After the Second World War in Italy the carmakers realised that it would be a long time before everyone who needed a car would be able to afford one. So the smart Italians switched to designing and producing motor scooters: these light, affordable, ergonomic Vespas, a low cost product available to everybody.
Needless to say, Vespa was the brand of the time (and arguably still is) and it grew more and more popular across Europe, until, in early 1950s, it reached the USSR. All of a sudden this youthful and cheery means of transportation coincided with the Khrushchev Thaw and it was decided to launch the Soviet line of motor scooters. Machinery wise, it was viable: since the war times, a few factories had been idle, so it was only a matter of design.
Modern girl with a vintage scooter. She is probably gloomy over the petrol price.
The design couldn’t have been an easier problem to fix: Europe was going through a real scooter boom and, since the copyright laws were not as aggressive as they are nowadays, it was decided to simply copy some. The choice was there but, after much consideration, Vespa was chosen as the prototype.
Everybody loved a Vespa.
The decision was made at the level as high as the Cabinet of Ministers. The designers and engineers were given six months to produce the first models. Which was timely achieved, and in early 1957 the first scooters – called Vyatkas – by the name of the factory situated in the Vyatka region – were introduced to the market.
One of the first Vyatka models, 1957
Both externally and on the inside, Vyatka was a very close copy of its Italian counterpart. However, at a closer look, the Soviet scooter would lose a few points to the Vespa. Vespa was 16 kgs lighter (104, not 120); 30kmh faster (100, not 70); and it had more power (8 hps vs 4.5).
Vyatka Logo: looking familiar? Imagine the lawsuits in our days! Back then, the Italians opted to pronounce the supremacy of their scooters that even the Communists were copying.
Unsurprisingly, people liked Vyatkas – they became very popular very fast. Younger drivers would take it on long intercity trips, and every now and then a female driver would be spotted. It was meant to provide the comfort of a car for the price of a bike — well, almost, as the slogan stated.
- The paintwork was so bad, it often started peeling within the year of purchase. But it was still a reliable vehicle.
As the time went by, the scooter was being perfected: the glove box became key-lockable; the brake pedal was shifted under the floor; and the power went up to 5.5 hps. The price was about 350 rubles, which was good value for money.
The dashboard. It certainly never went up to 140.
The later model of 1974, Vyatka-Electron, was equipped with a new type of ignition, an electronic one, copied off the Japanese car makers. This allowed the scooter to become more powerful (up tp 7.5hps), faster (up to 80 kph) and more economical, too (less than 3litres per 100kms). The price also dropped to 280 rubles, which made it affordable even for students.
Vyatka-Electron. Quite fancy, isn’t it?
Nevertheless, the popularity of Vyatkas was steadily declining. Nowadays we would call it bad marketing policies, but then really it was a matter of supply and demand in the planned Soviet economy. Even the numerous promotional advertorials in the automobile magazines did not help: by 1979, the production was stopped. It took a good decade to sell out the excess stock of Vyatkas, and another one to market off the parts. Altogether there was made about 1.7mln Vyatka scooters in these 23 years.
Of course the Soviet scooters never stopped with Vyatka. There was the Tuirst scooter, named after the factory in the town of Tula, later on there were Java and Ural, each with a wide range of models.
Tula scooter, 1961.
Yet the Vyatka story is another finest example of how fantastically inefficient the USSR and its policies were. The Italian Vespa is still a funky brand and a great vehicle. The Russian Vyatka ceased to exist, and it is more of a collectable item now.
A restored Vyatka.
Its always amazing how close the copies are – Russian vs western
Wonder if in time it worked the other way or are there examples – say Russian pole dancers ?
I would be happy to be with that trim girl as well
There is no way a drunk Russian can drive one of these.
I drink and drive PX allright)
Is the spedometer in miles per hour or kilometers?
Who cares???in the Soviet era there is no limit to ride at any speed above 30 mile/hours.in SSSR scooters rides you! ! !
And in CEE CEE CEE PEE the soviet state owns your sorry ass and the scooter you ride on!
And in CEE CEE CEE PEE the soviet state owns your sorry ass and the scooter you ride on!!
Kilometers, of course.
Such scooters were also produced in Poland under the name “Osa” but I don’t know if they were on Vyatka licence or it was another independent construction.
It is blasphemy what U just wrote !
OSA wasnt inspired by any other scooter – but become inspiration for other. For example – India bought license to produce Polish scooter there. OSA got pretty unusual look and technical specification.
Back to the subject – My parents had Vyatka in the 80′s … but it was washing machine not scooter
Scooters were manufactured in Czechoslovakia, too. One of them, Čezeta (nicknamed “čuník”, i.e. “piggy”), actually became a symbol of Czechoslovak “swinging sixties” together with original Škoda Felicia – AFAIK the only cabrio mass-produced in the former Eastern Block.
The 3rd, 7th and 8th picture look like Fuji Rabbit knockoffs. They are far rarer than the Vespa.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&sa=1&q=fuji+rabbit&aq=f&oq=&aqi=&start=0
She is probably gloomy because she lives in Russia.
Gloomy? Perhaps. But it is the most beautiful girl I’ve seen on the internets this week. And I see a lot of girls.
A classic beauty.
I’m down with that !
Poor Russian girl evidently dreaming of rich Western cock.
Evidently comment from dumb, lonely western homo .
She’s sad because she’s married to an impotent and overweight american.
I like interracial !
I like interracial.
Few comments.
Vyatka was copied after 50-ieth Vespa’s models, so on picture “One of the first Vyatka models, 1957″ is a model of 1965, made similar to another time range of models and this design is not a copy at all.
Vyatka – is a name of river, so scooter ould’n be called after “Vyatka factory”
“The dashboard. It certainly never went up to 140.” It’s a dashboard of Tulitsa scooter (14 hp, 120 km|h maximal speed). So, it’s ok.
“Osa” is a Polish scooter and it has no connection to Vyatka at all.
“…later on there were Java and Ural, each with a wide range of models.” Jawa is a Checkoslovakia morocycle and it never produced a scooters. Ural is a big soviet motorcycle with boxer 2-cylynder 750cc engine. Have you ever seen a scooter like this?
I have often heard that Soviet citizens could not own anything. The State actually owned everything. For instance I have heard that if you wanted an automobile you had to apply to get one. If the State felt you had a need they would grant you one.
How could a Soviet citizen BUY a scooter? or clothes or toys or anything else for that matter. Did they actually own it or was it considered property of the State too? That would suggest that people earned salaries.
I think you’re being quite naive (FOX News much?) – it’s obvious they had salaries and private property, although I think that also happened at different times in the early days (not during NEP) and under Stalin, as well as in other places – and also confusing communism (socialism) with anarchism, where you really don’t “own” anything, all property belongs to the community and can be used by anyone at anytime (as in Catalonia under the anarchist regime, during the civil war).
You’re also confusing “state” (the way a country/nation is organized) and “state administration” (its governing bodies).
You were allowed to buy yourself a car, clothes, food etc. And these purchases were of course your property. However, you were not allowed to have real estate, land; you could not be an entrepreneur.
By the way, true, it was necessary to apply for the chance to buy a car. If you were not a good Soviet citizen (might have said something pro-Western), no car for you! Waiting lists were measured by years and in some cases even decades.
That little red scooter (fifth photo) rocks! What a neat post, I’m learning a lot from this site. Keep up the good work ER!!!