Moskvitch · 1986–2002

Moskvich 2141

The Moskvitch-2141, also known under the trade name Aleko (Russian: "АЛЕКО", derivative from the name of the automaker "Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского Комсомола", Avtomobilnyj zavod imeni Leninskogo Komsomola, meaning "Automotive Factory of Lenin's Komsomol"), is a Russian mid-size car that was first announced in 1985 and sold in the Soviet Union and its successor states between 1986 and 1997 by the Moskvitch Company, based in Moscow, Russia. It was replaced by the modernised M-214145 Svyatogor and its sedan body version, the M-2142, in 1997–2002. The Aleko was a huge improvement over previous Moskvitch models, which were durable but old-fashioned sedans and station wagons with rear-wheel drive and a solid rear axle, and had no common parts with them apart from the engine and some other minor details.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Moskvitch 2140 · Successor: Moskvich 2142

All Moskvitch Moskvich 2141 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Features

The new car had such innovative features as front-wheel drive, a hatchback body style, MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion-crank rear suspension. It had rack-and-pinion steering and a collapsible steering column. The spare tyre was located underneath the boot and was accessible from outside, in the tradition of French cars. The 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, with the help of Russian and, partially, French engineers, who shortly cooperated with them at the final stage of the development process. The officially reported drag coefficient was 0.35.

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, 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. Designer Igor Zaytsev recalled that it took more than a month to motivate his disappointed colleagues to get involved in the new project. However, besides the fact that the AZLK designers considered it "insulting and humiliating" to copy an existing car, 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. It is only the top of the body that these models have in common. The existing engine was too long for transverse placement, so it was placed longitudinally, like on the Renault 20/30 or Audi 80/100 series. The Aleko turned out to be quite a breakthrough for the Soviet automotive industry of its time. It almost became the first front-wheel drive hatchback of the Soviet Union, but due to the

Derivatives and naming variants

Aleko 141 (for foreign market) Moskvich-2141 (for domestic market; Москвич-2141 in Cyrillic) AZLK-2141 (for domestic market; АЗЛК-2141 in Cyrillic) Svjatogor/Святогор (since 1997, for domestic market) АЗЛК-214145 (since 1997, Renault F3R 2.0 engine)

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Moskvitch 2141 Aleko
Manufacturer: Moskvitch Stock Company
aka: Lada Aleko (for cars exported by AvtoVAZ)
Assembly: Soviet Union/Russia: Moscow, Bulgaria: Lovech (Balkancar)
Production: 1986–1997 (1998–2002 for the more advanced M-2141-02/-45/-00/-22 versions)
Predecessor: Moskvitch 2140
Successor: Moskvitch 2142
Class: Mid-size/Large family car (D)
Body style: 5-door hatchback
Layout: Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive
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
Transmission: 5-speed Manual
Wheelbase: 2580 mm
Length: 4.35 m
Width: 1.69 m
Height: 1.4 m
Kerb weight: 1070 -
Related: Simca 1307/1308, Moskvitch 2142, Lada Samara, ZAZ Tavria

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1424423CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlekoCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1375698965 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AZLK-2141_green_colored_(front_view).jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Kirill Borisenko · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.