Rarest Example of a Small Car SMZ S-3D Seeks a New Owner

The legendary "invalidka" has been sitting in a garage for more than half a century

A rare 1972 SMZ S-3D car has appeared for sale on one of the websites. Over 53 years of operation, the car has traveled only 2,648 km. The owner values it at 100 thousand rubles, which is a very low price for a collectible Soviet car, considering its rare preservation for this class.

SMZ S-3D, popularly nicknamed "invalidka", was a four-wheeled car with a closed body, essentially a motor carriage. Its modest 0.3-liter engine produced only 12 horsepower, and a mechanical gearbox transmitted torque to the rear wheels. The spare wheel was located under the hood, reminiscent of the design of old "Zaporozhets" cars. Despite its compact size, the "invalidka" had good cross-country ability. Originally conceived as a universal transport for rural areas, it never became a full-fledged SUV.

Production of this model started on July 1, 1970 at the Serpukhov Motorcycle Plant. The first copies were assembled manually, and then production was automated. Until 1997, the design of the "invalidka" remained practically unchanged. Its main purpose was to provide transportation for people with disabilities, but in practice it was widely used in various fields, including agriculture and the postal service. Thanks to its simple design, the car was easy to maintain and repair, which was especially valuable in conditions of spare parts shortage.

Technical characteristics: