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Moskvitch 400 (later 401)
The Russian automotive industry.
Moskvitch 400 (later 401) Soviet passenger car of small Germany, produced at the Plant of small cars in Moscow (ZMA, later - МЗМА) from December 1946 to 1954. Originally was a full analogue of a car Opel cadet K38, produced in 1937-1940 years in Germany at the German branch Opel American concern General Motors, restored after the war, on the basis taken for the reparation of the copies of the documentation and tooling. The first Muscovite-400-420 g was released on December 4, 1946, and was different from the eye Cadet reinforced generator (100 W), adjustment of data and less of the maximum speed. The machine was produced on a production line Рюссельхайма exported the USSR from defeated Germany in 1945 году.Москвич-401 - an enhanced version, выпускавшаяся from 1954 to 1956. Was issued 216 006 sedans and 17 742 convertible. The price of the car was 8000 RUB. Carrying the body, 4×2: 4-seater 4-door sedan 420, 4-door convertible 420А, 3-door wooden wagon 422, 2-door pickup truck 420Б, 2-door all-metal wagon 420Б, 2-door wagon with a separate body 420Б (as IZH-2715), sanitary 420М, the aerodrome starting the engine APA-7 (chassis 400-420Э), experimental 5 doors wooden wagon 421. Engine: power: 23 (26) HP 3600 (4000) rpm, 4-cylinder, 4-stroke, 1074 cm3. Length: 3 855 mm, width: 1 400 mm, height: 1 545 mm, base: 2 340 mm, height: 190 mm under both axes. Turning radius: 6.00 m. Transmission: 3-speed + 1 rear. Hydraulic drum brakes on all wheels. Weight (without load): 845 (855) kg. Maximum speed with full load by road: 90 km/ч.Расход fuel: at 9.0 l/100 km.
Plant of Small Cars (ZMA, so after the war was renamed the former KIM) issued the first copy of the new model, which received the name of «Moskvich-400». Or, if fully follow the original system of nomenclature those years, " Moskvich-400-420 g»: the first was the number of the engine, the second - of the body. In those years, this car, as a rule, simply called «Muscovite», as other «Muscovites» then was not. Soon after the sedan appeared wooden wagons «Moskvich-400-422» (1949-1956), convertibles «Moskvich-400-420А» (1949-1952) and of the chassis with cab «Moskvich-400-420Б» (1954), in which were established a variety of cargo body, made bodywork plant Минпищепрома in Moscow. It is curious, that the state acceptance tests of the car went through a «retroactive» - only in 1949, already in the course of its serial production. In 1947, the 800 anniversary of Moscow ZMA issued the «jubilee» party of cars, which on the left боковинке hood memorial sign in the form of a ancient shield. There was also the medical version of 420М, which was driving over the windscreen, washable upholstery of interior and a set of medical equipment inside. The body четырехсотого» did not have a heater and radio, so familiar to today's car. Wiper hitched, not an electric motor, and a flexible shaft of the motor. It is at first glance a sustainable solution to have one important drawback. In heavy rain or snow, when the road was slippery and I did go on a low speed, owing to the small number of revolutions of the engine of «windshield wipers worked slowly and did not have time to clean the glass.
A modest acceleration «четырехсотого» explained the three-speed transmission (in the case of four «speeds» up, of course, faster), which had synchronizers (loss of time to switch slow down overclocking). The shift lever to the 1951 was placed on the top cover of the transmission, and later was moved to the steering column. In may 1951, appeared upgraded gearbox with a more convenient shift lever on the steering column. In 1954 had a more powerful engine model - 401 (26 h.p.). Accordingly, changed the designation of the car - now the base sedan called the «Moskvich-401-420». Still on the example of Moscow: "the Car with a body cabriolet on the basis of a basic model of the Muscovite 400-420 g. The appearance of this version in 1949, in many respects has been connected to the post-war shortage of sheet steel. Despite the complexity of the alteration of the basic four-door carrier body Sedan in the open option convertible, the designers managed to cope with the task. Have been strengthened by the opening of the windshield, on top of the standard rack and doorways have hard tubular bars, gave power structure of the body isolation and sufficient rigidity. On the bars were drilled holes, which were inserted detachable arc, натягивавшие detailed tent. He had a heat-insulated lining and folded turned into a compact package. In 1952, the situation with metal was better, and the issuance of convertibles turned. The main technical characteristics of the convertible similar Saloon"...
The production of the «Muscovites» grew rapidly: 10-thousandth car descended from the conveyor in 1950, and soon it has already reached the annual output of 35000 - 50 000 pieces. Cars go on sale at the price of 8 000 roubles («Moskvich-401» - 9 000; «Victory» GAZ M-20 has cost 16 000, «ZIM» GAZ-M-12 - 40 000 rubles; the average salary in the national economy of the USSR in 1950, was 601 of the ruble). The model was not very popular, but already in the early fifties, the demand for cars has grown substantially, and the «Muscovites» and «Victory» had already been formed a queue of those wishing to buy them («ZIM» was not in demand because of the extremely high prices, and although because of this, he was in free sale, real sold the car for personal use, there was very little).
- Tu sais, Igor, je suis venu à la conclusion que «Moskvitch» - la machine est éternelle.
- Pourquoi?
- Si acheté, ce n'est sell!
