Every once in a while, an amazing story surfaces of a classic car treasure that turns up in an old barn somewhere. From Russia, one comes of an old rarity – a Moskvitch. These cars were produced in Soviet Russia for the masses, and designed to be functional, reliable and utilitarian cars for the austere Cold War era. Want proof? The rear suspension is as basic as it gets, with truck-like leaf springs.
The particular model in question is a Moskvitch 403, a four-sedan produced from the years 1963 to 1965. Its production short run led to about 105,000 cars assembled, making it a rare find in Russia.
The car’s current owner received it for free from a relative. The Moskvitch 403 was stored in a barn since 1979 and brought out 6 years ago. Years of neglect obviously took its toll on the car, so work was set out to restore it.
Unlike the original car’s white color, it was given a American-style two-tone paint job. The restoration was estimated to have cost around $7-8,000. Below you can check out some photos in our gallery of the 403 as it was found, and also after its restoration.
