File photo of a car at a gathering of Moskvitch car owners and enthusiasts
MOSCOW (Archyde.com) – After a two-decade hiatus, Russia on Wednesday resumed production of Soviet-era symbol Moskvitch cars at French automaker Renault’s former factory in Moscow, the automaker said. Kamaz trucks, the plant’s technology partner.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Renault sold its majority stake in automaker Avtovaz to the Russian state in May while retaining a six-year buyout option. The group also sold its plant south of Moscow, renamed the Moscow Automobile Plant “Moskvitch”.
With only 600 vehicles expected to be produced this year, the relaunch of the Moskvitch brand is unlikely to alter the bleak outlook for the entire Russian auto market, whose annual sales might fall below the million mark for the first time in the world. modern history of Russia.
The ultimate goal of producing 100,000 Moskvitch vehicles a year, some of which will be electric, is well below the industry average for an auto plant, which is between 200,000 and 300,000 vehicles. Tesla makes regarding 22,000 cars a week at its Shanghai factory.
“The first Moskvitch cars will roll off the production line in December 2022,” Kamaz said in a statement.
Sources told Archyde.com that Moskvitch will partner with Chinese automaker JAC Motors which will provide the design, engineering and production platform for Moskvitch’s new brand.
Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade said the launch of large-scale production would create jobs for around 40,000 people.
Sales of the Moskvitch 3, described as an urban crossover equipped with a gasoline engine and an automatic or manual gearbox, will begin in December, the ministry said.
(Written by Gleb Stolyarov and Alexander Marrow; French version Elena Smirnova, editing by Blandine Hénault)
