In the early 1950\u0026#39;s the western market is gaining popularity of a new type of bus, established on the basis of passenger cars, and a very clear example - Minivan Volkswagen Type 29, for up to 7 passengers and is available in Germany since 1951. It was created a few elongated platform of the usual \u0026quot;Beetle\u0026quot; (VW1200), and combines comfort and bus speed of the car. After visiting the Motor Show in Geneva, the chief engineer of the RAF Laymons Klege (Laimonis Klege) and designers Ya Ositis (J. Ositis) and G. Seals (G. Sils) decided to organize the production of minivans in his Riga. Despite numerous requests the Director of the RAF considering the transition to new products, the Ministry each time rejected these proposals. Moscow believes that the country needs large buses charter and factories that produce their repair. Then a group of plant designers and enthusiasts, led by Laymonsom Klege, using only its own capacity, was to embody his idea to life. However, this team has supported from the U.S. in Moscow. It was initiated by us in Riga has been sent for detailed work on a passenger vehicle from Volkswagen. Only the construction of the German minibus few designers conceived as consistent with the RAF. His engine was in the rear of the machine, and also in the Soviet Union, the choice of powerful compact engines was very limited. Single most viable option was considered the engine of the GAZ-M20 \u0026quot;Pobeda\u0026quot; and then, if arranged in front of the body. Consequently, the entire Rigas minibus had to be completely different in design than the Volkswagen. 


RAF-10 \u0026quot;Festival\u0026quot; - the first domestic vehicle.

First Riga prototype minivan was built a team of 7 persons. While this machine, all participants worked as a team, not dividing the work among themselves. Near collected samples hung sketches, drawings, blueprints of the future minivan. In the process of creating some of the structural elements were reviewed on the spot. If you want to grind out the details here on the lathe. Welding undertook to perform the Chief Engineer L. Klege. The singularity of the work was still in the fact that this was the first vehicle in the USSR, until the machine similar structures in the country simply did not exist, and many had to do first. Minibus completed in 1957, so the novelty was called \u0026quot;Festival» (Festival), in honor of the VI World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow. The design of a small bus used not only the engine of the GAZ-M20 \u0026quot;Pobeda\u0026quot;, but many other units and components of the car: transmission, front and rear axles, steering, wheels. Welded metal body of the wagon carrying the layout of the new RAF could accommodate 10 passengers (hence the name of the RAF-10 - ten seats). Side door to the salon, fulfilled duck - clearly modeled on the \u0026quot;Volkswagen\u0026quot;. In the roof installed \u0026quot;smoked\u0026quot; glass, four on each side - this is a tribute to fashion the 1950\u0026#39;s. Chuck cars adorned with the original three-dimensional figure. Designation of machinery has been identified as a service bus or taxi. Naturally, the first car to get enough \u0026quot;crude\u0026quot; and has caused numerous complaints, primarily on the reliability of the body, so after her first impressions very quickly reworked, and in 1958 at the VDNKh USSR has shown in a new guise. At the same time on the car set a new engine from GAZ-21 Volga. In general, the updated RAF-10 \u0026quot;festival\u0026quot; has kept the size and proportions of the firstborn, but apparently different from his other location headlight head light and the shape of the grille. By the end of the year was made 11 copies of the RAF-10 \u0026quot;festival\u0026quot;.


In 1958, an updated vehicle RAF-10 \u0026quot;festival\u0026quot; was shown at VDNH in Moscow.