Automobile model numbering system in USSR and Russia
Encyclopedia
A standardized automobile model numbering system has been used in the USSR and Russia
. Using the modern version of the system it is possible to determine a vehicle's type and engine capacity. The modern version of the numbering system was introduced in the mid-1970s. A similar system is used in the People's Republic of China
.
According to the old system, the vehicle model consisted of the manufacturer's name and up to three digits. Each manufacturer received a range of numbers it used to pick model numbers. The ranges were assigned as follows:
, other plants switched to the new system substantially later: Moskvitch - in 1976, Moskvitch 2140
; GAZ
- in 1982, GAZ-3102; and so on) and is still used in Russia, although not strictly adhered to by the manufacturers.
According to this system the full model designation is a combination of the manufacturer's name (e.g. VAZ) and at least 4-digit number (e.g. 2108):
—abcd,
in which:
For passenger cars the engine displacament and dry weight are used to determine the class, also sub-classes (Groups) are defined:
For trucks, full weight is used:
For buses length is used:
The fifth digit is optional, and is used to specify different versions or modifications of the same model.
The sixth digit was sometimes used to specify export variants.
Also several digits separated by dash were sometimes used to specify option packages.
The system had multiple drawbacks. For example, there were vehicles that could not be correctly indexed because their engine capacity and dry weight fell into different categories. This problem often appeared when extra low- or large-displacement modifications were created. Usually these were indexed according to the index of the base model. For example 5.5-liter V8-powered Volga GAZ-31011 was indexed so because its base model was 2,99-liter GAZ-3101; instead it should have been indexed with "4" first digit according to its engine displacement. Moskvitch-214145 Svyatogor (based on Moskvitch 2141) was powered by 2.0-liter Renault F3R engine, so it fell into "Middle" class according to its engine desplacement (more than 1800 cc), but into "Small" class according to its dry weight.
However, for most purposes the system worked just fine for its time, mostly because new models were specifically created to fit into its classes and sub-classes, and extra low- or high-power modifications were quite rare.
This system usually was not used for export markets, where different indexes (usually directly based on engine displacement, like "Moskvitch 1500" for the car that was known domestically as Moskvitch 2140
), or names (like "Moskvitch Aleko" for Moskvitch 2141) were in use. Howewer, all exported models anyway had indexes based on the Soviet numbering system, which were used for documentation purposes.
By the late-Soviet period, model names were also used domestically along with standardized indexes, like - Lada Sputnik for VAZ-2108, VAZ-2109 and their modifications.
, with an engine capacity between 1200 cc and 1800 cc (2), which is a passenger vehicle (1), sixth model of the plant (06), this model's third modification (3).
GAZ-31029-51: A midde-class ("3") passenger ("1") vehicle produced by GAZ
, with engine displacement between 1800 cc and 3500 cc, second model ("02"), ninth modification, with option package #51 factory installed.
models by dropping required first digit "2" and numbering them as 1117, 1118 and 1119 despite having a 1.6 L engine.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Using the modern version of the system it is possible to determine a vehicle's type and engine capacity. The modern version of the numbering system was introduced in the mid-1970s. A similar system is used in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Old numbering system
The old numbering system was used from 1945 until the new system replaced it later (one model numbered by old system, LAZ-695N bus, is still produced http://4759.ukrindustrial.com/cat.php?oid=76399).According to the old system, the vehicle model consisted of the manufacturer's name and up to three digits. Each manufacturer received a range of numbers it used to pick model numbers. The ranges were assigned as follows:
| Range | Factory | Sample Models |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 99 | GAZ GAZ GAZ or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod , translated as Gorky Automobile Plant , started in 1932 as NAZ, a cooperation between Ford and the Soviet Union. It is one of the largest companies in the Russian automotive industry.... |
GAZ-14 |
| 100 - 199 | ZIL Zavod Imeni Likhacheva Zavod imeni Likhachova, more commonly called ZIL is a major Russian truck and heavy equipment manufacturer, which also produced armored cars for most Soviet leaders, as well as buses, armored fighting vehicles, and aerosani... |
ZIL-130 |
| 200 - 299 | YaAZ, KrAZ KrAZ KrAZ is a factory that produces trucks and other special-purpose vehicles in Kremenchuk, Ukraine; particularly heavy-duty off-road models... |
KrAZ-258 |
| 300 - 399 | UralAZ | UralAZ-375 |
| 400 - 450 | MZMA AZLK AZLK was a Russian automobile factory , the maker of the Moskvitch brand.... (AZLK AZLK AZLK was a Russian automobile factory , the maker of the Moskvitch brand.... ) |
MZMA-412 |
| 450 - 499 | UAZ UAZ UAZ , Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod is an automobile manufacturer based in Ulyanovsk, Russia which manufactures off-road vehicles, buses and trucks. It is best known for its Model 469 jeep, which has seen wide use as a military vehicle in Russia and around the world... |
UAZ-452, UAZ-469 |
| 500 - 599 | MAZ, BelAZ BelAZ BelAZ is a Belarusian manufacturer of haulage and earthmoving equipment based in Zhodzina. The factory opened its door in 1948 and has produced over 120,000 vehicles for use in the Soviet Union.BELAZ is a site for one of the largest Commonwealth of Independent States investment project... |
MAZ-500, BelAZ-640m |
| 600 - 649 | KAZ | |
| 650 - 699 | bus Bus A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are... es - PAZ, LiAZ, LAZ Laz Laz may refer to the Laz people, who live by the Black Sea, or to their language. As a given name, Laz may be a diminutive for Lazar, Lazarus, Lazaro, or Lazaros... |
|
| 700 - 999 | ZAZ ZAZ ZAZ or Zaporizhia Automobile Building Plant is the main automobile-manufacturer of Ukraine, based in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhia. It is also known for its former mother company name, AvtoZAZ... , RAF Rigas Autobusu Fabrika The Riga Autobus Factory was a factory in Jelgava, Latvia, making vans and minibuses under the brand name Latvija.... , trailers Trailer (vehicle) A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials.... |
Modern numbering system
The modern numbering system, documented as отраслевая нормаль ОН 025270-66, was first introduced in 1966 (but did not become effective immediately, so many vehicles that entered production before mid-1970s still used the old numbering system; the first vehicle to use it was the all-new VAZ-2101VAZ-2101
The VAZ-2101 is a compact car, sedan, produced by VAZ and introduced in 1970. VAZ had been founded in the mid-1960s as a collaboration between Fiat and the Soviet government, and the 2101 was its first product...
, other plants switched to the new system substantially later: Moskvitch - in 1976, Moskvitch 2140
Moskvitch 2140
Moskvitch 2140 series is a small family car produced by the Soviet automotive maker AZLK from 1976 to 1988. It started first as Moskvitch 2138 and Moskvitch 2140 with the modified 408 platform, designed and released for the Soviet market in late 1975...
; GAZ
GAZ
GAZ or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod , translated as Gorky Automobile Plant , started in 1932 as NAZ, a cooperation between Ford and the Soviet Union. It is one of the largest companies in the Russian automotive industry....
- in 1982, GAZ-3102; and so on) and is still used in Russia, although not strictly adhered to by the manufacturers.
According to this system the full model designation is a combination of the manufacturer's name (e.g. VAZ) and at least 4-digit number (e.g. 2108):
in which:
- а — vehicle class;
For passenger cars the engine displacament and dry weight are used to determine the class, also sub-classes (Groups) are defined:
| First digit | Class | Group | Displacement, cc | Dry weight, kg | Examples (including models indexed according to the old numbering system) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Extra small | I | less than 849 | less than 649 | ZAZ-965, VAZ-1111 Oka |
| II | 850…1099 | 650…799 | Moskvitch 400, ZAZ-1102 Tavriya | ||
| 2 | Small | I | 1 100… 1299 | 800…899 | Moskvitch 402 Moskvitch 402 The Moskvitch 402 is a small family car manufactured by the former Soviet maker MZMA, first time introduced in 1956 as a second generation of the Moskvitch#Generations series... , VAZ-2101 VAZ-2101 The VAZ-2101 is a compact car, sedan, produced by VAZ and introduced in 1970. VAZ had been founded in the mid-1960s as a collaboration between Fiat and the Soviet government, and the 2101 was its first product... Zhiguli |
| II | 1 300…1 499 | 900…1 049 | Moskvitch 408 Moskvitch 408 The Moskvitch-408 series is a small family car produced by the Soviet car manufacturer MZMA/AZLK between 1964 and 1976.... , VAZ-2103 VAZ-2103 The VAZ-2103 is a deluxe compact car, sedan, produced by AvtoVAZ and introduced in 1972. Better known as the Lada outside of its native Russia, it was a localized version of the Fiat 124 Speciale model 1968 tailored for the Soviet and Eastern European market... Zhiguli |
||
| III | 1 500…1 799 | 1 050…1 149 | Moskvitch 412 Moskvitch 412 The Moskvitch 412 , also called 2140 in 1975 prior to discontinuation and 1500 SL outside USSR, is a small family car produced by Soviet manufacturer MZMA/AZLK from 1967 to 1976. It was also built as the Izh 412 by IZH in Izhevsk from 1967 to 1982 and replaced by the spun off Izh Comby series... , VAZ-2106 Zhiguli |
||
| 3 | Middle | I | 1 800…2 499 | 1 150…1 299 | GAZ-M20 Pobeda GAZ-M20 Pobeda The GAZ-M20 "Pobeda" was a passenger car produced in the Soviet Union by GAZ from 1946 until 1958. It was also licensed to Polish Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych.The first Pobeda was developed in the Soviet Union under chief engineer Andrei A. Liphart... |
| II | 2 500…3 499 | 1 300…1 499 | GAZ-21 GAZ-21 The GAZ M21 Volga, the first car to carry the Volga name, was developed in the early 1950s. Volgas were built to last in the harsh climate and rough roads of the Soviet Union, with high ground clearance , rugged suspension, strong and forgiving engine, and rustproofing on a... Volga, GAZ-3102 Volga |
||
| 4 | Large | I | 3 500…4 999 | 1 500…1 899 | GAZ-12 ZIM GAZ-12 ZIM GAZ-12 ZIM is a limousine produced at the GAZ from 1950 till 1959. ZIM abbreviation stands for Zavod Imeni Molotova, which reflects the part of factory's official name at the time... |
| II | 5 000 and more | 1 900 and more | Chayka | ||
| 5 | Upper | — | (non-regulated) | (non-regulated) | ZIL-111 ZIL-111 After unsuccessful tests with the prototype ZIL-Moscow in 1956 the ZIL-111 was introduced from ZIL in 1959. The styling was inspired by the mid-1950s Packard, a United States automobile manufacturer... , ZIL-4104 ZIL-4104 The ZIL-4104 was a limousine built from the late 1970s to the late 1980s, when it served as the transport of the elite of the Soviet Union. So much status did the car have that, although it is estimated that no more than fifty cars were produced each year, ZIL 4104s were granted exclusive use of... |
For trucks, full weight is used:
| First digit | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 | up to 1200 kg |
| 2 | 1200 kg - 2000 kg |
| 3 | 2000 kg - 8000 kg |
| 4 | 8000 kg - 14000 kg |
| 5 | 14000 kg - 20000 kg |
| 6 | 20000 kg - 40000 kg |
| 7 | more than 40000 kg |
For buses length is used:
| First digit | Length |
|---|---|
| 2 | Up to 5 m |
| 3 | 6 - 7.5 m |
| 4 | 8 - 9.5 m |
| 5 | 10.5 – 12 m |
| 6 | more than 16 m |
- b — vehicle type;
| Second digit | Type of vehicle |
|---|---|
| 1 | passenger car |
| 2 | bus Bus A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are... |
| 3 | truck Truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile... |
| 4 | semi-trailer truck Semi-trailer truck A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or articulated truck or articulated lorry, is an articulated vehicle consisting of a towing engine , and a semi-trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) articulated truck... |
| 5 | dump truck Dump truck A dump truck is a truck used for transporting loose material for construction. A typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear, the front of which can be lifted up to allow the contents to be deposited on the ground behind the truck at the site of... |
| 6 | tank truck Tank truck A tank truck or road tanker is a motor vehicle designed to carry liquefied loads, dry bulk cargo or gases on roads. The largest such vehicles are similar to railroad tank cars which are also designed to carry liquefied loads... |
| 7 | van Van A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs... |
| 8 | reserved |
| 9 | special vehicle |
- c and d — factory model number.
The fifth digit is optional, and is used to specify different versions or modifications of the same model.
The sixth digit was sometimes used to specify export variants.
Also several digits separated by dash were sometimes used to specify option packages.
The system had multiple drawbacks. For example, there were vehicles that could not be correctly indexed because their engine capacity and dry weight fell into different categories. This problem often appeared when extra low- or large-displacement modifications were created. Usually these were indexed according to the index of the base model. For example 5.5-liter V8-powered Volga GAZ-31011 was indexed so because its base model was 2,99-liter GAZ-3101; instead it should have been indexed with "4" first digit according to its engine displacement. Moskvitch-214145 Svyatogor (based on Moskvitch 2141) was powered by 2.0-liter Renault F3R engine, so it fell into "Middle" class according to its engine desplacement (more than 1800 cc), but into "Small" class according to its dry weight.
However, for most purposes the system worked just fine for its time, mostly because new models were specifically created to fit into its classes and sub-classes, and extra low- or high-power modifications were quite rare.
This system usually was not used for export markets, where different indexes (usually directly based on engine displacement, like "Moskvitch 1500" for the car that was known domestically as Moskvitch 2140
Moskvitch 2140
Moskvitch 2140 series is a small family car produced by the Soviet automotive maker AZLK from 1976 to 1988. It started first as Moskvitch 2138 and Moskvitch 2140 with the modified 408 platform, designed and released for the Soviet market in late 1975...
), or names (like "Moskvitch Aleko" for Moskvitch 2141) were in use. Howewer, all exported models anyway had indexes based on the Soviet numbering system, which were used for documentation purposes.
By the late-Soviet period, model names were also used domestically along with standardized indexes, like - Lada Sputnik for VAZ-2108, VAZ-2109 and their modifications.
Examples
VAZ-21063: A vehicle produced by VAZVaz
Vaz also may refer to:*Vaz , people named Vaz*VAZ Plus, a Virtual Studio Technology and DirectX plugin that simulates a subtractive synthesizer...
, with an engine capacity between 1200 cc and 1800 cc (2), which is a passenger vehicle (1), sixth model of the plant (06), this model's third modification (3).
GAZ-31029-51: A midde-class ("3") passenger ("1") vehicle produced by GAZ
GAZ
GAZ or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod , translated as Gorky Automobile Plant , started in 1932 as NAZ, a cooperation between Ford and the Soviet Union. It is one of the largest companies in the Russian automotive industry....
, with engine displacement between 1800 cc and 3500 cc, second model ("02"), ninth modification, with option package #51 factory installed.
Future of the system
Future of the standard is unclear. Some manufacturers keep following it and other do not. For instance, AutoVAZ didn't adhere to the standard with its newer Lada KalinaLada Kalina
The Lada Kalina is a supermini produced by the Russian automaker AvtoVAZ and sold under the Lada brand. It began production in November 2004 as the 2004 year model in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus, although dealership availability for foreign markets started only in September 2005.The...
models by dropping required first digit "2" and numbering them as 1117, 1118 and 1119 despite having a 1.6 L engine.