Moskvitch · 1940–1941

KIM-10

The KIM-10 was the first Soviet small car designed for large-scale mass production.

Successor: Moskvitch 400-420

All Moskvitch KIM-10 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

History

The very first passenger car designed in the Soviet Union, the NAMI-1, was supposed to combine the simplicity, light weight and low cost of a cyclecar with the passenger capacity and comfort of a small car. It was considered quite a success from the engineering point and deemed very suitable for the country's still primitive road system. However, the project ultimately turned into a failure due to very limited experience in car building and lack of a modern industrial base. The Moscow State Automobile Plant No. 4 (also known as the "Avtomotor" plant; later renamed "Spartak"), assisted by the AMO and several other plants, managed to assemble only several hundred cars in 1927-31 (exact numbers vary considerably depending on the source). Old-fashioned production techniques and low scale resulted in mediocre build quality and high retail price – several times that of a locally assembled Ford Model A. However, another automotive manufacturing project of late 1920s & early 30s—the GAZ plant, built with the assistance of Ford Motor Company—proved to be a success, with a designed capacity to produce up to 250-300,000 cars and trucks annually. The use of a readily available foreign technology allowed Russia to become a large-scale manufacturer of cars for the first time in its history. However, Ford cars were relatively large and heavy, and, while mass production made them relatively cheap, they still required a considerable amount of resources to build and maintain. It was considered uneconomical to provide such vehicles for personal use by individuals in any significant quantities. The cars produced were virtually all distributed between state and public organisations. The NAMI continued to work on lighter, smaller cars based on the NAMI-1 design, which could complement the GA

Sales and surviving examples

No version of the KIM-10 was ever officially sold to the general public. 64 cars were awarded as prizes in the 15th tour of the OSOAVIAKhIM lottery, with a listed price of 7000 roubles (for the scale, the GAZ M-1 was listed for 9500 roubles). Most KIMs were lost during the war of 1941-45, in which they saw active service. Only several cars survive to this day in the expositions of various museums.

Reception

The KIM-10 received generally positive reviews from the operators. Conservative mechanicals proved to be simple and robust, and the styling was one of the most advanced among the prewar Soviet passenger cars. The interior was quite roomy for the car's class, with individually adjustable separate front seats and a high back seat cushion which gave the passengers an unobstructed view over the heads of the driver and the front passenger. The car was also found to be somewhat underpowered and have insufficient road clearance, however just as its British counterpart, the KIM was designed neither for high-speed motoring, nor for the bumpy rural roads. Starting on 12 May 1941 the Red Army subjected one of the production cars (chassis No. 178) to a series of tests, including 4512 km in road conditions varying from the newly built Moscow-Minsk asphalted highway to rural mud roads and off-road. Despite the official "mostly satisfactory" mark, the car proved to be unsuited to the requirements of the military service.

Further development

After the war the USSR managed to obtain the production lines for the four-door version of the Opel Kadett K38 as a part of the war reparations package. This car was quite close to the KIM-10-52 in specifications and appearance, making it a suitable replacement. The equipment was installed at the former KIM plant which was renamed MZMA (Moscow Small Car Plant). In 1946 it started producing cars under "Moskvitch" brand.

Technical details

The side-valve engine of the KIM-10 had a displacement of 1170 cm³ and produced 30 hp. Its cooling system lacked a water pump, relying on thermocirculation instead, and a thermostat, the latter being quite impractical during cold Russian winters because the engine took a lot of time to warm up. Rear wheels were driven via a 3-speed manual transmission, with synchromesh on II and III (direct drive) gears. Suspension employed transverse leaf springs, both front and rear. Brakes were mechanically operated drums on all four wheels. Chassis components were mounted on a separate frame which was rigidly riveted to the body.

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

Specifications

name: KIM-10
Manufacturer: KIM
Production: 1940—1941
Layout: FR layout
Predecessor: NAMI-1, Ford Model A
Successor: Moskvitch 400
Class: Compact car
Body style: 2-door sedan, 2-door phaeton, 4-door sedan
Engine: 4-cyl., 4-stroke, 1170 cc, 30 hp
Transmission: 3-speed manual
Wheelbase: 2386 mm
Length: 3940 mm
Width: 1430 mm
Height: 1630 mm
Kerb weight: 840 kg

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/Q3501478CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KIM-10CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1369279968 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KIM-10-50_sedan1940.jpgCC BY 3.0 · Photo: ru:Участник:Sah68 · 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.