Estonia 3 was first serial Formula car in USSR constructed by A. Seiler and V. Paazik. The brand was in western Europe as TARK, Tallinna Autode Remondi Katsetehas. Later the factory was privatized and renamed “Kavor Motorsport”.

Estonia-3 based on early car – Estonia-1 (by A. Seiler, 1958). First car was build at 1959. Serial production started at end of 1960. 36 cars were build to 1961. Prototypes for all early TARK cars (E-1, E-2 and E-3) was british Cooper’s Formula-3 50’s cars. But british cars were faster than TARK’s cars, because TARK’s had weakly engines IMZ-Ural and had more mass.

Pipe frame, a rear engine arrangement, an independent suspension of all wheels. The main difference from “Estonia-1” was the design of the rear suspension: springs were used instead of the spring. In the main drive there was no differential. The frame was also significantly simplified. The motorcycle engine IMZ-M52S underwent a more intensive forcing than on the “Estonia-1” (35 hp against 30). The gearbox was also taken from IMZ-M52S. Wheels – tangential, motorcycle type.

Estonia-3 was Formula-3 500cc (International and Soviet union classification) and Formula-4 (Soviet union classification after 1964) car.

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About the IMZ Ural engine:

Early in World War II, the Russians had built the IMZ plant to produce BMW-design motorcycles under licence (the R71 model, predecessor of the R75). The Serpukhov All-Union Research Facility of the Motorcycle Industry was tasked with developing the engine, and the design they came up with in 1954 bore an uncanny resemblance to the BMW R51/3. The IMZ-Ural M52 went into production in 1957. Just as in Germany, it was the go-to engine for almost all of the Soviet Formula III builders, including Zvezda and Estonia.

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Other Estonia 3 specs

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Self-tuned Estonias-3

Self-modernization of cars “Estonia-3” was not a mass phenomenon and occurred only in selected cases. So, in 1962 E. Griffel performed on a car with the Czechoslovak engine ESO-500; Later (in 1964-1965) V. Aksionaitis installed on his car an engine with a fuel injection system. It is also known about the cases of radical modernization, which was aimed at participating in the races of the “senior” classes. In 1964, Leningrad athlete A. Guler acted in the national formula 1 on the converted “Estonia-3” with the engine “Moskvich-407” (1358 cm3), located in front of the radiator and wheels from the car [photo 1]. In 1962, at least one “Estonia-3” received the engine “Wartburg” (992 cm3) and 13-inch wheels for racing in the formula “Junior”. [photo 2]

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Estonia-4 (last of this series)

Made in 1961 version of “Estonia-3” with an engine from the Czechoslovak motorcycle ESO-500 (36 hp.) And a four-speed gearbox from him. The design of the rear was apparently designed on the model of the Cooper-T42 cars that took part in international races in Leningrad in 1961. J. Kyuunemäe performed in 1962-1963 behind the wheel of this single made Estonia-4. The design was unsuccessful, and further work on it was discontinued.

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Where now?

At present, the only surviving copy of Estonia-3 has been restored to its original state and placed on the course of the “Workshop of Shamansky” in Moscow. All another cars were lost.

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Estonia-3, 4 racing results (only some of them):

1958

♦ Leningrad, USSR 5th October 1958. First ever race on this track. 3,3 км. 32 laps.
1st Vladimir Simanovich – GA-500, 2nd German Mel’nov – GA-500, 3rd Oleg Rotach – GA-500. DNF: Ants Seiler – Estonia-1 (set First lap record in >750cc class on New Leningrad racetrack, Nevskoyo ring – 2 мин 05 с = 95,04 км/ч

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1959

♦ USSR Championship, Minsk 6th September 1959
1st Dmitrii Borisov – Zvezda 500, 2nd Nikolai Klimanov – Zvezda 500, 3rd Ants Promet – “Zhuk”, 4th Vyaino Paazik – Estonia-3

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1960

♦ USSR 500 Championship
1st Georgy Surgučiov – Nami-041M, 2nd Dmitry Borisov – Zvezda 500, 3rd Enn Griffel – Estonia 3, 4th Viktors Lapins, 5th Egon Mesila – Estonia 1, 6th E Sushinskis

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1961

♦ Leningrad, USSR 7th August 1961
1st Ants Seiler – Estonia 3, 2nd Voldemara Beisans – Estonia 3

♦ Tartu, Estonia USSR 13th August 1961
Aggregate Result: 1st Egon Mesila – Estonia 3, 2nd Madis Laiv – Estonia 3, 3rd Ottomar Luna – Estonia 3, 4th Enn Griffel – Estonia 3

♦ Leningrad, USSR 27th August 1961
1st Curt Lincoln – Cooper Mk XII, 2nd Jurijs Burgovs – Estonia 3, 3rd Voldemara Beisans – Estonia 3, 4th Pauls Gulbis – Estonia 3, 5th Anatolijs Sebeikins – Estonia 3, 6th Jaan Kjujunemjae – Estonia 3 ||| DNF: Heimo Hietarinta – Cooper Mark X, Seppo Rikillд – Cooper, George Surgučiov – Nami-041M, Enn Griffel – Estonia 3, Ants Seiler – Estonia 3

♦ Leningrad, USSR 1st October 1961
1st Jurijs Bugrovs – Estonia

♦ Leningrad, USSR 8th October 1961
1st Jurijs Bugrovs – Estonia

♦ Leningrad, USSR 12th November 1961
1st Ants Seiler – Estonia 3

♦ USSR 500 Championship
1st Ants Seiler – Estonia 3, 2nd Anatol Sebeikin – Estonia 3, 3rd Voldemara.Beiљans – Estonia 3

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1962

♦ Tallinn, Estonia USSR 27th May 1962
1st Voldemara Beisans – Estonia 3, 2nd Pauls Gulbis – Estonia 3, 3rd Madis Laiv – Estonia 3, 4th Leo Kritt – Estonia 3, 5th Igor Chekovs – Estonia 3 DNF: Vladimirs Zelenkovs – Estonia 3

♦ Tallinn, Estonia USSR 5th August 1962
1st Jurijs Bugrovs – Estonia 3, 2nd Jurijs Sidorovs – Estonia 3, 3rd Voldemara Beisans – Estonia 3 DNF: Ants Seilers – Estonia 3, Jaan Kjujunemjae – Estonia 4, Georgy Surgučiov – Nami-041M

♦ Kaunas, Lithuania USSR 12th August 1962
1st Jurijs Bugrovs – Estonia 3, 2nd Jergenijs Glukharev – Estonia 3, 3rd Voldemara Beisans – Estonia 3 DNF: Jurijs Sidorovs – Estonia 3, Madis Laiv – Estonia 3

♦ Leningrad, USSR 26th August 1962
⇒Race 1
1st Georgy Surgučiov – Nami-041M, 2nd Jergenijs Glukharev – Estonia 3, 3rd Madis Laiv – Estonia 3
⇒Race 2
1st Georgy Surgučiov – Nami-041M
⇒⇒Aggregate Result
1st George Surgučiov – Nami-041M, 2nd Jergenijs Glukharev – Estonia 3, Viktors Tjagunenko – Estonia 3

♦ USSR 500 Championship
1st Jurijs Bugrovs – Estonia 3, 2nd Voldemara.Beiљans – Estonia 3, 3rd Jevgenijs Gluchariov – Estonia 3

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1963

♦ Kaunas, Lithuania USSR 28th June 1963
1st Madis Laiv – Estonia 3, 2nd Lazarj Lipovskis – Estonia 3

♦ Minsk, Belarus USSR 4th August 1963
1st Vitatas Aksionaitis – Estonia 3

♦ USSR 500 Championship
1st Madis Laiv – Estonia 3, 2nd Vitatas Aksionaitis – Estonia 3, 3rd Jevgenijs Gluchariov – Estonia 3

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