The ZIL-118 Yunost (‘Youth’) was a small luxury bus built by ZiL on the mechanicals of the ZIL-111 limousine. It was developed in 1961 on the workers’ own initiative and remained in small-scale production, in updated form, until 1994.
ZIL-118 Yunost at a glance
| Maker | ZiL, Moscow |
|---|---|
| Production | 1963–1994 |
| Class | luxury minibus |
| Based on | ZIL-111 limousine |
| Engine | ZIL-130 V8, 150 hp |
| Seats | 17 in the first version |
| First series | 20 buses, 1961–1970 |
| Updated version | ZIL-118K from 1971 |
| Ambulances | ZIL-118A and ZIL-118KS |
| Later facelift | ZIL-3207 in the 1980s |
| Total built | 86 of the 118K, 119 and 3207 |
History of the ZIL-118 Yunost
Built in spare time
The ZIL-111 limousine was reserved for members of the Politburo, and the plant’s hand-assembly shops were underused. A group of ZIL employees therefore designed a multi-seat vehicle around the limousine’s transmission and suspension in their free time, giving it the index 118. The engine came from the ZIL-130 truck, a V8 of 150 hp with a compression ratio of 6.5 for low-octane fuel. The first bus, named Yunost, went to testing in 1962; its glazing formed a continuous panoramic band and the cabin had 17 passenger seats.
Reception
The demonstration to the government delighted Nikita Khrushchev. The bus was never mass-produced, but it was shown at the Soviet Intourist display at the International Bus Week in Nice in 1967, where it won 12 awards. In April 1970, during a visit to the plant, Henry Ford II offered to buy a licence to build the Yunost in the United States or to set up joint production; he was refused. The design of the first version was compared with the Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier Sportswagon of 1961–1965.
The 118K and later cars
In 1971 the model was restyled in the manner of the ZIL-114, ZIL-117 and the second-generation Chaika. The angular body looked more modern but lost the lightness of the original; the new version was indexed ZIL-118K, and the index ZIL-119 was also used. It used the ZIL-508.10 V8 from the trucks. An ambulance version, the ZIL-118A in the first series and the ZIL-118KS later, served the Fourth Directorate of the Ministry of Health, which looked after the Central Committee and the Council of Ministers. The KGB ordered several buses for special communications, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs received a mobile forensic laboratory, the ZIL-118KL.
Production totals
Twenty buses of the original ZIL-118 were built between 1961 and 1970, and 86 of the ZIL-118K, 119, 118-70 and 3207 between 1970 and 1994. In the 1980s the bus was facelifted once more as the ZIL-3207; production ended in 1994.
Design and features
- Limousine mechanicals: the suspension and transmission of the ZIL-111 with a 150 hp truck V8.
- Panoramic glazing: a continuous band of windows around the cabin of the first version.
- Government service: used for official delegations, as ambulances and for special communications.
- Long life: built in small batches from 1963 to 1994 in three successive forms.
ZIL-118 Yunost versions
- ZIL-118 (1963–1970): the original 17-seat minibus.
- ZIL-118A: ambulance version of the first series.
- ZIL-118K / ZIL-119 (1971): restyled version with the ZIL-508.10 V8.
- ZIL-118KS: ambulance on the 118K base.
- ZIL-3207 (1980s): final facelift, built until 1994.
The Yunost was built on the mechanicals of the ZIL-111 limousine and styled after the ZIL-114. More vehicles are in the ZiL collection.
Sources
- ZIL-118, English Wikipedia: development, versions, production total
- ЗИЛ-118, Russian Wikipedia: development story, reception, production figures
