Hunchback Rally

A rally of Zaporozhets automobiles, nicknamed hunchbacks in their Soviet heyday, took place in Lviv, commemorating the Day of the City, drawing eighteen crews from all parts of Ukraine. Prototypes of sports cars, convertibles, and standard models exemplifying singular developments of the Ukrainian motor industry were lined up on Market Square. The Hunchback Fan Club has existed in Lviv since 1983 as a regular participant in various Ukrainian and international car races. There is a special workshop where local artisans work miracles with the ZAZ [Zaporizhzhia Auto Plant] classic. You can see some of these miracles in the photo. In fact, Lviv residents cannot imagine their city without the Grand Prix ZAZ Cossack Auto Show. This year, apart from the traditional automobile parade and carnival ride downtown, four motor contests were held. The Round Galba 2001 Rally, held on September 15, was attended by Oksana Denys’s female crew (so much for the adage about women drivers). The following day an auto slalom, with Oleksandr Yashyn’s Kyiv crew winning in the precision driving event. The main event was the Mountain Kilometer 2001 Olympic Climb. The route followed Hvardiyska Street, where auto races had been held before World War II, and Volodymyr Pidluzhny’s crew of the Lviv magazine, Avtolux, finished first. In the super finale the Albion Travel Agency entry won.

The overall winner will be announced on October 1, marking the hunchback’s anniversary, as the first ZAZ 965 rolled off the assembly line precisely 41 years ago.