One of the two "Amadeo-500" limousines ever built was spotted on the streets of Tolyatti — a rare executive car based on the VAZ-21099. The car has survived and remains in use by its owner, Motor magazine reports. It is believed that only two such cars were made, although there are also online reports of a possible third example.
The "Amadeo-500" project was unveiled in October 1994 through the joint efforts of the Tolyatti studios "Master-Dizayn," "Mag," and "Akra-avto." The body of a production VAZ-21099 was cut in the center and a 500-mm section was inserted — this required two donor bodies, reinforced side members, and additional stiffening ribs. The rear doors thus became longer than the front ones — an unconventional solution for the "ninety-nine," which in its original form had the opposite arrangement. The design was revised: a new bumper with integrated fog lights, headlamp units from the VAZ-2110, and small fins at the rear.
For 1994, the interior looked incredible: a pair of separate leather seats for passengers, an individual heating system, a refrigerator, an audio system, a television, and a radiotelephone. There was no air conditioner, however — a notable detail that captures the era's idea of luxury quite well. There was even provision for concealed armor plating — special mounts for steel sheets. Under the hood was a 1.6-liter engine producing 100 hp with fuel injection. They asked $20,000–25,000 for this package — comparable to the price of a new Ford Mondeo. No buyers were found, and the project was shut down after two or three assembled examples.
The "Amadeo-500" was not the only attempt to create a post-Soviet executive car on a budget platform. At the same time, Moscow's AZLK was conducting similar experiments: the Moskvich 2142 was produced in the "Knyaz Vladimir" and "Ivan Kalita" versions — also stretched, also aspiring to the executive class, and also built in tiny numbers. It was a whole genre of the era: studios across the country tried to anticipate demand from the new business elite and offer a domestic alternative to Western limousines.
Read more articles:
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- With protection against SVD fire and blasts: the armored Aurus Senat limousine in a monoblock body has been presented
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