In 1957 the Minsk Automobile Plant embarked on a bold project to design a sport car within the under-1600 cm3 class. This initiative produced two units of what was designated the MAZ‑1500. The powerplant was sourced from the Moskvich‑407 and tuned with four carburetors of the K‑28B type. The engineers increased the compression ratio to 8.5, and the fuel system accepted a gasoline A-93 or a benzene mixture. The result was a fighter for its time: 60 horsepower delivered at 5000 revolutions per minute, offering a blend of compact engineering and expected performance for a machine of that era.
The body design went through a precise sculpting process beginning with a plaster model. According to NAMI, the body was formed from fiberglass and bonded with BF-2 glue, a combination that provided a lightweight yet rigid structure. The headlights and side lights were cleverly recessed into the wing segments and then protected by a Plexiglas hood, creating a smooth, almost stealthy front profile. The MAZ‑1500 boasted two sliding doors and side slots that facilitated airflow from the engine bay, contributing to cooling and aerodynamics. Notably, the body did not rely on a separate frame; instead, it was attached directly to the chassis, a design choice that affected rigidity and weight distribution in practical testing and driving scenarios.
The top speed achieved by this MAZ variant was recorded at 165 km/h, indicating a performance envelope that aligned with the engineering philosophy of the period. The MAZ‑1500 stands as an example of mid‑century Soviet automotive experimentation, where accessibility of parts, aerodynamics, and the drive for sportiness converged in a compact package. Its engineering choices—sharing a power unit with a mass‑market model, experimenting with composite body construction, and integrating concealed lighting—reflect a broader curiosity about how to balance form, function, and manufacturing practicality in a constrained industrial landscape.
Mikhail Kolodochkin has long collected unusual facts from the history of technology, turning curiosity into a lens for understanding how innovations emerged and why certain ideas caught on. For instance, readers may learn about the curious purpose of the so‑called “legs” on the headlights of the Zhiguli models, a feature that sparked questions about design choices in a time of rapid automotive evolution. These vignettes offer a window into the often surprising details that accompany the development of everyday machines and reveal how engineers and designers tested, refined, and sometimes improvised features that later became notable or dismissed as peculiarities in the broader story of a country’s industrial progress.