ZAZ 968A

Produced from 1973 to 1980 at the Zaporizhzhia Automobile Plant (Zaporizhzhia Avtomobilny Zavod) in the Ukrainian SSR, this passenger car was powered by an air-cooled, rear-mounted engine. It was intended to be what the popular Beetle was for Volkswagen – a simple and inexpensive car, accessible to ordinary citizens. The “pontoon” body shape was inspired by the body of the American Chevrolet Corvair. Until 1978, when the 968M version was introduced, the ZAZ 968’s body featured distinctive side air intakes, earning it the nickname “ushastyy” (“big-eared”). The 968 version eliminated the imitation grille on the front wall, which was found on the older ZAZ 966. Thanks to the use of Volkswagen-derived design solutions, this car performed very well on poor-quality roads, which significantly contributed to its popularity.