Editing Moskvitch (section)

==History==
===Early history===
{{main|AZLK#History}}The Soviet Union initiated a series of [[Five-year plans for the national economy of the Soviet Union|five-year plans]] [[First five-year plan (Soviet Union)|in 1928]] under the rule of [[Joseph Stalin]]. The goal of the plans was to rapidly industrialise the economy of the [[Soviet Union]]. These plans included provisions for developing domestic automobile production. It was assumed that by improving the quality of life for the affected citizens and providing them with the opportunity to learn to drive during peacetime, they would constitute a cadre of trained drivers for the [[Red army]] in the event of armed conflict.

Industrial cooperation between [[Russian Empire|Russia]] and the [[United States|American]] [[Ford Motor Company]] dated back to the era of [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]], with the company being an important supplier of passenger and commercial vehicles such as tractors and trucks. This cooperation persisted despite the events and ideology of the [[Russian Revolution]], with tens of thousands of vehicles imported during the 1910s and 1920s.  This was deemed necessary due to the devastation of the state and its economic output following the [[Great War]], [[Operation Faustschlag|occupation of Russian territories]] by the [[Central Powers]], and the [[Russian Civil War]].

The construction of the Moscow Car Assembly Factory ({{langx|ru|Московский автосборочный завод}}) began in 1929. In December 1930, the plant received the name of '''KIM''' '''(Factory named after Communist Youth International)''' {{Langx|ru|КИМ (Завод имени Коммунистического Интернационала Молодёжи)}}, from 1930 to 1939 its official name was '''Moscow Car Assembly Factory named after KIM ('''{{Langx|ru|Московский автосборочный завод имени КИМ}}) and then from 1939 until the beginning of the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Great Patriotic War]] it was called '''Moscow Car Factory named after KIM''' ({{Langx|ru|Московский автомобильный завод имени КИМ}}).
[[File:KIM-10-50 sedan1940.jpg|thumb|210x210px|[[KIM-10-50]]]]
In 1930, the [[licensed production]] of [[Ford Model A (1927–1931)|Ford Model A]] and [[Ford Model AA]] vehicles began. These were assembled using [[knock-down kit]]s. In 1933, the plant became a branch of [[GAZ]] and began to assemble [[GAZ-A]] and [[GAZ-AA]] vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khakimova |first=Yulia |date=2023-02-08 |title=What models made the Moskvich a legendary car? (PHOTOS) |url=https://www.rbth.com/science-and-tech/335869-moskvich-sovier-car |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=Russia Beyond |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1939, KIM was no longer a subsidiary of GAZ and in the following year it started to produce their first own model, the [[KIM-10|KIM 10]] inspired by the [[Ford Prefect]]. The plant's newly formed design department was headed by A. N. Ostrovtsev, an engineer from the [[NAMI (automotive institute)|NAMI]], and tasked by the Economic Committee of [[Sovnarkom]] with designing a small economy car suitable for large scale manufacture. From November 1940 to April 1941, 338 sedans were assembled. Exact production numbers for the phaeton version are unknown.

=== Great Patriotic War ===
{{See also|World War II}}
In May 1941 the [[Red Army]] subjected a [[KIM-10]] to a series of tests, including in road conditions varying from the newly built Moscow-Minsk Highway to rural mud roads and off-road. Despite the official “mostly satisfactory” mark, the car proved to be unsuited to the requirements of the military service.

In October, 1941 the plant was hastily evacuated to Ural. Most of the manufacturing equipment was abandoned or destroyed during the [[Battle of Moscow]].

In 1944, with a Soviet Victory imminent, plans were in place to continue production of the [[KIM-10-52]].

=== First generation ===
In August 1945, the plant was renamed to the '''Moscow Plant of Small Cars''' '''(MZMA)''' ({{Langx|ru|Московский Завод Малолитражных Автомобилей}}).
[[File:Moskvitch 1955 IMG 2813 C.jpg|thumb|210x210px|[[Moskvitch 401]]]]
Following the war, the Soviet Union requested vehicle tooling and designs from [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] as part of war reparations, to compensate for the loss of industrial equipment in the [[Battle of Moscow]]. Soviet planners wished for a car similar in specifications to the [[KIM-10|KIM 10]], and as such rejected the [[Kdf-Wagen|KdF-Wagen]] and [[DKW F8]]. The [[Opel Kadett K38]] was found to match these requirements. In August 1945, the [[State Defense Committee]] published Order No. 9905, which prescribed the start of production of the [[Opel Kadett|Kadett]], under the [[Moskvitch 400-420|Moskvitch-400]] name. The implementation of this order was however deeply complicated. The [[Opelwerk Brandenburg]] plant had been deeply involved in the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi German]] war effort, producing aircraft engines for the [[Luftwaffe]], and had been heavily damaged by [[Allied bombing of Germany|Allied bombing]]. However, a number of Kadetts had been captured by the Red Army and were available for study, and was accomplished through joint Soviet-German ventures overseen by the [[Soviet Military Administration in Germany]]. Nonetheless, the majority of stamping dies and tooling were freshly produced in the [[Soviet Union]] due to the amount of damage to the factory. Production of the [[Moskvitch 400-420]] began in December 1946, and continued for ten years until 1956 with the improved [[Moskvitch 401]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=German Historical Museum |url=http://www.dhm.de/ausstellungen/aufbau_west_ost/katlg14.htm}}</ref> In total 247,439 400 and 401 models had been built, with some being exported to countries such as [[Belgium]], [[East Germany]] and [[Norway]].

=== Second generation ===
[[File:2018-08-26. Авто-мото экзотика 22.jpg|thumb|210x210px|[[Moskvitch 402|Moskvitch 407]]]]
MZMA replaced the 400 and 401 with new designs starting in 1956, developed within the Soviet Union. This marked the second generation of production vehicles for the enterprise. This started with the [[Moskvitch 402]], followed on by upgraded variants in the form of the [[Moskvitch 402|Moskvitch 403]] and [[Moskvitch 402|Moskvitch 407]], which featured improvements such as independent suspension, improved interior and radio included, comparable to models such as the [[Hillman Minx]], [[Fiat 1100]], and [[Ford Consul]]. The [[Moskvitch 402]] series could be considered as the first step in Soviet and Russian automotive history towards producing adapted models for various use cases. While the [[Moskvitch 402|Moskvitch 407]] provided greater driving comfort at larger expenses, other trim levels included the Moskvitch 407-424 station wagon available for the general public, Moskvitch 431 van and even the [[Moskvitch 410|Moskvitch 410/411]] attempt of creating an early off-road sedan/station wagon. The M-407 was the first Soviet automotive export to be truly successful in the [[Western world|West]].<ref>Thompson, Andy. ''Cars of the Soviet Union'' (Haynes Publishing, Somerset, UK, 2008), p. 87.</ref> Up to half of all [[Moskvitch 402|Moskvitch 407]] production was reserved for export, mainly to the [[Eastern Bloc]] countries, [[Norway]], [[Finland]], and [[France]].<ref>Thompson, p. 87.</ref>

=== Third generation ===
[[File:OMMMA 2011 Impressionen (6109567012).jpg|thumb|210x210px|[[Moskvitch 408]]]]
[[File:Москвич 412.JPG|thumb|[[Moskvitch 412]]]]
The 1960s bought about a third generation of cars, with the more advanced [[Moskvitch 408]], [[Moskvitch 412]] and [[Moskvitch 2140]]. On May 18, 1967, the company produced its one millionth car. The Moskvitch 408 was the first Soviet-built car to be designed with extra safety features in mind, including crumple zones, safer steering column, soft interior parts, seat belts, a padded dashboard, and a split circuit braking system. The first series of Moskvitch 408 cars had vertical rear lights, two or four round [[Automotive lighting|headlights]], a front bench seat, and a 4-speed [[manual transmission]] with column mounted [[gear lever]]. The second generation 408 was produced between 1969 and 1976. It had the same engine and transmission as its predecessor, but an updated body fitted with rectangular headlights and horizontal rear lights, with triangular turn signal markers mounted on tailfins. It additionally included separated bucket seats and the transmission used a floor-mounted gear lever. The 408 was popular due to its good value in countries such as the [[United Kingdom]], [[Finland]] and [[Norway]]. The [[Moskvitch 412]] improved on this design with various engine and styling improvements.

In 1966 during a visit by [[President of France|French President]] [[Charles de Gaulle]] to the [[Soviet Union]], an agreement was signed between MZMA and [[Renault]]. Renault would assist in the reconstruction of the plant in Moscow, as well as cooperate in the establishment of a second plant in Izhevsk.

In 1969, both the 412 and the related 408 had their bodies redesigned.  These were notable for being the first Moskvitch models to feature rectangular headlights and horizontal [[Automotive lighting|rear lights]]. Safety improvements were also incorporated over time, with the Moskvitch 412 meeting the safety standards adopted by the [[UNECE]], and received an international safety certificate as a result of almost five months of tests in [[France]]. The 412 was the first Moskvitch vehicle to pass safety-feature tests in [[France]], [[People's Republic of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]], [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|Czechoslovakia]], [[Sweden]] and [[West Germany]].

In October 1968, the name of the factory was changed from MZMA to '''Automobile Factory in Honour of the Leninist Communist Youth Union (AZLK)''' ({{Langx|ru|Автомобильный Завод имени Ленинского Комсомола}}), to mark the 50th anniversary of the [[Komsomol]].

[[SATRA]] Motors entered M-412s in the [[Group One]] Production Saloon Car Championship in 1972 and 1973, where it easily beat "''sharp-handling but underpowered"'' British [[Hillman Imp]]s and [[Austin Mini]]s. Further improvements were also made in the form of the [[Moskvitch 2140|Moskvitch 2138]] and [[Moskvitch 2140]], based on a modified [[Moskvitch 412]] platform.

=== Fourth generation ===
In 1986, the [[Aleko|Moskvitch-2141 Aleko]] became available for the first time. It was influenced by the [[Simca 1307]] (which had also been badged as the Chrysler/Talbot Alpine, and under other names, in western markets). It was upgraded and restyled during the period of its production. It was powered by the 1.5 L UZAM used in the M-412 model and VAZ-2106 1.6 L in-line, four-cylinder engines, which had by then had been used in several [[Lada|LADA]] models. Aleko was different from any model the factory had made previously; it was larger and more luxurious, made with more comfort, [[Automobile safety|safety]], and [[automotive aerodynamics|aerodynamics]] in mind. The new car had such features as [[front-wheel drive]], a [[hatchback]] body style, [[MacPherson strut]] front suspension and [[torsion beam|torsion-crank]] rear [[Suspension (vehicle)|suspension]]. It had rack-and-pinion steering and a collapsible [[steering column]]. The 1.8-liter [[Petrol engine|gasoline engine]] for the new car was planned, but never materialized, as was also the case with a [[diesel engine|diesel]] version. In the early 1990s, AZLK still remained one of the largest auto companies in the [[USSR]]. Design and experimental work were prepared to create a new model car ([[Sedan (automobile)|sedan]] M-2142) and an engine plant. However, after the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]], due to a [[financial crisis]], disruptions in the work of the company, and [[financial mismanagement]], the engine plant was not finished and the Moskvitch company fell into decline.

===OAO Moskvitch===
The factory, which had been renamed to OAO Moskvitch (Moskvitch Joint-Stock Company) in the early 1990s, filed for [[bankruptcy]] in 2002 and ceased production. Unfinished bodyshells remained on the production line in various stages of completion, while furniture, computers, office supplies, and documents remained in the plant's administration building. Several attempts to restart production had been made over the next 3 years, but none were successful.

[[Technopolis Moscow]] was opened in 2012 on the premises of the factory.

A portion of the abandoned plant was acquired by [[Avtoframos]] (later renamed as Renault Russia), a joint venture between the City of Moscow and French automaker [[Renault]]. In 2005, Avtoframos commenced assembly of [[Renault Logan]] sedans from imported [[knock-down kit]]s. It later became a wholly owned subsidiary of Renault.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

The bankruptcy of OAO Moskvitch was officially announced in 2006, and the company was liquidated the following year. As of 2016, over a million Moskvitch cars remained on Russian roads.<ref>{{cite news|title=Парк легковых автомобилей в России к началу 2016 года вырос умеренно, но 40-миллионный барьер взял |trans-title=The car park in Russia grew moderately by the beginning of 2016, but the 40 millionth barrier took |url=https://avtostat-info.com/Article/189|access-date=20 June 2017|work=ООО Автостат ИНФО}}</ref>

In 2015, Renault announced they had begun the process for obtaining the Moskvitch rights in Russia.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2015-10-14 |title=Renault veut relancer la marque Moskvitch|trans-title=Renault would like to relaunch the Moskvitch brand|language=fr|work=Auto Plus|url=http://news.autoplus.fr/news/1498069/Renault-Moskvitch-Russie-Production-Voiture|url-status=dead|access-date=2022-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118064651/http://news.autoplus.fr/news/1498069/Renault-Moskvitch-Russie-Production-Voiture|archive-date=2015-11-18}}</ref>

=== JSC Automobile Plant Moskvitch ===
In May 2022, as a result of [[International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine|international sanctions against Russia]], Renault sold its Moscow plant to the Moscow city government which intended to nationalize the facility for renewed production of vehicles under the Moskvitch name.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/16/russia-renault-moscow-factory-revive-soviet-era-moskvitch-car|work=[[The Guardian]]|title=Russia to take over Renault's Moscow factory to revive Soviet-era car|first=Andrew|last=Roth|date=16 May 2022|access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref>

Moskvitch presented its new range of models on July 6, 2022: a sedan and 3 SUVs, [[Sehol X4|Model I]] having both a fuel version as well as an electric version. The cars have names made up of Roman numerals, from I and II to IV. All models are rebadged cars from Chinese manufacturer [[JAC Motors|JAC]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://motor.ru/news/newmoskvich-06-07-2022.htm | title=Раскрыта внешность новых "Москвичей" }}</ref>

On October 20, the mayor of Moscow, [[Sergey Sobyanin]], said that the production of Moskvich vehicles will resume in December at Renault's former factory in Moscow,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.carscoops.com/2022/10/russia-plans-to-relaunch-soviet-era-car-maker-moskvich-in-december/|title=Russia Plans To Relaunch Soviet-Era Car Maker Moskvich In December|date=October 20, 2022|website=Carscoops}}</ref> now renamed the ''Moscow Automobile Factory Moskvich'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/russia-launch-moskvich-car-production-former-renault-plant-december-2022-10-20/|title=Russia to launch Moskvich car production at former Renault plant in December|newspaper=Reuters |date=October 20, 2022|via=www.reuters.com}}</ref> which has been inactive after Renault decided to leave the Russian market.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motor1.com/news/617717/moskvich-production-restart-december-2022/|title=After Two Decades, Moskvich Production To Restart In December|website=Motor1.com}}</ref>

On December 26, 2022, the Moskvitch 3 and Moskvitch 3e went on sale in Russia,<ref>{{Cite news|date=2022-12-26|title=The first Moskvich went on sale|work=Kommersant|url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5747897}}</ref> with the JAC JS4 based cars produced in association with truck manufacturer [[Kamaz]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.carscoops.com/2022/11/soviet-era-moskvich-returns-with-a-rebadged-chinese-crossover/|title=Soviet-Era Moskvich Returns With A Rebadged Chinese Crossover|first=Michael|last=Gauthier|date=November 23, 2022|website=Carscoops}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/11/24/russias-new-moskvitch-car-looks-identical-chinese-model/|title=Russia's new Moskvitch car looks identical to Chinese model|newspaper=The Telegraph |date=November 24, 2022|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref>

In early 2023, Moskvitch and [[Yandex Taxi]] signed an agreement of intent to supply 3,000 [[Moskvitch 3]], and 2,000 [[Moskvitch 3]]e taxi and car share vehicles. This was followed by the introduction of [[Moskvitch 3]] vehicles for the car services Citydrive, BelkaCar, Taxovichkof and Citymobil.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Crossovers "Moskvich 3" appeared in carsharing "Citydrive" |url=https://eng.autostat.ru/news/23196/ |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=eng.autostat.ru |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Moskvich crossovers continue to replenish Russian taxi fleets |url=https://eng.autostat.ru/news/23146/ |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=eng.autostat.ru |language=en}}</ref> Furthermore, traffic police in [[Moscow Oblast Police|Moscow Oblast]] and [[Stavropol Krai]] began to be equipped with Moskvitch 3e electric crossovers. Furthermore, delivery was in progress for traffic police in [[Moscow City Police|Moscow City]], [[Krasnodar]] and [[Krasnoyarsk]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Electric crossovers Moskvich 3e were delivered to the traffic police |url=https://eng.autostat.ru/news/23278/ |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=eng.autostat.ru |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Кроссоверы "Москвич 3" поступили на службу.. {{!}} Омбудсмен полиции {{!}} VK |url=https://m.vk.com/wall-139453095_3518253 |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=m.vk.com}}</ref>

In June 2023, Hans Peter Moser was appointed General Manager of Moskvitch, replacing Dmitry Valentinovich Pronin, who would move to the position of chairman of the board of directors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hans-Peter Moser was appointed General Manager of the Moskvich plant |url=https://eng.autostat.ru/news/23314/ |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=eng.autostat.ru |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=На заводе "Москвич" сменился генеральный директор |url=https://www.autonews.ru/news/649d30769a7947b9da36a3c5 |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=Autonews |language=ru}}</ref> Moser had previously worked for the Russian truck manufacturer [[Kamaz]], as well as the German industrial firm [[Knorr-Bremse]]. In addition, Moskvitch further announced an expansion of their dealer network to more cities across Russia, as well as the impending release of a new [[Sehol A5 Plus|Moskvitch 6]] model later in 2023, as well as the Moskvitch 5.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Automobile plant Moskvich revealed plans for the Moskvich 6 liftback production in 2023 |url=https://eng.autostat.ru/news/23257/ |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=eng.autostat.ru |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Moskvich Automobile Plant will expand its dealer network |url=https://eng.autostat.ru/news/23294/ |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=eng.autostat.ru |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Automobile plant Moskvich registers a trademark for the new crossover Moskvich 5 |url=https://eng.autostat.ru/news/23187/ |access-date=2023-07-01 |website=eng.autostat.ru |language=en}}</ref>