LAZ-695

The LAZ-695 is a Soviet/Ukrainian 2 axle urban/suburban bus, which was produced in the Western Ukrainian city Lviv from 1965 to 2002. After the production stop at the main factory in Lviv, the documentation was handed over to the DAZ automotive facility in the Ukrainian city Kamianske, where the production continued up to 2010. In over 50 years of manufacturing there were built over 250 000 units of various modifications, made the model one of the most widespread buses in the Soviet Union and the LAZ factory the biggest bus manufacturer in Europe in the 1980s. The bus belongs to the model series 69x, which includes also the LAZ-697 "Tourist" and the LAZ-699.

History
Considerations to build a new factory, specialized on production of spare parts for heavy duty trucks in the Ukrainian city Lviv, were made by the Soviet government directly after the second world war and the construction was finalized in 1949. In addition to truck cranes, like AK-32, LAZ-690 (both mounted on ZIS-150), the factory dealt also with the production of car spare parts and truck trailers, like LAZ-712 for the truck PAZ-657 and LAZ-729 for the truck ZIS-150. At the beginning of the 50s, the Soviet Union planned to create a new bus series that includes a lower class model, based on GAZ truck components, a middle-class model, based on ZIS trucks and an upper-class model, based on MAZ trucks. Thus, on March 17, 1955, the Ministry of automotive, tractor and agricultural engineering of the USSR granted the task to develop several city bus prototypes with Rear-engine design and place for 50 persons, of which 30 should be seat places. The intention was to replace the obsolete and virtually the only existing city bus model in the Soviet Union, ZIS-155. At that time the LAZ-engineering team had sufficient construction experience, due to the development of the crane and trailer models in the last years. The team also consisted of young and ambitious professionals that were obsessed by the idea of creation a fully new and progressive bus model. For that goal, the Soviet Union ordered the cutting edge bus models from West Germany manufacturers, among them the Mercedes-Benz O 321 and Magirus-Deutz O3500H/O6500.

LAZ-695 (1956-1958)
Before the serial production began, there were created 7 prototypes. Some of them were profoundly different from the previous prototypes, the others included only some minor changes and modifications.

First prototype

The first prototype was produced just in time for the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, on 12 February 1956, and got the name LAZ-695 "Lviv". For the first time in the Soviet Union, the bus received a rear-longitudinal-engine with rear-wheel-drive layout (Predecessors from ZIS had a front-engine-layout). For this purpose, a 6-cylinder engine ZIL-158L was installed, which was afterwards also used in the city bus ZIL-158. Also not typical for the soviet bus industry was the new body with a self-supporting integral body design. An integral design consists of extruded profiles that are collected into a grid frame along with other supporting components, such as engine and axles. One other cutting edge feature was the leaf spring suspension system. It had a stabilized stiffness and was independently from the load case. In front of every window leaf were installed little transparent plexiglass air reflectors. It was a specific feature of all prototypes, but was removed from the serial models due to bigger window leafs. For the main windows there was used the highly strong glass type stalinite, which was invented in the Donbas glass factories in 1934. The rear entrance door consisted of 4 foldable segments and opened pneumatically inwards and the front two-segment door opened manually outwards. The wheel rims got chrome-plated hubcaps. This property was retained in all prototypes and serial models and have become a distinctive attribute of the 695/697 and 699 series respectively. When came out of the factory doors, the first prototype was still very raw. So it was profoundly modified in the course of the experiments. One of the main weaknesses was the narrow inner space design, as for a vehicle, advertised as a bus for urban purposes. Like the inner space, also the doors were too small and offered not enough place for increased passenger flow. Another bigger problem was the engine cooling system. Due to the rear-engine layout, the radiator got insufficient cooling air volume. The lateral air intakes did not help to solve the problem.

Second prototype

The second prototype was published in June 1956, in Moscow. The passenger's comfort was increased and paired soft seats, based on spongy rubber and sheathed with semi-synthetic textile, were installed. The rear door was removed completely and the front one was replaced by a one-segment door, which had to be opened manually. These constructive solutions led to even stronger inside space problems, but now the bus was not advertised as a city bus anymore. Instead, it was classified as a suburban bus. Such a bus type operated between cities and nearby suburban and rural areas and had rarely to stop on the trip. The type of plate also changed. The nickname “Lviv” was now written in the Ukrainian language. The front and rear wheel arches had a different form on the second prototype and the lateral mouldings were moved down a little. The indicator form at the front also changed and they moved beneath the main lights. Even if the number of air intakes increased and the engine hood got some air slots too, the problem with engine cooling still persisted.

Third prototype

The third prototype from October 1956 based on the first one and was classified as an urban bus again. There were only a few minor design changes. The bus was tested in Moscow, on the 55th bus route. Based on the made insights during the test drives, the fifth prototype of the LAZ-695 was created in January 1957.

Fourth prototype

But in the meantime, a further modification of the second, suburban prototype was created. It only differed externally. Technically it remained the same. The number of seats decreased from 34 to 32. As in the first suburban prototype, the front door consisted of one part. When the door opened, a step extended, to make it easier for passengers to get in and out. The back door was completely removed. The glazed area of the roof was increased. The front region consisted of three panes of tinted glass. It led to a better brightness within the bus but was a functional disadvantage. The middle pane took the attachment point of the indicator board. The biggest problem was the overheating engine again. The middle pane of the rear window disappeared. Instead, there was an air intake that led the air from the roof to the engine.

Fifth prototype

The fifth prototype is considered to be the direct precursor of the first serial LAZ-695. The only detail that reveals the bus as a prototype, is the absence of the tinting of the roof panes. In summer 1957 a little serial production began when about 100 buses were ordered for the festival of young and students in Moscow. The bus nickname “Festival” was derived from this event. The main part was produced in the second half of the year 1957. In the whole year, there were produced 303 units. The serial production continued until May 1958 and according to some data, there were produced about 1000 buses. After the bus front design was changed and many functionless and decorative details were removed, like the "Lviv" lettering and the false radiator grille. One exemplar of the LAZ-695 “Festival” remained until our days and was restored in the Moscow city transport museum.

Sixth prototype

Parallel to the serial production of the LAZ-695 “Festival”, in summer 1957, the constructors from LAZ also created a further prototype of the suburban modification. The sixth prototype had a different front roof window with two panes instead of three and a single panorama window. (The older prototypes had a double front window.) In the inner space, mesh shelves over the seats were installed, so the passengers had an option to store their luggage. Curtains on the windows helped to keep the heat influx low. On the front, a big “L” letter appeared instead of the lettering “Lviv”. The letter “L” on the front became an important and distinctive symbol of all subsequent LAZ bus models.

Seventh prototype

The last prototype, and further development of the sixth one, was created in December 1957. It was more a tourist as a suburban version, with a high level of comfort. After the year 1957 the suburban and tourist versions were separated from the 695 line and got an independent model designation 697.

LAZ-695B (1958-1964)
LAZ-695B is the second serial modification and was produced from Mai 1958 until 1964. There were a lot of interesting special sub modifications.

LAZ-695B prototype

Due to haste in the development of the first version and ill-considered borrowing of ideas from western counterparts, the LAZ-695 had a lot of weaknesses. In 1958 a consumer conference take place. The participants were a citizen (typical passengers) and operators of the LAZ-695. The main critical point was the weak construction of the body. The constructors already have known about that, but had to find the golden mean between the elegance, due to the glazed roof, and good stability of the body. The glazed roof disappeared entirely at the development stage of the LAZ-695M modification. The second critical point was the impractical inner space. The width of entry and exit doors was too narrow and in the vicinity of the door a passenger accumulation plat-form was missing. So it was difficult to characterize the vehicle as an urban/city bus. Moreover, there appeared new competitors from ZIL and PAZ, which offered better bus models for urban purposes.

Also for suburban areas, a more suitable competitor existed, the ZIS-127. These led to the creation of the LAZ-695B prototype with entirely different roof construction. The panes were removed. The front of the bus got a bigger window, an indicator board was installed and the doors got wider. Also, an experimental pneumatic suspension on all wheels was installed. Although a huge work has been done and the tests gave good results, the LAZ-695B prototype was built only in one exemplar.

Serial LAZ-695B

Instead of putting the LAZ-695B prototype into production, a new modification for serial purposes was created in 1958, which included elements of the first LAZ-695 models as well as of the improved LAZ-695B prototype. The transparent plexiglass air reflectors on the window leafs disappeared because they broke quickly.

The model got the modernized ZIS-120 engine, ZIL-120FB, with 120 hp.

LAZ-695B weight-optimized version

In 1959 a weight-optimized version of the serial LAZ-695B model was produced. In the course of the modernization a lot of interior parts, like seats, exterior sheathing parts and engine components were replaced by analogous, made of fiberglass or nylon. In conclusion the weight of the bus was reduced by 400 kg. Compared to the total weight of a serial LAZ-695B (6330 kg), 400 kg were, from the Soviet view, insignificant. Furthermore, the lightened parts led to a weaker construction.

LAZ-695B ambulance

After the invasion by Nazi Germany during World War II, the Soviet Union got a high demand in ambulance vehicles and retrofitted their buses for these purposes. After the war, the problem changed and the country lacks in a vehicle for transporting people. So they began to re-equip the military ambulance vehicles into buses back. This recognition led to the post-war intention to create vehicles, especially trucks and buses that in case of war could be quickly and simply converted into vehicles for military purposes. In 1959 the leadership of the LAZ factory decided to develop an ambulance modification of the LAZ-695, which would meet the requirements mentioned above. The retrofitting process was passed to the ZiL factory in Moscow. Due to the rear-engine body layout, there were a lot of restrictions. The stretcher with injured soldiers could not be load over a flap in the back of the bus. Instead, a little lid at the left front of the bus was built in. In the following time every LAZ-695, especially of the first series, got such a flap. So in case of war, every civil model could be quickly converted into a provisional ambulance car. In the military version of the LAZ-695B, the wounded on stretchers could be positioned in three or two rows on floor stands as well as on suspension mounts, in two or three tiers. For the medical personal there were two side banks and three comfortable, soft seats at the back. Initially, it was planned to create different versions of the ambulance bus, such as a surgery bus. Depending on the version, it was possible to transport from 10 to 18 wounded on stretchers or 7 to 23 sitting persons, respectively. The bus was profoundly tested by the military but was never produced serially. Instead, there were written special books that described a fast conversion of soviet civil buses, beneath them the serial LAZ-695, into ambulance transport vehicles for military purposes.

LAZ-695B for astronauts

In the 60th, the Baikonur Cosmodrome need a special vehicle for the transportation of the astronauts, with their heavy equipment and suits, to the cosmodromes. Normative restrictions and requirements did not exist, only wishes and recommendations. As the base, a serial LAZ-695B was chosen and every component was checked several times. Furthermore, the bus got an anti-corrosive coating. In the inner space, a table, normal seats for personal and big seats were installed, so the astronauts could fit in with their suits. Also, there were installed means of communication, fans, phones and equipment for filming the astronauts. The bus was hermetically sealed. This was important to protect the astronautic equipment from dust. After finishing the construction, the bus was inspected by a special state commission. They were very satisfied with the quality of the bus. On 12 April 1961, the bus was used to bring the first astronaut in Outer space, Yuri Gagarin, to the Vostok spacecraft. In 1967 the bus was replaced by a special version of the successor modification LAZ-695E. In 1984 it was brought to the LAZ factory, where it was fully restored. It is not known where the unique modification is today.

LAZ-695 Zh (1963-1965)

In the 60th, soviet cities begun to growth quickly. The municipal fleets needed modern vehicles with reliable parts. The buses of that time did not match these requirements, especially because they were equipped with manual and weak gearboxes. An automatic transmission would be a better and more reliable solution on high frequent urban routes. Accordingly, already at the end of the 50th, the LAZ factory, together with NAMI, begun to develop a modern, fully automated hydrodynamic transmission, especially for urban buses. The development was finalized in 1963 and firstly installed on the serial LAZ-695B. Due to its importance, the modification got its own index Zh, although, except of the transmission, it was identical to the LAZ-695B. Only the engine was slightly modified for the purposes of the new automatic transmission, too. The LAZ-695Zh was produced only 2 years, until 1965 and there were built only 40 units. Afterwards, the new transmission was installed in the modern LiAZ-677 that was better suitable for urban purposes. The success of the new transmission was outstanding. There were produced about 200,000 units of the LiAZ-677 with that transmission, partially developed at the LAZ factory.

LAZ-695T (1962-1965)

Firstly a trolleybus, based on a LAZ-695B, was created in Baku and got the name BTL-62. The first serial trolleybus on the base of a LAZ-695B, at the LAZ factory, was created in summer 1963. Only 10 units were produced, all of which were used in the city of Lviv. The production was relocated to the factory of electrical transport KZET in Kyiv, where the vehicle got the nomination Kyiv-5LA. The LAZ factory delivered the raw bus bodies to the manufacturer in Kyiv. Here only the electrical components were installed. From 1963 to 1964 there were produced 75 trolleybuses of the model Kyiv-5LA. But the production capacity of the KZET facility was insufficient and already in the same year, 1963, the car assembly manufacturer in Odesa, ODAZ, begun to produce the ODAZ-695T trolleybus on the base of the LAZ-695B. From 1963 to 1965, 476 units were built for nearby cities. The LAZ trolleybuses were lighter, more economical and manoeuvrable, compared to other typical soviet trolleybuses of that time. The trolleybus could reach a maximum speed of 50 Kilometers per hour, thanks to a 78 kW electrical motor. The electrical components of the propulsion system were placed in the inner space that already was narrow. Other disadvantages were the small doors, which were borrowed from the base model LAZ-695B and E, respectively, and the short lifespan of only 7–8 years. Notwithstanding, that modification helped to minimize the deficit in trolleybuses on soviet streets.

LAZ-695E (1964-1969)
The LAZ-695E was equipped with a new V8-engine ZiL-130L, with a power of 150 kW. The model got a new, more effective transmission and clutch from the truck ZiL-130. The first prototype was finalized in 1961 and was integrated in serial production only in 1963. In the first year were produced 394 units. There were only few visual differences between the predecessor and LAZ-695E, like ventilation hatches. Only in 1964 the outer appearance changed greatly. The form of the wheel arches became rounder. Moreover, the front and rear axles got a Wheel hub assembly as well as rims from ZiL-158. From 1964 to 1969 there were produced about 38000 units, of which 1350 were exported in different countries. On the last units there was installed an electropneumatic door control drive system.

LAZ-695M (1969-1976)


LAZ-695 was a profound modification of the LAZ-695E. From 1969 to 1976 there were produced 52000 units, 164 of them for the export. The side windows increased by 150 mm and the windows frames became slimmer. Roof windows disappeared completely, and the roof became more flat. The central air intake on the back roof area was replaced by lateral air intakes, beneath the rear windows, on the humpback. The rear axles, with a planetary transmission in the wheel hubs, were delivered from the Hungarian automaker Raba. Also a separate brake drive was introduced into the new construction.

LAZ-695N (1976-2002)
The first LAZ-695N prototypes were built in summer 1969. Compared to the LAZ-695M, the new buses got a new, flatter front, with bigger windows. The door dimensions were the same at the front and the rear. Initially the doors consisted of two parts but then were changed to four-segment doors. Those doors were used on most soviet buses, trolleybuses and trams. The rear part of the bus remained identical to the predecessor LAZ-695M modification. Only on the prototype from 1974, the rear part was profoundly changed, too. The air intakes, which in earlier models were positioned beneath the rear window, were relocated behind the rearmost lateral one. The serial production began in 1976. The first vehicles had rectangular driving lights from East Germany, which were also used on the Moskvitch 412 passenger car. Since the mid-80s the bus was equipped with the typical for soviet trucks, cheaper and more accessible round lights. Until 1991, the bus had to be equipped with a flap under the windshield. As already described in the part “LAZ-695B ambulance”, it was intended to use the bus as an ambulance in the case of war. The front door would serve as a loading flap for a stretcher. In the 90s the bus remains unchanged. From 1976 to 2002, 160,000 units were produced, which made the bus the most built model at the LAZ plant.

LAZ-695D (1995-2002)

The idea to create a diesel-powered bus at the LAZ factory was not new. But the plans were every time postponed into the far future, particularly because there was no need for such a type of engine in the Soviet Union, due to the abundance in Gasoline. Only after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the rise of fuel prices, a gasoline-powered engine on a bus became fully obsolete. After a successful introduction of a gas-powered modification already in the 80th, in 1993 a diesel-powered prototype, with the nickname “Dana”, was created on the base of the LAZ-695N. Because lacking experience, the constructors could not decide which engine would be the best. So in following years different diesel engines, from soviet manufacturers, were installed experimentally on serial bus models. Favourites were the D6112 engine from the T-150 tractor, which were produced at the HZTD, a tractor engine production facility in Kharkiv, and the 494L engine from military vehicles. Also LAZ subsidiaries and other transportation organizations dealt with the search for the right diesel engine. A LAZ service center from Dnipro installed the SMD-2307 engine, which was also used on ZIL-4331, the successor of the ZIL-130. The diesel had a power of 170 kW and a torque of 668 Nm at 2400 rpm. Meanwhile, the interstate automotive trade association propose to install the inline-four D245.9 diesel, from the Belarusian Minsk Motor plant. The engine had a power of 100 kW This choice turned out to be successful and from 1995 a serial production of the LAZ-695D begun. After only one year, the diesel powered model was profoundly modified and got the name LAZ-695D11 “Tanya”. The bus got front and rear swing doors and comfortable soft seats. These features remembered on the former intercity bus model LAZ-697, which was no longer manufactured at that time. So the new modification should occupy the intercity niche. The buses were produced serial but in small quantities, with the engine YAMZ-236A.

DAZ-695 (2004-2010)
After the DAZ bus manufacturer became a subsidiary of the LAZ organization in 2002, the production of the N, D and NG modifications were relocated there and continued until 2011. In the last year of production, the factory built the buses from leftover spare parts. Although made with obsolete technology, the buses were in great demand due to their low prices and proven construction. The few differences were the missing driver door on the left, the missing lateral mouldings, yellow handrails, and different brake components.

The end of production
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the LAZ factory loses its leading role as a bus manufacturer. In the 90th the production decreased. There were many new bus series to be used as the successor to the 695 model, like the LAZ-4202, but none could achieve its success, due to poor technical quality. The buses of the last production years are still in use in some Post-Soviet states.

Engine data
There were used a lot of engine models in different modifications. Due to lack of sources with data, the table beneath includes only the most widely used models, with significant sources.

Comparison to similar soviet city buses
The main counterpart of the LAZ-695 in the Soviet Union was the LiAZ-677. The differences are a manual gearbox in the LAZ, whereas the LiAZ was equipped with a modern hydromechanical, automatically shifting gearbox, which was more practical to use in the city range and was also partially created at the LAZ plant. Furthermore, the LiAZ had a more comfortable pneumatic suspension. Hence, with the time the LAZ-695 was replaced by the LiAZ on urban bus routes of the bigger soviet cities. Nevertheless, the LAZ-695 had also some advantages. It had a bigger clearance and a robust leaf spring suspension. Also, the greater part of the load was taken up by the rear axle of the LAZ. So it was more suitable for rural areas.

Another counterpart was developed and produced by the same manufacturer. The LAZ-4202 was still created in the 70s, in the Soviet Union and was intended as a possible successor of the technical obsolete 695 series. The bus got a diesel engine, made the model the first diesel-powered serial bus in the Soviet Union, after ZiL-127. Moreover, 4202 was the first serial model from the LAZ factory, with an automatically shifting gearbox and power steering. Compare to 695, the inner space was more lightly and had more free room for the passenger. However, in practice, the 695 survive the 4202 series by 15 years. The reasons were the poor quality of the construction and frequent defects of the technical aggregates.

Further similar city and suburban buses
 * Ikarus 280
 * Ikarus 260
 * ZiS-155
 * ZiL-158