Social media once again mentioned the rare LuAZ-1301 pickup of Ukrainian production and reported where one of the preserved specimens is currently located. This concerns an experimental model created at the Lutsk Automobile Plant in the early 2000s and never launched into serial production. This is reported by AC Garage News.
According to available information, the pickup shown in the photo is precisely the original LuAZ-1301, and not a later Chinese model, which was sometimes attempted to be passed off as a Ukrainian development. The car was manufactured in 2002 as part of an experimental program to update the LuAZ lineup.
LuAZ-1301: Origin and Design
The LuAZ-1301 pickup was created at the Lutsk Automobile Plant using a fiberglass body. A 1.2-liter gasoline engine from the ZAZ Slavuta was installed under the hood. The design was oriented towards a light utility vehicle with simple technology and minimal production costs.
The model was considered as one of the options for the development of civilian LuAZ vehicles, however, the project did not receive further funding and support.
LuAZ-1301: The Fate of the Prototypes
In 2004, the LuAZ-1301 project was finally closed, and several experimental prototypes were sold to private individuals. It was then that the cars dispersed to different regions of Ukraine.
According to subscribers of the thematic channel, one such pickup later ended up in Zaporizhzhia, where it remains to this day. Due to the minimal number of manufactured vehicles, the LuAZ-1301 is considered a great rarity and almost never appears in public space.