# Aleko

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Russian mid-size car made by Moskvitch

This article is about the Russian car. For other uses, see [Aleko (disambiguation)](/source/Aleko_(disambiguation)).

Motor vehicle

Moskvitch 2141 Aleko Moskvitch 2141S "Aleko" Overview Manufacturer Moskvitch Stock Company Also called Lada Aleko (for cars exported by AvtoVAZ) Production 1986–1997 (1998–2002 for the more advanced M-2141-02/-45/-00/-22 versions) Assembly Soviet Union/Russia: Moscow Bulgaria: Lovech (Balkancar) Body and chassis Class Mid-size/Large family car (D) Body style 5-door hatchback Layout Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive Related Simca 1307/1308 Moskvitch 2142 Lada Samara ZAZ Tavria Powertrain Engine petrol: 1.5 L UZAM-331.10 I4 1.6 L VAZ-2106-70 I4 1.7 L VAZ-21213-70 I4 1.7 L UZAM-3317 I4 1.8 L UZAM-3318 I4 2.0 L Renault F3R I4 diesel: 1.8 L Ford XLD418 I4 1.9 L Peugeot XUD9 I4[1] Transmission 5-speed Manual Dimensions Wheelbase 2,580 mm (101.6 in) Length 4.35 m (171.3 in)[1] Width 1.69 m (66.5 in)[1] Height 1.4 m (55.1 in)[1] Curb weight 1,070–1,080 kg (2,358.9–2,381.0 lb) Chronology Predecessor Moskvitch 2140 Successor Moskvitch 2142

The **Moskvitch-2141**, also known under the trade name **Aleko** ([Russian](/source/Russian_language): "АЛЕКО", derivative from the name of the automaker "**А**втомобильный завод имени **Ле**нинского **Ко**мсомола", ***A**vtomobilnyj zavod imeni **Le**ninskogo **Ko**msomola*, meaning "Automotive Factory of Lenin's [Komsomol](/source/Komsomol)"), is a Russian [mid-size car](/source/Mid-size_car) that was first announced in 1985 and sold in the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union) and its successor states between 1986 and 1997 by the [Moskvitch Company](/source/Moskvitch), based in [Moscow](/source/Moscow), Russia. It was replaced by the modernised M-214145[2] **Svyatogor** and its [sedan](/source/Sedan_(automobile)) body version, the [M-2142](/source/Moskvitch_2142), in 1997–2002.

The Aleko was a huge improvement over previous Moskvitch models, which were durable but old-fashioned [sedans](/source/Sedans) (saloons) and [station wagons](/source/Station_wagon) (estates) with [rear-wheel drive](/source/Rear-wheel_drive) and a solid rear axle, and had no common parts with them apart from the engine and some other minor details.

## Features

The new car had such innovative features as [front-wheel drive](/source/Front-wheel_drive), a [hatchback](/source/Hatchback) body style, [MacPherson strut](/source/MacPherson_strut) front suspension and [torsion-crank](/source/Torsion_beam) rear [suspension](/source/Suspension_(vehicle)). It had rack-and-pinion steering and a collapsible [steering column](/source/Steering_column). The spare tyre was located underneath the boot and was accessible from outside, in the tradition of French cars. The [wheelbase](/source/Wheelbase) went up almost 20 centimetres (7.9 in), the body got 14 centimetres (5.5 in) wider, the wheel size went up one inch (14 inches). The car became more spacious, comfortable and safe. For the first time in the history of Soviet and Russian car making, the car's profile was optimized for [aerodynamics](/source/Automotive_aerodynamics), with the help of Russian and, partially, [French](/source/France) [engineers](/source/Engineer), who shortly cooperated with them at the final stage of the development process. The officially reported [drag coefficient](/source/Drag_coefficient) was 0.35.[3]

## History

Before the development of the M-2141 started, Moskvitch engineers had been working on a new series of rear-wheel drive cars and had developed it to the stage of pre-production prototypes. However, surprisingly for them, the Minister of Automobile Industry required them to cease all work on the unfinished project and instead create a front-wheel drive car with its upper part identical to that of the French [Simca 1307](/source/Simca_1307), which was favoured by him. While this decision helped to cut the development costs, it came as an insult to the engineers and designers, who had their own mock-ups of the future car ready.[4] Designer Igor Zaytsev recalled that it took more than a month to motivate his disappointed colleagues to get involved in the new project.[4]

However, besides the fact that the AZLK designers considered it "insulting and humiliating" to copy an existing car,[4] it came out that the new powertrain and chassis required a different bodyshell, and despite the two cars having similar shapes, the only parts of the French car that were borrowed to the Moskvitch-2141 were some constructive elements of the roof and the form of the window seals. As the company's chief designer Yuri Tkachenko stated in 1992, the differences between the Simca and the M-2141 were so numerous and significant that it was more correct to say what details were borrowed from the Simca rather than what was added to its design.[5] It is only the top of the body that these models have in common.[6] The existing engine was too long for transverse placement, so it was placed longitudinally, like on the [Renault 20/30](/source/Renault_20%2F30) or [Audi 80](/source/Audi_80)/[100](/source/Audi_100) series.

Aleko interior

The Aleko turned out to be quite a breakthrough for the [Soviet automotive industry](/source/Automotive_industry_in_the_Soviet_Union) of its time. It almost became the first front-wheel drive hatchback of the Soviet Union, but due to the fact that its development took a further two years for Moskvitch to set up the manufacturing, the [Lada Samara](/source/Lada_Samara) arrived first. Although the M-2141 had a more comfortable design than the Samara, the [dissolution of the Soviet Union](/source/Dissolution_of_the_Soviet_Union) in 1991 followed by an economic crisis, [financial mismanagement](/source/Financial_mismanagement) and disruptions in the work of the company caused a decline in assembling quality in the 1990s and damaged the reputation of this car in the markets. Nonetheless, even then, it was still praised for a high level of [passive safety](/source/Automobile_safety), robustness of construction, good [off-road](/source/Off-roading) capabilities, and ease of repair. In 2001 the aging M-2141, designed in the late 1970s and early 1980s and lacking modern airbags and seatbelts with pretensioners, was awarded zero stars out of a possible four by the new Russian [ARCAP](/source/ARCAP) safety assessment program, but the reviewers pointed out that for a 20-year-old car it showed an "excellent" crash-test result. The steering column and the A-pillar were displaced less than in the Citroën Xantia and early Audi A4.[7][8]

Before 1991, AZLK designers also created the [four-wheel-drive](/source/Four-wheel-drive) [Moskvich-21416SE](http://i.wheelsage.org/pictures/azlk/2141/azlk_moskvich_21416_se_opytnyj_1.jpg) and a [sedan version](http://www.cardesign.ru/viewimage/?img=/files/gallery/photo/part_22/221575/file/se0152.jpg) of the M-2141 equipped with a [different steering wheel](http://www.cardesign.ru/viewimage/?img=/files/gallery/photo/part_22/221518/file/m2-2061.jpg) and an [electronic instrument cluster](/source/Electronic_instrument_cluster) that was publicly demonstrated in 1990,[9] but none of these cars were put into series production due to the hardships brought by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Although AZLK had designed and fully tested a new and more powerful generation of four-cylinder gasoline and [diesel engines](/source/Diesel_engine) for the M-2141, the construction of the company's engine production plant was stopped and never resumed.

Comparison between the body design of the [Simca 1307](/source/Simca_1307) (black) and the Aleko (red)

The Aleko was sold mostly on the domestic market, but in the late 1980s it was exported too. In some export markets, including France and Germany, the cars were advertised as the [Lada](/source/Lada) Aleko, and diesel engines from [Ford](/source/Ford_Motor_Company) and [Indenor](/source/Indenor) could be delivered in addition to the standard petrol engines. The Ford diesel engine, manufactured in Dagenham, UK, made it onto the AZLK production lines in September 1991.[10] Moskvitch had been negotiating the construction of an engine factory in the Soviet Union but the plans were scuppered by a lack of [hard currency](/source/Hard_currency).[10] The Aleko was also assembled in Bulgaria under licence for a brief period in the late 1980s.

Some of the last Moskvitch models to be built were the upgraded and facelifted Alekos that were renamed Svyatogor (models 214122, 214100, 214145). A version with the wheelbase extended by 20 cm (7.9 in) called the Yury Dolgorukiy (2141Y2 *Юрий Долгорукий*; 1997–2002, named after the historic [Grand Prince of Kiev](/source/Yuri_Dolgorukiy)) was also built, albeit only in small numbers. Still based on the design of the M-2141, the Dolgorukiy was built in two series: the first had the original, large, rectangular headlamps, while the second series received the Svyatogor's facelifted front treatment.

In 1990, the Aleko was involved in a fatal accident that saw the death of [Viktor Tsoi](/source/Viktor_Tsoi) of [Kino (band)](/source/Kino_(band)).

## Derivatives and naming variants

- *Aleko 141* (for foreign market)

- *Moskvich-2141* (for domestic market; Москвич-2141 in [Cyrillic](/source/Cyrillic_script))

- *AZLK-2141* (for domestic market; АЗЛК-2141 in Cyrillic)

- *Svjatogor/Святогор* (since 1997, for domestic market)

- *АЗЛК-214145* (since 1997, Renault [F3R](/source/Renault_F-Type_engine) 2.0 engine)

## Gallery

		- M-21412 alias M-2141S

		- M-21412 alias M-2141S

		- M-21412 alias M-2141S

		- UZAM-331 engine (1989)

		- Svyatogor (Aleko post-1996 facelift)

		- Moskvitch-2142 with sedan body (prototype)

		- M-2901

		- 2335

		- Moskvich 2141Y2 Dolgorukiy, with a slightly extended wheelbase

## References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Moskvich-2141](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Moskvich-2141).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-histomobile.com_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-histomobile.com_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-histomobile.com_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-histomobile.com_1-3) ["Moskvitch Aleko (2141)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080223123010/http://www.histomobile.com/1/Moskvitch/1989/Aleko_%282141%29.htm?lan=1). Archived from [the original](http://www.histomobile.com/1/Moskvitch/1989/Aleko_%282141%29.htm?lan=1) on 2008-02-23. Retrieved 22 March 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["OAO "Moskvich""](http://www.azlk.ru/f_model.html). *www.azlk.ru*. Retrieved 2025-07-05.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The history of the Aleko"](http://alekohistory.narod.ru/m2141aero.htm) (in Russian).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-autoreview.ru_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-autoreview.ru_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-autoreview.ru_4-2) ["Interview with Igor Zaytsev, former chief designer for AZLK"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151117014628/http://autoreview.ru/new_site/year2002/n05/azlk/1.htm?phrase_id=5104930) (in Russian). Archived from [the original](http://autoreview.ru/new_site/year2002/n05/azlk/1.htm?phrase_id=5104930) on 2015-11-17.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** (in Russian) "Auto", № 26, 1992

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Ах, Алеко: вспоминаем факты и развенчиваем мифы про Москвич-2141"](https://www.kolesa.ru/article/ah-aleko-vspominaem-fakty-i-razvenchivaem-mify-pro-moskvich-2141). *Kolesa.ru*. Kolesa magazine. Retrieved 10 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Москвич Святогор"](https://autoreview.ru/arcap/cars/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87/%D0%A1%D0%B2%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80). *Авторевю*. Retrieved 1 June 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Москвич Святогор"](http://www.carpedia.ru/crush/34707/). *Авторевю*. Retrieved 10 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [АО "Москвич" "Москвич-2142"](http://www.denisovets.ru/azlk/azlkpages/m2142.html)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-TV1891.19_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-TV1891.19_10-1) Johansson, Claes (1991-09-19). "Ryssar kör engelskt" [Russians drive English]. *[Teknikens Värld](/source/Teknikens_V%C3%A4rld)* (in Swedish). Vol. 43, no. 18. Stockholm, Sweden: Specialtidningsförlaget AB. p. 19.

Authority control databases: National Czech Republic

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Aleko](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleko) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleko?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.