Moskvitch 2141

Moskvitch 2141 Aleko
Moskvitch 2141S "Aleko"
Overview
Manufacturer	Moskvitch Stock Company
Also called	Lada Aleko (for cars exported by AvtoVAZ)
Production	1986—1997, 1998–2003 for the more advanced M-2141-02/-45/-00/-22 versions
Assembly	Moscow, Soviet Union/Russia
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size car
Body style	5-door hatchback
Layout	FF layout
Related	Simca 1307/1308 Moskvitch 2142
Powertrain
Engine	1.5 UZAM-331.10 1.6 VAZ-2106-70 1.7 VAZ-21213-70 1.7 UZAM-3317 1.8 UZAM-3318 1.8 Ford-XLD418 1.9 D Peugeot-XLD418 2.0 Renault F3R
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,580 mm (101.6 in)
Length	4.35 m (171.3 in)
Width	1.69 m (66.5 in)
Height	1.4 m (55.1 in)
Curb weight	1,070–1,080 kg (2,358.9–2,381.0 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Moskvitch 2140
Successor	Moskvitch 2142

The Moskvitch-2141, also known under the trade name Aleko (Russian: "АЛЕКО", derivative from the name of the automaker "Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского Комсомола", Avtomobilnyi zavod imeni Leninskogo Komsomola, meaning "Automotive Factory of Lenin's Komsomol"), is a Russian mid-size car that was first announced in 1985 and sold in the Soviet Union and its successor states between 1986 and 1997 by the now non-existent Moskvitch Company, based in Moscow, Russia. It was replaced by the modernised M-2141-02 Svyatogor and its sedan body version, the M-2142, in 1997–2003.

The Aleko was a huge improvement over previous Moskvitch models, which were durable but old-fashioned saloons and station wagons (estates) with rear-wheel drive and a solid rear axle, and had no common parts with them apart from the engine and some other minor details.

The new car had such innovative features as front-wheel drive, a hatchback body style, MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion-crank rear suspension. It had rack-and-pinion steering and a collapsible steering column. The spare tyre was located underneath the boot and was accessible from outside, in the tradition of French cars. The wheelbase went up almost 20 centimetres (7.9 in), the body got 14 centimetres (5.5 in) wider, the wheel size went up one inch (14 inches). The car became more spacious, comfortable and safe. For the first time in the history of Soviet and Russian car making, the car's profile was optimized for aerodynamics, with the help of Russian and, partially, French engineers, who shortly cooperated with them at the final stage of the development process. The officially reported drag coefficient was 0.35.