The LAZ-697 “Tourist” was a Soviet two-axle middle-class coach built in the Western Ukrainian city of Lviv from 1959 to 1985. It was developed from the LAZ-695 prototypes and was mechanically identical to them, but was meant for tourist and shorter intercity work and offered greater comfort.
LAZ-697 Tourist at a glance
| Maker | Lviv Bus Plant (LAZ), Lviv, Ukraine |
|---|---|
| Production | 1959–1985 |
| Class | tourist and intercity coach |
| Derived from | LAZ-695 |
| Seats | 33–34 |
| Layout | rear-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Engine | ZIL-158L, later ZIL-158A 109 hp; ZIL-130L 150 hp from 1963 |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual |
| Luggage hold | 3.5 m³ under the floor |
| Main versions | 697, 697E, 697M, 697N, 697P |
| Successor | LAZ-699 |
History of the LAZ-697 Tourist
From the 695 prototypes
The LAZ-697 grew out of the long development of the LAZ-695. Seven prototypes of the city bus were built, and four of them were predecessors of the 697 line. The second prototype of summer 1956, reclassified as a suburban bus, set the pattern: the rear door was removed and paired soft seats were installed. The fourth prototype repeated it with 32 seats, a step under the front door and a new air intake in the middle of the rear roof, and the sixth prototype of summer 1957, built while the first LAZ-695 “Festival” was entering production, added a one-piece front window, a luggage net over the seats and the big letter “L” that stood for Lviv. The seventh prototype of 1957 was made more comfortable, with 34 seats and a two-piece front window, and was separated from the 695 line as the 697.
697 and 697E (1959–1969)
The first LAZ-697 was built in September 1958 with the NAMI institute and took the nickname “Tourist”. It had 34 soft seats with individual lights, ashtrays and small luggage grids, a sliding soft-top sunroof, a cooling system with a humidifier, an air heater and a radio with a microphone. The luggage hold under the floor held 3.5 m³ and was reached through hatches on the right side. The prototype was shown in Moscow and then took a group of factory tourists to Czechoslovakia and Poland. A second prototype followed in June 1959 with 33 seats with tilting and sliding backrests, a rotating guide seat beside the driver and an air intake above the windscreen that formed the “cap” visor later found on all LAZ buses. Serial production began at the end of 1959 and ran to 1963. From 1960 the new 150 hp ZIL-130L engine arrived in small batches, and from 1963 the 697E was built with it, gaining round wheel arches and losing the falling side mouldings.
697M, 697N and 697P (1969–1985)
The 697M replaced the 697E in 1969 and was shown at a Moscow exhibition that year. The roof glazing and the rear air-intake pipe disappeared, the side windows grew and air reached the engine through deflectors under the rear window. The M also received a Raba rear axle from Hungary, power steering and stronger brakes. Towards the end of its production it took the rear body of the LAZ-695N. The first 697N appeared at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy in 1971; it combined the 697M body with the new front end and reached production in 1975, before the 695N and 699N. The classic 697N body lasted less than three years, and in 1978 it was replaced by the transitional 697P, which added a second door in the rear overhang and lost the window vents.
Design and features
- Tourist equipment: individual reading lights, ashtrays and luggage nets on the seat backs, a radio with a microphone, an air heater and a humidifier.
- Roof ventilation: a sliding soft-top sunroof at first, then the “cap” air intake above the windscreen that became a LAZ hallmark.
- Under-floor luggage: a 3.5 m³ hold reached through side hatches, unusual in Soviet coaches of the period.
- Comfort upgrades: the 697M brought a Hungarian Raba rear axle, power steering and better brakes.
- Rarity today: only one LAZ-697M survives; it was restored in 2005 by Igor Churkin, the last owner of the LAZ factory.
LAZ-697 Tourist versions
- LAZ-697 (1959–1963): the original Tourist with the ZIL-158A engine.
- LAZ-697E (1961–1969): the 150 hp ZIL-130L V8 and round wheel arches.
- LAZ-697M (1969–1975): larger side windows, side air intakes, Raba axle and power steering.
- LAZ-697N (1975–1978): the new front end of the 695N family.
- LAZ-697P (1978 onwards): the transitional coach with a rear door and unified body parts.
The 697 was the coach version of the LAZ-695 and was eventually replaced by the larger LAZ-699. More vehicles are in the LAZ collection.
Video: LAZ-697 Tourist prototype, 1958
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- LAZ-697, English Wikipedia: development, versions, equipment
- ЛАЗ-697, Ukrainian Wikipedia: prototypes, engines, production dates
