ZIS-101A Sport

Young engineers Anatoly Pukhalin, Vladimir Kremenetsky and Nikolai Pulmanov worked on the ZIS-101A Sport project. Valentin Rostkov was entrusted with the sports car’s styling. Drawings were prepared in the evenings and at weekends, with each man responsible for his own area. Pulmanov tackled the production ZIS-101 engine. Engine speed and compression ratio were increased, and the valve timing and inlet manifold were revised. The cylinder head, pistons and connecting rods had to be made from aluminium, while different crankshafts and camshafts were used. Kremenetsky was assigned a rear axle with hypoid gearing. Pukhalin worked on the overall drawings and the front and rear suspension.

The resulting car was attractive and futuristic, with a low body, two-seat cabin, wings integrated into the body and bonnet air intakes. The body frame was made from beech, and the car was painted dark green. The highest speed achieved by the ZIS-101A Sport was 162.4 km/h.