- Source: ZIL-118
The ZIL-118 Yunost ("Youth") is a microbus built by Zavod imeni Likhachova (Russian: Завод имени Лихачёва, Factory named for Likhacov), or ZIL.
Based on the ZIL-111 limousine, the ZIL-118 Yunost was developed in 1961, on the factory's own initiative. It was available in two versions, the microbus 118 and the ambulance 118A. Only 20 were initially built because of a lack of interest of government. The few built were solely to special order, with a number as high-capacity ambulances. An updated version appeared in 1970 in several versions: the ZIL-118K coach ZIL-118KS ambulance, both using the ZIL-508.10 V8 from ZIL trucks. This modernized version was also sometimes named the ZIL-119. It received some modernizations in the body, such as the lighting equipment from VAZ-2105.
This variant proved a little more popular than the ZIL-118, being in used in bigger numbers in government agencies. Such vehicles were purchased for a special purpose garage, the Ministry of Defense, the KGB, for the transportation of residents of the Intourist hotel and some others. An ambulance model was also built.
The microbus was further facelifted in the 1980s, becoming the ZIL-3207. Production ended in 1994, with total number built, of the ZIL-118K/KS and ZIL-3207, reaching only 86.
Variants
ZIL-118A: Ambulance version of ZIL-118.
ZIL-119 (ZIL-118K): Modernized ZIL-118.
ZIL-119A (ZIL-118KA): Ambulance version of ZIL-119.
ZIL-3302: Prototype truck based on ZIL-119.
Notes
Sources
Thompson, Andy. Cars of the Soviet Union. Somerset, UK: Haynes Publishing, 2008.