The Moskvich 427 was the estate of the 412 family: a five-door load carrier with the 1.5-litre engine that made the 412 the quickest small Soviet car of its day. Built at MZMA and then AZLK from 1967 to 1976, it kept the old tail fins and vertical rear lights even after the sedan was restyled, and 32,849 were made.
Moskvich 427 at a glance
| Maker | MZMA / AZLK, Moscow |
|---|---|
| Production | 1967–1976 |
| Based on | Moskvich 412 |
| Body | five-door estate, seats five |
| Engine | 1.5-litre UZAM-412, 75 hp |
| Fifth door | two-piece until 1972, single-piece from 1972 |
| Rear lights | the same 408 units throughout production |
| Modernisation | December 1969, cars then badged 427IE |
| Built | 32,849 |
| Replaced by | Moskvich 2137, from 1976 |
A separate article on the 427 exists only in Russian Wikipedia; the English article covers it in the list of 412 models. No free photographs of the 427 estate were found, so the article uses the existing cover image.
History of the Moskvich 427
The 427 was added to the Moskvich range in 1967 as the estate counterpart of the 412 and of the 426, which was the estate of the 408. The two estates looked alike: the visible difference was the engine, the 427 carrying the more powerful 1.5-litre unit while the 426 used the 1.4-litre engine of the 408. Both had the practical body that had made the estate popular with Soviet families and with small businesses, and both went through the same changes in the early 1970s.
Like the earlier Moskvich 423, the 427 began with a fifth door made in two parts, the upper half lifting and the lower half folding down. The second half of 1972 brought a conventional single-piece tailgate opening upwards, and the same change was applied to the 434 van derived from it. The rear lights, however, stayed exactly as they had been on the Moskvich 408 throughout the model’s life: the estate kept the tail fins and the vertical lamps even after the sedan had been restyled with rectangular headlights and horizontal rear lights at the end of 1969.
In December 1969 the whole 412 family was modernised and the cars received the letters IE in their designations, marking compliance with the new passive-safety standards and export potential. The estate became the Moskvich 427IE, with the same changes as the saloon and no visible differences from earlier cars. The factory listed export versions, including the 427E, later 427IE, a southern export version, the 427Yu, and a right-hand-drive car, the 427P, alongside the 434 van.
Production ended in 1976 after 32,849 cars, when the 2137 took over as the estate of the new 2140 generation and inherited the same rear body with its tail fins. The 427 is a rare sight today, and models of it have been made in 1:43 scale for the Avtolegendy SSSR series and by the Agat factory.
Design and features
- 1.5-litre engine: the 75 hp unit of the 412, the most powerful in the Moskvich range.
- Tail fins to the end: the estate kept the old 408 rear end and vertical lights.
- Two-piece tailgate: replaced by a single upward-opening door in 1972.
- Export versions: right-hand drive and southern-climate cars were also listed.
Moskvich 427 versions
- Moskvich 427 (1967–1969): first series, two-piece tailgate and column gear lever.
- Moskvich 427IE (1969–1976): modernised car to the new safety standards.
- Moskvich 427E / 427IE: export versions.
- Moskvich 427Yu: export version for hot climates.
- Moskvich 427P: right-hand-drive estate.
- Moskvich 434 (1968–1976): three-door panel van derived from the 427.
The 427 was the estate version of the Moskvich 412, sister to the Moskvich 426, and predecessor of the Moskvich 2137. More models are in the Moskvich collection.
Sources
- Moskvitch 412, English Wikipedia: tailgate change, fins and lights, van version
- Москвич-427, Russian Wikipedia: production years, versions, 32,849 built
