Why Communists Sucked at Making Cars | WheelHouse 

nice music you have there

"I didn't order a convertable!" "Let me see something, ah yes car was made on friday." "What does that have to do with it!" "Factory only has roofs on first three days of week."

I had a girlfriend who grew up in Minsk in the 60s,70s,80s. She was not a techie at all, but she had a great knowledge of automobiles. She told me, because of the lack of repair garages and the poor roads in Belarus (part of the Soviet Union back then), you had to learn how to do basic maintenance on your own car before you could drive. She was taught the basic knowledge of every part of the car in high school - if you wanted to drive you needed to pass that class. Tune up, oil change, change tire, coolant maintenance, brake inspection/replace, inspect wires and ignition, clean and gap spark plugs, chassis lube, clean air/oil filters... they reused oil filters, tighten bolts... the list went on.

The Melkus 1000RS was the project of a guy named Heinz Melkus in Dresden, East Germany. His small company was a car dealership, had a driving school, and Heinz Melkus and his sons were racing drivers, building and driving their own cars like the SRG MT 77, an open wheel car with the engine of the Lada/Fiat 124 and the gearbox of the Wartburg 311. The Melkus 1000RS used the 3cyl 2stroke engine of the Wartburg 353 and also its front screen.

Do Up to Speed on Lada. We really need it.

I live in Bulgaria and it's impossible to go to a village without seeing a Lada, Moskvich or a Trabant. Old people genuinely love them and you can get them second hand for dirt cheap.

A Moskwich owner goes to an auto parts store: Hei, can I have a fuel cap for my Moskwich? Store keeper thinks for a moment, then nods and says: Ok. That sounds like a fair exchange.

I know you won't get this from a car channel, but in fairness the cities were also designed to be a lot more livable without everyone needing their own car

“All people are equal, but some are more equal than others”

Hi guys, I'm from Latvia. Before 1991 we ware a part of USSR. My granddad got a car after 12 years of waiting in line. When I was 10 he thought me how to drive, it was his beloved LADA VAZ- 21076. It's a light 4 cylinder 1.6L 75Hp rear-wheel drive 5-speed manual car that was simply AMAZING, omg that feel of those cars is insanely cool. I got it as my first car at age of 20 when I got my drivers license. I still have the car as my second car. Great cars but anything above 120kmh/75 mph is scary :D You really feel the speed in that thing and brake are horrible. :D

For anyone scratching their heads at the plumber joke in the beginning (as I was): it references a joke made by President Reagan in the 1980s regarding how all goods and services took forever to obtain because of the inefficiency of communism. The plumber was going to come the same morning 10 years in the future as the car (not the following day). I got confused because it sounded like the plumber was going to come the following day and the car was going to come in 10 years.

It's really a totally opposite attitude to the US at the time. These cars are slow and not luxurious but they're built for DIRT CHEAP and are fairly reliable. This makes it the most practical option for a country that had Just gotten out of feudalism 50 years before, and industrialized only 10-20 years after that. It's easy to look at it as bad from a vantage in the US but for the soviets to even be making these by the mid 20th century is a testament to the strengths of a communist government(not that there aren't a good few weaknesses too.)

Fun story. My grandad from Kiev got lucky and got a Volga without the waiting list because he was a scientist. The day he exited the factory, multiple people were waiting outside to offer to buy it. One person even offered 3 times the original price. But my grandad said no and kept it for himself which I respect :D

Designer: My design Communists: our design

This video is pretty dense and not stretched out to 25 minutes, which is rare to find now. Thanks

Also with the fact that soviet metro, subway and rail road system was insanely good, just the subways in Moscow transported more people than all of Britain 😳 Ppl didn’t have a dying need to own a car

Soviets best engineers built rockets. The flunkies were sent to build cars.

Whatever soviet car you get, you go offroad with it.

5:55 Country ball

8:55 Funfact: Melkus was one of the few privat companies in the GDR. And its still existing. For example, Ronny Melkus was a teammate of Ralf Schumacher in Formula 3.

I lived in USSR for 20 years since I was born, but never saw that MELKUS sport car you mentioned. Now I see why: it was produced in eastern Germany. These things never reached the mainland of USSR.

As a Russian, I've never been that offended with something I completely agree with

1:13 Nailed it.

5:31 you have Finland on the Soviet map even though it was just part of it for 1 or 2 years we became independent in 1917 and haven't been a part of Russia ever since

It’s 2019 and Igor the machinist is still waiting for his car.

Imagine being among those 4% who got a car tho. No traffic jams, park in two spaces sideways where you want, thats the life

They only abolished classes to create another type of classes

Nice presentation. I wanted to do a write up on USSR cars in school back in the '70's but soon discovered that there was no information available at the public library.

"Everyone is equal!.....except for me, this is my special car...........go back to work"

At least they used the metric system.

Communist sucked at everything except making AKs and SKS

The entire industry of the USSR developed during the war. The industrialization that Stalin carried out in anticipation of aggression from the bourgeois states was all with the expectation that soon the USSR would be attacked. Therefore, all svoet products have pronounced features (Simplicity and reliability) don't care about comfort and aesthetics, the main thing is that everything should be simple and reliable! This is how Soviet cars were created. Western engineering is not designed for Russian roads or weather. Many small details and the complexity of the design make the car fragile at extreme temperatures and impossible to repair the car by yourself. If you are driving through the Siberian taiga in the middle of winter and your beautiful and comfortable car breaks down, you are dead. The Soviet car is made in such a way that even if it breaks down you can fix it yourself with a piece of shit and a stick. If you are in Russia and prefer comfort over safety, rest in peace.

In Soviet Russia You don't own a car, car owns you

The joke at the beginning was a joke that Ronald Regan made btw

My father had an m21 when we were living in Italy. 2.3 in-line engine correct, I remember distinctly that it sounded like a tractor when turned on, had flat "bench" in the front that could be laid down and would allow an adult to sleep comfortably by resting the head on the rear "bench" and straighten the legs on the flat front one. It had a hydraulic Shifter pump and this was eventually what made it unusable because the pump's support bracket broke and my father couldn't fix it to the chassis anymore and couldn't find replacements. We became homeless in 2006 and parked the car across a river on the road while we slept in an abandoned trailer we found across that river in a field. One morning some hunters were shooting in the area and we were woken up by projectiles flying over and into the trailer, luckily we didn't get hit. Maybe they didn't know someone was living there. My father said they were doing it on purpose to have fun and scare us but who knows maybe they genuinely didn't know someone was in there. When we went to the car to go to the village and buy some food, as the car was stuck in 1st gear due to the pump being unusable, we saw several shotgun pellet holes in the right side of the car. Maybe the hunters thought was an abandoned car, and you already know what my father thought. Malicious acts. The projectiles didn't penetrate to the other side and to this day when you open the right hand side doors you can hear the pellets tumbling around on the inside of the doors. Before all this, many years before we were traveling through Slovakia and we stopped for a break, but the car wouldn't start back up. The starter was low on juice. So my father took from the back a lever, inserted it into the front grill(you'll see a small recess on the front chrome bumper and a hole when looking at the car from the front), climbed with his feet on the lever and cranked the engine that way. We went along our way just fine after that. It had blue sort of wool interior, the material was similar to those stuffed animals from the soviet Era that had metal wires in them to help them maintain their shape. It's synthetic and coarse, people from eastern europe would know what I'm talking about. The cigarette lighter worked and the radio had all letters in Cyrillic and we couldn't really tell what they meant although my father was forced to learn Russian during the 70s he could at least tell which one was volume, on and off and which one was the heater. The horn was actuated by a chrome ring running on the inside of the steering wheel bolted to the center and could be pressed wherever your hands were on the steering wheel. They were miserable times but this car was very unique and interesting to me.

Talking about Volga cars, you mentioned GAZ-21, but there was also GAZ-24, which was newer model. I like the design of 21 better than 24, but you had to mention 24 as well. Another significant model to mention was Lada Niva, the Soviet off road car.

How can you not even mention the Lada Niva? It was winning races and selling like hotcakes in Western Europe. It was amazing for it's time.

AWD is the communism of engine power distribution

I knew 3 guys who bought 2nd hand 4wd ladas they loved them, had no trouble,thought the local dealers had fixed all faults and paid only small money. The 2wd cars had heated back windows to keep your hands warm while pushing them...

That was really nice and interesting, thank you for posting

Funfact: Auto VAZ/Lada made a Wankel Rotary engine for the 2101 and the Samara, some with twin or 3 rotors. But it was exclusive to police or KGB agents.

0-60 in 55 seconds........... what am i complaining about that i have in 8 seconds 0-60

Nolan dismantling communism at the end of a video is always a nice treat

you should make a whole episode about the trabant 501. the panels are made from plant material (you can say composite), and the engine is a two-stroke, like your lawnmowers. two person can lift it up, so the turning radius is 3m like the car's length :D

my grandpa has lada. lada drives good. as comrade Boris once said, "you drive into deer, you make shashlik."

RWD Ladas are still popular in Russia as dirt-cheap missile cars for ice drifting. And yeah, we have ice drifting championships here and classic ladas are the one of the best cars for that because of slim 13 inch tires and low weight.

Latvia had a bus brand called RAF (Rīgas autobusu fabrika, literally, Bus factory of Riga). The RAF-2203 microbus was really popular not only here, but in other parts of the USSR.

A few months ago just before the war started I was looking into importing some Russian cars because honestly they’re all pretty cool little cars

🙌 *SOVIETCHARGERS!* 🙌 *"The USSR was **_T H I C C_** "*

*takes refrigerator and gives it a 30 HP engine, DA THIS IS GÜÜD!*

Poland had an interesting story - we imported A LOT of Italian Fiat 126p (nicknamed "Maluch" (means "The small one")), and also licensed it for domestic production, this car dominated polish roads for decades. while Italy ceased it's production in 1980, Poland continued making them all the way to the year 2000! We also had some domestically-produced cars, like FSO Warszawa, FSO Polonez, or even an entirely polish-designed FSO Syrena 105, tho these cars were a bit more expensive, and the average family were all squishing themselves into these small Fiats lol

I used to have 2 Ladas back in the day. 1972 VAZ 2101 (slightly updated FIAT 125 actually) and a later model VAZ 2108 of 1998 which had a nickname Zubilo (chisel) thanks to its wedge shaped body. The main problem with both these cars was their electrical components. They were so unreliable with tons of different bugs and gremlins, it was really impossible to fix them once and for all. Ignition often refused to work especially in the rainy day, so I used to leave them where they stopped and took a taxi to get where I needed, then came next day and engine just started easily like nothing had happened

My grandfather told me when I was little, that he ordered a red Lada 1200, and 8 years later he got an orange Skoda 120L. #takeitorwaitanother10years. 😅

that joke was from ronnie regan who got it straight from gorbachev

Not only they sucked at making automobiles, they sucked basically at everything because of iron curtains and no competition.

the BEST video ever! Love every second of it! You can still find old soviet Ladas on the roads.

USSR. Third world living conditions,with a first world military.

As somebody who was lived in USSR it is nice to see someone from forign country to have interest about our past and culture. Basic knowledge in this video was correct but I think I should comment some points. The thing is: despite new car with purchase licence via workers union might took really 7-10 years like You said there was many other options as well - and not only corrupted way what You mentioned. 1) used car - both private persons and state owned companies was able to sell their used cars and privat persons typically could buy them freely. 2) all new cars did not required licence for buying - small car zaz was most times available without any restriction, also during 80s there was the same case with other manufacturer Moschvich. 3) there was huge amount of cars what was owened by state owned companies but in reality nobody was banned their usage for private purposes - all kind of micro buses, light trucks, taxies etc. 4) people who had relatives in west or personal access to there (like ship stuff) had possibility to import western car, they was not banned in USSR, just complicated to keep alive without proper servicing. So.. despite there was some limiatations - it was actually like 50% easier to use or own car in USSR than this video points out :)

USSR cars were not only highly reliable in all weather 🌡️☁️ conditions but also had amazing fuel ⛽ efficiency that US can't match even today. LoL

The Soviet Union and the Soviet Block are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. The Soviet Union was a country that existed from 1922 to 1991, while the Soviet Block referred to the countries that were under its influence during the Cold War. Washing them together is a mistake because it ignores their individual histories and experiences. Each country in the Soviet Block had its own unique relationship with the Soviet Union, and lumping them together erases those differences. It is important to understand each country's distinct story to fully comprehend their place in history. The countries of East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania have all made significant contributions to the automotive industry. Despite being behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War era, these countries managed to produce cars that were not only affordable but also reliable. The Trabant from East Germany was a popular car in its time and is still remembered fondly by many today. In Poland, the FSO Polonez was a hit with drivers who appreciated its spacious interior and low-price tag. Czechoslovakia produced the Skoda 1000 MB which was known for its durability and reliability. Romania's Dacia brand has been producing cars since the 1960s and has gained a reputation for making affordable yet robust vehicles. Yugoslavia's Zastava brand produced cars such as the Yugo which became popular in Europe due to their low price point. Hungary also has a rich history of producing luxury coaches and city buses that have earned worldwide recognition. The country's skilled craftsmen and engineers have been able to create vehicles that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional. These coaches and buses have been used by various transportation companies, including those in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa. Despite facing numerous challenges over the years, including economic instability and political upheaval, these countries have managed to make significant contributions to the automotive industry. Their legacy lives on through classic car enthusiasts who appreciate their unique designs and affordability. Despite the fact that there was a waiting list for some cars, people in Hungary were still able to purchase certain models within a two-week delivery time, such as Moskvitches and Zaporozeces. It highlights the importance of supply and demand in determining availability and pricing. While some may have to wait longer for their desired car, even years, others were able to obtain it relatively quickly even behind the iron curtain.

Damn,no mention of the Lada Niva? The Soviet G-Class (in that that they are still producing it with no big change)

Many people here in Eastern Europe, especially old folks remember these cars fondly, as they were nearly indestructable.

Min 3:45. Der Moskwich 400 ist keine Kopie vom Opel Kadett. Er wurde auf den gleichen Maschine produziert. Diese wurden in Deutschland in Rüsselsheim abgebaut, nach Moskau geschafft und dort wieder aufgebaut. Er wurde auf den originalen Maschinen gebaut.

Here in Brazil, after returning of car imports, we got three Lada models. The unbeatable Niva, the boring Samara, and the Laika (2101), that was the cheapest car sold in Brazil (Costed 6900 dollars, against VW Beetle's 7200 dollars). Still today, there are Niva Clubs in Brazil.

Ok, Donut, dats fine, but where are those? GAZ - 13 and 14 executive class sedans (only for party members, sure, but they were there) LADA 2121/Niva (heard this one was very popular among farmers abroad USSR) infamous rotary LADA 2101 Late ussr LADA 2108/2109 (up-to-time hatchbacks with FWD) ZIL limousines (super-high class mammoths for elite) UAZ 462/469 (the real russian G-class) Moskvitch 401, 406, GAZ - 24 and 2402 wagon Cmon, guys, there's so much to tell and you shorten it so hard :( Like this so Donut guys make another one!

You are really rating that sexy and indestructable Lada too low. And have you heared of the Lada 4x4? Now that is one all-terrain vehicle.

My grandfather waited 14 years for a car in communist Poland.

If I lived in an area where there’s reliable and continuous public transportation, I don’t think I’d bother trying to get a car.

Kinda disappointed they didn't mention the best selling export USSR, the VAZ Niva.

The Volga is like the rolls royce of Russian cars, I get super excited when I see one in my home country, but they are pretty rare now

Something that most people don't know is that a Lada would not only be a 10 year wait, it would also cost you about $150,000

Nolan, I get it, you are a car nerd, you have many tools, shop, lift, decent amount of money, probably live in a city. What these cars lack in power, they make up for in practicality in the backwoods. Very simple, very easy to repair, not much to go wrong. Essential if you are far away from civilization. Theoretically though how much horsepower does a person actually need? I could get around with less than 10. And with the right drivetrain setup could likely pull many many mpgs, possibly more than 100. So why is it that 125hp is considered not much power? When you really think about it that's a lot of excess. And how much gas (money) are we wasting just because we want to feel "safe" or superior to communists/our peers? Driving around in a city in even a 200hp car is such a waste, there's literally no reason to have that much power other than the fact that everything else has that much power.. Anyhow, when I hear people cry about not being able to buy parts, or new cars, or how difficult and expensive they are to maintain, cracked a big wheel on a pothole, turbo going out, I think back to the communist cars and realize they had the design right. And of course Americans have zero patience and are accustomed to being catered to, so a 5 year wait time is a failure of communism, while a 5 year loan with 25% interest under threat of repossession is normal and people will congratulate you for entering such an agreement. Oh and now you have to wait in the US too. But I'm sure somehow it was still caused by communism!!!

“Mr. Gorbachev, supercharge those cars!” - Ronald Reagan

To anyone who doesn't get the joke that Nolan said on the start of the video: When the guy said there's a 10 year waiting list, "should I pick it up on morning or afternoon" then he said, "The plumber's coming in the morning" meaning he also had to wait 10 years for the plumber to come.

My first Motorcycle was a GDR one, they’re definitely extremely easy to repair and quite reliable, but the technology was still from the 60s and after I got my BMW GS afterwards I understood that a suspension can actually absorb bumps

If you have a car in 1927 Moscow, government would probably knock on your door if they needed to use it

You forgot about Lada Niva! One of the best cars for off-road. Also, you didn’t mention UAZ. They made couple of interesting cars)

Lada-Vaz 2101: I'm the most sold car in the USSR. Fiat 124: *That's me.*

Shit, I'd take an early '80s LADA Niva 4x4 any old day of the week, my friend.

You say a car is made in East Germany and then say it was one of the "Soviets" only sports cars. It had nothing to do with the Soviet Union.

I own a 1975 Lada 2101 imported to the US from Ukraine. They were definitely made to be simple and easily repairable. The owners manual has detailed pictures of rebuilding the engine, although I can’t read Russian.

The Ronald Reagan joke at the start though lmao

name of the song at 3.05?

My dad had a Lada! He only scrapped it because of rust and erosion but it was comfy and drove like a champ!

The Background music.. Too familiar. *iissssss B O R I S*

0:47 it’s actually the UNION of Soviet Socialist Republics not United

What is completely overlooked here is that car crazy America only happened after WWII, when the USA was wealthy from selling aircraft, tanks, guns, munitions, etc., etc, to the rest of the world. Russia was broke then like the rest of Europe. The US intimidation of the USSR and socialist countries by building ever more bombers and nuclear devices force them to rearm constantly, consuming hard currency needed for welfare and manufacturing development. I've visited Russia and driven several of their vehicles. They were sturdy and dependable considering the lack of freeways or even just surfaced roads in the country. Now if we consider the gross pollution of the world by the USA producing ever more oil and gasoline with vehicles that spewed toxins into our atmosphere we may want to consider which country was better for our long term survival on this planet. Our only planet. Remember, Americans sucked at building rockets until they hired German NAZIs. Same with jet engines. Pharmaceuticals too. IBM rose to fame using punched card technology developed by Herman Hollerith. Nikola Tesla was a Serbian. America was built on the profits of slave labor, war profiteering and immigrants that competed to become successful despite their hard experiences abroad. That includes quite a few Russians too such as Igor Sikorsky.

How do you double the value of a Lada? You fill it up with gas.

9:43 my man literally got decapitated in a car wreck 😂

Skoda cars such as the MB1000 and Favorit where unique cars made in czsk during communism. those cars were really efficient and reliable for its time

"What country is this car from?" "It no longer exists." In the early '80s we got a ride in a Lada taxi. There weren't very many Ladas in North America at the time, so it was pretty unusual to see one. All I remember about the ride was the car's bad suspension.

9:42 The flying head was a nice feature!

My grand-dad finally got a permit to purchase a car after many years of waiting. When he was finally allowed to go get his car from the car lot, it was sitting in the middle, blocked behind all kinds of broken or extremely old cars. He was told he can wait few months or get one of the broken ones right now, spending the permit. This was a hint to get the cash out and start paying the local guys. After a small fortune and few bottles of vodka changed hands, the blocking cars were moved out of the way, only to reveal "his" car didn't have wheels. "All yours" they said. Some time and quite a lot of cash later, he was driving his very own car. He kept that car for more than 25 years, maintaining it by himself. Then, after immigrating to Israel, he had the choice of either owning a car or receiving state "pension". Can't have both, they said. If you own a car, you're doing well enough to get by on your own. So he had to avoid owing one. Governmental laws are shit. Stay away from socialism, kids!

But they never suck at making AK-47

1:46 Right hand drive? I guess that was for Sweden or something.

They never though “hm, maybe we shouldn’t be focussed on concurring and more on developing our country for not just military use”

I still see Trabants from the 70s driving in Germany, they might not be fast but reliable af

That map of the USSR with Finland but without the Baltics

0:10 yeah, that's why the US companies build such great cars, right? 🧐

I really don't think that their cars sucked, honest. Sure, the Gaz 24 was almost unchanged from 1969 to 1993, but that's the beauty of it, their cars literally barely aged past the 60s and 70s, meanwhile we have cars made in 1985 that could've came out in 1996. I just like how they look much better, even if their build quality at times can be questioned.