the USSR, slowly sighed. However, the Body of Stylis was tested for strength and vibration resistance at a still working Riga car-building. The car, or rather, the body, as engineers say, turned out to be "honest" - showed good results.

The designers still hoped to bring the car at least to small-scale production. We went through the plants former USSRTrying to find suppliers of electrical equipment, gearboxes, glasses. To begin with, planned to produce "Styls" in the shop of small series, along with trucks and specials on the basis of RAF-22038.

The minibus was taken by exhibitions. The press and, of course, "behind the wheel" did not go through his attention, praised for the advanced design. But it was not destined to become at least a petrolery car. To make it entirely in Latvia - absolute utopia, and foreign, after the collapse of the USSR, the developments in the former fraternal republics nobody was interested. In Russia, also began to produce Gazelle.

Now this is the story. After all, the years have passed "after Rafa", everyone has changed very much. But, looking at the miracle, "Roxana" and "Styls", who involuntarily think: But the creators of these machines were right - they and at the beginning of the twentieth century do not look dinosaurs.

Minibus RAF-2203 "Latvia" was launched into mass transformation at the Riga bus factory in 1976. When creating this car, which came to replace the outdated model 977, the Volga aggregates were used. Rafa-2203 was carrying a all-metal body with a length of 4.98 meters, located in front of the ZMZ engine with a volume of 2.4 liters (85, after upgrading 95 liters. P.) Rear wheels. In 1987, an upgraded version of the minibus RAF-22038 began to be produced.

The car had several modifications, the most common of which is a twelve-seater minibus. A large number of "raffikov" was used as an ambulance machine, and for sale to individuals in small quantities, an eight-month version was produced, to control which it was enough to category B. In addition, the factory did cars for the police, for firefighters, a mini-row and two-row Cabin.

In the 1990s, customers from Russia were the main buyers of Rafikov. But after in 1996, the production of much more modern minibuses "" was launched on Gaza, the export of Latvian cars was rapidly dropped to zero. The production of RAFs was stopped in 1997, in 1998 the company was recognized as a barmist.

Minibuses of this type were widely used as route taxis, emergency cars and in the role of official transport until the mid-90s, then in Russia were gradually ousted by "gazelles", and in Latvia, Mercedes minibuses and other foreign cars.
SERIONY SUBJECT OF PERSONAL PICTURE RAF-2203 "LATVIA" (Latvija. RAF-2203 Latvija) (1976-1987 - RAF-2203; 1987-1997 - RAF-22038), produced by the Riga bus factory in 1976 -1997.
In 1976, a new plant in Yelgava under Riga was put into operation a new plant named after the XXV Congress of the CPSU, designed for production of 17,000 buses per year and began the manufacture of 11-seater 95-strong minibuses of RAF-2203 "Latvia" on the aggregates of the passenger "Volga »GAZ-24. Four-door model with advanced design preserved the main constructive features Predecessor - RAF-977DM. Moreover, the "Volga" remained the main donor of the aggregates, but already the GAZ-24 models. On the basis of this, a somewhat more comfortable minibus was distributed route taxis and ambulance carriages. Small parties also produced a 8-seater Luxury, which was sometimes delivered to personal use. large families. There were other rare species of the type of Finnish reanimobals Toro based on RAF. In 1987, a modernized model of RAF-22038 was mastered in the Gorkovskaya Volga-24-10, which inherited the ZMZ-402 engine (-4021) and the two-circuit brake system from the "donor". Externally, RAF-22038 was distinguished by the facing of the front with the new false radiator lattice and aluminum bumpers with plastic side sections, as well as the lack of branded emblem of Rafa. On the prototype 22038, which demonstrated at the exhibition "Auto industry of the USSR 60 years" in 1984, in the back of the sidewall was located narrow swivel vents, but on serial model The body of type 2203 was actually saved. Since 1993, RAF-22039 was produced. This modification was characterized by increased passenger capacity (thirteen man). It was achieved due to a reduction to a minimum of the luggage space.
RAF-2203 was the most massive Soviet minibus and actually the only domestic, not counting the imported "domestic" and "beetle", as well as all-wheel drive UAZ-452V which was produced at the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant in a relatively small amount and mainly supplied to export.
The factory modification of a minibus designed to work in mode route taxiThe seats were located on the sides of the cabin, while in a modification designed to work as a service of seats were located crosswise. However, later (in nineties), many service minibuses were also used as a route taxi, so there were cars with different layout of passenger seats on urban routes.
The length of RAF-2203 was the same 4.9 meters as the 977th model, but the width increased up to 2.035 meters, which made the salon noticeably spacious. By default, the cabin was still set ten seats. The eleventh passenger could ride next to the driver. The twelfth, in violation of all rules, could be pressed on motor compartment And go back forward until you free some seat.
A few words about the shortcomings of the bus construction. The problems of operation of this model were associated with the location of the heavy engine over the front axle, directly between the driver and passenger seatsthat with poor ravings on the axes led to constant breakdowns and, as a result, failure to fail the front suspension, as well as disgusting handling on slipping roadWhat the drum brakes of all wheels contributed to a large extent. All shortcomings engine ZMZ. In a more severe and, as a rule, always fully loaded minibus are manifested significantly earlier and sharpen stronger (for example, fuel consumption and oil, overheating in hot weather, vibration, etc.). To the well-known shortcomings of the carriage layout in general, somehow: an inconvenient entry and output from a driver's seat, the actual absence of passive protection in front, the complicated design of the steering mechanism and the drive of the gearbox, an increased level of noise and gas supply in the cabin - also "specific" quality problems was added Accessories and assemblies, especially if we consider that the lion's share of parts for the production of RAF received from sediments from alliance.
The production of RAFs was stopped in early 1997 due to the loss of the main sales market in the CIS countries, where a more modern analogue appeared - Gazelle Gorkovsky Automobile Plant.
Predecessor - RAF-977DM


Experienced RAF-2203

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History of the brand RAF / RAF

Riga bus factory, RAF (Latvian. Rigas Autobusu Fabrika, Raf) - Soviet and Latvian minibus manufacturing enterprise. In 1949, on the basis of the Riga Car Repair Plant No. 2, which was located in the former workshops of Dezmanis and drove on the street. Terbatas, "Riga Plant of Bus Body" (RZAC) was created. The activity of the plant was the production of medium buses. In 1951, Rzak was combined with the "Riga experimental automotive factory" (react). In 1953, the plant released the first 25 RAF-651 buses. Capotic RAF-651 was a copy of the Gaza-651 Gazhkovsky bus on GAZ-51 cargo, accompanied 25 passengers and had 16 seats. On June 10, 1954, the order of the Ministry of Motor Transport was reorganized into the "Riga Experienced Bus Plant", but already on September 30, 1954, it was renamed again - and this time received the final name: "Riga bus factory" (RAF). In 1955, the release of own development buses was established. New bus RAF-251 was also based on the GAZ-51 chassis, but already had wagon layout.

In 1957, RAF employees got acquainted with the minibuses of the Volkswagen brand and decided to organize the production of small comfortable buses in Riga. Chief Engineer Laimonis Klege, Designers Ya. Ositis (J. Ositis), G. Sils (G. Sils) and 4 more enthusiasts created the first RAF-10 car in an initiative order. In honor of the VI World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow, Raf-10 received the name "Festival" (Latvian. Festivals). RAF-10 was built on the platform a passenger car GAZ-M20 "Victory", had a wagon layout, steel carrying body and 10 seats (corresponding to the model index). The initial construction of the body caused a lot of complaints and in 1958 was changed. The car also received the engine from GAZ 21 "Volga". On November 20, 1958, the plant began a serial release of the Minibus RAF-10 "Festival", 11 copies were made by the end of the year. The experience gained in the development and conclusion of RAF-10 and RAF-08 was realized in the RAF-977 model "Latvia" (Latvi. Latvija), built on the chassis of the car GAZ-21 "Volga". In 1958, the first 10 copies were released, since 1959, full-scale mass production was deployed. In 1960, the first generation machines were replaced by the upgraded RAF-977V.

In 1976, a new plant was commissioned in the city of Yelgava under Riga, designed for production of 17 thousand cars per year. Here, the production of 11-seater minibuses RAF 2203 "Latvia" on the aggregates of GAZ-24 "Volga" began. A lot of modifications were produced at its base, and the Finnish company Tamro created a resuscitation car. In the 1980s, excursion trains on the basis of RAF-2203 worked at the VDNH in Moscow. By 1986, the decline in the quality of production RAF caused public resonance to the USSR, which caused the resignation of the former leadership of the plant. In the spirit of restructuring reforms, in 1987, the appointment of the new director was preceded by his election by the plant by the plant from the list of proposed candidates. Victor Bosser won in the elections. This man served as director RAF until 1990. On September 6, 1991, RAF reorganized the joint-stock company. In the same year, Latvia became independent, an end to the Soviet planned economy came. After deploying in March 1996, on gas of large-scale production of minibuses of the GAZ-3221 family, "Gazelle", in many respects exceeding RAF products, the export of Latvian minibuses to Russia was rapidly sued. In 1997, production at the RAF plant stopped. The owners declared bankruptcy in 1998. As of 2010 most of Production buildings are destroyed, leased shopping areas are located in their place.