Why did the Zaporozhians like foreigners?

What nicknames have they not given this? car in the USSR! The very first model ZAZ-965 was called "hunchbacked", the next ZAZ-966 was nicknamed "eared", and the last version was even called "soapbox". But despite this, the car was quite popular among the people. And this was facilitated by a number of reasons.

Firstly, the car was inexpensive: its price started in the 60s from 1800 rubles. To accumulate such an amount was “on the shoulder” and an ordinary hard worker. Secondly, the machine had a simple design and was easily repaired. The third point is permeability. The car had a smooth and flat bottom, without any "technological" protrusions. Add here a relatively large ground clearance and a rear axle loaded with an engine. All this guaranteed decent cross-country ability, which was so necessary in the era of the USSR, taking into account the then state of the road network, especially in the countryside.

Therefore, the demand for Zaporozhets abroad was not a surprise. There was a time when up to 5 thousand units of equipment were exported per year (ZAZs were called Yalta there). But what did foreigners like about this car? Not only the above-mentioned advantages. For example, foreign owners of Zaporozhets liked the low fuel consumption, and also the ability to quickly remove the seats and turn them into picnic chairs! What other advantages did foreigners “dig up” in the Soviet “all-terrain vehicle»? Watch the video on the channel «Technika Vremeni»!