“Invalidka” Car

The interesting history of “Invalidka” Car.

The SZD car for disabled people – a twin-seat, four-wheel cyclecar – was manufactured by the Serpukhov Automobile Plant (originally a motor plant) from 1970 to 1997. It belongs to the class of heavy quadricycles with IZH Planet-2 and IZH Planet-3 engines. Given the unflattering nickname “invalidka” (not so much in association with the owner, but rather in connection with its own qualities), this microcar was planned as a rural off-road vehicle for people with disabilities, but the future manufacturer did not have the necessary equipment for producing complex parts, and the design of the “invalidka” was defined as “a simplified body of original construction.”

These cars were distributed by state social care agencies for partial or full payment. They were given to the owner for 5 years. A special category A driver’s license (for motorcycles and scooters) was required to drive an “invalidka.”

This article was published in the book Interesting Chernobyl.
You could download this book in PDF file for free here.

© Sky Horse Publishing House (Kyiv) / Nahs Haus, 2019
Copying and publication of this article is possible only with the written permission of the publishing house.
Official website of the Awesome Heritage series: awesomeheritage.com

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