2008, Reykjavik, the annual Retro Car Auto Show. To the surprise of the automobile public, the Soviet car ZAZ-9B5 "Zaporozheio of Kiev resident Alexey Martynenko became the master of the auto show in the" ultra-retro-compact "class. Without taking the car off the podium, he immediately set another Allin record, selling it to a certain American millionaire for 365 thousand euros!
The history of ZAZ-965, the first domestic mini-car, or, as they say now, an especially small class car, dates back to the mid-1950s, when the Moscow Small Car Plant (MZMA) stopped production of the 401st, the cheapest at that time. "Moskvich" and switched to the production of 402 - more expensive, albeit more modern.
I must say that in the post-war years, the automotive industry of European countries, taking into account the extremely low paying capacity of the population, relied on compact and inexpensive minicar cars - in Germany, these were the Messerschmitt three-wheeled scooter, four-wheeled microcars BMW-lzetta, Zundapp-Janus and Heinkel-Kabine, in Italy - FIAT-500 and FIAT-600, in France - Citroen 2CV, Mochet and Coggomobil. Well, the task of mass motorization of the population was not set before the Soviet auto industry - the ideologists of that time proclaimed the preferential development of public transport for our country - tram, trolleybus, bus and, in extreme cases, taxi.
For the first time in our country, the initiative to create an inexpensive mass-produced car was shown by the leadership of the Irbit Motorcycle Plant (IMZ), which at that time was producing a heavy M-72 motorcycle with a sidecar. The plant workers suggested organizing the production of an especially small class car at the IMZ on the basis of the main components of the motorcycle. The development of his project was entrusted to the Scientific Automotive Institute (NAMI), while as a result it was supposed to obtain a promising design, quite comfortable, as well as unpretentious in operation and unpretentious to the quality of roads to the same extent as a motorcycle with a sidecar.
One of the main creators of the minicar was the famous auto constructor and designer, Candidate of Technical Sciences Yu.A. Dolmatovsky. I will add - for many years he was a permanent member of the editorial board of the "Modelist-Constructor" magazine and its regular author. In the early 1950s, Yu.A. Dolmatovsky, in collaboration with the designer V.I. Aryamov, worked on the concept of a rear-wheel drive car with a wagon layout, which provided compactness, increased capacity, comfort, and also a lower drag coefficient. It was this layout that was chosen for the future mini-car.
The creation of two prototypes of the car, dubbed "Belka", took less than a year. Accelerated work on this car was facilitated by the "Kremlin" show in the summer of 1955 of European minicars to the leaders of the state headed by N.S. Khrushchev - shortly before this event, a batch of such cars was purchased by the Ministry of the Automotive Industry.
It was assumed that at an impromptu meeting, the First Secretary of the Central Committee would give valuable instructions to Soviet auto designers and tell which of the mini-foreign cars could become the prototype of the first Soviet compact car. During the conversation, Nikita Sergeevich was shown photographs of the "Squirrel" - he became interested in domestic development and ordered to urgently make prototypes of the unusual car.
Five prototypes of the car were built in a short time. Unfortunately, the matter did not come to their tests - by order from above, the engines were removed from them and installed on the prototypes of the future "Zaporozhets" developed in the design bureau of the MZMA, called "Moskvich-444". As a prototype for the car, the Minister of the Automotive Industry N.I. Strokin approved the Italian car of an especially small class FIAT-600. The design of the minicar was supervised by the chief designer of the MZMA A.F. Andronov.

It should be noted that the compact FIAT-600 was not chosen as a model by chance - this car, launched in series in 1955, was the last word of the Italian automotive industry, which had vast experience in creating such cars. This gave hope that a car made in his image and likeness could be produced for a long time.
The first sample of the Soviet compact car "based on" FIAT-600 was built in October 1957. The car did not become an absolute copy of the "six hundred" - with the external similarity, the landing diameter of its tires increased from 12 to 13 inches to increase ground clearance and, as a result, cross-country ability. In turn, the large wheels required changes in the suspension kinematics, an increase in wheel arches and, accordingly, an adjustment to the interior layout.
Another important difference from the "six hundred" was the engine - the Italian car was equipped with a 4-cylinder "four" liquid-cooled, and the future "Zaporozhets" was equipped at first with a motorcycle 2-cylinder OP-positive air-cooled engine MD-65 produced by IMZ. True, due to the developed crankcase, the prototype had to be equipped with wheel gears - this was the only way to provide the car with an acceptable ground clearance.
Tests of the car showed that a motorcycle engine was completely unsuitable for it. The motor developed 17.5 hp at the stand, which did not provide the car with the necessary dynamics. And the maximum speed of 80 km / h was significantly lower than the design one - 95 km / h. Fie stood up to criticism and the reliability of the engine - the mileage of the car before its overhaul was only 30 thousand kilometers.
The designers of MZMA and FIAMH had to take on the design of a new motor. Power units from Citroen 2CV, BMV-600 and VW Kafer ("Zhuk") cars were used as samples. The most acceptable from the point of view of the designers of the 444th turned out to be the NAMI-V boxer engine, modeled on the VW engine. With such a power unit, it was quite possible to launch the car in a series.
In accordance with the decision of the Gosplan board, it was decided to place the production of a new minicar not at the MZMA (it was fully occupied with the production of Muscovites), but to create a new car plant for the new car on the basis of the former Kommunar combine plant in the city of Zaporozhye. For reference, this enterprise was founded in the city of Aleksandrov (as the city of Zaporozhye was called until 1921) in 1863 for the manufacture of agricultural implements. During the Soviet years, the plant was reconstructed and expanded, after which an enterprise called Kommunar began to produce harvesters.
The production of engines for minicars was planned to be deployed at the former plant of light marine diesel engines in the city of Melitopol. At the same time, however, it was proposed to use for the car not the boxer engine NAMI-V, but NAMI-G, which, according to experts from the State Planning Commission, was designed at a higher technical level. He, however, had a drawback - the designers designed the motor in such a way that it could be installed only in front of the car! But the State Planning Commission had a weighty argument - NAMI-G, created by the military-industrial complex as a power unit for a light amphibious landing, was almost ready for serial production.
Contrary to the strong objections of the car developers, the 23-horsepower engine, which received the name MeMZ-965 in the series, was approved for installation on a minicar. True, its dimensions differed in a larger direction from the sizes of those engines that were installed on the 444th earlier, so the rear of the car had to be urgently redone - to change the rear fenders, and make the smooth hood convex. At the same time, it was necessary to adjust the layout of the engine - in particular, its block, which consisted of a gearbox, a clutch housing, a differential and a transfer case.
The finished minicar was named ZAZ-965 "Zaporozhets". On July 18, 1960, the car was taken to the Kremlin for approval.
Test driver A.V. Skidaenko drove N.S. Khrushchev along the building of the Council of Ministers of the USSR to Ivanovskaya Square and back. Nikita Sergeevich approved the car, advising the financiers to set a not too high price for it, which was done - the cost of "Zaporozhets" was 12,000 rubles (after the 1961 denomination - 1200 rubles).
Serial production of the minicar began on October 25, 1960; by the end of the year, the plant assembled about one and a half thousand cars.
In 1966, the car was modernized - it was equipped with a more powerful 27-horsepower engine with a working volume of 0.887 liters, a steering wheel with a recessed hub, sidelights under the headlights (and not on the fenders, like in cars of the first releases), moldings along the sidewalls of the body and a decorative grille on the front panel.
The 965th turned out to be the long-awaited and therefore the beloved brainchild of the Soviet people. This was facilitated by its relative affordability, and excellent maintainability (they say that almost any more or less literate driver could disassemble and reassemble a miniature passenger car), and fantastic cross-country ability due to the smooth bottom and competent weight distribution along the axles (even 650 -kilogram "Zaporozhets" easily pulled out the crew of a minicar), and excellent economy (the car consumed only 6.5 liters of 76th gasoline per hundred kilometers) and, in the end, the high strength and rigidity of the two-door body.
The serial production of the "humpback" continued for nine years, during this time the Zaporozhye automobile plant produced 302,166 cars, after which it happened, which often happens to many of our automobile plants, sometimes forgetting that consumer sympathies created and cultivated for many years manufactured goods, which are now called the capacious term "brand", are just as invaluable as the design and engineering solutions incorporated into the product. The car, which was loved by Soviet motorists, was discontinued and instead of it, the production of a completely inexpressive ZAZ-966 began, which differed slightly from the “Muscovites” and “Zhiguli” in size and price, and very radically in terms of consumer properties.

Airframe ZAZ-965A

ZAZ-965A "Zaporozhets" is a frameless minicar four-seater two-door car of an especially small class with a monocoque body. The engine is a carburetor, 4-cylinder, V-shaped upper clan, its power is 27 hp, it is located together with the transmission units in the rear part of the body. Fuel - gasoline A-76, control fuel consumption - 5.9 l / 100 km; the highest speed is 90 km / h.
ZAZ-965A had a modernized power unit of the MeMZ-966 model produced by the Melitopol Motor Plant, which included the engine itself, a clutch and a gearbox with a main gear. All engine units are mounted on a common crankcase, cast from a magnesium alloy. On top of the crankcase, there are separate cast iron cylinders arranged in two rows at an angle of 90 degrees. Cooling ribs are cast on the outer surface of each cylinder. Above, on each pair of cylinders, a common ribbed head made of light alloy is fixed through a gasket.
The pistons were cast from an aluminum alloy. The crankshaft, which had four cranks located in pairs in mutually perpendicular planes, was mounted on three main bearings in the front and rear walls of the crankcase and in its middle bulkhead.
The latest ZAZ-965A cars were equipped with an upgraded 30-horsepower MeMZ-966A engine.
The drive mechanisms of the driving wheels of the car, including the main gear and the differential with semi-axles, are installed in a common crankcase with the gearbox, which is connected to the engine crankcase.
The car is equipped with a dry single-plate clutch with peripherally located springs and a mechanical pedal release drive. A stamped steel clutch cover, which houses a pressure plate with six pressure springs, is bolted to the engine flywheel. Between the flywheel and the pressure plate there is a clutch disc with friction linings.

The ZAZ-965A has a two-shaft four-speed gearbox with synchronizers for engaging the second, third and fourth gears. All gearbox mechanisms are mounted in a crankcase, cast from light alloy together with the final drive housing and attached to the clutch housing.

The rear drive wheels have independent suspension. The drive shaft bracket for each of the drive wheels is attached to a swinging two-arm angular suspension arm. The wheel suspension uses coil springs with telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers inside.

The wheels of the car are disc, lightweight, with a deep symmetrical rim; wheel tires - tubeless. A characteristic feature of the Zaporozhets is a rather large camber of the rear wheels, which, however, under normal load, became almost invisible.
The front wheels also have independent suspension. The elastic element of the front suspension is a pair of rectangular torsion bars assembled from steel plates and installed in tubular casings. The latter are rigidly fixed across the vehicle at the front of the base of the body.

Front suspension shock absorbers are hydraulic, telescopic type. The steering gear of the ZAZ-965A car is a pair of a globoid worm and a two-ridge roller. The latter is fixed on the shaft axis of the steering arm on ball bearings. The worm, mounted in the crankcase on two tapered roller bearings, is fixed to the lower end of the steering shaft. The steering box is secured to the body base bracket and the steering column is secured to the bracket on the body shield. The two-spoke steering wheel is mounted on the upper end of the steering shaft. The signal button is located in the center of the steering wheel.
The ZAZ-965 brake system includes shoe (drum) brakes with hydraulic drive from the foot pedal. The rear brakes also perform the function of parking brakes and have a cable drive from a lever located between the front seats of the machine.

The "humpback" still has a lot of fans, confirmed by numerous rallies and shows of vintage cars, as well as clubs and communities of fans of 965 "Cossacks". Many amateur autobuilding historians and amateur mechanics scrupulously restore retro cars to the last detail, many enthusiasts consider these minicars as an object for tuning, creating magnificent examples of automotive design on the basis of the 965s. Well, the smallest part continues to drive "humpbacks", causing a kind smile from the drivers of oncoming and passing cars.

Driver's workplace:

1 - gas pedal; 2 - gear change lever; 3 - brake pedal; 4 - clutch pedal; 5 - handle of the trunk hood lock; 6 - beep button; 7 - windscreen washer pump switch; 8 - instrument panel; 9 steering wheel; 10- sun visor;
11 - rearview mirror; 12 warning light for emergency oil pressure; 13-toggle switch for turning on the wiper blades; 14 - central light switch; 15 - ignition lock key; 16 - toggle switch for turning on direction indicators; 17 - a control lamp of the generator; 18 - heater switch; 19-signal lamp for normal operation of the heater; 20-handle for heater flaps; 21 - button for controlling the air damper of the carburetor ("suction"); 22-lever hand (parking) brake
The instrument panel of the ZAZ-965 car had the required minimum of indicators: a speedometer with a distance meter, fuel level and oil temperature indicators, a repeater of turn signals and a warning lamp for headlights

10 years after the end of the Second World War, the standard of living of Soviet people began to rise, and there was a need for an inexpensive small car. After the extraordinary congress of the party, the designers began to produce their prototypes - NAMI-050 "Belka", NAMI-031, NAMI-059 and others. However, these projects were rejected, and the government decided that it was not worth delaying the development of its own model, but that we, as usual, took the finished car from the Italians and built our own on its basis.

The Italian Fiat 600 by that time had already been in serial production for 4 years and was so adapted to serial production that a year later, in 1960, the first Zaporozhets left the assembly line.

Initially, ZAZ-965 was planned to be produced at the MZMA plant. Indeed, back in 1957, on the basis of the same Italian Fiat, MZMA produced its prototype Moskvich-444, but after the party congress, all the technical documentation was transferred to the Kommunar plant (in 1961 it was renamed the Zaporozhye automobile plant ZAZ), while producing harvesters and tractors.

Despite the fact that this car was developed as a popular one, it was not destined to become such, this was due to its cost, which was much higher than cars of this class, even more expensive than its Italian prototype and a small production volume. In October 1962, the ZAZ-965 car was removed from production, more precisely, it was modernized and now it began to be referred to as the ZAZ-965A, which was produced until 1969, even though the ZAZ-966 was already produced in 1966.

Design and construction

Despite the external resemblance to the Italian Fiat, the ZAZ-965 had its own distinctive features. For example, the doors were hinged on the rear and opened against the movement. The sidelights were located on the fenders at the level of the hood. There was also an additional rectangular barred hole above the license plate on the hood, which served to exhaust air, which cooled the engine and some other changes.

V-shaped engine ZAZ-965 was installed in the rear of the car, its prototype was a BMW engine for an amphibious all-terrain vehicle. This 4-cylinder air-cooled engine, called MeMZ-965, was originally developed for the army amphibious TPK, had a volume of 746 cm 3 and a power of 23 horsepower. The cylinder diameter was 66 mm and the piston stroke was 54.5 mm.

Since the engine was located at the rear, it was cooled by an exhaust fan, which sucked in air coming from the outside through the "gills" through the ribs of the cylinders and threw it back through the grill in the trunk lid. This very grille was another distinctive feature of the Zaporozhets, in comparison with FIAT. The dimensions of the engine were larger than that of the Fiat 600, which resulted in a hump at the rear of the car. It is because of this hump that Zaporozhets received the nickname "Humpbacked". The TPK amphibious transporter also borrowed the gearbox, main gear and rear suspension.

In addition, for the first time in the years of operation, significant shortcomings were revealed. The luggage compartment was still small enough, the noise level left much to be desired, the engine constantly overheated in the summer, and did not want to start in winter. It's not worth talking about a place in the salon, as in a birdhouse. The engine resource was also short-lived due to the intense temperature conditions. The petrol heater of the passenger compartment, due to the lack of liquid cooling, was not only unreliable, but even fire hazardous.

The version of the car, modernized in October 1962, became known as ZAZ-965A. The car received an updated engine with a volume of 877 cm 3, the cylinder diameter increased to 72 mm, and the power to 27 horsepower. The situation with its overheating has changed; for this, changes were made to the car body. The air intake pads on the rear fenders took a new shape, and instead of two rows of narrow stripes, they were pushed outward and had one row of wide slots. This increased the flow of air into the engine compartment. The front side lights have been moved from the top of the fenders under the headlights.

Modifications

• - Modification of the 965 from 1962. With a modified engine and some body parts;
• - Produced for disabled people who have lost one or both legs. The controls were both manual and standard pedals, ala suits everyone !;
• - Modified ZAZ-965A for disabled people;
• - Modification for disabled people who have lost one arm or one leg;
• - Modification with the right-hand steering wheel, for the service engaged in the removal of letters from mailboxes.

Car video

Specifications

"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. The 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 "humpback" 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. Even if you happen to get stuck in a swamp or snow, you have problems getting out. The weight of the car was 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

While creating the design of the car, the designers did not attach much importance to decorative elements and wide additional functionality. This is not surprising, since 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 "humpback": technical characteristics

The main body part is the crankcase. Its inner baffle has a special cavity for supporting a 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 transmission 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 "humpback" 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: "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.

The new connecting rods, the bore of the intake and exhaust manifolds, the installation of a pump from the "figure eight" and a carburetor zeroer will help to reduce fuel consumption. 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 rear, it is necessary to choose a suitable gearbox designed for the rear power units.

The transmission unit will fit from later versions of Zaporozhtsev, 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.

The external modernization also includes 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 standard 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, is 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 removed, 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 site. 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 fastened 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 the reshaping of the skeleton for a new engine, since the wheel arches expand, and the rear axle of the car is moved.

Humpbacked antiques! 1965 ZAZ 965 0.9 l / 27 HP - 50 years one owner

ZAZ-965 "Zaporozhets"- Soviet minicar, produced from 1960 to 1963.

ZAZ-965A "Zaporozhets"- modification with a 27 hp engine, produced from November 1962 to 1969.

A total of 322,166 cars of all modifications were produced.

PRICE

At the time of its appearance in 1960, "Zaporozhets" cost 18,000 pre-reform rubles - however, in reality that year only a small batch of cars was produced, mainly sold to allied factories of ZAZ, the first commercial vehicles went on sale after the monetary reform, at the price of 1,800 rubles. 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 seller and the safety of the car, ranging from several thousand rubles to several thousand dollars.

MODIFICATIONS

• 965 / 965А - standard modification
• 965Э / 965АЭ "Yalta" - an export modification, distinguished by side sloping moldings, improved interior trim, enhanced noise insulation, as well as an ashtray and an outside rear-view mirror on the left side. The dealers also installed a radio on their 965E / 965AE "Yalta" cars. The import was carried out through the Finnish company Konela (under the name "Jalta") and the Belgian company Scaldia (under the name "Yalta").
• 965B / 965AB - modification designed for disabled people with damaged legs and healthy hands.
• 965Р / 965АР - modification designed for disabled people who have one healthy arm and one healthy leg.
• 965С / 965АС - postal van for collecting letters with a right-hand drive. The car had modified air intakes of the cooling system. The rear side windows have been replaced with metal panels.
• The pickup for in-plant use did not have its own index. They were made from defective bodies of serial cars.

ZAZ-965 IN THE PEOPLE

An early version of the ZAZ-965 can be seen in the movie "The Queen of the Gas Station".

Also, the car appears in the cartoon "Winter in Prostokvashino" -

... and bought the old "Zaporozhets", collapsed ...

"ZAZ-965" is shown briefly in the Soviet cartoon "Well, wait!" in the fifth issue, when the Wolf tries to force the Hare to leave the phone booth. When he lights up a lot of cigarettes, he starts pumping and he goes out onto the road, where he is almost knocked down by a green Zaporozhets. A car similar to the ZAZ-965 can be seen in the 20th series "Well, wait!"

"ZAZ-965" also starred in the films "Three plus two" (1962), "Until the thunder breaks out" (1967), "Once upon a time twenty years later", "Detective" (1979), "Casket of Maria Medici" (1980) , "Golden Eye" (1995), "Patriotic Comedy" (1992), "LAPPY. Episode 1 "(2009); Georgian short films "Saturday evening" (1975) and "Three rubles" (1976). The export version of the ZAZ-965AE can be seen in the movie "Acceleratka" (1987), and a home-made convertible based on the ZAZ-965 - in the movie "Be My Husband" (1981). In the "Adult" series of the animated series "Barboskins" a scale model "ZAZ-965" with a convertible body is present as a Druzhka machine.

Also, ZAZ-965 is one of the heroes of the video for the song "Hey Guy" by Chris Kelmi and the Rock-Atelier group.

• Popular nicknames: "Zhuzhik", "Constipation", "ZAZik", "Kid", etc. But despite the ridicule and anecdotalism, the car was a popular favorite, until the 80s of the last century, while in the XXI century there are lovers of this model.
• Air inlet louvers, the so-called "Gills", have another name, which has an interesting history. During the development process, one of the main problems of the car was overheating of the engine. The solution was found by one of the designers of the Kommunar plant (ZAZ), by the name of Wasserman. After testing, the idea was approved and after, for this detail, the nickname "Wasserman grater" was stuck.
• Since, thanks to the design, the car was distinguished by high cross-country ability, the people joked: "Where a foreign car slows down," constipation "on the belly will creep in!"
• Among the modifications of the "zhuzhik" there was also a model for disabled people with one arm and one leg ZAZ-965AR. The main feature was an automatic electromagnetic clutch - only two pedals and a gear lever were used to drive the car. Subsequently, it was recognized as insufficiently reliable - the ferromagnetic powder lost its properties over time, in addition, due to the increased moment of inertia of the armature, the fast gear shifting required for intensive acceleration of the car was not provided, and the gearbox synchronizers were significantly overloaded and worn out more. Therefore, over time (already on models based on ZAZ-968), a vacuum-driven clutch was introduced instead.
• The ZAZ-965 became the last Soviet car with a turn signal toggle switch (in fact, the early ZAZ-966 also had a turn signal toggle switch in the middle of the dashboard) and with doors opening against the car's movement.

Exactly 55 years ago, in November 1960, at the Kommunar plant in Zaporozhye, the serial production of the minicar ZAZ-965 was launched - the famous "hunchback", which became the hero of many films and anecdotes in the USSR

The history of the creation of this model began in the mid-50s. Then the USSR was restoring the national economy after the Great Patriotic War, which left the country not only devastation, but also hundreds of thousands of disabled people who became such during the hostilities. Many of them needed vehicles because they could not move on their own. True, since 1952, the production of sidecars has been launched at a motorcycle plant in Serpukhov for the disabled, but they were distinguished by an extremely unaesthetic design, a low level of comfort and were rightfully considered a parody of a car and a mockery of war invalids.

At the same time, Soviet leaders, including Nikita Khrushchev, understood that people who gave their health for victory should drive good cars. And in general, such a car would not hurt Soviet citizens, because the level of their well-being was growing. What was needed was a small, reliable, easy-to-operate, cheap-to-manufacture, affordable and eye-pleasing vehicle. And soon it was decided to release such a minicar.

Undercover passions

The development was entrusted to specialists from the Moscow Small Car Plant (MZMA, later AZLK), the chief designer of which at that time was Alexander Fedorovich Andronov. Here is what he wrote about it in his memoirs: “A call from the Deputy Chairman of the USSR State Planning Committee N.I. String:

Call me today at seven o'clock, I need to talk about a task.

Appeared. I'm listening.

I here endorsed the Decree on the Zaporozhye plant. It is your responsibility to design the car. The deadlines are short, so keep that in mind. Make a characteristic yourself, agree with US and give it to me for approval. I have to say that I like FIAT-600. It is technologically advanced, so a prerequisite in the task should be exactly the same division of the body and the methods of connecting its panels. But we must not “rip off” FIAT, this is a prerequisite ...

Nikolay Ivanovich! But we started designing model 408, there are not enough people, there are no premises, no one wants to develop the engineering service - neither the plant, nor SOVNARKHOZ. Let someone else design. Here at least US!

Well, here's another! I said that I had endorsed the Resolution. This is just right for you, and your people know small cars ... This issue is resolved, proceed to implementation. At US, I instructed Lipgart to prepare the task and characteristics with you. So hurry up in this matter ...

But even here difficulties arose. Lipgart, represented by NAMI, rested on a desire to copy the front suspension of a Volkswagen car. It’s high time not to “rip off”. We argued ... But when approving the terms of reference and characteristics, Strokin adopted the wording of NAMI. The question remained with the engine. First, a two-cylinder, V-shaped, air-cooled was recorded. And I must say that the design of the entire rear-engine unit, including the transmission and suspension, depends on the design of the engine, and, in addition, the design of the power unit largely affects the design of the entire rear of the car.

Having designed a car, a body and a good air-cooled engine, we already foresaw the imminent completion of the work, but then changes in the engine assignment rained down, and everything was approved by Strokin. Lipgart proposed a two-cylinder boxer engine from BMW with a subsequent purchase of a license. And that was also approved. We have redesigned the entire rear of the vehicle. And after a while, another engine was proposed. The next option is a four-cylinder, V-shaped, air-cooled. NAMI took over its design ... For the sixth time, the rear of the car was altered ... Finally, the project was ready. The body shape was based on a sculpted model, and the principle applied on the FIAT-600 car was laid in the scheme of dividing and connecting the body panels. For the first time, front and rear windows of the same size and shape were used in the body of a passenger car. Front suspension - torsion bar, similar to that of Volkswagen. The car's layout is vitally strong, the parameters of both suspensions are selected successfully for all types of roads. Large ground clearance provided driving on country roads. Low weight with relatively high strength and reasonable detailed unification with the "Moskvich" distinguished this car. "

Go!

The novelty was to be produced at the Kommunar plant in Zaporozhye, and the engines were supplied from the Melitopol Motor Plant. Actually, the plant became "Kommunar" under the Soviet regime, and it was founded back in 1863 by the Dutch businessman Abraham Koop.

The main product at all times is agricultural machinery. It is not surprising, therefore, that there was no equipment or specialists for auto production in Zaporozhye. Everything had to be organized from scratch. Much credit for this belongs to the then director of the enterprise, Yevgeny Gobelko, who personally traveled to all the car factories of the Soviet Union and got acquainted with the experience accumulated there.

Gobelko first of all set about creating design and technological services, which, in addition to the main responsibilities, took upon themselves the training of workers, debugging of technology, production of pilot batches of parts, experimental assembly of machines ... They also helped to establish quality control.

When the plant was able to produce cars, Gobelko was transferred to another place of work, and the ZAZ-965 model - the famous "hunchback" "Zaporozhets" - at the end of 1960 went into production. At the same time, the designers altered it for a long time, without ceasing to fight with the usual "childhood diseases" in such cases, so that the car was slightly different from the one developed at the MZMA.

The Zaporozhets cost 1,800 rubles - only 20 average monthly salaries of an ordinary Soviet citizen, which was much less than the price of cars of other car factories. This ensured his success. Although, in order to buy a minicar, it was required not only to save up money, but also to stand in line for several years. For disabled people, cars were provided according to special lists, but even here the queue could not be avoided. Nevertheless, people received a four-seater car that could travel at speeds up to 80 km / h, consuming only 5.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers in the most economical mode. And nothing that this mode was at a speed of 40 km per hour!

There was also export

The plant simultaneously produced cars for general use and modifications for people with disabilities - ZAZ 965B; 965AB; 965AP. In addition, pickups - 965P were assembled for in-plant use. There was also a 965C version with a right-hand drive and plugs instead of rear windows.

A special case is the export modification 965E / 965AE, also known as Yalta. It differed from cars intended for operation in the USSR with improved interior trim, enhanced noise insulation, an ashtray and an outside mirror on the driver's side, and side moldings. Such cars were shipped through the Finnish company Konela and the Belgian company Scaldia. Some of their dealers even installed a receiver in their car.

True, in Europe, even in an improved version, "Zaporozhets" did not come to court. But in the USSR, the "965" sold out with a bang and became not just an integral part of Soviet reality, the cheapest domestic car, but also what is now commonly called a cult car. “Humpbacked” was loved, he was forgiven for constructive flaws, and lack of comfort, and disgusting, even at that time, dynamics.

A few years after its appearance, the car became a "movie star". Henrikh Hovhannisyan was one of the first to film it in the comedy Three Plus Two, which was released in 1963. But people's love sometimes took very unexpected forms. So, hardly any of the domestic cars can compete with the "hunchback" in terms of jokes, the hero of which he managed to become.

In 1963, the model was modernized, and a few years later it was discontinued. It was replaced by a more modern ZAZ-966.