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These Are The Great & Worst Soviet Cars Ever Made
The automotive industry in the Soviet Union started in 1929 and existed till 1991. They had to stop making vehicles after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. After the federal government ended in the sovereign state all manufacturers were hit by a crisis because of the loss of financial support, and increasing criminal activities. Speaking about Soviet cars, the automakers did not focus on making many premium or luxury vehicles. They did not consider implementing many safety features to their vehicles and just made them cheaply. This resulted in many dangerous vehicles and there are also a few vehicles that are great in performance and comfort. Here is a list of the 5 worst Soviet Cars that are made deadly and 5 Greatest. (source : hotcars.com)
10. Lada Oka
Came to production in 1988, this vehicle was one of the worst city cars. The front-engine front-wheel-drive vehicle came with 3-door hatchback, and 2-door pickup truck body styles. The first production model equipped a 644 cc SOHC two-cylinder engine till 1996. Later replaced by 750 cc SOHC I2, 1.0 L TJ FAW I3, and 1.1 L MeMZ 245.1 I4 engines.
9. SMZ SIL1
This is a three wheeled vehicle made by Serpukhov Motorcycle Plant from 1952 to 1956. The 1-cylinder two-stroke longitudinal engine delicers a power output of 4hp and reach a top speed of 18 mph. The company finally gave away these microcars to the public.
8. LuAZ 969
Built by Zaporizhia Automobile Building Plant, this four wheed drive vehicle came in 1971. The vehicle had a 887 cc MeMZ 966 air-cooled four-cylinder engine that makes 30 hp. It is classified as amphibious vehicle due to its ability to travel on water and equipped a 4-speed manual transmission. But had many problems with carbon monoxide leaks and handling of the vehicle.
7. ZAZ 965
Produced by Zaporizhzhia Automobile Factory in Ukraine, this vehicle is a 2-door sedan with a rear engine and rear-wheel drive layout. The vehicle equips a 746 cc MeMZ 965 V4 or 887 cc MeMZ 966 V4 engine. It had overheating issues as it had very thin cylinders.
6. ZAZ-1102 Tavria
This three door hatch back came in 1987. The vehicle equipped a water-cooled MeMZ-245 I4 engine producing 51 hp which is better than its predecessors. But the interior was made terrible with cheap quality materials and no words of safety can be heard about this vehicle.
5. Melkus RS 1000
This sports car designed by Heinz Melkus has a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and looks beautiful with the Gull-wing doors. It equips a 992cc 3-cylinder 2-stroke engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Assembled in Dresden, East Germany the production limited to only 101 units.
4. Lada Niva
Came to production in 1977, this vehicle has different names in different markets. This offroad vehicle has a Front-engine, full-time four-wheel-drive layout. The first vehicle came with a naturally aspirated 1.6-L overhead-cam four-cylinder engine making power of 76 hp and 93 lb·ft of torque at 5,000 rpm. It gets a four-speed manual transmission and a full-time four-wheel drive. The Niva is considered one of the strongest and most reliable vehicles ever made.
3. GAZ M21 Volga
The GAZ-21 or GAZ M21 Volga is an executive car produced from 1956 to 1970. The 4-door saloon has a 2.5L M-21 I4 engine and either a 3-speed manual or automatic transmission making the vehicle reach a top speed of 90mph. This vehicle came with many features like reclining seats, radio, and cigarette lighter which made this vehicle popular.
2. ZIL-117
The initial design of the vehicle began in 1968 and came into production in 1971. With the front engine rear wheel drive layout, this vehicle equips a 7.0L ZIL-114 V8 engine producing 300 hp. The engine coupled to a 2-speed automatic for the initial vehicles till 1975 and later to a 3-speed automatic transmission. But only 50 units were build till they stopped production in 1978.
1. Skoda 110R
This small family car came into production in 1970 and continued till 1980. A total of 56,902 units were produced and equipped with an 1107 cc OHV I4 engine. With a rear engine and rear-wheel drive setup, this vehicle has a 4-speed manual transmission. This vehicle has a top speed of 90 mph and accelerates from 0-62 mph in 18.5 seconds.