SMZ-S1L USSR Auto Legends

The three-wheeled car from the Serpukhov Motorcycle Plant marked the beginning of mass production of vehicles for people with disabilities in the USSR. Between 1952 and 1958, 19,128 of these small vehicles were built. They used an engine from the M1A Moskva motorcycle.

This was a single-cylinder, two-stroke, carburettor engine producing 4.15 hp from 123 cc. The two-door vehicle could reach 30 km/h, with a rather substantial average fuel consumption of 4.5–5.5 litres per 100 km.

Major drawbacks included poor cross-country ability due to the three-wheel layout and an inability to climb reasonably steep slopes because of the low-powered engine, although this helped prevent rollovers. Notable S1L variants included the SMZ-S1L-0, which could be driven using the right hand alone, and the SMZ-S1L-0L, designed for left-hand operation.