It seems that more recently in the yards, now clogged with smart, unsuitable foreign cars, there were only a few (near my childhood home - two!) Private cars. One of them is almost always Zaporozhets. Of course, the 966th caused less sarcasm than its predecessor - "humpbacked". But they laughed at him: there were only two doors, the engine was in the trunk, and he grunted so that in the early morning he even woke a schoolboy who was soundly asleep.
By the way, these schoolchildren loved to misbehave - shove something in the “ears” of the neighboring “Zaporozhets”, and did it regularly. In the mild irony of the "horseless" with respect to the owners of the "eared" was envy. Especially when the family of the happy owner of a Ukrainian subcompact, busily loading and packing up (a roof rack is an almost indispensable attribute) with her belongings, puffing with smoke from the exhaust pipe, proudly drove out of the yard - to the cottage, or even on vacation to distant lands, to the sea !
Well, for many, the Zazik was the only affordable means of transportation. For cars with a triangle P (manual control) on the glass, even the boys were treated with respect. Moreover, in May, many of their owners appeared in the courtyard with medals and orders on holiday jackets.
From acceleration to deceleration
Prototypes of the new Zaporozhets appeared already in 1961, when buyers were not used to the 965th. However, the novelty did not reach those same buyers quickly. The acceleration with which the country and its automobile industry developed at the turn of the 1960s was no longer so intense.
Conceptually, the 966th did not differ from its predecessor. Designers and designers understood: the layout and the units live in production for a very long time. But the rear suspension was still modernized by changing the levers and half shafts and saving the car from the rear wheels characteristic for the 965th crank. They also prepared a modernized 40-horsepower engine (the standard one was boosted by only 3 hp), which became serial, however, a little later than the car. But the main thing is the new three-volume body, which finally made the Zaporozhets look like normal, full-fledged cars.
To the country (at least to many of its citizens), aspiring into space, building housing more than anyone else in the world, steadily catching up with the USA, the round "hunchback" who grew up from Fiat seemed humiliatingly archaic. In order to give the Zaporozhets a completely adult look, they put on a production car a childishly elegant and the same naive chrome grille of a nonexistent radiator. Later, on the 968 model, they returned to a more logical decor, similar, by the way, to what was on the early prototypes. The design of the 966th is an endless reason for debate and research. As a rule, they talk about borrowing from the German "NSU-Prince 4". The cars are really strikingly similar, but the NSU started in 1961, when the Zaporizhzhya prototypes were already driving. Have you seen somewhere not yet serial "German" and managed to draw? Those of the creators of 966, who were fortunate enough to communicate with, recalled the American rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair, which debuted in the fall of 1959 and soon got into US.
Asceticism is a feature of most 1960s folk cars. This ZAZ, unfortunately, has lost the chrome ring of the sound signal - an attribute of the earliest 966s. Asceticism is a feature of most 1960s folk cars. This ZAZ, unfortunately, has lost the chrome ring of the sound signal - an attribute of the earliest 966s.
Both “subcompacts”, German, Soviet, are very similar to the “American”. By the way, Chevrolet also served as an example of the organization of engine cooling. Bodybuilders and motorists were constantly arguing - who is to blame for the fact that the Zaporozhets engine sometimes worked with extreme oil temperatures?
The experimental ZAZ-966 was shown at VDNH in November 1961, but mass production was mastered only in 1967. In general, the yard was already a different era. In which the "eared" "Zaporozhets" quite fit in. Meters, liters, kilometers
It partly resembles housing in the second half of the 1960s. It’s not Khrushchev’s anymore - it’s like the facade is bigger and the apartment is a bit bigger. It has a hard-won imported wall and a chandelier with signs of family affluence, but in the corridor and kitchen, households still rub their bulges, and water taps are buzzing and leaking as before.
In fairness: in the front seats of the Zaporozhets it’s quite comfortable even high. The legs are extended (only the wheel niche on the left interferes), the steering wheel and gear lever are at hand. You sit, however, unusually low, which at first causes a feeling of a certain insecurity.
Between the gear lever and the handbrake is the air damper drive handle. Between the gear lever and the handbrake is the air damper drive handle. Behind, of course, the space is not royal, and climbing through a short door is physical education. But all this can be tolerated if the thing happens 40 years ago, and the family goes by car to their country house! Though not the most spacious, to put it mildly, but also mine! Of course, the “Zazik” would not have won the competition for the quietest cars. The motor reports on its activities to others and passengers, especially the rear. However, this is also not a big trouble for the most modest car of the time with an air motor. But in "Zaporozhets" there is an effective autonomous stove that quickly warms up the interior. True, very moody. In addition, there were very few who traveled to ZAZ in the winter. And those who dared to do so, spent hours discussing in service smoking rooms at what temperature the engine can be turned on. They joked about summer exploitation: "Downhill - 100, uphill - 120." This is about oil temperature. Experienced owners partially solved this problem by competent adjustments and cleaning of cooling fins. And the “ears”, through which the life-giving air came to the engine, had another feature familiar to heavy smokers. On the go, a cigarette butt thrown out of the window often fell into them. The 30-horsepower engine, of course, is not designed for sports acceleration. But the machine is not heavily loaded diligently and, in general, decently. True, what happens after 60 km / h, acceleration can be called as conventionally as the same flow in the country in the second half of the 1980s. Brakes are akin to acceleration. It is better to do everything in advance and smoothly, otherwise the baby will buckle, and the driver will need skills to maintain a rectilinear movement. This, however, is a feature not only of Zaporozhets, but also of many of its peers.
You can live on the back sofa. Especially if you really need to go. On the right passenger seat is a child seat at the turn of the 1980s produced by AZLK. You can live on the back sofa. Especially if you really need to go. On the right passenger seat is a child seat at the turn of the 1980s produced by AZLK.
Fully independent suspensions (front - torsion bar, a la Volkswagen Beetle, rear springs) and high tires provide quite decent comfort. As for handling, it, again, is not worse at all than most of the classmates of that time. Although the machine is extremely phlegmatic to exercises in high-speed maneuvering. But in ordinary, unhurried life, the “eared one” does not tire even today. Well, the typical owner was much more important decent passability. The drive wheels are well loaded, the bottom is almost flat, and the passport clearance is 190 mm. Aw, modern “universal” crossovers! We with a gray "eared" born in 1970 are friendly to each other. I don’t torment him - I try to do everything smoothly and accurately, and he carefully rolls me to the places where he went young and I went young.
The nameplate has been preserved as well as the car itself. The nameplate has been preserved as well as the car itself.
Hear, see, remember
Finally, in 1967, the first happy customers got a completely different Zaporozhets. The year was a jubilee - half a century of Soviet power. An unprecedented miracle of technology was built on Kalinin Avenue (now Novy Arbat) - a huge screen on which festive and patriotic compositions were displayed in the evening. The Soviet pavilion of ultramodern architecture was brought from Expo 67 from Montreal. He was hoisted in the area of VDNH behind the backs of “Worker and Collective Farm Girl”. Crowds stood in line for tickets to the Elusive Avengers and sympathized with Yuri Detochkin, who had stolen the “Volga” from speculators. But everyone unanimously rejoiced at the introduction of a five-day work week. An additional day off is the opportunity to extend communication with nature, for example, using your own Zaporozhets! While the hostess is busy in the garden, the owner will definitely pay attention to the pet. Minimum, wash and wipe. Or maybe he’ll adjust the ignition, valves, clean the carburetor or even inspect the brake pads … The gray “eared” has survived to this day in very good condition, even without restoration. But many “zaziks” have long ended the century in the backyards of garages or in those very yards where, it seems, so recently the boys looked at the brand new 966s with a grin hiding envy …
Words are folk
Serial production of ZAZ-966 began in 1967. Version 966B was equipped with a 0.9-liter engine familiar from ZAZ-965; its power increased from 27 to 30 hp. In 1968, the production of ZAZ-966 with a 1.2-liter 40-horsepower engine began. Model 966 was produced until 1972, from the assembly line it was gradually replaced by ZAZ-968. On the basis of the 966th, several modifications were made for the disabled.
