The SMZ cycle car was a Soviet microcar

Microcar

A microcar is the smallest automobile classification usually applied to standard small car . Such small cars were generally referred to as cyclecars until the 1940s. More recent models are also called bubblecars due to their egg-shaped appearance.-Definition:The definition of a microcar has varied...

, manufactured in Serpukhov

Serpukhov

Serpukhov is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, which is situated at the confluence of the Oka and the Nara Rivers. It is located south from Moscow on the Moscow—Simferopol highway. The Moscow—Tula railway passes through the town. Population: -History:...

, Russia

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...

 by Serpukhov Motor Works , now SeAZ

SeAZ

SeAZ is a large engineering plant in Serpukhov, Russia. The company was founded on July 7, 1939 by order of the People's Commissar of General Engineering Industry and by the head of Glavmotoveloprom, concerning production of small capacity motorcycles...

. The most common models were the S-3A (S-Three-A) and S-3D (S-Three-D). They were specially designed for disabled drivers and were distributed in the USSR for free or at a large discounts through the Soviet Union's social welfare system, and were generally were not officially sold to non-disabled people.

The S-3A-M was produced between 1958 and 1970. It was powered by a 346 cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine giving 10 hp and a top speed of 55 km/h (34 mph).

S-3D, produced between 1970 and 1997, was a twin-seat 4-wheeled cycle-car, 2.6 metres (102.4 in) in length, but rather heavy (~500 kg) due to all-steel body. It was powered by IZH-P3 air-cooled two-stroke engine (18 DIN hp).

In the USSR they were commonly known as "motor-wheelchairs" (or invalidka in Russian), because they were only leased via social care system to disabled people for 5 years without permission to sell, just like the British Invacars

Thundersley Invacar

The AC/Thundersley Invacar was a small car specially adapted for use by disabled drivers.- History :In 1948, Bert Greeves adapted a motorbike with the help of his paralysed cousin Derry Preston-Cobb as transport for Derry...

, made by AC, Thundersley and Tippen. After 5 years of use, a lessee had to return his "motor-wheelchair" to social care organisations, and was given a new one.

However, unlike the Invacars, not all of the "invalidkas" were scrapped, because some of their disabled lessees managed to register them as their private property. However, nowadays they are rare, and earlier models are exceptionally rare and became a collector's item.

Since 1980s the use of SMZ cars has been in decline, because disabled drivers preferred to use conventional cars with modified controls - Zaporozhets for instance, or later VAZ 1111 "Oka", which were distributed among them with substantial discounts. However, last 300 S-3Ds left the SeAZ as late as in the autumn of 1997.

S-3D's production was discontinued without direct replacement. VAZ 1111 "Oka", used for the same purposes later, was a much larger, 4-seat car.

S-3D specifications

• Weight - 454 kg (1,001 lb)
• Dimensions - 2595 mm (length) x 1380 mm (width) x 1350 mm (height)
• Track width - 1114 mm (43.9 in)
• Wheelbase - 1700 mm (66.9 in)
• Min turning radius - 3,8 - 4,2 m
• Max velocity - 70 km/h (43 mph)
• Fuel consumption - 7 l/100 km
• Engine - IZH-PZ-01
  • cylinder - 346 cc, 72 mm (2.8 in) in diameter
  • piston stroke - 85 mm (3.3 in)
  • max power - 18 hp
  • compression index - 7,5-8
• four-stage gearbox

SMZ in culture

• S-3A featured in Leonid Gaidai
  Leonid Gaidai
  Leonid Iovich Gaidai was one of the most popular Soviet comedy directors, enjoying immense popularity and broad public recognition in the former USSR & modern Russia...
  
   film Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures
  Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures
  Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures is a 1965 Soviet slapstick comedy film directed by Leonid Gaidai, starring Aleksandr Demyanenko, Natalya Seleznyova, Yuri Nikulin, Georgy Vitsin and Yevgeny Morgunov. The film consists of three independent parts: "Workmate" , "Déjà vu" and "Operation Y"...
  
  . Though officially S-3As were distributed among disabled people only, in this film such vehicle belonged to a large and quite robust looking individual (shown in the picture), who was able to lift his "invalidka" from the road with his bare hands, and used to disobey traffic rules, which created the comic effect.