The historical inquiry. Lada Oka Car.
Official history of creation of Oka well-known. At an initial stage working out of the microcar of type Fiat-126 was conducted on SeAze (Serpukhov), from here and the name “Oka”. The basic work across Oka has begun on VAZ in 1981 As analogue has been chosen Daihatsu Cuore. The engine took from “eight”, having cleaned two cylinders. Since 1987 – conveyor assemblage on KamAze.
However, the documents found recently prove that in the USSR in the early fifties the car with the name Oka, rather close under the concept to modern “Oka” already was issued!
To the investigation beginning the unique find in settlement Koshnjaki of the Kaluga region has pushed. Local “pathfinders” had been found a body with elements of a suspension bracket from any small car. The body has been strongly damaged, but under a cowl the tablet managed to be read partially. Improbably, but on it there was a name “Oka” and 1956 of release is beaten out. That is the car has been let out even prior to the beginning of works on “Zaporozhtsu”. Research of archives us has allowed to shed some light this history.
It has begun in 1952 the Big enthusiast of the small cars, the leading engineer of chair of a back suspension bracket us M.V.Jashchikevich the running sample of the new car has independently constructed. For a basis was it is taken trophy Adler Trumpf Junior, familiar to us on a film “Caucasian captive”. This car had a forward drive, as has defined configuration of the new car. As the body was a pontoon design (without wings), with much shorter cowl the four-cylinder engine should be cut off on two cylinders. Capacity has made only 15 h.p. the Designer named car “Oka” as itself was from Ryazan. The decision on statement on the conveyor then gave the top management. The car was not pleasant to “the leader of the people”.
Eyewitnesses recollect that Stalin has told: “What for to us” Oka “? At us still” Volga “is not present”… These words have served as the beginning for designing Gaz -21 “Volga” and the end for Jashchikevicha. The project “Oka” has got on regiments of archive us. To it have returned in the end of 1953, after Stalin’s death. At Izhora factory tests of pre-production models, and then and conveyor assemblage of several lots of the cars have been organised. With 1954 on 1958 it has been let out about 1200 cars Oka.
Just as a prototype of Jashchikevicha, the car had rare the then a four-seater body a hatchback and looked it is quite modern. The modernised engine of 22 h.p. dispersed it to 90 km/h. The expense of fuel of 6,5 l on 100 km. It is unique, that did not manage to achieve, it is really low price. To make “Oka” accessible even to the engineer it has not turned out. It is known that visited the USSR at festival of Youth and students of 1957 the ingenious English designer, the author of the future “Mini” Alec Issigonis admired “Oka” and even has bought one car. Unfortunately, internal struggle of departments and factories has led to phase-out of “Oka”. In 1960 the niche of “the small national car” was occupied with “Zaporozhets-965″. And in 1965 fire has destroyed the documentation and equipment on “Oka”, manufacture renewal became almost impossible. So it has turned out that about this car have absolutely forgotten. “Oka” was not prestigious, as “ЗИС-110″, mass, as “Victory” and “Volga”. Does not remain any whole car just as does not remain in their live owners. Only it was possible to find a unique photo of the car belonging to surgeon F.N.Sokolovsky in one family. But enthusiasts-restorers will try to restore historical justice. The found “Oka” will be restored as much as possible close to the original and exposed in a museum of retrocars in Moscow.
