In markets like the United States, Western Europe, and Australia, things move fast. Automotive journalists, emboldened by their hallowed positions in society, will openly mock automakers for keeping a model in production for a decade or longer (*cough* Nissan 370Z *cough*). In the rest of the world, people are less obsessed with cutting-edge looks and the latest developments in crash safety and efficiency. Or, at least, they can’t afford to be obsessed. In these countries, a model can stay in production for decades as long as it still fulfills a basic need for its customers.
Today, we’re looking at some of the oldest vehicles that have hung on in production like cockroaches after a nuclear apocalypse. Auto writer Corey D Lewis has been coordinating a thread on Twitter to identify which vehicles have been in production the longest, with this crowdsourced effort identifying models that stretch far back into the distant past of the 20th century. We’ll start at the oldest, and walk our way back to some of the more contemporary designs that are still getting stamped out en masse to this day.
Russian manufacturer UAZ is a standout in this realm. The company is well-known for still building the UAZ-469, which first greeted the world in the distant past of 1971. It’s since gained a higher profile worldwide by virtue of its inclusion in the popular PUBG: Battlegrounds battle royale game. However, this isn’t actually the oldest vehicle UAZ still has in production. No, that title instead goes to the UAZ-452, a humble van that very obviously hails from a long time ago, namely—1965. Man had not yet walked on the moon; Iron Butterfly were yet to come together in music. The UAZ-452 was developed from the UAZ-450, itself based on the GAZ-69, but was considered its own model. Its resemblance to a loaf of bread got it nicknamed “bukhanka” — “loaf” in Russian.
NEW: The current champion for oldest vehicle design still in production is the UAZ-452.
In production since 1965, minor updates and renaming in 1985 to UAZ-3741 . https://t.co/wjuQ0mH1Jz pic.twitter.com/pJ7ac4pB0P
— Corey D Lewis (@CoreyLewis86) December 12, 2023
It was originally built with a 2.4-liter inline-four good for 75 horsepower, and could run on awful gasoline with an octane rating as low as 72. The engine was later upgraded in 1985, putting out a full 99 hp, while the 2000s brought such luxuries as plastic side mirrors and headrests for the front seats. Amazingly, today, it still looks straight out of 1965, with the exterior virtually unchanged. Today, it’s boasting a mighty 112 hp from its Euro-5/Euro-0 compliant engine, paired with a five-speed gearbox and a proper dual-range transfer case for off-road use. Oh, and did we mention it’s available in the most lurid shade of green? Bonkers.
UAZ doesn’t get an outright win here, though. China, too, has a car that has been in production since 1965. Enter the Beijing BJ212, which has been manufactured by a number of Chinese factories and concerns over the last 58 years. It’s most closely associated with the Beijing Automobile Works (BAW), and has also been known as the BJ2020 and the Zhanqi over its long history. The off-roader sits in a similar class to the UAZ-469, and is often noted for its similarity to the Soviet-era vehicle. The basic design of the BJ212 was shared among a wide variety of Chinese automakers, many of whom took the basic form and used it to build all kinds of pickups, vans, and wagons. It even ended up as the basis for some weird clones of the XJ Jeep Cherokee.
The BJ212 is still on sale to civilian users from BAW. Like so many live-axle four-wheel-drive designs, it’s still fit for purpose, and so there’s been little reason to change the basic layout over the years. However, it does have a nicely modern powerplant, with a 2.4-liter turbocharged Mitsubishi engine good for 207 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a six-speed manual transmission for good old-fashioned three-pedal fun. Even the latest models still come with manual-wind windows and external hood tiedown latches, even though the interior has had some updates to bring it up to an early-2000s stripper spec.
It’s not clear which between the UAZ and the BAW first entered production; it may have come down to a matter of months or even weeks. Regardless, we’ll crown them both equally unless some other champion should come to light. Honorable mentions go to vehicles like the Lotus 7 and the original Jeep, but modern versions have varied so much as to hardly be considered the same vehicles they were when they began so many years ago. It’s worth noting too that the original Volkswagen Beetle had one of the longest runs ever, being built from 1938 until 2003, but it sadly was then put out to pasture by the last factory still building them in Mexico.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQSzh63hCBS/?hl=en
Zamyad doesn’t share its website with the Western world, but tidbits exist around the Internet. This photo from the company’s Instagram account shows just how cool the Zamyad Z24 looks today. It hasn’t abandoned any of the charm of the 1970s era Nissan Junior that it’s based on.
Of course, there are plenty of other old vehicles still in production; just seldom few that measure up to the extreme 58-year careers of the BAW BJ212 and the UAZ-452. We’ve already mentioned the popular UAZ-469, dating back to 1971. There’s also the Nissan Junior, which hails back to 1970; it’s still in production today as the Zamyad Z24, hailing from Iran. That’s a darn sight longer than another Iranian long hauler which we recently discussed, namely, the Peugeot 405 cum Peugeot Pars which has been in production for 36 years. Indeed, most of these models trump the conventional long haulers we think of in the West; in comparison, the 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser is a baby that’s just about to celebrate its 40th birthday.
I’d also like to raise a special mention to the Wally’s 619, also identified by Lewis’s hunt for the oldest vehicles on sale. It’s still in production today in Tunisia, based on the 1987 Kia Pride/Ford Festiva/Mazda 121. As someone who owned a three-door model a decade ago, I have a lot of love for these vehicles. They were cheap tin sheds that nonetheless handled like a little go-kart if you slammed them on a low set of springs. Fast, they were not, but they always got you where you were going. Pull the back seats out and you could even sleep in the boot, if you were mad, drunk, or otherwise so inclined. Indeed, it’s still available as a pickup truck too—as the Saipa 151, built in Iran.
As car enthusiasts, we’re often obsessed with vehicles from yesteryear, for both our own relationships with them, and what they represent. Hearing that these old designs are still in production elsewhere reminds us that our own past is still relevant. We can imagine that maybe someone else overseas is making fond memories in a car we loved so many years ago.
Of course, while these vehicles are still in production, many of them will remain unobtainable for most of us. Short of flying to a foreign country, you won’t get to drive one of these, unless maybe you import one in 25 years. That is, if you can find someone who’s kept one that long and is willing to sell it to you. Ultimately, the automotive road is a rich and varied milleu, all the more so the further you cast your gaze. It pays to take a look around now and then to see what interesting creatures inhabit the shores beyond our own.
Image credits: UAZ, BAW, Zamyad, Wallys, Lewin Day
Maybe you couldn’t post pictures of the Saipa 151 because of rights issues? Here it is and, despite its country of origin, it’s just irrationally appealing.
https://s3.wheelsage.org/picture/s/saipa/151/saipa_151_9.jpeg
https://petrolblog.com/uploads/legacy-uploads/2019/12/Saipa-151-pick-up.jpg
Uaz pre 2022: nostalgic, kinda cool, but in practice outdated terrible POS. Built by the wierd neighbor, used by own military even. Worse than it looks, to sum it up.
Uaz post 2022: outdated POS murdermobile designed in communist mordor, then fielded in big numbers by mordor v2 (with added kleptocracy). May they all burn, eat himars etc.
Of course, it may get a second chance – see the kdf-wagen… but some things must change first.
If we go two wheels, the Enfield Bullet 350 has been around for 70 years, starting in 1953 in the UK before emigrating to India where the Classic 350 is still available, in the US as well as India Sadly the Hindustan Ambassador ceased production in 2014 after a 57 year run
Since we’re discussing “vehicles”, I wondered if there are airplanes tht have been in production longer. According to Wikipedia, the Cessna 172 has been around since 1956, though there was a gap in production.
Morgan must have something to contribute to this list. No?
I’m sure there must be someone still making buggies and whips too.
Morgan sort of does. The +4 did start production in 1950, but production was halted a few times, resulting in a 20 odd year gap over it’s lifetime. And it’s no longer in production, being replaced by an all new (but similar looking) model called the Plus Four in 2020.
Hmmm, wonder about the functionality of the blackout lights on the BAW. Guess you would need to find three of them for a proper convoy.
In Australia, at least, we are a bit hypocritical if we mock automakers for keeping a model in production for a decade or longer, since the average age of cars on the road here is greater than most other ‘advanced’ countries.
Hear me out, I have a crazy idea:
Step 1: import a 25 year old UAZ452, in any condition (all you really need is a VIN)
Step 2: Buy a new UAZ452, or just all the parts for a new UAZ452
Step 3: Be the only person at Moab with a brand new Soviet 4×4.
I must be missing some criteria for “longest in production.” I randomly retain this tidbit of trivia that the Chevrolet Suburban being maybe the oldest model in production in the US.
Obligatory Wiki link.
I think this article is about which core DESIGN is still in production. The Suburban is more of a model that has morphed through the years.
I mean, based on some of the variations shown above, it is fairly consistent with the original design? (i.e. 4 doors, truck size, covered wagon, etc.)
no
You wouldn’t be able to just bolt on a part from a 2023 Suburban to a 1937 Suburban.
You WOULD be able to do that with many parts on the cars mentioned.
Scooters based on the 60s-era Vespa Sprint remained in production until recently, AFAICT, and it looks like there’s still one derived from an old Lambretta design.
Honorable mention of Volkswagen CitiGolf. An mk1 Golf/Rabbit in production in RSA from 1984 to 2009. However Mk1 Golf started out in 1974 so 35 years in production
Did Ford stop making the E-series chassis yet? I know when they switched to the Transit for regular vans, they kept making the E-series chassis. The E-series/Econoline dates back to 1975
I know they’ve been different for at least a few years, but on our lot at work we just got our first non-sealed beam headlighted GMC/Ford/Chevy van
Nope, they still build the E-Series cutaway cab, speaking of which, the internal structure of the body shell is also still from the ’70s, they just reskinned it with new exterior sheet metal
Still built at Ohio Assembly and UAW contract assures continued production for a few more years at least.
The configurator software I use for work already has the 2025 E-Series cutaway and commercial chassis available to build.
Small pickup truck with wonky body lines, the front fascia mashup of ’79 Dodge Ramcharger grille and ’66 Rambler Ambassador stacked headlamps? With that argent-sprayed front bumper with what looks like a pre-twisted droop?
I WANT. Take my money and deposit this in my driveway. Please.
I find them charming, simple and no screen inside, i like that.
I want a UAZ-452 SO SO much for overlanding but I just cannot afford to get one over here. I would of course replace the motor with something more local. like a crate motor from Ford or GM.
Pick up a copy of the video game Snowrunner. You can drive one all you want.
The thing is, you would have to replace pretty much everything, unless you can completely avoid the interstates (if you’re in the US, that is)
They are very slow, cramped, uncomfortable, and also quite loud.
They were was designed for 80 km/h cruising speed, and that already feels strained. It really shines off-road of course and on slow speed limit roads, under 60-70 km/h. So under 45 mph.
Even if you replace the engine and transmission, you still have very inadequate brakes, imprecise recirculating ball steering, not to mention the ancient banjo axles on 4 leaf springs.
I have owned 5 jeeps one each from the last 5 decades, those things do not bother me at all.
The axles and the motor are easier to replace than to find a way to make a Jeep Wrangler unlimited in the shape of a van.
As I’m admittedly not really aware of why it would be a bad idea, why not a 4wd Econoline? I know someone who had one. It truly was a war wagon. Unkillable and could be driven anywhere in any weather.
To vast, wide, heavy, and long for many trails. The UAZ is like an enclosed Jeep FC The Ecoline is 3 feet longer 3 ft longer wheelbase and a few feet wider and 900 pounds heavier.
thank you!
LOAF!
I have an irrational love for the UAZ – 450. For those Interested, there is a 1/64 scale model of the Buhanka from Welly/Autogrand.
Also, the Kia KM450 is still an updated Jeep J-Series from 1962 (primarily a military vehicle, but they will also sell them to civilian emergency services and NGOs)
I would love one of those also.
Ahem…
The Honda Super Cub (1958-present) would like a word…
And the Royal Enfield Bullet calls the Super Cub a young whippersnapper (1948). 🙂
Talking about long-running models, we cannot leave out the infamous Lada Niva. It came out in 1977 and is still in production. The Niva is the only car I ever bought new. With virtually any other vehicle, buying a well kept, certified pre-owned example is the smarter choice. Not so with the Niva. See, these beauties already started to rust when chief designer Pjotr Prusows drew the first design sketches. Buying new, I was able to enjoy two years of its awesomeness before the rust (and many other problems) started to get critical. Yes, I lost a lot of money. I also lost some of my hearing, because of the incredible gear whine and the noise of the heater fan. The blower had just three settings: Off, MiG 29 and MiG 29 + afterburner. Good times.
I took a trip to Russia in the before-times (2019). I totally fell in love with the Lada Niva! I’ve found a few in Canada, but can’t bring myself to pull the trigger on one!
Buy one, they are really not that bad. Fun fact, the older 2121 examples (pre-1993) have better build quality.
Yes they are. But it heavily depends on where you get it and how you use it. Mine (German market) got the Truecoat and dealer-installed inner fenders. I guess it helped somewhat with the rust, but couldn’t stop it. It ate two catalyzers and the differential lock basically never worked. It was my all-year daily driver and it saw a lot of Autobahn. Not ideal, of course. But as a fun car for the weekend, sure, why not.
Hence my recommendation of 1993 or older. No catalytic converter to worry about. No EFI, no automatic choke, just a simple, 2 barrely mechanical carburetor with a simple ignition system.
Rust is actually less of an issue on these older years on well-kept examples, because paint quality was also better. These were meant for off-road and 90 km/h speed limit roads, not the Autobahn though, that’s true.
Nivas were sold in Canada for a while and were pretty cheap. I knew someone who bought one new also. It disintegrated in roughly a year. It was effectively like renting a car for a year, except it required maintenance. It made malaise era big three assembly quality look good.
I always thought the western armies should have bought a bunch of Ladas and have the recruits drive them in basic training so they wouldn’t be afraid of the Soviets.
Canada also has some pretty weird Niva variations, specifically a pickup that was offered nowhere else that used Chevy Astro taillights.
I think my wife’s uncles had several Ladas as field cars, their collective memory is of them being unkillable shitboxes (although I believe period road tests pretty much confirmed you’d familiarize yourself with the included tool kit).
I also met some guys about 15 years back (so, over a decade after Lada bailed out of Canada) who were still running the old Samara factory rally car as privateers. They had PUT IT IN H painted on the back, because why wouldn’t you?
The refuse and recycling biz seems to be a sanctuary for old cabover designs, despite Daimler and Dennis bring out modern designs the fugitives from the 70s still rule the landfills- The Autocar ACX, Kenworth/Peterbuilt L700, and Mack MR show no signs of surrendering to the modern upstarts.
I’m still on the lookout for a good used Hindustan Ambassador…
Unless I can find a Wallys cheap.
That Wally’s has a strong Daewoo grille/hood vibe.
A Chinese car I wouldn’t mind imported to the states.
Fun fact, I am going to be looking at buying a Lada 2106/2107 in Ukraine in March. I am excited.
In the heavy metal division, Paccar has a bunch of winners- The Kenworth K200 is still built in Australia and is an update of the K100 which dates back to 1959 or so. The Kenworth W900 dates from around 1964 and while a new cab is replacing it, you can still buy one and the C500 version will probably keep the old cab for a while yet.
And on the bus side, the Ashok Leyland Viking series has been in production since 1976
UAZ 452 “Bukhankas” and civilian UAZ 469’s (jeep-type vehicles) have a utilitarian charm all their own and definitely wouldn’t kick either one out of my garage!