Moscow Motors

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Moscow Motors (Russian name: Специальный отдел Транспортные средства АЗЛК, or Special Vehicles Department of the Leninist Communist Youth League Automobile Factory) was a racing team from Moscow, Russia. It was created in the late 50s by mechanic Dimitri Ivanov. The team went onto dominate Soviet motorsport in the late 60s to the early 80s - even making a F1 venture with limited sucess, taking a 3rd place at the NC International Gold Cup race in 1976. The team received support from various Soviet companies through it's lifetime, and following the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, the team started declining in perfomance, and eventually went bankrupt in 2001. The brand was however revived in 2013 by a group of gentleman drivers, incluiding Ivanov's grandson, Mikhail, planning to enter the Russian Touring Car Championship.


Formula One (1976)

After some extra investement, Ivanov secured a place in the NC International Gold Cup race. He was planning to enter his own chassis and engine, a in-house 6-wheeler car called the Moscow SMM-10 and a V12 engine built by Volga, called the 3012 (for it's 3.0 litres and 12 cylinders). However, the Volga engine was not completed in time, and the SMM-10 was banned from racing. In a last-minute call, Ivanov had no option but to use Western machinery; the March 741 and the Ford Cosworth DFV. The team managed to pull a complete upset and won against many established European drivers to finish in the podium at 3rd. After this sucess, the team hired Angelina Sokoloff, a driver with a long association with the goverment, and Ulrich Melkus, son of podium scorer Heinz Melkus. The team went to West Germany with the Volga engine ready for them, as well as a bought car by Estonia, the 17M. The team didn't make it past Pre-Qualifying, but it did show some pace.

Sokoloff qualifying her Estonia-Volga for Moscow Motors at the 1976 Italian Grand Prix.

Complete Formula 1 Results

Year Chassis Engine # Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Points WCC WEC
1976 Estonia 17M Volga 3012 3.0 V12 ARG RSA USW ESP BEL MON SOV FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN USA JPN 0 NC NC
92 Flag of the Soviet Union svg.png Angelina Sokoloff DNPQ DNPQ
93 Flag of East Germany svg.png Ulli Melkus DNPQ DNPQ