Cars with a station wagon to the 50th yearsThe last century produced many automakers. Therefore, in the development of the second generation of machines MZMA designers initially laid the possibility of creating on the basis of a sedan car with cargo-passenger body wagon.
The car was created primarily fornational economy and government agencies, and not for sale to private individuals. On the first sketches the car was three-door - two doors in front and one leaning up from behind. This solution allowed to unify the construction of the station wagon with a van, in which there was an even greater need. However, this decision had many drawbacks and, as a result, it was abandoned.
The new project included a five-door body. The car received the designation "Moskvich 423" and was ready for serial production in 1957. It became the first in the USSR car with a body of this type.
Moskvich this model lasted in productiononly about a year. In 1958 there was a change in the basic model of the sedan "Moskvich 402" to the improved "Moskvich 407". The station wagon based on the new sedan received the index "Moskvich 423N". Such machines were produced about 29500 pieces. At the next modernization of the base sedan in 1963 the car began to be called "Moskvich 424".
The machine was equipped with a load-bearing body.In the body structure, the side panel of the sedan was used with a curved bent directly behind the rear door. Such cars were produced just a little more than 1500 pieces and now only a few surviving cars are known. The photo of "Moskvich 423" of the early series is presented below.
The rear panel of the body also left the sedan, which predetermined the high loading height (760 mm). The rear door with glass was reclining on two loops to the left.
Заднее сидение имело металлическую обшивку сзади and it was easy to fold, which made it possible to create a cargo compartment with a load capacity of up to a quarter of a ton. The length of the compartment with an even floor was almost 1.5 meters with a width of about 1.2 meters. A characteristic feature was the removable floor panel, beneath which there was a spare wheel in the niche.
Силовой агрегат и трансмиссия целиком borrowed from the basic model of the sedan. The early version of the "Moskvich 423" had a low-valve 35-hp motor with a three-speed gearbox. After upgrading to 423H, the power of the new overhead motor increased to 45, and then a four-speed transmission appeared. On the "Moskvich 423N" were put truncated chrome "combs" on the back doors, on the hood under the factory emblem there was an inscription "Moskvich".
Due to the higher load capacity, the machine was equipped with 5 mm rear leaf springs.
The plant practically did not supply "Moskvich 423" forfree sale. The bulk of the machines were distributed to state institutions and used to transport small shipments of goods or mail. Many of these machines came to private owners only after they were written off.
