Zaporozhets
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[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 224574943 by [[Special:Contributions/85.119.112.39|85.119.112.39]] rv [[WP:NOR|original research]] (besides, they've not disappeared, except perhaps in rich tourist areas)
{{for|the Soviet developmental psychologist|Alexander Zaporozhets}}
[[Image:ZAZ-968 front.jpg|right|thumb|ZAZ-968 front view]]
[[Image:Zaporozhets 968.jpg|right|thumb|ZAZ-968 at NEC Classic Motor Show 2007, USSR stand]]
The '''Zaporozhets''' ({{lang-ru|Запоро́жец}}, {{Audio-IPA|Ru-Zaporozhets.ogg|''zaporozhets''}}; {{lang-uk|Запорожець}}, ''Zaporozhets'') was a series of subcompact cars designed and built from 1958 at the [[ZAZ]] [[factory]] in [[Soviet]] [[Ukraine]] ("Zaporozhsky Avtomobilny Zavod", or Zaporozhian Automobile Factory). Different types of Zaporozhets were produced until 1994. It had special features for disabled people such as ability to be fully controlled by hands and sometimes was given for free by the state to disabled people or war veterans.
The name ''Zaporozhets'' means a [[Cossack]] of the [[Zaporizhian Sich]]. It can also mean а man from [[Zaporozhye oblast]].
Zaporozhets is still warmly remembered in many ex-[[USSR]] countries. Like the [[Volkswagen Beetle]] or [[East Germany]]'s [[Trabant]], Soviet Zaporozhets was destined to become a "people's car". It was the cheapest Soviet car and so the most affordable to common people. At the same time, it was rather sturdy and well suitable to Russian roads (or the lack thereof). The very looks of this car gave birth to several [[nicknames]] that stuck with it forever: "Zapor" (short for "Zaporozhets", but also means "[[constipation]]" in [[Russian language|Russian]]), "[[hunchback]]" (due to ZAZ-965 [[insect]]-like form; ZAZ factory workers never used this nickname, using "Malysh" ({{lang-ru|малыш}}; {{lang-en|Kiddy}}) instead <ref name="Sostav">[http://www.sostav.ru/news/2004/02/24/35/ FIAT begins to produce Zaporozhets] {{ru icon}}</ref>
), "big-[[ear]]ed" (the car had [[air intake]]s on its sides to cool down the [[engine]] in the rear of the vehicle).
All Zaporozhets cars featured [[rear wheel drive]] (with [[RR layout|engine in the rear]]) and [[aircooled]] engines.
==ZAZ-965/965A==
[[Image:Molumen zaz 965.svg|left|thumb|ZAZ-965 line art]]
[[Image:Gorbaty zaporozh.jpg|left|thumb|ZAZ-965A]]
The '''ZAZ-965''' model was made between 1960 and 1969. Despite speculations that the design was copied from the [[Fiat 600]], ZAZ representatives say the car was an exclusively Soviet design, created by Soviet ZAZ engineers jointly with colleagues from Moscow's [[NAMI (institute)|NAMI]] <ref name="Sostav"/> and Moskvitch car plant. First prototypes were designated as Moskvitch-444[http://www.denisovets.narod.ru/azlk/azlkpages/m444.html].
It was powered by a '''[[MeMZ]]-965''', a rear-mounted, [[aircooling|aircooled]] [[Overhead valve|OHV]] 887 cc [[V4]] engine of partially aluminium design, giving 26 hp (19.4 kW) (27 hp (20.1 kW) in the '''ZAZ-965A'''). A common (and false) urban legend is that the Zaporozhets's engine was used as a starter motor in Soviet [[tank]]s.
The base model was manufactured between 1960 and 1963, and the ZAZ-965A, which had the air-intake "ears" removed, between 1962 and 1969.
Interestingly, the engine looks a bit like the VW aircooled boxer four, except that the two cylinder banks are at a 45 degree angle. As Soviet car owners were expected to do much of the servicing themselves, and auto workshops were in short supply anyway, this layout was more practical especially in harsh winter conditions.
==ZAZ-966/968/968M==
[[Image:Zaz968m.jpg|right|thumb|ZAZ-968M]]
Model '''ZAZ-966''' was made from 1967 to 1974. It had a restyled chassis, no longer resembling the Fiat 600, similar to the German [[NSU Prinz]] (it also looks like a [[Hillman Imp]] and [[Chevy Corvair]]). The engines were slightly updated as well, but the infamous "ears" were back.
The '''ZAZ-968''' was produced from 1972 to 1980. It featured the newer '''[[MeMZ]]-968''' engine, which increased the displacement to 1.2L and the power output to {{convert|42|hp|abbr=on}}. The '''ZAZ-968M''' had the ears removed and was made from 1979 to 1994.
The 968 was replaced by the heavily updated [[ZAZ Tavria]] [[hatchback]], which was quite different from the Zaporozhets, in featuring [[front wheel drive]] and a [[watercooled]] engine. It has been claimed that the Tavria was based on the [[Ford Fiesta]] Mark I, with changes that worsened the design. [http://rusrev.com/content_a/FFF/fiesta_vs_tavria.htm]
{{commonscat|ZAZ}}
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Zaporozhets}}
<div class="references-small">
* [http://www.openit.com.ua/photoday.php?Razdel=PRIDE&Group_id=4&lang=en Short English article about 'The Soviet Beetle']
[[Category:Rear-engined vehicles]]
[[Category:Rear wheel drive vehicles]]
[[Category:Soviet automobiles]]
[[Category:Soviet brands]]
[[Category:Ukrainian brands]]
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[[it:ZAZ Serie 960]]
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