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OUR TIME MACHINES |
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LADA 1200S, a soviet „Magic Cube”
Choose this iconic model, the second most sold car all over the World with more than 17 million made.
Model: VAZ 21013
Seats: 5 (4 passangers)
Year: 1982
Engine: 4-stroke petrol
Cubic capacity: 1198 cm³
Performance: 44 kW (60 HP)
In 1961 Palmiro Togliatti, the leader of the Italian Communist Party, went to Moscow and visited the AZLK factory. It was here that he had his ’eureka moment’. He would build a really good Soviet people’s car instead of the ’technologically challenged’, old-fashionded Moszkvics cars. Alas they were lacking the skills and experience to develop such a vehicle, so all they could do was to buy something ready-made from the West. The result was the prototype Fiat124R, which was practically the same as Zsiguli2101.
The classic VAZ models were based on the much modified prototype version of Fiat124 (Fiat124R, R for Russia), voted car of the year 1966 and 1967.
The first Zsiguli cars rolled off from the assembly line in 1970 and then landed on Hungarian roads on 14th June 1971.
By 1996, about 1 million Lada cars were delivered Hungary, thus becoming the biggest export market of the Togliatti factory. Although now very rare, even in the first decade of this century Lada cars were still the most highly visible cars on the roads of Hungary.
Both the construction of the factory and the production itself were huge KGST projects with hundreds of enormous suppliers from the peace-treaty countries. Among the Hungarian suppliers were the Bakony Works (complete ignition towers, horns, windscreen-wipers, windscreen mechanics with engines, ignition switches), Egyesült Izzó (bulbs), the Factory of Mechanical Measuring Instruments (combined measuring units, tyre air-pressure gauges, Videoton (radios, loudspeakers), Elzett (handles, locks, whole lock structures).
OPEL KADETT, a „Western Zsiguli”
The perfect option for those wanting to cruise around Budapest in the most popular imported car brand on the Hungarian roads during the ’goulash-communism’ era.
A wonderfully fun drive and a classic, vintage car.
Model: Kadett LS 1.2
Seats: 5 (4 passangers)
Year: 1977
Engine: 4-stroke petrol
Cubic capacity: 1187 cm³
Performance: 44 kW (60 HP)
The first factory of the Opel-dynasty was founded by Adam Opel in 1863. In the beginning the family business, based in Rüsselsheim, produced sewing machines and bicycles, with automobile manufacturing only starting in 1899. In 1973 Opel secretly wanted to transform Kadett ’C’ into a world car. It was a people’s car just like the Zsiguli or Wartburg – but on a musch smaller scale. Up until 1979 701,075 models were sold in Hungary.
Our Opel is a rare yellow colour, made with automatic gears. It’s a rear wheel drive and despite its age it runs wonderfully.
TAM, tramm-traammm…
Would you like to experience Budapest whilst travelling around in the only ex-fire engine, turned minibus around? Of course you would!
Model: T5B
Seats: 9 (8 passangers)
Year: 1987
Engine: 4-stroke diesel
Cubic capacity: 3860 cm³
Performance: 59 kW (79 HP)
In the same way as the TAM trucks belonged to the street scenery in Yugoslavia, so did the Zsuks in Hungary. The factory, which initially made aeroplane parts, was founded in Maribor by the Germans who invaded Royal Yugoslavia. Then the name was changed to Tovarna Avtomobilov Maribor, (shortened as TAM) after the liberation, and they then began to assemble various commercial vehicles. Since the ’60s vans, lorries, military vehicles, fire engines, buses etc. have been manufactured in the factory.
Our car was made in 1987 and served originally as a fire engine! It is driven by a Magirus-Deutz 59kw diesel engine and can transport 8 passengers.