(first posted 2/3/2013) In the history of the Russian automobile industry, there were moments of light that punctuated the years and decades of drab. Clearly, this Moskvitch 2142 Prince Vladmir is not one of its more brilliant moments, especially when you consider that it was built from 1998 – 2002, the year its maker finally went belly-up. Its appearance at the Cohort, posted byDeeTwoAr, is auspicious, since its body was based on the Simca 1307/Chrysler 150 of just a few posts ago (although I would never have guessed so in the case of the notchback 2142). While doing a little research to dig up more history on these cars, I came upon the full-Brougham version, the Ivan Kalita. Are you sitting down?
Just to set the story a bit, the Moskvitch 2141 Aleko was a milestone car for the company, its first modern FWD product after decades of old (but beloved) RWD Mossies. As is quite apparent, from the A-Pillar back the Alekos body comes from the Simca 1307. From the many European cars Moskvitch evaluated for their plans to enter the modern world, the Simca was deemed suitable; however, it didn’t help morale among the engineers when they acquired the rights to build it instead of using it as the inspiration for a new, home-grown body.
But under the skin, the Aleko is much more Audi in terms of its longitudinal engine placement, which was necessitated because the Moskvitch four was too large to fit sideways; the suspension also cribs from Audi. The Aleko finally went into production in 1986, and was built in numerous versions until Moskvitch’s end, in 2002.
image: ggpht.com
The 2142 was an obvious attempt to take the Aleko platform upscale by adding 20 mm to the wheelbase. Presumably, that explains the odd fixed glass in the rear window; clearly, it was cheaper to graft it onto an extended door (and keep the existing movable window pane and mechanism) than to tool up for a proper new one. There were three versions: the Prince Vladmir, shown at the top as a mid-level sedan–and then there was this, the Ivan Kalita, the Brougham of Moskvitchs.
image: avto-cccp.ru
Here’s a side view. But it gets better still:
image: autonavigator.ru
If the wheelbase can be enlarged, it can also be shortened–drastically, even. Here’s the 2142 Duet:
Would anyone guess that this started out as a Simca 1307? Let’s just say Moskvitch’s attempts to cash in on the new-found wealth in Russia was not successful. A Mercedes 500SL, this ain’t.
Its like if someone described a 1985 Park Avenue over the phone, to someone who spoke little english.
Also, interesting used of a tailight as a quarter panel.
It’s obvious that they tooled up for just one rear quarter panel, and extended it that way for the Ivan Kalita. Both the Duet and Prince Vladmir appear to use the original shorter version.
Re using a taillight as a quarter panel, perhaps they drew inspiration from the 1996 Ford Mondeo? 😉
circa 1985
“We need new car design”
“No hard currency to buy decadent capitalist design. Call spy in Amerika, will describe car to you.”
No money for a new rear quarter panel, but money is no problem for new hood, front fenders and grille … I guess the whole front end is shared between the Duet and the Kalita.
The two Duets shown appear to have different front door/door glass/B-pillar, while the top-of-the-line Kalita had to make do with a kluged rear door glass. Certainly an interesting allocation of tooling investment …
The hood, front fenders and grille were already in production since Hella headlights have been fitted in 1998. On this actual car front fenders are not original, but fitted from a pre-1998 Aleko, by the way.
Not great … well, not even remotely OK … but really no worse visually than some of the later K-car derivatives.
Good point! Although these are from about ten years later…
Looking at the driver’s side front quarter pic of the Duet, it looks like the belt line slants up to the cowl, then down along the bottom of the window, then straight back to the rear. But in the passenger side shot, that line appears to be straight from front to rear. Perhaps the top photo has been foto-shchopped.
Perspective, not photo-shop. Look at the gray car, it has that slightly down-sloping line there too. It’s just a matter of angles.
Those Duets are different cars. The bottom one has the original headlights with the forward sloping front fender edge; the top Duet the much bigger headlights with the rearward sloping fender edge. The wheelbase looks shorter in the bottom one, and the door is definitely a different shape – the B-pillar window frame is sloping forward and there’s a triangular metal fillet at the bottom of it.
Were the Duets factory-built, or are the the creation of enterprising locals wanting an 80s Eldorado-esque personal coupe?
There were two versions of the Duet, that corresponded to the two sedan versions. The cheaper one. Duet II, had the Prince Vladmir front end; the more expensive Duet had the Ivan Kalita front end, and probably other trim bits and interior. By coincidence, I grabbed a picture of both versions, and now I can see the difference in the front fender. But I’m quite sure the wheelbase and basic body is the same, although I do see a difference in the window lines. I don’t know how many were built; they may have been a semi-handbuilt affair.
The 2141 Aleko looks like the bastard child of a 1988-96 Cutlass Ciera and Volvo 740 with a fake Rolls-Royce grille.
Inspiration.
Wow. Just wow. Thanks for this, I never knew it existed. What a fascinating car! I think I’d still prefer a GAZ-3111 though.
http://www.bestautophoto.com/images/gaz-volga-3111-23-02.jpg
+1
Couldn’t open the image, but I understand which car you mentioned. It was launched in about 1999 with much fanfare but… soon people realised that, while sold at a price of a slightly used Jaguar, it still was essentially a 1970s car, with live axle/leaf leaf springs RWD layout, so… let’s just say that it failed, miserably. What makes it sort of a collector’s item now, though. Surprisingly enough, the original 1970-vintage Volga soldiered on until 2009 in a slightly disguised form, the 3102 model even gaining something like a cult following.
Thanx Paul I learnt something today I had a chat with a local Simca freak/collector/nutter recently and I see his 1000 running about I will point him at your site next I see him, is this a Russian Lee Iacocca doing a Kcar from Simca components instead of mitsubishi because one of them was first and the other shoulda been taking notes as both went under.
I glanced at those last three pictures and said to myself, “does Niedermeyer think he can fool us with these crude photoshops?” I took a closer look and realized that they were the sheet metal equivalent of photoshops; styling on a budget that would make AMC’s finances during the 70’s look lavish. The third pic from the bottom might make a good taxi, though. It’s all trunk and back seat.
Wasn’t Prince vladmir called “the impaler?” this gets me right in the heart.
Brilliant, just brilliant! 😀
Brilliant indeed, but different Vladimir:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_the_Impaler
I’ll admit to being pretty okay with the Prince Vladmir. Just needs a toned-down grille.
Looks like an AMC Fifth Avenue Town Car
It’s still looks lightyears better than anything I saw at the Houston Auto Show last week (except maybe the Dodge Challenger and Fiat 500).
If ever there was a Russian Clark W. Griswald, this would be his car of choice.
The Duet’s a charmer.
The Prince — not so much.
Real rain gutters. Made of steel. What’s not to like?
Um…..wow.
I can’t think of anything else to say.
We got the FWD model in Canada in the late early 1990s. In Victoria, a real shyster bought the exclusive franchise in Western Canada and proceeded to flog them at $5995. They were really popular with the Granola crowd, which was pissed at the USA for invading Iraq. Their protest was to buy Russian cars. The importer, a Mr T, put five year warranties on the cars. He sold loads of them and then walked away as the cars began to implode/and/or explode.
The real irony this was it wasn’t the first time. In the early 1980’s, the same guy imported loads of the Lada based on the Fiat 124. Granolas snapped them up in a show of Solidarity for Communism. Soon, Nanaimo Socialist-Granola yards were littered with dead Ladas.
Those were weird days and I am still surprise how many class warriors were around then. Perhaps we need them back?
I knew about the Ladas but never knew these were sold in Canada. That’s pretty crazy… I guess they’re old enough now that they can be imported to the US, although owning one will probably get you on some CIA terrorist list. I’d love to have one. I hate communism, but I love flipping the bird at “the man”.
What other weirdo communist vehicles did they sell north of the border?
We also got the East Bloc Skoda, the rear engine one. The motor was longitudinally mounted and liquid cooled. It could be sold in Canada due to our less strict emission standards at the time. It even had a manual choke.
The cars sold for like $5995 and were mostly bought by Hippy-Granola-Goddess-Mother-of-the-Earth types. Most were scrapped in a few years, too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0koda_130
We had those Skodas in New Zealand they were nearly biodegradable they disappeared so fast.
A work colleague owned one. A rear wheel came off on the freeway. She survived.
IIRC the Lada Niva 4×4 was sold in the Great White North as well. Could be wrong. I see them occasionally here in AUS though. They’re a long way from home…
They sure were. David Saunders has featured several on the site: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/a-need-for-nivas-from-russia-with-a-whole-lada-love/
In the UK in the 70s ,80s you could by a pre VW Skoda with a rear engine, VW Skodas are currently sold here, I was in a Skoda Superb 2.8 recently, pretty nice car with a lovely interior, I would consider one
Also a Moscovich (Dad was stupid enough to buy a second hand 412), the 2 stroke Wartburg, and of course the Lada , but no Tatra dam it
I quite liked the rear engine Skoda, but the rest were absolute rubbish,
I do find Russian lorries fascinating though, and the You Tube videos of them operating in extreme conditions are well worth a look
Mr. T? I pity the fool who bought one of these things.
Needs a opera lights and fake wire wheel covers and then it could have run with my Cutlass… 😛
Prince Vladimir? Ivan Kalita? Aleko Moskovitch? Where is the Anna Karenina version? All good cars are the same. All shitty cars are shitty in their own way. These things are just absolutely outrageous and so decadently/disgustingly Russian… I can’t believe you could buy a new one only 11 years ago. The real Ivan Kalita was known as “Ivan the Moneybag” for all the wealth he brought to Moscow. What a tasteful name for a car! Maybe it loses something in translation…
The Kalita version looks like a K-car New Yorker without the vinyl roof. The 2-door looks like a K-car LeBaron.
Of all the things to copy…
Let’s see a few more dead reds!Fascinating articles,well done.The Lada and FSO have a charm and character but there’s nothing attractive to me about this ugly brute
In case this doesn’t format properly, which usually happens when replying on my phone, this is a reply to Canucknucklehead Re: the Skoda 130
Longitudinal rear engine you say? Let me channel my inner principaldan: that needs an Audi 20V Turbo 5-cylinder!!
Do any of them still exist in Canada or have they all been wiped off the face of the continent? I was only semi-joking about wanting to own a Moskivitch, but I’ve always loved Skodas – regardless of how crappy they were pre-VAG.
Personally I love how Skoda went from so bad nobody wanted one to so good that VW contemplates killing the brand just to try to sell more VWs.
dan – Same here, although if the current Skodas are anything like the VW/Audi cars they’re based on I’m sure they’re still an electrical/gizmo nightmare. That said, I remember a few years back Top Gear mailed out some kind of owner satisfaction survey and the results they got back showed that every VW product based on the Golf got higher marks than the Golf itself – with Skoda and SEAT near the top. That’s not super-scientific or anything, and I’m assuming that was one of their few non-sensationalized moments (cuz why bother?) but who knows.
I like VW’s sprawling (and probably unmanageable brand) hierarchy. I’ve always thought they had a good approach to “badge engineering” and wish we got some of their more obscure cars over here.
Not actually nobody a local company took the earlier Skoda Octavia RWD chassis suspension and powertrain and built a device called Trekka cheap it sold ok in what was then a severly restricted both supply and finance market and exports to Australia did happen, people rate them between absolute crap and serviceable, Ive driven a couple and fall into the former camp,
But the Skoda brand goes back to the dawn of motoring its much older than upstarts like VW.
Ah the Ivan Kalita… it was sooooo, soooo craptastic, people were thinking the guys just got crazy at the design studio. However, from the retrospective, it seems that it was about the management and not the design staff (google for “Ruben Asatryan moskvitch”, the guy who is often cited to be responsible for the demise of the Mossie in the late 1990s)
All in all, the base 2142 would have become a decent peoople carrier… if it ever went into production. Some of them still (!!!) are used by taxicab drivers, despite very expensive spare parts, so there was definitely something about this car.
And yes, I find the K-car analogy very fitting, as the Prince Vladimir is indeed quite close to the Dodge Dynasty / Chrysler New Yorker in terms of size / interior space / general shape of the body. So much so, actually, that initially I expected to find the same longitudial engine/drivetrain layout under K-car hoods (to no success ofcourse)
Oh and one last thing… I attest that the Duet is not a photoshopped image ) Yes its crasy but it real. And it’s all 1990s Russia, indeed.
Ah one moment… Paul wrights:
however, it didn’t help morale among the engineers when they acquired the rights to build it instead of using it as the inspiration for a new, home-grown body
Umm… actually it was done “the old, good way”: buy one, disassemble it and make a copy. No need to bother yourself with some licensing, mind you.
Another observation… strangely enough, the mid-1970s Moskvitch RWD concept cars, like this Moskvitch Meridian 1700TS, somehow seem to be nicer than the much later Aleko (another pic). Still unrefined, in desperate need of some good stylist and engineering consultant, but… that was 1975, not 1985. These were much like the contemporary 5er BMW in technical aspects – McPherson front/semi-trailing arms independent rear suspension, slant-4 OHC engine. Not a bad combination to start with, though I don’t fancy the styling.
It seems that moving to FWD in the mid-70s was a disastrous mistake for the Moskvitch which eventually would have broght doom upon it, as a whole line of ready-for-rpoduction RWD prototypes was scrapped in 1976 and the development of the Simka-derieved platform took another 10+ years.
Here’s a side view. But it gets better still:
Sweet Fancy Moses.
It’s the 2-door K-Car from hell.
I really like old bricks and have owned a few. And with that disclaimer out of the way, that top red two-door looks a whole hell of a lot like a Volvo 262C Bertone. And that’s not really a compliment to either Moskvitch, Volvo or Bertone.
Irv Rybicki was also “styling” cars for the Soviets in the 1980’s? Hmmm….there’s something treasonous there, not to mention that he helped run GM into the ground.
Alekos were imported in Uruguay for something like 2 or 3 years, beginning in 1993. They were quite nice looking….let me get this straight. They might have been good looking if they had been better finished. “Better” is a kind word. Anyway, they were really comfortable (when parked). There was a Diesel version, equipped in Europe with a 1.8 Ford engine, that went mostly for taxi service. From a passenger’s point of view, that was quite good, as seats were comfortable and space was ample. Apparently, that engine was the only thing that didn’t massively break in the car. A cousin got one of the first batch, and besides things that you could tell when testing the car (i.e., steering was so well attached and constructed that it seemed somebody forgot you might want to turn the wheel….heavy is an understatement). Clutches and gearboxes were expendable. Engines would overheat, even when new. And the tinworm would eat those cars very fast. It was said at the time the cars were left too much time on open spaces and without proper pre delivery protection.
Obviously designed in a dark room!