Moskvitch 2140 History

The Moskvitch 2140 entered production in January 1976 as a modernised evolution of the 412-era body, featuring a revised interior, updated trim, and minor exterior changes. It shared its platform with the 2138 (the lower-spec variant using the older 1,360 cc engine) until 1982, when the 2138 was dropped and the 2140 became the sole Moskvitch available across all markets.

A luxury export variant, the 2140 SL (sold as 1500 SL outside the Eastern Bloc), arrived in 1981 with additional equipment. The 2140 remained in production until July 1988, sharing the assembly line with the incoming front-wheel-drive 2141 Aleko for roughly two years. It represented the end of the rear-wheel-drive, 412-derived lineage that had defined Moskvitch for two decades.