LAZ-697

In September 1958 the first prototype with the designation LAZ-697 was created by the LAZ constructors, in cooperation with the NAMI institute. The model got the nickname “Tourist”, which remained until the last modification. The inner space had 34 soft seats with integrated individual lights, ashtrays and little luggage grids, in which the passengers could store papers or journals. The roof had a sunroof with a soft top. A cooling system with a humidifier as well as an air heater and radio with a microphone were also installed in the bus. The luggage space, with a volume of 3,5 m³, was under the floor and could be reached by lateral hoods on the right side. The prototype had two glass panes on the visor over the windscreen. The prototype was presented in Moscow and afterwards, a group of tourists from the LAZ factory used the bus for a tour to Czechoslovakia and Poland.[2] In June 1959 a second prototype of the 697 line was developed. It had 33 passenger seats with tiltable backrests and horizontal adjustment. One seat next to the driver was intended for the guide and could rotate 180 degrees. The glass panes over the windscreen were removed and an air canal in the visor was installed that brought cool air into the inner space. The window leafs on the lateral glass panes were increased. Instead, the roof windows were downsized a little, to improve the stiffness of the bodywork. As engine, the ZIL-158L was used, a modification of the ZIL-164 truck engine, tailored to buses.[2] The last prototype from November 1959 was similar to the serial model, whose production began one month later and lasted up to 1963.[2]

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  LAZ-697 “Tourist” on a soviet stamp from 1960
• 
  LAZ-697 (red), compare to LAZ-695E (blue) from rear, Saint Petersburg, 1968

A LAZ-697E “Tourist” could be transported by the soviet military transport helicopter Mil Mi-10

External images
Pictures of LAZ-697E
LAZ-697E after the production stop of the LAZ-697
Sunroof with a soft top

From 1960, episodical supplies with the new 150 hp engine, ZIL-130L, began. The buses that were equipped with these engines, became the new designation LAZ-695E. Only in 1963, when the engine supply began to be regular, the plant passed over completely to the new modification. Externally the first LAZ-697E did not differ from the LAZ-697. Only after the production stop of the first modification, the LAZ-697 became round wheel arches and the lateral mouldings disappeared.[5]

LAZ-697M, from rear

External image
Pictures of LAZ-697M
Transitional model of the LAZ-697M, with the back of the LAZ-697N

The LAZ-697M “Tourist” replaced the LAZ-697E in 1969E. The roof glass panes and the air intake pipe at the back of the roof disappeared. Instead, the lateral windows were increased. The engine air supply was carried out by deflectors beneath the rear window. The M-modification also got a rear axle, from the Hungarian vehicle spare parts producer Raba, and a power steering.[19] The braking system effectiveness was increased.[20] The first time, the new bus modification was shown to the public, was at a car show in Moscow, in 1969. At the end of the production, the bus got the rear body part of the new LAZ-695N. In 2005, the former and last owner of the LAZ factory, Igor Churkin, restored a LAZ-697M, which can be seen on the left picture. There are no other LAZ-697M left.[6]

External images
Pictures of LAZ-697E
The serial LAZ-697N, with round lights
Transitional model of the LAZ-697N, with the back of the LAZ-697M and rectangular lights, 1971
LAZ-697N, preserved to this days
Transitional model of the LAZ-697N, similar to future LAZ-697R, but with a rear entry door

The first time the new LAZ-695N was presented to the public, was at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy, in Moscow, in 1971. An interesting fact is that the LAZ-697N was created later than the LAZ-695N and the LAZ-699N but was first introduced into serial production. The front of the bus changed completely. It got a bigger windscreen and became flatter. The air supply deflectors moved behind the last lateral windows. Firstly there were installed rectangular lights, which were produced in West Germany. Later they were replaced by the cheaper, round lights, which were typical for all soviet trucks and buses. The serial production did not last long. Already in 1978, the LAZ plant started to produce a transitional LAZ-697N, which in many ways was unified with the future LAZ-697R. It has no window leafs anymore but instead an air conditioning system, which was installed on the middle of the roof. A distinct feature that could be found only on that LAZ-697N, was the rear entry door, like on the upper-class coach LAZ-699N. But the additional door decreased the number of seats and in the subsequent modification, LAZ-697R, it was removed.[7]

Similar to LAZ-695N, there existed two export versions of the LAZ-697N. The NE-modification was prepared for use in countries with Temperate climate and the LAZ-695NT for countries with humid as well as arid climate[13][21]

LAZ697R in Nakhodka,1985

LAZ-697R is a further modification of the LAZ-697N. As the last LAZ-697N, it has no window leafs and instead, an air conditioning system on the roof. The only external differences are the rectangular indicators that on the LAZ-697R are positioned over the driving lights. The production was stopped in 1985 and the capacities were used for the bigger coach, LAZ-699R.[3]

In 1996, on the base of the LAZ-695N, a diesel version was created that was similar to the no longer produced LAZ-697. As engine, the Russian YAMZ-236A was used and the bus was designated as LAZ-695D11 “Tanya”. The bus had two entry doors, same as the last LAZ-697N models, and comfortable, soft seats.[22] Also, in the 90s, some LAZ-695N were re-equipped with soft seats and manually opened one-section doors, like on the LAZ-697, by their owners themselves. They can be distinguished from the original LAZ-697 by the presence of a rear door.[19]

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Other modifications
LAZ-695D11 “Tanya” that was similar to LAZ-697

Due to its early production end, there were no serial diesel modifications, like in the 695- or 699-line. But after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the rise of the fuel prices, a lot of bus owners re-equipped their LAZ-697 into diesel or gas-powered vehicles. There are not a lot of sources for that fact but some LAZ-697R, with a YAMZ-236A,[23] were on sale on the internet.

The main engines that were installed on most LAZ-697, were the ZIL-158L and the ZIL-130Ya2. ZIL-158L was a special modification of the ZIL-164, a truck engine and tailored for buses, as the name suggests, firstly for the ZIL-158 city bus and then for the LAZ-695 and LAZ-697, respectively (The letter L stands for LAZ). The power was increased from 97 to 109 hp at 2800 rpm, thanks to a greater compression ratio of 6,2. The transmission on the ZIL-158L had a remote control because the LAZ buses had a rear engine.[24] From the last LAZ-697E series, the engine was replaced with a new ZIL-130Ya2, with a power of 150 hp. The Ya2 modification had the same differences from the original ZIL-130 engine, as did the ZIL158L from the ZIL-158. It was built specifically for rear-engine buses.[24]