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Moskwitsch 407 in the (historic) test - the main thing is that it drives!

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Created on April 1, 1959

Text:

W. Peter

Photos:

Archiv

Moskwitsch 407 (1959) - The two-tone paintwork may well be better finished.

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Moskvich 407 (1958) - Soviet car that is 'now' also available in the West

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Moskwitsch 407 (1960) - Well-finished bodywork.

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Moskwitsch 407 (1958) - The woman makes the car even more appealing.

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Moskwitch 407 (1958) - Also available as a station wagon with extended rear end.

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Moskwitsch 407 (1958) - The engine compartment is tidy, which makes work easier.

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Moskwitsch 407 (1958) - The front seats can also be adjusted to a reclining position.

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Moskwitsch 407 (1958) - Trunk with spare parts and spare wheel

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Moskwitsch 402 (1956) - pontoon shape at the height of time

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Moskvich 402 (1956) - Front view at the Vienna Autumn Fair 1956

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Moskwitsch 402 (1956) - On display at the Vienna Autumn Fair 1956.

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Moskwitsch 402 (1956) - The trunk contains, among other things, a spare wheel. The car also comes with an extensive toolbox. The reason for this is that service points are few and far between.

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Moskwitsch 402 (1956) - View of the tidy engine compartment.

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Moskvich 407 (1958) - 45 hp from the 1358 cm3 four-cylinder engine

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Moskwitsch 402 (1956) - The interior is well designed, but not geared towards luxury.

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Moskwitsch 402 (1956) - Much of the interior was copied from other manufacturers. For example: the steering wheel, the horn ring and the direction blinker switch come from the Simca Aronde.

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Moskvich 423 N (1960) - together with vans based on European models - Geneva Motor Show 1960

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Moskwitsch Scaldia Spécial de Luxe (1963) - version imported via Belgium with 1.6-liter Perkins diesel engine, shown at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show

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Summary

In 1958, the Moskwitsch 407 was still largely unknown in the West. What immediately conjures up images of sheet-metal Spartan demands on an automobile in Western people is actually a pretty good car with various delicacies for a reasonable price. But what exactly are the strengths and weaknesses of this "автомобиль " (car)? Hobby got to the bottom of this and other questions in the form of a test. The original wording is reproduced in full in this report and illustrated with photos from the time and a sales brochure.

This article contains the following chapters

A difficult undertaking
Inexpensive car with good equipment
Distraction from manufacturing defects?
The main thing is that it drives!
Copied from other companies...
The engine is the showpiece
Driving regulations from the Stone Age
Light but very indirect steering
Poor brakes - just about acceptable
Features are okay - but could be better
Technical profile
Performance figures - not a sports car

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

"... I have always welcomed the fact that hobby takes an unusually sharp look at all "car outgrowths". Your American correspondent was certainly right when, on the occasion of the presentation of the '59 models from the USA, he branded with a biting pen various stylistic developments on the other side of the pond that we Europeans admittedly do not always understand. But why don't you do the same with a Russian car, of which there is now so much talk...?" We have received several letters like this and similar ones, and they have given us food for thought. We therefore pulled out all the stops to get our hands on one of the Russian cars that had previously only been seen in pictures or brief reports and to put it through its paces. That wasn't easy.

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