IMZ-NAMI-A50 "Squirrel" - Soviet minicar with a motorcycle engine

Soviet drivers were never spoiled by abundance cars. At first, they were produced in small quantities and were too expensive. As soon as life improved and industry began producing affordable models, the war began. Then it was necessary to rebuild the country and everyday life – there was no time for cars. The situation improved only in the 1950s, but still, only a family citizen, burdened with a higher education and about 35-40 years of age, could buy a car, even a simple Moskvich. Cars remained inaccessible to young people. And parents did not help with the purchase – they wanted to buy a car themselves. And it was not customary – after all, you need to somehow accustom your offspring to work.

It was in such a difficult situation that the Belka project was born. The idea was proposed by Fedor Reppich, the chief engineer of the Irbit Motorcycle Plant. It was in 1954, just at that time heavy bikes with sidecars began to be offered to the civilian population. The chief engineer decided to give the country a really affordable car - according to the project, it would cost half as much as the Moskvich. The idea was shared with US, and there were already enough dreamers and innovators to try to implement it. How the development process took place and why the model never became serial - the author of the Automotive Russia channel will tell.