In December 2008, Top Gear UK aired a story arguing that no Communist country had ever produced a good car. One of the witnesses for the prosecution was a ZAZ-968, a car that enjoyed a typically long production life. Our feature car is a 1982 ZAZ-968M, a car that represented a last hurrah for the badge. It presents exceptionally well, seemingly needing nothing but a new home. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Jeff C for spotting this 968M listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Northlake, Illinois. Handing the seller $13,999 could allow you to drive this quirky classic home.
ZAZ launched the original 968 in 1971, and the updated 968M hit showroom floors in 1979. Cars remained on sale until 1994. It probably would have soldiered on for longer, but the collapse of the Soviet Union provided greater access to more modern and refined imports, and the ZAZ quickly looked outdated and irrelevant. This 968M rolled off the line in 1982, and is a wonderful survivor that presents extremely well. Its Yellow paint holds a pleasant shine, which is far better than was seen on many production models from this region at the time. The panels are straight, and I can’t spot any signs of rust. The trim is in good condition, and the glass is clear. So far, this little beast looks like a winner.
The ZAZ-968M represented motoring at its most basic, so potential buyers shouldn’t expect to find air conditioning, power accessories, or a radio. They will receive a heater and a clock, and that’s their lot. However, the interior, trimmed in Red vinyl, is in excellent condition. There is no genuine wear on the upholstered surfaces, although the springs are visible beneath the vinyl on the back seat. I’m unsure whether the issue can be addressed, but I suspect that it can. The dash looks spotless, and the wheel is crack-free. The sale includes the original Owner’s Manual, but the new owner may require an interpreter to understand its contents and some of the gauge markings.
I’m disappointed that the seller supplies no engine bay images, because the ZAZ is a surprising little car. It follows a very typical design philosophy, with its rear-mounted engine sending the power to the back wheels via a four-speed manual transaxle. In this case, the motor is an air-cooled V4 with a capacity of 1,191cc and power and torque figures of 42hp and 55 ft/lbs. Admittedly, those numbers look modest, and the 0-60 mph ET of 32 seconds is slow by any standard. However, the V4 will run on low-octane fuel, and the 968M will hit a factory-claimed top speed of 74 mph. The seller doesn’t provide any information surrounding the car’s mechanical condition, although their emphasis on its overall condition suggests that it should be a turnkey proposition.
It would be easy to follow the Top Gear approach and to treat this 1982 ZAZ-968M as a bit of a joke. However, it proved to be an effective weapon for Soviet customers seeking something smaller and more economical than a Lada. The company also deserves praise for its production approach, developing and selling models specifically designed to allow people with mobility issues and disabilities the opportunity to slip behind the wheel to experience driving pleasure. This 1982 ZAZ-968M is a wonderful survivor, and many people would argue that it is a good thing that we are unlikely to see its kind again. However, if you crave something genuinely eye-catching for weekend cruises or trips to a local Cars & Coffee, it deserves a closer look.
This is an interesting car. I’d really like to take it for a drive just to see what its like, and what that air cooled V4 runs like. It looks like new from where I’m sitting. Cool find!!! Thanks Adam!!!
Another from Crazy Vaclavs Place of Automobiles, “Zagreb ebnom zlotdik diev”,( take it for a test drive) and you’ll agree. It goes 300 hectares on a single liter of kerosene,,,PUT IT IN H”,,no, that car was a Reliant Robin, but you get the idea. Growing up, the Soviet Union was depicted as this monster of a place, but you know, after I grew up, I realized, they weren’t much different than us. They had jobs to get to, dentist appts just like us. Unless I’m mistaken, the average wage for someone in the Soviet Union in 1982, was between 70-170 rubles/mo. That’s like $2.11, is that right? .50 cents a WEEK? I read these cost about 3500 rubles, or about $5,000. Out of reach for most then. I think this would be a hoot to drive, on specific routes( No I-70 please) and parts? Ty sam po sebe,,you’re on your own,,,Comrade. What a neat find.
Put it in “H”!
This is exactly where my mind went when I saw this article – thanks for posting this!
Same here, I’m glad you posted that…. Put it in “H”!!!
According to my figurin’, Minimum Wage equaled about $8.40 per month US, and Average Wage was about $21.28 in ‘82. Iris seriously skewed though, because many things were supplied by the government.
Obviously, average folks weren’t buying new cars-or any car, for that matter.
My father in law had a service station, and emigrated to the States as a young man from communist Europe. One day, he had a Trabant in the parking area. A friend of his gave it to him. I BEGGED him to sell it to me. He absolutely refused, saying it was a piece of garbage, and I don’t think he wanted his daughter or grandkids anywhere near this thing.
He once told me (when I asked him to work on my 914) “What are you doing with this G-d D-mn Nazi Car? Why don’t you get a good car, like a Buick or an Oldsmobile?” So he definitely had his opinions on these things.
His brother put an order in for a Trabant, and years later it arrived, complete with burn holes in the body work, resulting from cinders from the coal fired trains which transported the cars landing on the plastic/carboard/resin body work.
I said that the plan would be to drive it in the Woodward Dream Cruise, and We’d all dress up like the Czechoslovakian Swinger Brothers from Saturday Night Live. I told him that the awfulness was the point! Still, no luck…
”We’re two wild and crazy guys!”
After the “fall of the wall” I lived in Kazakhstan for quite some time and drove one of these. When you say “bare bones” you are NOT kidding especially in the way of suspension or heating! Still they did get pretty good fuel economy and were quite “easy” to work on. Think Russian version of the VW!
A clock? You decadent capitalist.
The Soviet Union in the 1950s produced some pretty good 1942 Packards.
Looks a lot like a 1962 NSU Prinz that my father bought brand new in NJ. That one only had a 2 cylinder air cooled engine. It was faster than 32 sec. to 60MPH as I can testify from my dark-of-night underage excursions. Pops would have been peeved!
Would be a fun little car to own, except parts might be a bit scarce!
An air cooled V4 sounds like a Tatra design. Tatra, not VW, took the air cooled engine to the limit.
Sweet childhood memories of riding in the back, one adult and four kids deep.
I drove a friend’s ZAZ 968 once. As he tossed me the keys, he warned me that it ‘over steers like a pig.” I figured that I was just driving around private property, and wouldn’t exceed around 15 MPH. Yup, at 15MPH it would over steer. Still a neat car.
A ZAZ-968-M was the first car Vlad Putin (not Vlad Dracu) owned.
I’d like having one of it….With a Wankel RCE
Air cooled ? And has a heater ? Been there, done that too many times. Frozen legs and ice on the inside of the windows lol. Give me some good old fashioned decadent water cooled engine heat on high. I can live with no ac being sweaty and stinky but cold and shivering hard pass. Drove a rolling tent 1500 miles in January from northern Colorado to home in a blizzard then zero degrees with 60 mph winds. Air cooled pinzgauer. Cold cold cold. I read once the Russian police trabants had no heaters ? No sleeping on the job for them !
Looking at it reminds me of the Sunbeam Imps I owned in the 70s.
Interestingly, the cars are (were) actually manufactured in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
Jorge and Yortuk will wear this car well (in their tight slacks while cruising for foxes), but where will they put that fancy new vacuum cleaner?
I don’t think you’d want to get up on any interstates but for a car to run around town this would be great. Simple basic transportation that you won’t see anyone else driving. Heater seems a tad dodgy but if it works …
Pretty pricey though.