The Moskvitch-408 (also referred to as the Moskvich-408, and M-408) series is a
small family car
The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States.
In 2024, the C-s ...
produced by the
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
car manufacturer
MZMA
AZLK (''АЗЛК - Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского Комсомола'' in Russian, Avtomobilny Zavod imeni Leninskogo Komsomola) is a Soviet and Russian automobile manufacturer (Moscow), the maker of the Mo ...
/
AZLK
AZLK (''АЗЛК - Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского Комсомола'' in Russian language, Russian, Avtomobilny Zavod imeni Leninskogo Komsomola) is a Soviet and Russian automobile manufacturer (Moscow), t ...
between 1964 and 1975. The first prototype was made in 1960.
The M-408, the first of the series, replaced the
second generation Second generation or variants may refer to:
* Second generation immigrant
** Nisei, one of the second generation of people of Japanese descent in the Americas
* Second generation of Chinese leaders, see Generations of Chinese leadership
* Second-ge ...
Moskvitch 407
The Moskvitch 402 is a compact car manufactured by the former Soviet automobile maker MZMA, first time introduced in 1956 as a second generation of the Moskvitch series. In comparison with its predecessor, the Moskvitch-401, the M-402 model featu ...
as the main production model; it had a longer
wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...
than the 407.
Design work started in 1959, and the first prototype appeared in March 1961.
[ The first production 408 was built 1 August 1964, and the 408 was given its official debut on October 21.][ First marketed body styles of the main version were a four-door saloon (base), five-door ]estate
Estate or The Estate may refer to:
Law
* Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations
* Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries.
** The Estates, representativ ...
(the model M-426, an upgrade of second generation M-423 and M-424), and a three-door sedan delivery
A panel van, also known as a delivery van (United Kingdom), blind van, car-derived van or sedan delivery (United States), is a small cargo vehicle with a passenger car chassis, typically with a single front bench seat and no side windows behind ...
(the M-433, an upgrade of the second generation M-432 delivery pick-up).
The IZh-408 was a duplicate version of the car made by IZh Izh may refer to;
* IZh (Russian: ), a Russian automobile marque of the Izhevsk Machinebuilding Plant
* Izh (river) (Russian: ), Udmurt Republic, Russia
* Ingrian language, a Finnic language spoken by the Izhorians of Ingria
See also
* Iž
fil ...
factory in Izhevsk
Izhevsk or Ijevsk (, ; , or ) is the capital city of Udmurtia, Russia. It is situated along the Izh River, west of the Ural Mountains in Eastern Europe. It is the 21st-largest city in Russia, and the most populous in Udmurtia, with over 600,000 ...
from 1966 to 1967. It was then replaced in production by the M-412.
In 1976, alongside the M-412, the series were succeeded by the third generation M-2140 series.
Production series
There were two distinct series of the M-408, which both used the same name. On 20 August 1966, Moskvitch
Moskvitch or Moskvich () (also written as ''Moskvich'', ''Moskvič'', or ''Moskwitsch'') is a Soviet/Russian automobile brand produced by AZLK from 1946 to 1991 and by OAO Moskvitch from 1991 to 2001. Production later resumed in 2022. The curre ...
produced its 100,000th M-408.Thompson
Thompson may refer to:
People
* Thompson (surname)
* Thompson Lantion, Filipino retired police general
* Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician
Places Australia
* Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality
Bulgaria
* Thom ...
, p. 139.
The first series of cars were produced between 1964 and 1969 in Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. These automobiles had vertical rear lights, two or four round headlights
A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for t ...
, a front bench seat, and a 4-speed manual transmission
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
with column mounted gear lever
A gear or gearwheel is a rotating machine part typically used to transmit rotational motion and/or torque by means of a series of teeth that engage with compatible teeth of another gear or other part. The teeth can be integral saliences or ...
. The length of the standard model was .
The second series was produced between 1969 and 1976. It had the same engine and transmission as its predecessor, but an updated body fitted with rectangular headlights and horizontal rear lights, with triangular turn signal markers mounted on tailfins. Also it had separated bucket seats and the transmission used a floor-mounted gear lever.
Between 1966 and 1967, the car was also produced by the IZh military factory in the city of Izhevsk, carrying the IZh-Moskvitch-408 name — though usually called simply "IZh". This car was a rebadged
In the automotive industry, rebadging (also known as badge engineering, an intentionally ironic misnomer in that little or no actual engineering takes place) is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. T ...
version of the MZMA Moskvitch-408. It was replaced in production with the IZh-412, a copy of the M-412, starting in 1967 and up to 1976.
Development
The M-433 debuted in mid-December 1966, early models having a dividing bulkhead with a small behind the driver;[ later, the height was reduced so the driver could reach the cargo box.]Thompson
Thompson may refer to:
People
* Thompson (surname)
* Thompson Lantion, Filipino retired police general
* Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician
Places Australia
* Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality
Bulgaria
* Thom ...
, p. 140. The rear door was split in two halves, top and bottom,[ while the solid sides were corrugated,]Thompson
Thompson may refer to:
People
* Thompson (surname)
* Thompson Lantion, Filipino retired police general
* Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician
Places Australia
* Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality
Bulgaria
* Thom ...
, pp. 144-145. rather than smooth as was typical in Western deliveries.
The M-426 appeared in March 1967; like the delivery version, it had stiffer rear springs.[
In 1967, the M-408 models were facelifted with a different grille and logo design, also featured on the co-produced ]Moskvitch 412
The Moskvitch 412 (Moskvich 412, Москвич-412, M-412) is a small family car produced by Soviet Union, Soviet/Russian manufacturer MZMA/AZLK in Moscow from 1967 to 1975, and by IZh in Izhevsk from 1967 to 1982 (also known as IZh-412). It was ...
model. Both cars shared similar exterior design, with a slightly modified interior and new engine for the M-412. In 1969, after a complete revamp of the body design occurred, the company introduced new taillights, tailfins
The tailfin era of automobile styling encompassed the 1950s and 1960s, peaking between 1955 and 1961. It was a style that spread worldwide, as car designers picked up styling trends from the US automobile industry, where it was regarded as th ...
and somewhat thicker interior dashboards. Later on, a more advanced car built on the same platform would be known as the M-2138/40. Moskvitch designed a prototype fastback convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a Car, passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary across eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air drivin ...
in March 1964, the M-408 Tourist, with aluminum body panels and vertical taillights. Only two were built.Thompson
Thompson may refer to:
People
* Thompson (surname)
* Thompson Lantion, Filipino retired police general
* Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician
Places Australia
* Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality
Bulgaria
* Thom ...
, p. 141.
Appearance and interior
The car had modern features for 1964: squared-off body with flat roof panel and sharp tailfins, panoramic rear window and semi-panoramic windshield. Deluxe versions had then-fashionable quad headlights and (some series) two-tone paint.
Since the layout of the first prototypes was created on the basis of the preceding M-407
M4 or M-4 most often refers to:
* M4 carbine, an American carbine
* M4 Sherman, an American World War II medium tank
M4, M04, or M-4 may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''M4'' (EP), a 2006 EP by Faunts
* ''M4'' (video game), a 1992 ...
, the rear end design of the pre-facelift models inherited such characteristic features of the previous Moskvitch series as tailfins decorated with chrome trims, narrow taillights, a recognisable trunk handle, and a fuel tank flap in the middle, behind the number plate.
The interior featured a stylish trapezoidal instrument cluster, column-mounted gear shift lever (until 1973), effective heater and had a then-common practical artificial leather
Artificial leather, also called synthetic leather, is a material intended to substitute for leather in upholstery, clothing, footwear, and other uses where a leather-like finish is desired but the actual material is cost prohibitive or unsuitab ...
(vinyl) upholstery (colour-coded).
Technical details
The M-408 was a conventional rear-wheel drive
Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars.
Most rear-whee ...
economy car powered by a 1357 cc OHV OHV may refer to:
* Overhead valve engine
* Off-highway vehicle, aka off-road vehicle
* Off-roading
* California State Parks
California State Parks is the state park system for the U.S. state of California. The system is administered by the C ...
straight-four, producing at 4750 rpm (60.5 SAE hp). After 1967, the assembly of the engines was done by UZAM in Ufa
Ufa is a city in Russia and the capital of the republic of Bashkortostan.
UFA or Ufa may also refer to:
Places
* Ufa (river), a river in Russia; a tributary of the Belaya
* Ufa International Airport, near the Russian city
* Ufa railway statio ...
. One two-barrel down-draft carburettor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor or carburetter)
is a device used by a gasoline internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the Vent ...
was used. Export versions had a slight increase in power, up to , slightly reduced emisissions and slightly higher top speed. The car was initially equipped with self-adjusting manual drum brakes, then from 1969 with power brakes with a hydrovacuum servo and a split circuit braking system
A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction.
Background
...
.
This Moskvitch was the first Soviet-built car to have deliberate safety equipment (since 1969): crumple zones
Crumple zones, crush zones or crash zones are a structural safety feature used in vehicles, mainly in automobiles, to increase the time over which a change in velocity (and consequently momentum) occurs from the impact during a collision by a ...
, a safer steering column, a soft grip steering wheel cover, soft interior parts, seat belts, a padded dashboard
A dashboard (also called dash, instrument panel or IP, or fascia) is a control panel (engineering), control panel set within the central console of a vehicle, boat, or cockpit of an aircraft or spacecraft. Usually located directly ahead of the ...
, and a split circuit braking system.
Sales
The car sold well in both the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc
The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
countries and was sold for export. In the USSR, the M-408/412 was the second best selling Moskvitch for the whole 1970s decade, bested only by its successor, the M-2140. In order to make it more competitive, the car was often upgraded during the time of its production and equipped with better gearboxes, more powerful 75 hp (SAE) motors, hydrovacuum brake boosters, etc.
Export models (408E) had quadruple headlights. The car was sold in France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
as the Moskvitch 1300, as the Moskvitsh Elite (408)/Elite De Luxe (408E)/Elite 1300 in Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
and as the Moskvich Carat in Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. It was powered, since 1966 by straight four petrol engine
A petrol engine (gasoline engine in American and Canadian English) is an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol (gasoline). Petrol engines can often be adapted to also run on fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol blends ...
, producing .[ It had a top speed of , which was faster than the contemporary ]Volga
The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...
.[ ''"More worth than its price"'', was its slogan for export sales. It proved a good value in Britain, Finland, and Norway, for instance, and in 1968, 55 percent of production was for export.]Thompson
Thompson may refer to:
People
* Thompson (surname)
* Thompson Lantion, Filipino retired police general
* Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician
Places Australia
* Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality
Bulgaria
* Thom ...
, p. 144.
It was also assembled by Scaldia-Volga SA in Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. In Belgium the car was sold as the Scaldia 1300/1400, although Scaldia also installed Perkins' 1.8-litre 4.108 engine in the Scaldia Diesel beginning in 1968. This model offered SAE, but lacked the twin headlamps of the petrol-engined export 408. It offered a top speed, not a dramatic change from the classic 408 engine, but offered better fuel economy. The 1.6-liter, Perkins 4.99 engine was mounted between 1965 and early 1966, when it was replaced by the 1.8-liter version. This smaller engine was also mounted on the Moskvich 407.
Differences with M-412/Izh-412/Comby
The M-408 and the M-412 were produced at the same time until December 1975, when the older model was taken out of production. The M-412 was a more upmarket version, powered by a 1500 cc, OHC slant-four engine. Introduced in 1967, the original Moskvitch 412 of 1967–1969 had a chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of a manufactured object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
and styling identical to that of the M-408 of 1964, both with two or four round headlights. .
The 1969–1976 M-408 and the M-412 also had identical bodies, and the M-412 received the same changes as the M-408 did in 1969. Again, the only differences between them were the engines (1300 and 1500 cc respectively). This can make identification difficult since there are no external differences between the two cars. Usually, first series' M-412 had a "412" or "1500" badge at the rear, opposite of the Moskvich logotype or near the logo, depending on The version. Other had a 1500 or 412 sign on the front fenders near the doors or directly on the front grill. The 412 has sometimes mistakenly been referred to as the 408-1500, however such a name never existed. Another difference was that the M-412's speedometer read up to 160 km/h while that of the 408 only reached 140 km/h. The gear lever of The first series of 412 was a column mounted type, because first M-412 series had a front bench and used the same gearbox as 408. Since late 1968, the lever was floor mounted because a newer gearbox was used to improve performances and make a better use of the new engine and bucket seats were adopted. By comparison, IZH 412 had the floor mounted gearbox and bucket seats from the very beginning of their series.
While in operation, the most notable difference between 408 and 412 is the sound of the engine, 412 being more silent and smooth than 408. Also, The exhaust pipe of 412 was slightly larger in diameter. First M-412 series, between 1967 and 1969 are a rare sight today, because they were manufactured in lower counts than M-408, and it was more expensive and barely exported as the UFA motor plant could not supply enough 412 engines. Moskvitch 408 had an oil bath air cleaner until the end of The series, even when this engine was passed to the 2138/2140 series. Moskvitch 412 had a dry type air cleaner, although first series, until late 1968 also had an oil bath air cleaner.
Also, in 1967 the "IZh-Moskvitch-412" came into production. For 1967, this car was a twin of the Moskvitch-412, built (like the IZh-Moskvitch-408 corresponding model) by the IZh military factory in Izhevsk. The Izh-412 were produced there between 1967 and 1976. Starting in 1971, a spin-off series called "Izh Comby
The Izh 2125 "Kombi" (Russian: ИЖ-2125 Комби, short for "combination") is a small family car produced by the Soviet/Russian car manufacturer IZh from 1973 to 1997. It is the first liftback of Russian/Soviet origin.''IZh-2125'', "Avtolegendy ...
" was developed in Izhevsk and independently exported to Moscow and the rest of the USSR. It featured a 5-door hatchback and a windowed 3-door "trip car" (based on the panel van) that were not included in the original lineup. Izh did not manufacture four headlights version, but retained the 1964 styling.
Models
* M-408: 4-door saloon (1964–1969)
* M-408B: 408 with hand controls
* M-408IE: upgraded 408 (1970–1975)
* M-408M: medical dispatch version (for transport of medical staff and equipment, but not for patients)
* M-408P: similar to 408, but with right-hand drive
* M-408T: taxi version of 408
* M-426: 5-door estate (1966–1975)
* M-426P: similar to 426, but with right-hand drive
* M-433: 3-door van (1966–1975)
* M-433P: similar to 433, but with right-hand drive
* M-408 Tourist: experimental 2+2 Two two may refer to:
* Two Two (투투), a Korean pop group
* Jacob Two-Two, a fictional character in several books, films, and a TV series
See also
* 2 (disambiguation)
* 2+2 (disambiguation)
* 2/2 (disambiguation)
* Tootoo
* Tutu (disambig ...
2-door convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a Car, passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary across eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air drivin ...
(with removable hard top), 2 examples built in 1964; fitted with aluminium
Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...
body and electronically controlled fuel injection system.[Oldtimer gallery. Cars. Moskvich]
/ref>
Exported cars (with an -E suffix, i.e. Moskvitch 408E) usually had higher-compression engines, a small increase in power, up to , slightly reduced emissions, additional chrome trim and four round headlights instead of two (until the change to rectangular lights in 1969). Since 1968 all 408 intended for export outside of the Warsaw Bloc
The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...
were equipped with the 54 hp version, although in the Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe the 50 hp model was still also available. Top speed was slightly higher, 130 km/h, while the sprint from 0 – 100 km/h was slightly reduced to 27 seconds from 29 seconds.
Illustrations
File:OMMMA_2011_Impressionen_(6109567012).jpg, Early Moskvitch-408
File:Moskwitch_%287911821740%29.jpg
File:Moskvitch_412_%286179057132%29.jpg
File:Moskvich_408_at_the_Közlekedési_Múzeum_in_Hungary.jpg, Quad headlight model M-408E was produced between 1964 and 1969 for the international market only
File:Moskwitch 428 (estate version of 408) Wien.jpg, Moskvitch-426 in Vienna
File:Moskvitch-408-engine-left.jpg, M-408 engine, left side.
File:Moskvitch-408-engine-right.jpg, M-408 engine, right side.
File:Moskvitch-408-interior.jpg, Interior of the pre-1969 version.
File:m-408-pre-69-taillight.jpg, Pre-1969 tail design
File:M412 rearlights.jpg, Post-1969 tail lights
File:Moskvitch-408-door-panel.jpg
File:Moskvitch-408-interior-rear.jpg
File:1974 Moskvitch-412IE interior.jpg, 1970s interior, with separate front seats, central gear selector and fully padded dash board
In popular culture
* The Moskvitch 408 is featured prominently in the 2023 video game ''Atomic Heart
''Atomic Heart'' is a 2023 first-person shooter video game developed by Mundfish Studio. It was published by VK Play, Focus Entertainment, and 4Divinity.
The game is set in an alternate history version of the Soviet Union, during the 1950s. ...
'' as a drivable vehicle. Other unplayable vehicles can also be seen in the game.
References
{{Authority control
Cars introduced in 1964
408
__NOTOC__
Year 408 ( CDVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Bassus and Philippus (or, less frequently, year 1161 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...
Compact cars
Sedans
Soviet automobiles
1960s cars
1970s cars