Moskvich was the only plant in the USSR producing cars, which was territorially located in the capital. In the Soviet Union, its products were very popular. However, in the difficult period for the country, when the USSR collapsed, this plant was closed.
general information
Moskvich was founded in the thirties of the last century. Its first name is “KIM”, which stands for the Communist International of Youth. Under this brand, the plant existed until 1941. During the war years, armored vehicles were produced here, and after the Victory, the production of cars was resumed. The plant has a long and interesting history. However, this article will focus on one of his experimental models, which few people know about in Russia. This is a prototype car "Moskvich-2144 Istra", the technical characteristics of which will be considered in it. He has a rather interesting story worth knowing about. After all, few people know that in our country such an interesting car was produced as the Moskvich-2144.
Background
In the eighties of the last century, the global auto industry was in full swing preparing for a new era - the turn of the third millennium. All more or less large manufacturers sought to present their vision of how the car of the future should look like, what technical characteristics it should have, as original as possible. Domestic designers did not stand aside. The development of the most daring new products involved GAZ, VAZ, ZAZ. AZLK also conducted its development. Moskvich-2144 Istra, which undoubtedly deserves attention, was created on it. At that time, the Moskvich-2141 was considered the most relevant car of this plant. However, there were no innovations worthy of the twenty-first century.
Therefore, the designers had to work out promising solutions for the new concept. It should be noted that Istra was not designed at the suggestion of the engineering staff of the plant, but solely according to instructions from the party’s leadership. At that time, Gorbachev set a specific goal for the country: to accelerate scientific and technological progress in the USSR. Therefore, in the eighty-fifth year, a group was created to design cars with a future. At that time, no one had the idea that the USSR would collapse. Therefore, most large enterprises confidently kept an optimistic course for the nineties of their century.
Start of a new project
The leadership of the auto giant, realizing the significance of the coming millennium date, in 1985 brought together a group of specialists who were supposed to deal with “promising models”. It was called the UECR — Department of Design Experimental Design.
This team with a very high-profile name included only four people: Sergey Ivakin - exterior and interior designer, Mikhail Dushutin, who carried out all work related to the body, Alexey Dzhigurda, who is responsible for the engine and gearbox, and finally, Alexander Kulikov, who assembled the chassis and at the same time was the leading designer. In addition, he coordinated the actions of the team and settled all issues with foreign and domestic partners of AZLK. "Moskvich-2144" was called the "Car of the two thousandth year." Looking ahead, let's say that it was released in a single copy.
Moskvich-2144 Istra: the history of creation
The design of the new concept car was made by the designer S. Ivakin. First, he created a plasticine scale model of 1: 4, and then blew it in a wind tunnel. Using a computer, Ivakin received a mathematical model, on the basis of which a body surface was milled on a special five-axis machine. She was made of polystyrene. And already matrices were removed from it, according to which body panels were made of fiberglass. Window panels were made of plexiglass.
After that, they began to collect a prototype of the Moskvich-2144 Istra concept car. Photos of all these basic details can be seen today in the car factory museum. The body was mounted on a chassis frame that has real wheels. Using the same technologies, the interior of the car was made. Under the hood, a prototype of its engine was installed.
The prototype was painted white. However, Moskvich-2144, the photo of which conveys the elegant plastic of its body well, should be the most modern car for the USSR, but had an inglorious history. The fundamental in creating a new concept car was not only its high technology. First of all, the emphasis was on its "environmental cleanliness".
Moskvich-2144: review
In order to reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions into the atmosphere, the designers minimized the mass of the car and equipped the car with an unusual power unit at that time. Due to the widespread use of aluminum in the details of its body, the Moskvich-2144 turned out to be thirty-seven percent lighter than the 2141. In its engine compartment, the creators decided to place a multi-fuel diesel engine manufactured by the German company Elsbett Konstruktion.
The role of the gearbox was originally supposed to take on a stepless variator developed by group member A. Dzhigurda. However, in the eighties of the last century, this type of transmission was considered unpopular. Therefore, the chief designer of the car Alexander Kulikov instructed the same A. Dzhigurde to build a more familiar "mechanics" with five steps. For new items "Moskvich-2144" provided for a choice of front- wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
AZLK’s cooperation brought good results not only with eminent foreign, but also with domestic partners. Various research institutes and defense associations for Istra prepared a traction control system, airbags, air conditioning, air suspension and much more.
Engine
The German multi-fuel 1.45-liter diesel engine manufactured by Elsbett Konstruktion had three cylinders. It was called Elko and had a very simple design. The engine was able to produce about ninety horsepower, which was pretty good not only for such a volume, but in general for that time. A special feature of Elko was the Duothermic technology. It allowed using not only diesel fuel, but also kerosene or gasoline with low octane numbers, as well as unrefined vegetable oil.
Specifications
The final figure for the Istra model was its consumption: three liters per hundred kilometers and today shows a limited number of cars. Telling everything about the Moskvich-2144, one cannot help but dwell on its technical characteristics. The novelty had two doors and five seats in the cabin. Its multi-fuel three-cylinder turbodiesel engine had a volume of 1,450 cubic meters. centimeters. Power was sixty-eight horsepower. Moskvich-2144 Istra, whose technical characteristics were very different from those of previous models, had an automatic continuously variable transmission. Presumably, this concept car was supposed to reach a top speed of 185 km per hour. According to the creators, it could accelerate to one hundred kilometers in twelve seconds.
Consumers would especially like an indicator such as fuel consumption. At a speed of ninety kilometers per hour, he was supposed to consume only 2.2 liters, at 120 - 3.2.
Moskvich-2144 had a length of 4400 millimeters, a width of 1700 and a height of 1335. The wheelbase of Istra was 2550 mm. The front and rear tracks reached 144 centimeters. Very “encouraging” was the weight of the car “Moskvich-2144”. The characteristics of its mass were as follows: curb - 700, and full - 1100 kilograms.
Other innovations
On the experimental model of "Moskvich" should have been present and safety equipment, both active and passive. To do this, they developed ABS for her - anti-lock braking system, original belts with pyrotechnic pretensioners, airbags. The assembly list even included scanners for front view, which using a projection display could display a picture on the windshield.
In the dark or in low visibility conditions, almost all objects, as well as animals and people, were projected onto the windshield, thereby minimizing the likelihood of a collision. Separately, mention should be made of the on-board self-diagnosis system of the Istra vehicle under development. Unlike many modern counterparts, in which a malfunction lamp just burns, for example, a check engine, forcing the owner to contact the service and spend money for any, even insignificant, Moskvichovskaya immediately displayed the most comprehensive information about the malfunction that occurred, as well as options for its localization and method of elimination. This was a completely different approach not only to creating a car, but also to the consumer, so as not to mislead him.
Problems
When working out the issue of the mass production of Istra, a number of questions arose, both related to the need to change the design of the engine and to refine its production technology. The fact is that the proposed version of the Moskvich-2144 engine was not technologically advanced for mass production. Even the change of major suppliers was already a very serious problem at that time. However, all of the above issues were resolved, in contrast to the main one - financing of the project. AZLK assumed the ruble portion, but in 1991 price liberalization was announced, which instantly deprived the capital automobile plant of all available funds.
Appearance
Like any new car, the Moskvich-2144 couldn’t look usual. Even at first glance at him, it’s hard not to appreciate Ivakin’s talent, his body line turned out to be so futuristic. But the highlight of Istra was its two huge doors that opened upstairs and allowed access to the salon. It should be noted that such doors were made not only “for beauty”, but also for greater convenience: it is much easier to load large items into the car interior without a side stand.
The appearance that Moskvich-2144 received was considered advanced for that time. Even today, its design is hardly obsolete. And although external indicators were important, they were not priority. The real breakthrough was the use of aluminum in the body material. Today, Jaguar, Audi, etc., are perceived as usual, but in the USSR at the end of the twentieth century, users only looked forward to using aviation material.
Interior
Not only the external, but also the internal appearance of Istra was wonderful. The interior of the concept car is very simple, while it looked attractive. A light steering wheel and an adjustable column, door handles built into the armrests, an on-board computer display built into the center console - all this indicated that the person was not an ordinary car.
Inglourious End
In 1991, the creation of the model "Moskvich-2144" was completed. Everything functioned in it - and the doors, and the trunk, and the hood, and even the steering gear. But, unfortunately, the story of this promising car on the layout is over. Despite the fact that this project lasted until 1993, there were no more advancements. One of the main reasons was the tense situation at that time in the country and the death in 1992 of the head of the AZLK V. Kolomnikov, one of those to whom this concept was extremely interesting.
The development of the Moskvich 2144 model continued for some time. But in 1993, after the cessation of state financing of the program “High-speed environmentally friendly transport”, work on the creation of the “Car of the 2000th year” was stopped.
Interesting Facts
Today, the model "Moskvich-2144 Istra" can be seen in Moscow in the museum of retro cars. The model never left the experimental stage. Its index was subsequently assigned to the four-wheel drive sedan "Ivan Kalita". Istra was a very modern car for the era of the Soviet Union with its excellent aerodynamics, automatic gearbox, environmentally friendly diesel engine and, most importantly, the ability to project all visual information on the windshield. It is unfortunate that she remained only a model, which is now gathering dust at the already closed AZLK plant.
This and other similarly bold projects are proof that at the turn of the eighties and nineties the USSR automobile industry was preparing to make a qualitative leap. It’s hard to say how car dealerships would look today if Istra could be brought to life.