AlphaCars & Ural of New England Official Blog

The Zaporozhets (ZAZ) was a series of rear wheel drive cars produced by ZAZ (Zaporozhsky Avtomobilny Zavod) factory in Ukraine. Different models of Zaporozhets, all of which had an air-cooled engine in the rear, were produced from 1958 to 1994. They were in high demand both in cities and in villages because of how affordable they were for the common people. In fact, the design was intended to become the “people’s car” just as the Volkswagen Beetle and East Germany Trabant. However, it did not become as common on USSR roads like the Trabant had been in East Germany. The problem was that the ZAZ factory could not produce enough cars to satisfy the ever-growing demand.

Zaporozhets are known for their remarkable performance on poor roads due to its independent suspension and engine sitting on top of driving wheels, which makes them carry 60% of total car’s weight. Another interesting feature of Zaporozhets is its flat undercarriage; this way it is almost impossible to break something when going off the paved road. If one still managed to get stuck somewhere, ZAZ 965’s curb weight of only 665 kg (1466 lbs), which makes it easy to get out of the car, lift it, put back on steady surface and continue the journey.

The first car that drove off the ZAZ factory gates in 1960 was the ZAZ 965. Two years later in November the ZAZ 965A was produced as an improvement on the original. The improvements were simple and made the Zaporozhet easier to maintain. This was a necessity because auto shops were scarce and Soviet drivers were expected to maintain their vehicle. The engine placed in the ZAZ 965A was a 90-degree V4 layout, which made it more practical for the everyday user, especially throughout the harsh winter. For many Soviet people, because of the low cause and simplicity in design, the ZAZ 965A became their first vehicle.

When production of ZAZ 965A ended in 1969, only 322,116 of them were built. Out of this really small amount, only a few survived. Nowadays original ZAZ 965A is truly a rare find even in Europe.