By: Cameron Moore
For the February 2025 edition of the Cars Corner, we will look at Ryder Konczak’s 1988 Moskvitch 412.
Konczak is a 20-year-old McPherson College sophomore who is currently pusuing a degree in the automotive restoration department. Konczak is from Kilgore, Texas, and has always been passionate about automobiles, specifically those from Eastern Europe. So, when he stumbled upon the Moskvitch, he knew it was something special. “I instantly fell in love with its goofy design,” Konczak shared, referring to the car fondly, “It was kind of a right place, right time sort of deal.” Originally imported from Lithuania in 2024, the car found its way to Wichita, where Konczak purchased it. With the help of a few friends, the car successfully made it back to campus.
The Moskvitch 412 is rear-wheel-drive with a naturally-aspirated, carbureted, 1.5-liter inline-4 engine that produces around 80 brake horsepower, paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. Production of the 412 started in 1967, manufactured by AZLK in Moscow (which the car is appropriately named after), and IZh in Izhevsk, Russia (formerly known as the Soviet Union) until 2001. The car was sold in the European, African, and Cuban markets, but despite its presence worldwide, it remained a niche vehicle outside of its homeland.
However, with unique cars come unique challenges. “Parts are not the most readily available,” Konczak admits. “The largest source of parts is in Ukraine, but right now, with the war, it’s not the most reliable place to order parts from.” Konczak is currently diagnosing an overheating issue and working steadily to make the car road-worthy. With not many people immersed in the world of Soviet classics, many who have seen this car have never even heard of the brand before. “When they find out what it is and where it’s from, everyone is usually surprised,” Konczak adds.
With Ryder’s Moskvitch now part of the Bulldog family, the campus car scene has become even more diverse.
