Moskvitch 412

Moskvitch-412/Izh-412
Overview
Manufacturer	MZMA/AZLK IZh
Also called	Moskvitch 1500 SL (export)
Production	1967—1982 as "Moskvitch-412/427/434" 1967—1997 as "Izh-412" 1972—2001 as "Izh-2715"
Body and chassis
Class	Compact car
Body style	4-door sedan 3- and 5- door station wagon 3-door van 2-door pick-up
Layout	FR layout
Doors	4 (5 on the Kombi hatchback model)
Related	Moskvitch 408
Powertrain
Engine	1478 cc UZAM-412 I4
Transmission	4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,400 mm (94.5 in)
Length	4,115 mm (162.0 in)
Width	1,550 mm (61.0 in)
Curb weight	1,045 kg (2,304 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Moskvitch 408
Successor	Moskvitch 2140 (for Moskvitch) Izh 2125 Kombi (for Izh)

The Moskvitch 412 (Moskvich 412, M-412) was a small family car produced by Soviet manufacturer MZMA/AZLK from 1967 to 1976, then as the restyled and modified Izh-412 by IZh in Izhevsk from 1967 to 1997 and replaced by the spun off Izh-2125 Kombi series thereafter. It was a more powerful and prestigious version of the M-408 model, offering more features to the driver for a higher price.

Design

Upon designing the 1,478 cc (90.2 cu in) UZAM-412 engine, Moskvitch engineers might have taken some inspiration from the contemporary BMW M 115 engine used in the BMW 1500 model. The Moskvitch-412 had a slanted (to a tilt of 20 degrees) inline-four engine with a block, head, and inlet manifold cast in aluminium in order not to increase the weight of the engine and a hemispherical combustion chamber (unlike the BMW, which had a cast iron block). Steel cylinder liners were replaceable to enable easy repair of the engine instead of having to replace it entirely. Since it was of an OHC design it was taller than the OHV MZMA-408 engine it replaced, which is why it was mounted at a slant. The UZAM-412 had a capacity of 1480 c.c. and developed 75 horsepowers. Its more powerful version, the Moskvitch-412-2V, had 100 h.p. and was installed on sports cars.

In 1969, both the M-412 and the related M-408 had their body and taillights redesigned. These were notable for being the first Moskvitch models to feature square headlights and horizontal or vertical rear lights and triangular turn signals, which passed on to the 2138/2140 in 1976. Until then, the M-412 profited from heightened tailfins and tanned headlight lamps on export models. Another notable (but not unique, since it was used in other Russian cars at the time) feature were the so-called side signals, mounted on the C-pillars on some vehicles and similar to the American "opera lights". The car was upgraded with dual-circuit brake system, reinforced car-body structure, and passive safety features such as soft grip steering wheel cover, soft interior parts, seat belts, and padded dashboard. It was the first Moskvitch to pass safety features tests in France, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Sweden in 1970—71, and in Western Germany in 1972.

The M-412 was launched in the United Kingdom in 1969, when the first 20 dealerships were set up and some 300 cars were sold; its sales increased annually and peaked in 1973, when some 14,500 cars were sold through a 268-dealer network. However, soon afterwards the car was pushed off the British market by the fellow Soviet brand Lada, down to only 3462 sales in 1973 and 344 in 1975, so that Moskvitch decided to withdraw from the United Kingdom. Satra's 1974 rebranding it the Moskvitch 1500 did not change anything.

1975 Moskvitch 412IE (Elite)

Satra entered M-412s in the Group One Production Saloon Car Championship in 1972 and 1973, where it easily beat "sharp-handling but underpowered" Hillman Imps and Austin Minis. It also placed 1-2-3 in the 1973 Avon Round Britain Rally and scored a class win in the South Africa Safari Rally the same year.

Trims and models

Moskvitch

• M-412, the base sedan model that underwent various adaptations marked by adding different letters such as "E", "I", "U", "P", etc. to its name. They usually meant the class of the vehicle (as in luxury residential, commercial, governmental, sports, export, and so on) and were preferred over precising words used on earlier models. Kerb weight of the 412 was 1,045 kg (2,304 lb).
• М-427, a station wagon on the same base, produced from 1969, replacing the M-426 wagon. In 1972, this got a new one-piece upward-hinged tailgate. AZLK stopped making these in 1976; IZh continued with production until 1982. Starting 1971, the base of this model served to create the Izh-2125 hatchback (see below).
• M-434, which was the unibody sedan delivery and pickup variant that succeeded the 433 straight from 1967 to 1973 (thereafter it was replaced by the Izh-2715 that increased in popularity by that time). Both this model and the M-427 kept their rear light tailfin design until 1982, and passed it on to M-2137 variants from 1975.

Izh

Izh-412 (early model)

Izh-412 rear view

• Izh-412 — practically similar to M-412, with slight changes in the frontal grille (featuring design elements from earlier M-408). Since IZH stopped delivering the Izh-408s in 1967, last production Izh-408 lines were also named "Izh-412" for convenience.
• Izh-427 was a calque of the M-427, with no other changes beside the company logo. The car, however, entered in production only in 1971 because of the abundance in Moskvitch variants.
• Izh-2125 — surnamed "Kombi", was the first Soviet hatchback series produced from 1973 to 1982, before receiving the Moskvitch 2140 platform as Izh-21251. It was then kept in production until 1997.
• Izh-2715 was IZH's panel van variant, also produced from 1973 and commonly referred to as a "covered pick-up". Izh kept this variant from 1982 till 2001,and stylistically improved it, maximally approaching the Kombi.

Relationship to M-408

M-412 dashboard

The original M-412 of 1967-1969 had a chassis identical to that of the Moskvitch-408, which had been launched 3 years earlier in 1964. The only differences between the two models were the engines and the interior.

Here are the main differences between the Moskvitch-412 and the Moskvitch-408:

	Moskvitch 412	Moskvitch 408
Production	1967–1976	1964–1976
Engine model	412	408
Chassis	408 (1967–1969); 412 (1969–1976)	408 (1964–1969); 412 (1969–1970)
Successor	Moskvitch 2140	Moskvitch 2138

The differences between the 412/408 chassis:

	1969 - 1975	1967 - 1969
Features	Square headlights; horizontal rear lights; triangular rear turn signal markers; separated front seats; floor mounted gearshift lever (except for the 408 which had column-mounted shifter until 1973).	2 or 4 (twin) round headlights (Izh-412: 1967 - 1982); vertical rear lights; front bench seat (until 1968); column mounted gearshift lever (on the 408 until 1973, on the 412 until the fall of 1968).

Prototype variants

In 1970, Moskvitch built a prototype of the M-353, a restyled hatchback version of the M-412 that was larger but recognizably related. The M-355 of 1972 was larger still, with 23 cm (9.1 in) greater length, 14 cm (5.5 in) more wheelbase, and 8 cm (3.1 in) more width. This made both the interior and the boot noticeably larger. The M-355 was further developed into the M-356 between 1973–1975, with "much bolder front end styling", new suspension, and an enlarged 1,799 cc (109.8 cu in) version of the Moskvitch-DM with twin Zenith carburetors, giving 103 hp (77 kW; 104 PS), with a Borg-Warner transmission planned. None were built.

Grilles

• 

  Grille used in 1967–1969 (AZLK) and 1968–1982 (Izh), similar to that of the M-408.

• 

  Restyled M-412 grille used from 1969 to 1975, also featured on the M-408 during the same years.

• 

  Upmarket "tanned" grille, used mainly on export models.

• 

  M-426 estate model used the new grille since 1969

• 

  Similar grille featured on the 1973—1982 "Kombi", a hatchback car based on the M-412. Turn lights were moved up.

• 

  M-2138/40 grille, appearing shortly before the discontinuation of the M-412 in late 1975

Modifications

• 

  Moskvitch-412

• 

  Rally car

• 

  Moskvitch-427 estate

• 

  Izh-2715 van (early model)

• 

  Pickup truck