Starting in 1969, this Moskvitch became the first Soviet car with deliberate crash safety features — crumple zones, a collapsible steering column, seat belts and a split-circuit braking system.
Median 96 hp across 318 similar cars
Lead trim: Moskvitch-408 1,357 cc MZMA-408 OHV I4 (50 hp) · up to 52 hp
Moskvitch 408 second series1969–1976
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Moskvitch 408 second series yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactStarting in 1969, this Moskvitch became the first Soviet car with deliberate crash safety features — crumple zones, a collapsible steering column, seat belts and a split-circuit braking system.
The second series of the Moskvitch-408, built from 1969 to 1976, kept the engine and transmission but had an updated body with rectangular headlights, horizontal rear lights, triangular turn-signal markers on tailfins, separate bucket seats and a floor-mounted gear lever; it was 1,045 kg against the first series' 945 kg. The 1967 facelift had brought a new grille and logo shared with the M-412, and the 1969 revamp introduced new taillights, tailfins and a thicker dashboard; the series was replaced by the third-generation M-2140 in 1976. Belgium's Scaldia Diesel (from 1968) used a Perkins 1.8-litre 4.108 engine of 52 hp SAE (no twin headlamps, top speed 75 mph, better economy) in place of the 1.6-litre 44 hp Perkins 4.99 of 1965–1966. In the USSR the M-408/412 was the second best-selling Moskvitch of the 1970s, bested only by the M-2140; a Moskvitch designed a prototype fastback convertible, the M-408 Tourist (only two built, with aluminium panels), in March 1964.
Collectors Spotted in the Moskvitch 408 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Moskvitch 408 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moskvitch-408 1,357 cc MZMA-408 OHV I4 (50 hp) | 1969–1976 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | 50 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Scaldia Diesel 1.8 Perkins 4.108 diesel I4 (52 hp SAE) | 1969–1976 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 52 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Starting in 1969, this Moskvitch became the first Soviet car with deliberate crash safety features — crumple zones, a collapsible steering column, seat belts and a split-circuit braking system.
Before it became a workaday Soviet sedan, the 408 nearly had a glamorous side: an aluminum-bodied, fuel-injected convertible concept. Only two were ever built.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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