by In January, a buyer in the Odesa region purchased an unusual prototype LuAZ-1301 from 2004 with a 1.7-liter gasoline engine. This is one example from an extremely limited series of seven experimental vehicles. This is reported by the Telegram channel AC garage News.
According to available information, the model did not go into mass production and has survived only in isolated examples, making each such car virtually a museum rarity.
LuAZ-1301: The history of a rare prototype
The LuAZ-1301 model was developed as a successor to the classic LuAZ off-road vehicles in the 1990s and early 2000s. According to various data, the plant produced only seven prototypes of this version in the early 2000s, as well as several experimental batches in the 1990s.
The car was created with a focus on the civilian market: it had a more modern body, a closed cabin, and abandoned the simplified military solutions characteristic of early LuAZ models. The project was considered as a compact utility off-roader with permanent or connectable all-wheel drive.
LuAZ-1301 2004: Specifications and status
It is known that the LuAZ-1301 prototypes were equipped with gasoline engines of about 1.7 liters and modernized transmissions. The design featured independent suspension and high ground clearance, which corresponded to the brand’s traditional philosophy.
Despite the completed samples, the model never reached mass production due to financial difficulties and the winding down of production programs at the Lutsk Automobile Plant. This is why every preserved LuAZ-1301 is now considered a collector’s rarity, and the appearance of such a car on the roads of Ukraine is a singular event.
