A rare 1949 Moskvich-400 convertible appeared for sale online, listed with an astonishingly low mileage of just 5 kilometers.
According to the seller, this vehicle is among the earliest copies of the model, though that claim isn’t entirely precise. The Moskvich-400 had been in production since 1946, and this particular example is said to feature a near-perfect fidelity to the era, with an all-original parts set that includes the correct wood trim and carpeting matching the period. The attention to detail is emphasized as a hallmark of the car’s condition.
The exterior color is dark blue, though the photo presents it with a slight color distortion. The engine is a 1.1-liter unit delivering about 23 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, and the car reportedly runs smoothly with no needed repairs. Ownership is claimed to be with a single individual throughout its history. The asking price on Auto.ru is 7,999,999 rubles, reflecting its rarity and historical significance.
The Moskvich-400 represents a compact Soviet automobile produced at the Small Car Plant in Moscow, which later became known as ZMA and then MZMA. Production spanned from December 1946 to 1954, marking the vehicle as one of the first mass-produced passenger cars intended for private use in the Soviet Union.
The design bears a striking resemblance to the Opel Kadett K38, a model produced between 1937 and 1940 in Germany by Adam Opel AG, which later became part of General Motors. Historical accounts on the origin of the Moskvich-400 differ. Some sources suggest that the car’s design was reconstructed after World War II using surviving copies because the original technical documentation was lost. Other sources, including Dolmatovsky, contend that drawings and equipment were obtained during postwar repairs.
Image credit: Depositphotos