The first "Moskvich" 2141 station wagon debuted 35 years ago in... Yugoslavia

The Moscow Automobile Plant Leninsky Komsomol (AZLK, later renamed Aleko, which means the same thing) has long traditions in trade with Yugoslavia, dating back to the 1950s. The Soviet brand has a tangible presence on the local market, where it competes not only with Zastava and other local manufacturers, but also with the rich range of Western brands sold for dinars magazin de piese auto online.

The first "Moskvich" 2141 station wagon debuted 35 years ago in... Yugoslavia

For many years, the official representative of Moskvich in Yugoslavia was the company Progress, which also invariably participated in the annual Belgrade Motor Show, where in the late 1980s the completely new model 2141 with front-wheel drive and a hatchback body was shown for the first time. Like other importers, Progress tried to attract a wider range of customers by adapting the car to local conditions. Thus, at the Belgrade Motor Show in 1990, an unusual version of the Moskvich 2141 with a station wagon body, made by a Yugoslav company, was presented. Despite the external differences, the car is technically identical to the hatchback, with the wheelbase and rear overhang also remaining unchanged. Even the original taillights, which are built into the lower part of the vertically opening tailgate, have been preserved.

After the exhibition, the only prototype produced was sent to AZLK for design studies. However, the plant itself needed about five more years to prepare its own station wagon version of the 2141, which was conceptually very similar to the Yugoslav one. It also featured a roof that gradually rose towards the rear, as well as an almost vertically positioned rear door with a very large glass. In this case, a combination of the 2141 hatchback, which was used as a base, and the rear of the 2142 sedan, which was distinguished by an extended rear overhang and vertical rear lights, was made. The main idea was that, in the event of mass production, these cars would be used primarily as ambulances. Therefore, the door opened vertically upwards, and the height of the roof was increased by 250 mm, and a ZIL hatch was also built into it, located above the front seats. Two such prototypes were made at AZLK, one of which was painted white and had welded brackets for sanitary stretchers. Later it ended up at NAMI (Central Research Institute of Automobiles and Automobile Engines), where it was converted into the infamous mega pickup truck "Tachanka". The second copy, however, survived and is now in private hands, but its condition is not good and requires a complete restoration.

Car parts AutoPower
Car parts AutoPower

For many years, the official representative of Moskvich in Yugoslavia was the company Progress, which also invariably participated in the annual Belgrade Motor Show, where in the late 1980s the completely new model 2141 with front-wheel drive and a hatchback body was shown for the first time

After the exhibition, the only prototype produced was sent to AZLK for design studies