The Golden Era and the Export Breakthrough
The era of Gagarin, the Cuban missile crisis and Soviet design at its most confident. The Chaika is a masterpiece for the elite, the hunchbacked Zaporozhets the butt of jokes and a favourite all the same, and the Moskvich-412 a rally legend. Soviet cars are exported to Europe and run strongly in international rally marathons.
Historical background
1961: Gagarin's flight. 1962: the Cuban missile crisis. Khrushchev promises to “catch up with and overtake America”. Soviet design flourishes — cars, furniture and architecture all grow bolder. In 1968 the Moskvich-412 finishes the London–Sydney marathon, proving Soviet cars to the world.
An average wage is 80–120 roubles a month after the 1961 reform. The ZAZ-965 costs 1,800 roubles, the cheapest car available; the Moskvich-412 costs 4,936. The wait for a car is two to five years, and second-hand car shops appear.
Key events
- 1959Model
Production starts of the Chaika limousine, the emblem of the Soviet elite
- 1960Model
The cheapest car in the USSR: rear engine, air cooling and 23 horsepower
- 1961CultureGagarin's flight
On 12 April Yuri Gagarin makes the first human spaceflight
- 1967Model
The new 75 hp UZAM-412 engine arrives — the future rally legend
- 1968Sport
The Moskvich-412 finishes the legendary London–Sydney marathon of 16,000 km
Models of the era
All 55 in the catalog
