History of the Soviet automotive industry. Motorized carriage "SZD"

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

In the history of the domestic automobile industry, interesting cars occupy their niche - motorized carriages. Similar in principle to both cars and motorcycles, they are inherently neither one nor the other. The last representative of this class of cars was the SZD motorized stroller. She managed to hold out in production right up to 1997. What is this unit, and why was it needed?

Need to create transport for disabled people

In the second half of the 20th century, the global automotive industry developed by leaps and bounds. The streets of European cities gradually filled with cars. In the Soviet Union, not everyone had the opportunity to purchase a personal car. At the same time, the state still tried to take care of its citizens. In addition, in a country that survived a terrible war, a large number of people with disabilities appeared. In this regard, the idea arose to create an inexpensive vehicle to meet the needs of this category of citizens. The car was supposed to get the body of a small car and the engine from a motorcycle. Wheelchair "СЗД" became the crownevolution of such vehicles. Their distribution among citizens was carried out by the social security authorities. They were issued for 5 years. After two and a half years, the car was supposed to have a free repair. After the expiration of the service life, the SZD motorized stroller was returned in exchange for a new one.

Historical predecessors

In 1952, "S-1L" was born. The body of the motorized carriage was shaped like an iron, since there was a rear axle with two wheels, and there was only one wheel in front. This could sometimes create difficulties when driving on a dirt road in inclement weather. The car had to independently lay a third track in the center. In addition, such a distribution of reference points provided the wheelchair with poor stability. This posed a serious danger to the driver, because with an engine of 7.5 liters. With. the device could reach speeds of up to 55 km / h. Nevertheless, the stroller gave its owner a certain comfort. The folding canvas roof successfully protected it from the rain.

Model "C-3A"

In 1956, after a radical modernization of the previous model, the S-3A motorized stroller entered mass production. It was equipped with an IZH-49 motorcycle engine, which already had 10 hp. With. Despite such a solid increase in power, the car's patency has not improved. The stroller turned out to be too heavy (425 kg) and voracious (5 liters per 100 km). The manufacturer was also not pleased with the high cost of the model.

Motorcycle "SZD" - the last representative in the class

The designers tried to fix the shortcomings of the previous version in "S3D", released in 1970. The model was equipped with new hydraulic brakes, a torsion bar rear suspension and a new interior heating system. Improved motorized wheelchair engine "SZD" in 12 liters. With. added power to it. The car received a metal roof instead of a tarpaulin. The length of the body was 2.6 m, and its weight was almost half a ton. In general, it cannot be said that the SZD motorized stroller met all the expectations of consumers. However, the very idea of how you can get a hybrid of a car and a motorcycle will undoubtedly remain in history.