The VAZ 21013 model was once a classic, however, it remained with it at the moment. This is the progenitor of all "fives", "sixes" and "sevens". For a detailed review of the car, you would need to trace the history of its creation, as well as the development for the entire time that the car went off the assembly line. Of course, in comparison with the cars that were produced in Europe and Japan at that time, the “penny” was behind by 30 or even more years. But first things first.
History of the car
The VAZ model 21013 was designed by specialists who worked in factories during the reign of the fascist regime of B. Mussolini in Italy. Unfortunately, the Italian Fiat-124 car was the ancestor of our “penny” - the most popular car among summer residents and buyers of scrap metal. Incidentally, the latter fell in love with her at a low cost. Without any problems, you can load it with iron and take it to the scrap metal collection point. Not only iron, but the car itself.
In the distant 1970, a conveyor was launched, which produced this miracle of the then Soviet automobile industry. Despite the fact that Italian designers initially designed a mobile gas chamber, they turned out to be a car for summer residents and Soviet citizens. The speed characteristics of the VAZ-21013 did not shine. At that time, when motorcycles accelerated to speeds of 300 km / h, this car had a maximum of only 148. Moreover, it had to accelerate to the first hundred for at least 18 seconds.
Specifications
The engines were installed on the machine even those that were designed during Mussolini. It has seats, steering wheel, headlights, turn signals, even a stove for the cold season. And indeed, the VAZ-21013 specifications just stagger the imagination.
In addition, there are disc brakes on the front wheels . If you even compare with the Volga cars, which were produced by Soviet industry at the beginning of the 70s, the penny had a clear advantage in terms of braking. True, there are drawbacks - there is no vacuum amplifier, so after an hour of driving through traffic jams, you involuntarily begin to recall the engineers who designed this car. And when you remember that this miracle was done by those people who devoted half their lives to serving the fascist regime, then you might want to get rid of the car right away.
Car exterior
When only the 21013 VAZ model went on sale, it was very difficult to get it. The same story was observed with spare parts for it: in the 70s and 80s it was impossible to get a pump or a cool kit for the car. However, then no one knew anything about body kits, so the “pennies” were all the same, they differed only in color. True, there were luxury configurations - metal chrome caps were placed on them. Of course, the speed from this did not increase, but the view was slightly transformed.
The car has perfectly round headlights, which may have been borrowed from BMW motorcycles, on which Germany triumphantly tried to enter the USSR in the distant 41st year. The designers who designed the “penny” did not know what airbags were, so the body design was chosen precisely that which would impede movement at high speeds. Engineers then apparently did not think about the tests in the wind tunnel. Therefore, the resulting body is so plain. But he has an ideal repulsive appearance. Of course, the obligatory exterior elements of a penny for summer residents are a tow bar and a roof rack. The latter, by the way, not only impairs aerodynamics, but also increases fuel consumption.
Car interior
Perhaps, there are not very many differences from the great-grandfather of the Fiat 1100 (the year production began in 1937). Model 21013 VAZ was designed according to the drawings that were provided by Italians. Nothing more, everything is simple and clear. Steering wheel, handbrake, three pedals and dashboard. Indeed, it is fascinating, because on it you can see all the most important things - the speed of the car, charging current, the amount of gasoline in the tank. The steering wheel, however, was not very comfortable from the factory - its rim is thin. And the diameter of the steering wheel is too large, which makes it difficult to control.
But in the “penny” a lot of improvements were made that distinguish it from its parent - “Fiat”. For example, a transformer salon. In those years, of course, there was no such definition, they just said that the front seats are laid out in such a way that a huge mattress forms in the cabin. For long-distance travel VAZ-21013, the price of which at that time was 3,000-4,000 rubles (Soviet), such an interior was very useful. Many motorists decorated the interior, one of the improvements is the knob for the gear lever. It was considered chic to set such an attribute, especially if it looks like amber, inside which a small crab is walled up.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that the VAZ 21013 specifications were much worse than most European cars, and there was a plain appearance, this car became part of our history. You can love and hate her, but she graduated 18 years, until 1988. True, not every inhabitant of our immense could buy it, but if it turned out to save up money and acquire it, then how much the status of a Soviet citizen increased markedly.
He became mobile, in the summer he could go with his family to the popular Black Sea resorts or take his beloved mother-in-law to the cottage. But most importantly - it is thanks to such cars that the male part of the population has a tradition to gather in garages. Here the cars were being repaired, and all significant events in life were noted, both of their own and of the whole country as a whole.