Raf 2203 ambulance. RAF history. Destroyed by the revolution. Latvia from Latvia

RAF‑2203–01

The building on Duntes Street in Riga, designed by the architect Gurevich, where the Scientific and Technical Center and the experimental workshop of the Riga Bus Factory were once located and near which we photographed RAF-2203-01, released in 1990, appeared much later than model 2203. And yet, the minibus and the brick building there is a lot in common. Both of them look unusual, original. And all because they were designed with soul ...

RIGA - MOSCOW - JELGAVA

Once upon a time there was a small factory on Duntes street in Riga. They made about three thousand RAF-977 minibuses a year there. The conveyor was manual: the bodies were rolled on carts along rails laid on a concrete floor. Of course, the leaders of the plant - director Ilya Ivanovich Poznyak and chief engineer Reginald Albertovich Ballod-Nagradov - understood that in order to get the go-ahead for the construction of a new powerful enterprise (there was nowhere to expand at Duntes), a completely new model had to be shown in Moscow. “Completely new” is, of course, relatively, since components and assemblies could only be borrowed from mass-produced Soviet cars.

Residents of Riga chose not the most common way for the USSR to create a new car - a competition between two independent groups of artists and engineers. In 1967, the minibus of the Meizis group with the code name RAF-982-I saw the light of day. The car looked quite modern, but unoriginal - it looked like a Ford Transit.

Arthur Eisert's group finished RAF-982-II only in 1968. But her angular minibus with rectangular headlights looked, if not an alien from another galaxy, then certainly no less bold than other Western concepts. The units and components of both buses were, of course, serial. By the way, the second sample, a futuristic one, was initially equipped not with a Volgovskiy engine, but with a completely new then 75-horsepower unit from Moskvich‑412, which was not inferior in power to the ZMZ‑21 engine.

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On the farthest approaches to the new RAF stood the first prototype RAF-982, created in 1965 on the GAZ-21 nodes by the Meizis group. In 1967, the following two prototypes were built, which differed from the first in external elements.

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The prototype of Eisert's group appeared in 1968. The futuristic car was powered by a Moskvich‑412 engine. Both minibuses were driven to Moscow, where they showed the interdepartmental commission, which included even doctors - the RAFs were the main ambulances of the USSR. The authorities then approved a sample with a more traditional design, which did not please the residents of Riga. They were nicer avant-garde car. In addition, they believed that it was for such a machine that they would be allowed to build a large and modern plant. As a result, the inhabitants of Riga won. A little smoothed (in the literal sense - the body lines became less sharp) RAF-2203 with a gas engine, gearbox and suspensions got on the conveyor of a new plant in Jelgava, named, as was customary in those days, in honor of the XXV Congress of the CPSU. The first cars were produced in 1975, and large-scale production began in February 1976.

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RAF‑2203–01

WAYBILL

Today, on its narrow wheels in wide arches, it looks a little strange: from some angles - very modern, from others - naive and funny. But it's definitely recognizable. That's how life turned around! More recently, such cars were of interest only to the most notorious bus enthusiasts. Now, even in Latvia, where the Soviet automobile heritage disappears from the roads especially quickly, our striped "rafik" was politely let through when changing lanes. To greet, they even put their hand out of the cool salon in an unprecedented heat for Riga. By the way, in our RAF, to combat it, we only have door windows that do not fully descend and sliding at the back. To quickly take or leave the driver's seat, you need certain skills: a seat is just above the wheel. But comfortable: the back was not tired at all for a couple of hundred kilometers. To the gear lever, strongly shifted back (the original cover for the standard Volgovskaya gearbox was made in Riga), it does not take long to get used to either. It is not very handy to turn on the fourth and rear, but you can get used to it. Especially considering that the designs are four decades old. Dynamics, of course, is not modern at all. A 100-strong lower engine from the Volga region, spurred on by frequent downshifts, keeps the car in the city traffic of the 21st century as best it can. But it is not difficult to go on the highway at 90-100 km / h permitted by the rules. But the car makes all the noise it can, so much so that in a more or less calm voice you can only talk with someone sitting next to you. There is an unpleasant vibration on the floor - probably from a mediocrely balanced driveshaft. And if you exceed 100 km / h, the car starts to float on a completely flat road. In fairness: at lower speeds RAF-2203 behaves quite well.

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RAF‑2203–01. Neither in terms of safety nor in terms of convenience, the location of the ignition switch is by no means ideal. Well, they didn’t find another ... A plastic platform with sides, fixed to the engine casing, is a factory equipment for late cars.

Former Rafovites say that for an ordinary conveyor machine (this RAF-2203-01 was released in 1990, mileage is 24,500 km), all this is normal. The testers and the most meticulous and hardworking drivers modified the cars for themselves: they added additional sound insulation, balanced and regulated everything and everything.

RAF, like most Soviet cars, is woven from contradictions. Ride even with four riders is excellent. But the car is designed for twelve people. Only now the Volgovskaya front suspension, originally from the 1950s with kingpins and threaded bushings, wore out very quickly. On an unloaded car, the brakes work pretty well, but if you take those twelve people on board, the drums and pads from the Volga can hardly do their job. Although as many as two Muscovite hydraulic vacuum amplifiers work under the plywood floor (to put it mildly, far from the most reliable units in the history of the Soviet automobile industry): one for the front circuit, the other for the rear. Well, the final touch to a cursory portrait: the legs of the driver and front passenger are protected only by a thin wall with rectangular headlights fashionable in the 1970s. However, in this sense, modern buses have not gone very far from the “rafik”.

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RAF‑2203–01. The current owner removed some of the seats to register the car as a passenger car.

FROM CONGRESS TO COURSE

For the USSR of the mid-1970s, the RAF-2203 is a completely modern car, like the plant in Jelgava. By the way, even in the most stagnant seventies, factories were built in the country (we also recall VAZ and KamAZ), albeit not as intensively as shopping centers are now. The new “rafik” (by the beginning of the 1970s this nickname was still established in relation to the 977 model) with the inscription Latvija on the hood seemed, like many Baltic things, a little foreign. Well, for example, like Latvian knitwear, Art Nouveau architecture in the center of Riga, small cozy cafes and unflappable Raimonds Pauls with his “Yellow Leaves”, which became one of the Soviet hits of 1975. It was with this song that the all-Union glory of the composer began. The plant, designed for 16 thousand cars, sometimes made under 18 thousand a year. The need for minibuses was huge, since the “rafik” had no analogues in the USSR, in fact. Minibuses and nurses, special vehicles for the police and just "accelerating" cars at enterprises ... A little later, they added a bunch of modifications for the Olympics-80, experimental electric cars. Rigans understood better than others that the car needed to be modernized. New lights and bumpers, steering and instrument panel (they were gradually introduced) are good. But the car needed a more powerful engine, a different suspension (at least in front) and brakes. We tried imported diesels, ZMZ‑406 and even a VAZ rotary engine. In US, under the guidance of designer V.A. Mironova created an original McPherson-type suspension, but with remote shock absorbers, nicknamed in Riga "McMiron". We made samples with disc brakes in front with two calipers from Niva. This could well be RAF‑22038. But he didn't. In the USSR, no one undertook to make original components for such a small car plant with relatively modest production volumes.

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RAF‑2203–01. Trunk, in general, conditional. But the spare tire, fortunately, is not under the belly

Trunk, in general, conditional. But the spare tire, fortunately, is not under the belly

And soon the USSR began to disintegrate, like a badly worn and poorly maintained "rafik". The plant in Jelgava created a lot of different, sometimes bizarre modifications. For example, trucks with an onboard platform and questionable handling, mobile shops and other special vehicles. They also designed completely new models, but by the mid-1990s the company had actually died. A sad, but, in general, logical story for that era. It would seem that in the unfavorable climate of recent decades, the remaining Riga minibuses were destined to rot completely. But some of them survived, and this one, let me remind you, did not pass even 25 thousand kilometers! It turns out that he is almost a new RAF. Recall that this is what these cars were called in the 1970s, and rejoice: in the world today there is a Riga bus that deserves the same epithet. The editors would like to thank Andris Dambis for providing the car and Valdis Brant for his help in preparing the material.

On the banks of Lielupe

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The city of Jelgava (Latvians say Yalgava, with the accent on the first syllable; in Russian it was formerly called Mitava) was founded in 1573. In the XVI-XVIII centuries. was the capital of Courland. Among the attractions - Mitava (Jelgava) Castle, built by Rastrelli and the Danish architect Severin Jensen for Ernst Biron, Duke of Courland.

Even before the construction of the RAF, there were small metalworking and machine-building enterprises in Jelgava. Since 2005, the AMO-Plant plant has been operating, assembling imported buses and tractors. The main owner is the property department of the Moscow government.

Higher, longer, harder

Over the long life of the RAF‑2203, it has acquired dozens of modifications, ranging from the well-known fixed-route taxis and ambulances. Only for the Olympics-80 did a half dozen versions. Let's take a look at some of the most interesting ones.

A bus of an especially small class for general purposes, produced by the RAF Minibuses plant since 1987. The body is all-metal, load-bearing wagon type, 4-door (two doors in the front compartment, one side for entering the passenger compartment and one in the back). Front engine location. The driver's seat is adjustable in length and backrest. The heating system is liquid, using the heat of the engine cooling system. Previously, the RAF-2203 bus (1976-1987) was produced, which was distinguished by the use of the Engine mod. ZMZ-24D of lower power and some individual body elements (bumpers, door glass, mirrors).

Modifications:
RAF-22031-01- linear ambulance;
RAF-2203-02- running on liquefied gas.

Engine.

Maud. ZMZ-402.10, gasoline, in-line, 4-cyl., 92x92 mm, 2.445 l, compression ratio 8.2, operation order 1-2-4-3, power 72.1 kW (98 hp) at 4500 rpm / min, torque 180.4 Nm (18.4 kgf-m) at 2400-2600 rpm; carburetor K-126GM; air filter - inertia-oil.

Transmission.

Clutch - single disc, shutdown drive - hydraulic. Gearbox 4-speed, trans. numbers: I-3.50; II-2.26; III-1.4 5; IV-1.00; ZX-3.54; synchronizers in all forward gears. Cardan transmission consists of two shafts with an intermediate support. Main gear - single, hypoid, transmitted. number 3.9.

Wheels and tires.

Wheels - disc, rims 5K-15 or 5 1 / 2J-15, fastening on 5 studs. Tires 185/82R15 mod. Ya-288, tread pattern - road, tire pressure of the front wheels 3.2-3.3, rear - 3.7-3.8 kgf / cm. sq. The number of wheels is 4+1.

Suspension.

Front - independent, spring, with transverse levers, two shock absorbers, rear suspension - dependent, on semi-elliptical springs, two shock absorbers.

Brakes.

The working brake system is two-circuit, hydraulically driven with two vacuum boosters, drum mechanisms (diameter 280 mm, shoe width 50 mm), cam-opening. Parking brake - on the brakes of the rear wheels, with a mechanical drive.

Steering.

The steering mechanism is a globoidal worm and a three-ridged roller, transmitted. number 19.1.

Electrical equipment.

Voltage 12 V, acc. battery 6ST-60EM, generator G16.3701 with voltage regulator 13.3702, starter ST230-B1, sensor-distributor 19.3706, ignition coil B116, candles A14-V. Fuel tank - 55l, AI-93 gasoline;
cooling system - 13l, water or antifreeze A-40;
lubrication system - 6l, all-weather M-6/10G, summer M-12G, winter M-8G;
steering gear housing - 0.40 l, TAP-15V or TAD-17 I;
gearbox - 0.95 l, TAD-17 I or TAP-15V;
drive axle housing - 1.20 l, TAD-17I or TSp-gyp;
hydraulic brake and clutch - 0.95 l, BSK brake fluid;

Dampers:
front - 2x0.14,
rear - 2x0.2 1 l, spindle oil AU;

Windshield washer reservoir - 2 l, water or liquid NIISS-4 mixed with water.

Mass of aggregates (in kg).

engine with equipment and clutch - 185,
gearbox - 26.5;
cardan shaft - 12;
rear axle - 85.5;
body - 890;
wheel complete with tire - 25;
radiator - 12.6.

SPECIFICATIONS

Capacity:
number of seats	11
total number of seats	11
number of offices	1
Curb weight	1815 kg.
Including:
to the front axle	980 kg.
on the rear axle	835 kg.
Full mass	2710 kg.
Including:
to the front axle	1275 kg.
on the rear axle	1435 kg.
Max speed	125 km/h
Acceleration time up to 60 km/h	14 p.
Max. overcome climb	25 %
Overrun from 60 km/h	600 m
Stopping distance from 50 km/h	32 m
Control fuel consumption at 60 km/h, l/100 km	11.8 l.
Turning radius:
on the outer wheel	5.5 m
overall	6.2 m

The minibus RAF-2203 "Latvia" was put into mass production at the Riga Bus Factory in 1976. When creating this car, which replaced the outdated model 977, Volga units were used. The RAF-2203 had a load-bearing all-metal body 4.98 meters long, located in front of the ZMZ engine with a volume of 2.4 liters (85, after upgrading 95 hp) set the rear wheels in motion. In 1987, a modernized version of the RAF-22038 minibus began to be produced.

The car had several modifications, the most common of which was a twelve-seater minibus. A large number of “rafiks” were used as an ambulance, and an eight-seat version was produced for sale to private individuals in small quantities, for which category B rights were sufficient. cabin.

In the 1990s, the main buyers of "rafiks" were clients from Russia. But after the production of much more modern "" minibuses was launched at GAZ in 1996, the export of Latvian cars plummeted to zero. The production of RAFs was stopped in 1997, in 1998 the enterprise was declared bacrot.

"Rafik 2203" is a favorite of many motorists, and even today it evokes nostalgic notes in their souls. And even now, when this model is no longer in production, this minibus remains a valuable rare copy for lovers of retro and antiquity.

Nimble and maneuverable RAF-2203

RAF model 2203 was produced in Riga from 1976 to 1987. It was intended for a variety of purposes. Most often, this vehicle was used as shuttle cars, ambulances, and simply as civil and official vehicles.

The layout of the RAF-2203 minibus is a wagon. His salon consists of 2 departments:

Front compartment, where the driver's seat and one passenger seat are located.
Rear compartment, equipped with nine passenger seats, behind which there is luggage space.

I must say that the reviews about the RAF-2203 minibus are extremely positive. People who happened to work on this "rafik" do not hide their enthusiasm for the named vehicle. According to them, the car is magnificent, high-speed, hardy and economical. In addition, the good assembly, excellent maneuverability and agility when turning and turning this obedient car are highly appreciated.

The engine is the heart of any car.

The RAF-2203 engine with carburetor fuel supply, which was equipped with a minibus, ran on gasoline. For this model, an engine from the GAZ-24 was used. It was located in front and powered the rear wheels. The engine had an in-line layout, 4 cylinders and 8 valves. Actually, I must say that this model was equipped with two types of engines:

ZMZ 2401;
ZMZ 402-10.

That the second engine was more powerful was the only difference between them. However, there was another distinctive nuance - the first engine ran on AI-76 gasoline, and the second on AI-93.

The mechanical 4-speed transmission of the minibus has synchronizers in all forward gears, which increased the service life of the "rafika" gearbox.

The car could reach speeds of one hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty kilometers per hour.

The body and suspension of the minibus

The body of the RAF-2203 is load-bearing, all-metal. The car has 4 single doors:

2 of them - on the right - are intended for boarding passengers;
the door on the left is for the driver;
the rear door gives access to the luggage space.

The sprung suspension of the minibus with shock absorbers, and as for the "rafik" brake system, it is made according to the drum brake system installed on all four wheels of the car. If necessary, RAF-2203 could be repaired at many domestic service stations.

Production - Latvia

The very first production models of RAF-2203 minibuses, photos of which you can see in this article, left the assembly line of the new Latvian automobile plant in December 1975. And the very next year, a green street was opened for their mass production. A year later, a separate modification also got on the conveyor - the RAF-22031 ambulance.

When the car was modified as a minibus, its capacity allowed transporting up to eleven people in a row. Thanks to this and other other qualities, RAF-2203 was widely distributed throughout the USSR. After the collapse of the country into separate states, these minibuses were replaced by new models, in particular the Gazelle car. But individual copies are still preserved in some countries of the former union.

Some vehicle specifications

The technical data and dimensions of RAF-2203 are as follows:

The car is 4 m 980 cm long, 2 m 035 cm wide and 1 m 970 cm high.
The track of the front wheels of the "rafik" is 1 m 474 cm, the track of the rear wheels is 1 m 420 cm.
The mass of the minibus with equipment is 1670 kg.
Its gross weight is 2710 kg.
Carburetor engine, 4-cylinder, ZMZ 2203 / 2.445 l.
Number of seats - 11, plus the driver's.
The braking distance at a speed of 60 km / h is 25.8 m.
The front overhang is 1 m 200 cm.
Rear overhang - total 1
The height of the car step above the road level is 40 cm.
Dry single plate clutch.
Mechanical
Hydraulic shock absorbers.
Spring front suspension independent on wishbones.
Dependent rear suspension on longitudinal semi-elliptical leaf springs.

Features of the minibus RAF

The minibuses beloved by all, which the people affectionately nicknamed “rafiks”, were distinguished by a rounded front bumper without “fangs”, front door window vents, overall white lights on the roof, round rear-view mirrors and chrome-plated wheel caps, like the Volga GAZ -21.

Until the end of 1976, the RAF-2203 serial minibus was equipped with an original high one equipped with round dials. In 1977, the model acquired a new panel with a combination of instruments adopted from the GAZ-24 car. At the same time, it was decided to abandon the ventilation hole located under the middle window on the left side.

Reviews about "rafik"

Let's turn to what people say about RAF-2203. Owner reviews, as mentioned above, are very good. There are only a few small details that can be considered a minus, but they are not so significant for the general state of affairs. Representatives of companies, as well as those who purchased the RAF for business, argue that, given the low price of the car, its payback is simply excellent. This is firstly, and secondly, an important fact is the absence of problems with spare parts. Almost everything you need comes from the Volga car, except for the body iron.

A small reliable "tank" - this is what some motorists call the RAF-2203. The reviews of the owners are mostly imbued with respect for this auto-workaholic. Some noted a comfortable fit in the car, so you can get used to it in just one day. And although the instrument panel is not rated at the highest score, but the majority found it quite convenient. The high ground clearance of the minibus makes it possible to drive on

From the negative it is said that in winter the handling is a little worse, but again, a habit is needed here. A little training for the driver, and skill will come. As a minus, it is also noted that the position of the engine is ahead, due to which the weight of the minibus is shifted to its front part. And, of course, the high fuel consumption of RAF-2203 can be attributed to the minus.

The characteristics of the minibus (which everyone agreed on) make it great for small businesses, as this car is inexpensive and very practical.

Launch of Model 2203

At the end of the 60s, the Latvian auto industry experienced a catastrophic shortage of production space. Because of this, it was almost impossible to meet the needs of a large country in minibuses. And therefore, in 1969, they began the construction of a new plant, which was located 25 km from Riga in the city of Jelgava.

Actually, this gigantic plant was originally designed and built for the production of a new minibus model and was equipped with the most modern equipment at that time. Officially, production began its work in 1976. It was in the same year that the production of serial production of a minibus with an index of 2203 began.

Mass production

In terms of production rates, the Rafik-2203 minibus significantly surpassed its predecessor, the 977 model. In 1984, in February, the plant produced the 100,000th anniversary RAF-2203 - and this is only 9 years after the start of mass production!

In the 1980s, the plant in Jelgava already produced up to about 17,000 minibuses a year. For this, all the old workshops and buildings of the enterprise in Riga were also involved, but basically they now assembled small small-scale batches of cars on special orders. In Riga there was both the design bureau itself and a special bureau intended for testing.

Moments of history

The earliest RAF vehicles have their own distinctive features, such as sidelights from GAZ-24 and the presence of a factory emblem on the rear door. The turn of 1978-1979 was marked by the replacement of optics from the Volga with single bus repeaters, plus the emblem of the plant was removed from the rear door. Then, for almost 10 years, minibuses were produced in this form without making any significant changes.

Quality mark at its peak

In 1979, the RAF plant received the State Quality Mark for its products. But by some irony of fate, immediately after that, the quality of produced cars began to fall every year. The plant increasingly began to receive claims, complaints and complaints, especially from medical workers using an ambulance. An unpleasant incident also happened in February 1986, when the state acceptance committee returned almost 13% of new minibuses to the plant to eliminate the detected defects.

Disagreements among senior management

In the same 1986, a public discussion unfolded among the management of the plant. The sharply raised topic just concerned the reasons for the steady decline in the quality of the products of the Jelgava automobile plant. During the conflict, they came to a decision that in order to improve the current situation, the plant needs to produce not only new models of minibuses, but also another director.

After the elections, it was Victor Bossert. In connection with everything, the Riga Bus Factory received significant funds from the country's budget for total technical re-equipment with the requirement that the technical characteristics of the manufactured models, including the RAF-2203, be significantly improved.

Termination of production

After the collapse of the USSR, the RAF plant, like many other similar Baltic industrial giants, was doomed. The break with Russia did not play into the hands of production. Because the production cycle of the plant required supplies from Russia, and this applied to almost all components. At the same time, still due to the rupture of ties with Russia, the sales market declined sharply, which is why production had to be reduced to the production of 4-5 thousand cars a year.

Trying to survive and stay afloat, the management of the plant made attempts to expand the range of products. A number of new and special purpose minibuses based on the RAF-2203 were put into production. RAF-2920 vans, RAF-3311 cargo-passenger pickups and other vehicles were produced in small batches. But, unfortunately, such measures did not bring success to production, because, in fact, the very basic model of "rafik-2203" by this time was completely hopelessly outdated.

The production of the sensational "rafik" was finally closed

The year 1993 was marked by the start of production of the Nizhny Novgorod Gazelle, as a result of which the Baltic plant producing Rafiki finally lost its largest sales market - Russia. Local, that is, the Baltic citizens, also did not particularly show their interest in products, their preferences were given to used cars from Western Europe.

A change in the basic model could help the enterprise, especially since around the end of the 80s, the plant created 2 modern concepts at once, these are Roxanne and Stills. There were high hopes for these models. But in order to switch to their mass production, a radical modernization of the enterprise and significant investments were required. The search for an investor did not bring success, the number of issued "rafiks" became less every month, and besides, the plant's debts grew.

The moment came when in 1997 the Baltic plant RAF produced its last batch of products, and in the spring of 1998 the enterprise was declared bankrupt. This was the end of the history of the most massive minibus in the entire history of the Soviet Union, and the history of the Latvian auto industry also ended with it.

An article about RAF minibuses: history of creation, model range, evolution of technology, features, interesting facts. At the end of the article - a video about the history of the RAF.

The content of the article:

Minibuses of the RAF series left the assembly line for the first time since 1976 and immediately dispersed throughout the Soviet Union. What caused such a phenomenal popularity of these cars and massive use in all areas of activity?

german inspiration

The Soviet-Latvian enterprise was founded back in 1949. Since 1953, when the plant merged with an experimental automobile factory, it began an active production of medium-sized buses. Before the triumphant march of the most popular models - 223 and its modifications - there were a number of experiments.

You should start with RAF-10, the prototype of future minibuses, which became the ideological inspirers and a kind of "test bench" for many technical developments. Although it was based on the Pobeda chassis, it was a full-fledged minibus, before creating which the designers carefully studied and were inspired by the simplicity and reliability of the design of Volkswagen cars.

Soviet specialists saw them during a trip to Europe to exchange experience, where the German auto industry was just gaining momentum and was almost a benchmark for other automakers.

For the development of the RAF-10, which was produced from 1956 to 1958, the first generation Volkswagen Transporter model was “peeped”. The Soviet car received a steel load-bearing body, a wagon layout and could accommodate 10 passengers. However, this design received a number of complaints, and therefore underwent significant modernization in 1958.

The next step was the release of RAF-977, which existed immeasurably longer than its "brother" - from 1958 to 1976. Its chassis was borrowed from the GAZ-21, while the minibus itself was used everywhere: for freight and passenger transportation, as a transport for medical services, but mainly as a service bus for various government organizations. In all areas, he has established himself as a reliable car, and, moreover, for that time more than comfortable.

The famous RAF-2203 was produced from 1976 to 1997, and left the market only under the pressure of ever-increasing competition from the Gorky Automobile Plant.

Automakers began a fierce rivalry from the beginning of the 90s, modernizing and promoting each of their models - Gazelles and RAFs. Unfortunately, the first ones surpassed the Latvian creations in terms of their characteristics and cost, and therefore became leaders in the Russian car market.

A remarkable fact - it was originally planned to make the body of a minibus from fiberglass, but then this idea was abandoned.

The best creation of the automobile plant - model 2203 - was made with a load-bearing or frameless power base, which included:

spars;
front shield;
wheel arches;
wagon or cabover body layout.

The salon was divided into two parts: the front, located above the wheels and consisting of a well-equipped driver's seat and passenger seats, and the rear in the largest part of the car. Depending on specific requirements, seats or other structural elements can be placed there.

The minibus engine, axles and suspension are borrowed from the GAZ-24 car, in later versions - from the GAZ-24-10. The brake system has two circuits, all wheels are equipped with brake drums, and the hydraulic vacuum brake booster is taken from Moskvich-412.

Like a complex constructor, it consisted of many elements taken from other domestic cars. Even the seemingly unique steering is still designed with parts borrowed from GAZ passenger cars. The engineering and design team of the plant explained this approach by the ease of maintenance of the car.

The tires were original, specially designed for the RAF-2203, although the wheels from the GAZ-21 were also suitable."Exclusive" tires for a minibus were produced by a tire plant in Yaroslavl, and after the collapse of the Union, they began to install any wheels that were suitable for the landing diameter and height.

Modifications

During the production, several modifications of the minibus were developed, differing in technical features, as well as the possibility of operation. Far from all developed versions reached serial production, especially for the options that were worked on in 1990-1995.

Some versions were simply not suitable for practical use, such as the modification with the original taillights, which did not imply a separate replacement of the lamps. Thus, in the event of a failure of one lamp, the entire lantern would have to be changed, which seemed to be an extremely inconvenient and costly undertaking.
Therefore, this modification never went into mass production.

Some varieties were produced in small batches to cover the specific needs of the national economy. Mostly, some technical elements were changed and improved on the models, most often the suspension, which increases the level of comfort. Objectively, no radical changes were noted between different modifications.

The first version of the RAF-2203 bus is considered basic and has two main modifications. The first - with the original dashboard and sidelights from the GAZ-24. The second used the dashboard from the GAZ-24, as well as optical instruments standard for those years from other serial buses.

The first generation of this car was produced until 1986, after which the quality of produced copies began to deteriorate rapidly. Many complaints came from medical organizations, where minibuses were used as ambulances.

During operation, it turned out that even completely new models, received literally from the assembly line, could break down on the road for no apparent reason. An example of poor quality is the fact that in February 1986 the state commission did not accept 13% of these cars.

Ideas are there, resources are not

The result of disputes about quality was the technical re-equipment of the plant and the subsequent release of a new modification of the RAF, which included certain novelties of that time. Unfortunately, the capacities of the plant did not allow introducing all the planned innovations, therefore engineers had to focus on key points:

reinforced body;
sunroof and side windows on the rear windows;
disc brakes on the front wheels;
front suspension type "swinging candle".

In addition to these changes, the new version received a more economical ZMZ-402.10 engine, which not only turned out to be more than undemanding to fuel, but also improved throttle response.

After the collapse of the USSR, the demand for minibuses fell, although the plant management tried to make an all-metal van and a version in the form of a pickup truck, which was very popular at that time, on the basis of RAF-2203-01. Consumers liked these cars, but the plant did not have enough resources to completely transfer the conveyors to the assembly of new models.

Safe RAF

In 1994, another upgrade was made. It can hardly be called global, but it made the RAF-22038-02 minibus the safest in the country. It received the following changes:

one brake booster instead of two, which reduced the risk of failures;
a modified carburetor that delivers fuel more efficiently;
modern air filter;
new heating system;
inertial seat belts;
spherical rear-view mirrors;
motor soundproofing.

There were also copies with a modified suspension and a different body, but again financial difficulties made it impossible to introduce all these innovations into mass production.

The last revision, for which there were enough resources, were all-plastic bumpers. In 1997, production was stopped due to the loss of the sales market.

Mass distribution

The so-called "RAFIKs" were produced in the USSR only for government agencies and enterprises, not going on free sale. In this regard, the models were divided into several main series, some of which were intended for strictly limited use:

ambulances;
fixed-route taxis;
the Olympic series, specially designed for work in Moscow in 1980;
police cars.

There were also other small series, since in the absence of alternatives to these minibuses in the USSR, they had to be used for almost any need. Often on the roads one could meet instances modified in workshops that perform highly specialized functions.

The most common modification was medical. This version of RAF-22031 was marked and was originally produced on the same assembly lines with other varieties. Later, a separate conveyor was allocated for the assembly of ambulances.

The main difference from the "civilian" versions was the upholstery, which was made of light brown leatherette. There was also a partition between the passenger compartment and the driver's compartment, equipped with sliding glass. Two lanterns with a red cross were mounted on the roof, as well as a search lamp designed to search for an address at night. A blue flashing beacon was mandatory.

There were also more specialized models, for example, for blood transfusion or resuscitation vehicles. But they were produced in extremely limited quantities.

To work as passenger buses of small capacity, better known as "minibuses", standard modifications were usually used. Also in the form of an experiment, there were specially designed RAF-22032, which had a ticket office, a circular layout and distinctive signs of belonging to passenger transport. But such buses did not enter the series, mostly minibuses were based on the RAF-2203.

In the early 1990s, the RAF-22039 version was produced, especially for fixed-route taxis. It was distinguished by increased capacity and a fiberglass roof. This made it possible to reduce the weight of the car, and also, thanks to the increased capacity, increased the profitability of the routes.

There was a separate modification for mobile laboratories, it had additional batteries to power the devices.

A limited edition produced traffic police cars and fire department staff buses.

Olympic Series

It was RAFIK who was honored to become the official vehicle of the Olympics-80, so special versions of the car were developed for such a significant sporting event. The most interesting among them are the following:

Referee electric car- intended for transportation of judges during marathon races. It accelerated to 30 km / h and had a range of up to 100 km on one battery.
RAF-3407 truck tractors- for the movement of athletes, capable of towing up to two passenger trailers.

In total, about two hundred cars were produced for the Olympics.

The main advantage of the Rafiks was the unification of components with other popular cars at that time, which simplified maintenance. In addition, the advantage of the minibus was its excellent maneuverability, even despite the rather wide base from the Volga. The disadvantages include poor weight distribution and build quality that caused criticism, which led to problems with the operation of even new cars.

In 2018, information about the restoration of the plant was leaked to the press. It is assumed that, together with European manufacturers, minibuses and city electric buses, compact buses with electric motors and even trolleybuses will be produced there.

The plans also include the creation of a series of vehicles built on a single base and having the characteristics of both a trolleybus and a bus. The unusual design will be able to move both on its own power reserve and be recharged from the city power grid.

If investments in production pay off, we can count on a new "golden age" of the Baltic miracle - the RAF minibus.

Video about the history of the RAF: