While as a car-spotter and some-time amateur car researcher I have many favorites cars, my most favorite car marque has to be the Moskvitch (also spelled Moskvich without the "t"), our local marque in Moscow, and the Moskvitch 2140 is one of my all-time favorites, being the last true Moskvitch, i.e. a small rear wheel drive sedan.
For the above reason I tend to photograph Moskvitch cars wherever I find them and whatever the condition and so here is another Moskvtich 2140 serving as a mobile (or rather, stationary) advertisement billboard at an Auchan shopping mall somewhere in North Moscow.
Also known as the Moskvitch 1500 in foreign markets,
the Moskvitch 2140 is a small family car produced by the Moscow AZLK (formerly, MZMA) factory from January 1976 to 1988.
This is the pre-1982 facelift version which still has quite a bit of chrome, chrome bumpers with guards and other distinguishing characteristics as compared to the post-1982 version.
There is also something like "coach lights" - see them on the C-pillar.
The car also has a pretty unique (?) two-contour lighting system whereby all its lights (except maybe the headlights) are brighter during the day and dimmer at night so as not to blind or dazzle other drivers.
The shield logo emblem is seen on the pre-1982 version, after 1982 it was replaced with the lettering AZLK.
It is being used here as an ad billboard for some kind of fishy spa and sauna, Turkish bath and Thai massage (I wish). I might yet visit it.
Differences between the pre-1982 (83) and the post-1982 Moskvtich 2140.
The pre-1982 Moskvtich 2140 is above, the post-1982 below. Differences include a shield logo emblem, chrome bumpers with guards, etc. on the pre-1982 version and plastic grille coating, no emblem, plastic bumpers with integrated turn lights on the post-1982 version below.
Also and rather curiously, according to the Russian wikipedia article on the M-2140, the initial design of the dashboard, center console and interior was ordered and done in the United States. However it was criticized for ergonomics failures and was then heavily (if not entirely) reworked.
In the most complete form, it can be seen on the Moskvitch 2140 SL version.
