The corresponding image was published by the community «Ukrainian Cars». The photographer captured Viktor Yushchenko at the moment when the politician was opening the hood of the car. Whether the former head of state was satisfied with the car remains unknown.
The LuAZ-1301 was developed as an alternative to the Soviet LuAZ-968M «Volyn». The key feature of the LuAZ-1301 was a fully plastic body – Ukrainian engineers made only the load-bearing frame from metal. The car was planned to be offered in three trim levels (Standard, Elegant, and Lux) and in several body types (3- and 4-door versions, as well as a 2-door pickup), as well as with a choice of petrol and diesel engines (produced by MeMZ and VAZ).
After the car's presentation in 2002, the Lutsk Automobile Plant produced a total of 43 prototypes of this model, but it never reached mass production (the plan was to produce 4,000 LuAZ-1301 units per year). The enterprise's difficult financial situation hindered this, and the fact that the car was already considered morally and technically outdated at the time of its creation also played a role.
