The ZiL-130 is an icon of the automotive industry from the era of the Polish People’s Republic (PRL). Following the unsuccessful model 164, designers at the Likhachev Plant in Moscow developed its successor in the second half of the 1950s. After several years of testing, production of the new truck began in 1962. Although the ZiL-130 did not boast cutting-edge design features, it proved to be such a successful—and, as years of service would reveal, highly durable—model that it remained in continuous production until 1994. By the time manufacturing ceased, nearly 3.4 million units had rolled off the assembly line at the ZiL factory alone. It is also worth noting that the vehicle was notorious for its legendary fuel consumption; burning approximately 30 liters per 100 kilometers on the road was the norm. Its color scheme, however, was a novelty in the automotive market: the striking combination of a blue cab with a white front end certainly drew attention on the streets, standing out from the sea of green, black, and gray trucks that dominated the roads of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc at the time. The ZiL-130 was produced in numerous versions and variants, the most common of which included flatbed trucks, dump trucks, tankers, tractor units, and fire-fighting vehicles. Unlike the very similar ZiL-131, the “130” saw only limited use by the military—primarily serving as airport support vehicles (such as carriers for the APM-90M airfield navigation spotlight), as well as medical and communications units.
Technical specifications:
Number of seats in the cab: 3
Length / width / height: 6.68 / 2.5 / 2.35 m
Curb weight: 4.3 t
Payload: 6 t
Powertrain: liquid-cooled, four-stroke, overhead-valve, V8 gasoline engine (ZiŁ design) with a displacement of 5.96 L and an output of 170 hp
Average fuel consumption: 28–30 L/100 km on-road, 40–50 L/100 km off-road
Maximum speed: 95–100 km/h
