MeMZ-965

Engine of a ZAZ-965 Zaporozhets

The MeMZ-965 was a Soviet automobile engine, built by the Melitopolski Motor Plant (MeMZ).

Originally known as the NAMI-G (for the Soviet National Automotive Institute), ^[1] the MeMZ-965 was designed for use in the LuAZ-967. ^[2] It was a 746 cc (45.5 cu in) air-cooled 90° V4, ^{[2] [3]} producing 23  hp (17  kW ; 23  PS ). ^[4] It had had characteristics not common for automobile engines, including a magnesium alloy engine block, accessories mounted high (to assist in case of crossing rivers), and a rear-mounted oil cooler. ^[2]

When the initial MD-65 engine proposed for the ZAZ-965 proved inadequate, the MeMZ engine was selected, thanks in part to it being air-cooled, like the successful VW Type 1's boxer engine. ^[5] It would be developed into the 887 cc (54.1 cu in) MeMZ-966 ^[6] and the 1,197 cc (73.0 cu in) MeMZ-968. ^[7]

The MeMZ-968 was offered in the ZAZ-968M in three performance levels:

• MeMZ-968E (40  hp (30  kW ; 41  PS ), carbureted, low-compression for 76-octane fuel);
• MeMZ-968GE (40 hp (30 kW; 41 PS), dual carburettor); or
• MeMZ-968BE (50 hp (37 kW; 51 PS), 8.4:1 compression, for 93-octane). ^[8]

In addition, the MeMZ-965 would serve as a prototype 15 PS (11 kW)500 cc (31 cu in) vee-twin (half an MeMZ-965), for the prototype NAMI 086. ^[8]

Applications:

• LuAZ-967
• ZAZ-969
• ZAZ-965
• ZAZ-965A
• ZAZ-966
• ZAZ-968
• ZAZ-968M

Notes

1. Thompson, Andy. Cars of the Soviet Union (Haynes Publishing, Somerset, UK, 2008), p.369.
2. Thompson, p.90.
3. ZAZ-965/965A, Avtolegendy SSSR Nr.17, DeAgostini 2009, ISSN 2071-095X, (in Russian)
4. Thompson, p.92.
5. Thompson, p.89.
6. Thompson, p.200.
7. Thompson, p.201.
8. Thompson, p.203.

Sources

• Thompson, Andy. Cars of the Soviet Union. Somerset, UK: Haynes Publishing, 2008.
• ZAZ-965/965A, Avtolegendy SSSR Nr.17, DeAgostini 2009. ISSN 2071-095X. (in Russian)