MOSKVITCH 400 AND 401 PASSENGER CARS

The history of the Moskvitch 400 and 401 passenger cars extends back to November 1936, when the first Opel-Kadett passenger car was manufactured at the Opel factory in Rüsselheim, Germany. This was a four-seat passenger vehicle with a 23-hp engine and steel monocoque chassis, with an empty weight of 760 kg. The Opel-Kadett passenger car was in production until 1940, with some limited production also occurring later. A total of 107,908 vehicles were produced.

     In April 1940, the first KIM-10 passenger cars were produced in Moscow at the Communist Youth International (KIM) Car Factory. The start-up of production for this passenger car was based on a Ford-Eifel license. The outbreak of war interrupted the production of the cars, which were initially assembled of parts imported from abroad.

     When after the war, the idea to produce cars intended for private individuals developed, it was decided that the Opel-Kadett Special K 38 would be suitable and that it would be manufactured at the KIM factory in Moscow. On August 26, 1945, the plant was renamed the Moscow Compact Car Factory (MZMA). The equipment, tooling and technical documents for the production of the cars were brought from the Opel factory in Rüsselheim, although not everything had survived there. By mistake, some of the equipment needed for production had ended up in Dnepropetrovsk, where a truck factory was to be established. Some drawings had to be redone.

     The first five Moskvitch 400-420 automobiles were completed on December 4, 1946.  A large number of parts were brought from the Opel factory to produce them. The mass production of these cars was started in January 1947. During 1947, the factory was able to produce 1,500 cars. The Moskvitch 400-420 was a four-door, four-seat passenger car with a monocoque chassis, which had a 1.1-liter, 23-hp gasoline engine. The empty weight of an equipped car was 855 kg and its maximum speed was 90 km per hour. 

     Other models included the 400-420A convertible and 400-422 van. The car was constantly modernized. After the installation of a more powerful engine (26-hp) in 1954, the car was renamed the Moskvitch 401-420. The production of the Moskvitch 400 and 401 totaled 216,006 vehicles. The last of these cars was manufactured on April 20, 1956. The next model to be produced was the Moskvitch 402-425.