Moskvich 412, the legendary car of the past

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

The Moskvich 412 car is the sixth model in a large family of Muscovites produced in different years at the MZMA and AZLK plants. The abbreviation and the name did not play a significant role, the cars were produced mediocre, the financial conditions at the plant were difficult, there was not enough money for development. After the production of a series of GAZ-AA trucks in 38-40, immediately after the start of the Second World War, the plant was transferred to the production of military orders, and with the end of the war, the production of the Moskvich-400 car was started, the prototype of which was considered the German Opel-Kadet K38.

In 1954, the MZMA enterprise completely switched to the production of a domestically developed car, Moskvich 401, which began to be produced on an industrial scale. Since there were no cars in the USSR at that time, Moskvich-401 came in very handy. In two years, 2 million copies were produced. After the end of the serial production of the 401 model, the Moskvich 402 was launched, which was also produced for two years. And in 1958, the Moskvich 407, an improved version of the previous model, rolled off the assembly line. And behind himwent into production and Moskvich 403, which does not have significant differences, but still replenished the family of Soviet "Muscovites".

And finally, in 1964, the production of a fundamentally new car, the Moskvich 408, began at the MZMA plant. The car differed primarily in the body, in the outlines of which there were no longer the usual rounded shapes. The body of the Moskvich 408 was of a fast-flying form, it resembled miniature American limousines and was slightly "nailed to the ground". The interior of the car was still cramped, you had to sit upright, unable to move. But the Soviet designers of the sixties and seventies did not even consider such a factor as the comfort of the passenger and driver in the cabin, not to mention some kind of ergonomic approach to solving the issue.

When the development of the next model was completed in 1967, the new car Moskvich 412, whose characteristics as a whole slightly differed from the previous model, received the same body as the 408. However, the driving characteristics of the two models were different, more the powerful Moskvich 412 engine significantly added dynamics to the car, speed performance improved, in parallel with the increase in speed, the braking system was improved. The car became more and more competitive in comparison with foreign analogues, but it lacked points for operational safety. Nevertheless, Moskvich-412 was successfully exported to a number of countries of the socialist camp, and in fairly large quantities.

For a long time at the AZLK plant, already renamed from the former MZMA, both models were produced, Moskvich 412 was produced in larger quantities. Unification was almost one hundred percent, and the assembly of machines accelerated every day. There were no automatic transmissions at that time, and a four-speed manual was installed on the Moskvich 412, the car was always rear-wheel drive with a dry disc clutch, a propeller shaft with a needle cross, a hypoid planetary rear axle and two differentiated axle shafts.

The total length of the body of the car Moskvich 412 was 4252 mm, with a width of 1552 mm and a clearance of 175 mm. The dimensions are quite modest, but in those years the entire automotive industry was focused on the production of small cars, which meant that the cars had to be compact. The front suspension of the Moskvich 412 was assembled on silent blocks, with two ball bearings. Of all the units, only the gearbox caused complaints, which often failed. The rest of the car Moskvich 412, reviews of which are generally good, was recognized as reliable and modern.