(first posted 3/17/2013) In the first five minutes of every introductory Russian language class, one learns that the letter resembling a B in the Cyrillic alphabet is the letter for V. So it is fitting that the GAZ-24 “Volga” series was the all-purpose car of the last two decades of the Soviet Union and the first decade of post-Soviet Russia, filling roles similar to those of the Chevrolet Caprice and other General Motors B-Body cars. The V-Body, one can call it.
In a command economy that produced only narrow ranges of consumer goods, and in which Communist Party status or service to the state gave greater access to those consumer goods, Volgas were for Soviet citizens with privileges, although not the highest privileges. (This photo, from the autobiography of star hockey player Viacheslav Fetisov, is captioned “A Soviet person’s dream – a Volga automobile.”)
image source: flickriver
Taxis, police cars, ambulances, and other fleet vehicles that needed to be relatively large to do their jobs were the same Volgas. There were larger, higher-status cars for senior Communist Party leaders from ZIL (originally named ZIS, then ZIM) and GAZ (the Chaika), small cars for the working class such as the Moskvich and Fiat 124-based Lada from the 1960s onward, and microcars such as the Zaporozhets (given free to disabled war veterans, with hand controls for drivers missing legs). But the Volga was the only choice in the middle of the market.
image source: ucapusa.com
In the Soviet Union, GAZ (Gorkovskiy Avtomobilniy Zavod, Gorky Automobile Factory) produced the Volga and its predecessors for over half a century. This role began in 1932 when GAZ produced the GAZ-A, a licensed copy of the Ford Model A that was the Soviet Union’s first mass produced passenger car (GAZ-A CC here).
image source: gaz20.spb.ru
The first postwar GAZ automobile was the M20 “Pobeda” (Victory), produced from 1946 to 1958. An original Soviet design developed during the final years of the Second World War, it was a fastback four door sedan with a 50 horsepower 2.1 liter side valve four and a top speed of 65 miles per hour. GAZ produced 235,997 M20s during 12 years of production.
The Volga nameplate first came into use in 1956 on the GAZ-21, featured in an earlier Curbside Classic post today. The 21 went through an even longer production run than the M20, from 1956 to 1970, during which 639,478 were produced. Styled similarly to early 1950’s American cars, complete with chrome accents, the M21 had a 70 horsepower overhead valve four, and early models even had an automatic transmission until maintenance and reliability concerns caused it to be replaced by a manual gearbox. The M21 has become a popular collectible in Russia, where the most famous M21 owner is Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin.
The final Volga was the 24 and its various derivatives. They are the Russian cars most familiar to Americans and other Westerners because of their prominent roles in numerous movies. The Moscow car chase scene in “The Bourne Supremacy” is the most noteworthy Volga movie role. Other appearances were as the Russian general’s car in the tank vs. car chase in “Goldeneye,” as a Red Army staff car in “Octopussy,” and as the airport taxi in “A Good Day to Die Hard.”
First produced in 1968, the GAZ-24 design was generally comparable to the engineering of mainstream passenger cars in the United States, Europe and Japan during the mid-late 1960’s. A unit body with independent coil spring front suspension and a live rear axle with leaf springs, powered by an overhead valve four with a four speed floor shift, the Volga resembled an American compact, although with fewer cylinders and less power. With a 110 inch wheelbase, 187 inches length, 71 inches wide, and weighing approximately 3000 pounds, an M24 Volga sedan was comparable in size,width and weight to a Plymouth Valiant or Dodge Dart, although a bit shorter in total length. In its styling, there’s little doubt that there were a number of influences, particularly so from the Vauxhall Victor 101, which preceded it by a few years.
The Volga’s big 2.5 liter four banger, which deserved the name as much as any four cylinder engine ever produced, lasted with an unchanged block through several design generations from 1968 to 1996. In 1968, it produced 112 horsepower at 4700 rpm and 148 foot-pounds of torque at 2400 rpm, sufficient for a top speed of 90 mph.
The engineering design of the M24 Volga showed intelligent thought by Soviet engineers, but its execution demonstrated the stinginess of the Soviet state and the sloppiness of the work force. Meant for service on the Soviet Union’s rough streets and roads, the Volga was designed with a strong unit body and heavy gauge steel body panels. GAZ engineers also gave it a unique progressive two barrel, spread bore downdraft carburetor, similar in concept to the Weber DGV series, in an attempt to give the car a combination of economy and power.
On the other hand, the Volga was a crude vehicle, designed with little concern for passenger comfort, and often badly assembled by the workers in the GAZ factory. The author has had approximately 100 rides in various Volgas over the years, and every one was an ordeal featuring the unpleasant roar of a large four banger, gasoline fumes, wind rushing around doors with massive panel gaps, and a jolting ride.
Being relatively large for a Soviet car, the Volga naturally was the car of choice for Soviet officials. The black Volga sedan was the standard car for Party apparatchiks, senior military officers, and the KGB, with senior police officers using white Volgas with blue police insignia. (The photo is a still from the movie “Octopussy.”)
While many Soviet citizens rode to unfortunate fates in the back seats of black Volgas, many others had their lives helped by rides in Volgas of other colors. The Volga served as the standard ambulance and taxi of the Soviet Union.
Small numbers of stations wagons also were available for purchase by individuals.
The Volga even achieved some sales outside of the Soviet bloc. With a Peugeot diesel engine replacing its rough and often unreliable Soviet powerplant, the Volga was a large and reasonably durable car by standards in Western Europe. A Belgian firm named Scaldia-Volga distributed them in Europe and Latin America.
The basic GAZ-24 design went through several design generations that changed the body and drive train while leaving the chassis and engine block fundamentally unchanged. The GAZ-3102 (pictured), introduced in 1982, modified the front and rear end styling and the intake system. It would last until 2009 with further changes over time. The GAZ-24-10, produced alongside the GAZ-3102 from 1986 to 1992, used the same body as the M24 but introduced further engine upgrades. The GAZ-31029 of 1992 to 1997 used the mechanicals of the GAZ-24-10 and the body of the GAZ-3102, with a more aerodynamic front end.
The final model was the GAZ-3110 and GAZ-31105 (pictured), which along with the GAZ-3102 lasted in production until 2009. Modernized with a more aerodynamic body and overhead cam engines, it still used the central body structure and doors introduced in 1968.
Forty years in production as fundamentally the same vehicle is an impressive run, but even halfway through those four decades, the Volga GAZ-24 design was past its expiration date. In the free world, 1960s passenger car designs such as the Plymouth Valiant and Fiat 124 had been surpassed and out of production for at least a decade by the late 1980s, but their Soviet equivalents continued largely unchanged. By the 1980s, anyone in the Soviet Union with access to a Western car abandoned the Volga and other Soviet-made cars.
This black official Volga eclipsed by a red Mercedes 190, a design in its prime in the late 1980s, embodies this decline in status. (Whoever owned the Mercedes parked facing the wrong way in a prime parking space in front of a major hotel, in the face of a fleet of chauffeured Volgas. He must have been important.) Just as the U.S. auto industry lost the top of the market to Mercedes, Porsche and other European makes during the 1980s, so did the Soviet auto industry.
Much as the U.S. Army and the Soviet Army never stood face to face on a battlefield during the Cold War, the GM B-Bodies and the Volga occupied similar market segments without ever meeting in the marketplace. They did meet in a place where U.S. servicemen and servicewomen spent eight years at war, however: Iraq. The Saddam regime purchased large numbers of Chevrolet Caprices for high-ranking officials and military officers during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. (The Caprice, with its large size and powerful air conditioning, was a popular car in the Middle East.) Cut off from Western markets by economic sanctions during the 1990s, the Saddam regime turned to Russia and bought Volga taxis during the 1990s. Yellow Volgas are currently a common sight on the streets of Baghdad, and in the rust-free climate of the Middle East, they and the Caprices should continue to roam the streets together for many more years.
The Volga in this photo happened to drive past when I photographed the mural on the side of the building, and the accidental juxtaposition could not have been better if it had been planned. The mural and the car complement each other perfectly. The original painting in red boldly proclaims “We are building Communism” in classic confident 1960’s Soviet style: muscular men, equally muscular women, and a Sputnik. The early 1990’s addition below it, an advertisement for a post-Soviet business named after a famous 14th Century Russian warrior-monk, parodies the original by proclaiming, “We are building a new Russia.” The Volga likewise is a relic of the Soviet Union of the 1960’s that has outlived the Soviet state. Although obsolete and generally cast aside in favor of new Western cars, it will continue to represent Russia to foreigners as a taxi and movie car for many years to come.
Thanks for posting this. The cars of the Eastern Bloc are certainly interesting in the same way of the more rare Curbside Classics: their unrealized potential. I would say that these cars are more reminiscent of sturdy, crude old Volvos than GM B-bodies, which flaunted the US’s relative affluence.
The picture with the Mercedes 190 compelled me to register… The car has a finnish number plate. In the background there is also a 80’s Ford transit and a older Volvo (142?), wonder when the photo was taken? I don’t think it was very common (or even easy) for finns to make a road trip to USSR, when it still existed. And even then, the ride of choice probably would not have been a yuppie merc with metallic paint and spoilers. A business trip of some kind? Would be interesting to hear the story behind the photo.
Finns were a common sight in the Northern regions, especially so in Leningrad. Coming by bus, by water, rarely by car. Usually slightly drunk, as alcohol was very cheap in the Union – and not quite so in Finland; they called that “alco-tours” AFAIK ) No offence ment, but the finns had… well, a certain reputation )
“Had”? None taken… Vodka-tourists were they called here. For them, it was not uncommon to fund the trip by selling/trading jeans or other western consumer goods. Black market exchange rate was favourable, vodka cheap, results predictable… Well, back to cars.. Those times, you hardly saw cars with soviet plates on the Finnish side, how that has changed! Most russians drive euro/japanese makes now, but sometimes one can spot a Lada, Gazel, Niva or even a Volga. Back in the days, some Volgas were sold in Finland, but by the 1980’s it was not competitive, at least considering the price. Lada was cheaper and stayed reasonably popular much longer.
The Lada beside the Transit was imported into Australia for a time, paid for not by currency but wheat!
Jepsu,
The Finnish origin of the number plate indicates where the photo was taken. It was in the summer of 1987, in either Moscow or Leningrad, and the car being from Finland points to Leningrad. I could not remember in which city I took the photo before.
The Mercedes 190 being bright red with big spoilers and a “666” license plate number tells me that the owner is someone with a big “look at me” attitude! I have seen some brash Finnish vodka tourists, so the car fits the profile to me.
I would have enjoyed driving a bright red new Mercedes right into the middle of a gaggle of apparatchik cars.
I’ve never seen a Volga here in Canada, though if we ever get down to Cuba I can imagine we’d see a few. The photo with the red Mercedes also attracted my attention, but for a different reason. In the background is a Lada Samara hatchback and a Czech Skoda sedan. Ladas were sold here in Canada from 1978-1998, and while most of them have rusted away, there’s still a few Niva 4×4’s kicking around. They were even assembled in Canada for a while at a facility in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Skodas were also sold in Canada from 1982-1989, when VW took over Skoda and stopped exports to Canada. Aftermarket parts are still available for the Lada, but I can imagine parts for Skodas and the few Yugos and Dacias imported here are difficult if not impossible to find. I saw a few Dacias back in the ’80’s, and an old ARO 4×4 rusting away in a Toronto storage yard in the early ’90’s, and that’s it for East Bloc iron in Canada. Good articles and pictures.
In 1988, flush with cash after reselling my first ever vehicular purchase (a 1968 Land Rover LWB pickup), I bought a 1982 Skoda Rapide coupe. Timmins, ON was home to one of the few Skoda dealerships in Canada and as it was right around the corner from my house, I had seen the neat little coupes and sedans every day for years. The dealership dropped the Skodas in ’87 in favour of his more profitable Suzuki line, but there were a few 130s still kicking around the lot. The Safety Orange 130R that I picked up was the dealership demo and salesman hack, and was purchased for pennies.
Unfortunately, its time in my care was all too brief as my family made the move south to Sarnia that fall and the Skoda, still unregistered, was sold on for pennies once again.
Yes very cool The world wide trend continues when needing a diesel engine where do manufacturers look whether you are BMW Suzuki or Volga you phone Peugeot the leaders in diesel passenger car technology The new BMW MINI diesel you guessed it powertrain by PSA.
Well, the history of Soviet cars it the one in which “it all started well but ended very very badly”. During 1930s … 1960s, at least we had brand new cars developed every 10 years or so (GAZ-A 1932-36, GAZ M-1 1936-46, M-20 Pobeda 1946-58, GAZ-21 Volga 1956-1970, GAZ-24 1968-…) and they were at least halfway up to the world standards.
However, in this particular case, it must be noted that the Volga, with all of its merits and flaws, fulfilled it’s intended role of taxicab more than adequately up until 2000s. It’s position of something like a “luxury” personal car in the USSR was more or less unintended and closely connected to the limited ability of the GAZ to assemble passenger cars in large quantities (they were seen as a mere addition to the plant’s production program which consisted mostly of medium trucks and military vehicles).
On the latter models, starting with the 3102, I can say that, in accordnance with Marx’s Law of transformation of Quantity into Quality, as small changes were made to the basic design, they accumulated and the cars themselves gradually transformed into something qualitatively different. The late models, GAZ-3110 and 31105, shared only some of the body shell’s stampings with the 1968 GAZ-24. Unfortunately, the build quality was quite different, too, absolutely uncomparable with that of the 1970s or even 80s (it has been deteriorating slowly since mid-70s – rapidly since mid-80s)
By the way, I find the B-body analogue very fitting, as many Volga owners later upgraded to GM’s large cars, as they found contemporary Volga-sized Euro sedans… well, a bit too European )
Oh yes, and – I remember that when the Iraqi war started… a large shipment of yellow Volgas which was initially bound to Iraq was sold in Nizhny Novgorod at a bargain price. They had special “export-south” rubber parts, heavy duty engine cooling system … and NO HEATERS !
That’s funny about the Volga Iraqi Taxis…you may have heard of the Chevy Malibu Iraqi Taxis. Basically the same story, Iraq had ordered a few thousand 1980ish Chevy Malibus specially outfitted with heavy duty cooling and three speed manual transmissions. The second half of the order was canceled and the cars were sold in Canada. Apparently they were a popular cheap-skate car for years afterward. Google “Iraqi Taxi Malibu” for the whole story…
That’s funny about the Chevy Malibu Iraqi Taxis… you probably never heard of the Brazilian VW Passat Iraqi. A similar story, in the mid 80s Iraqi had ordered a few thousand specially outfitted Passats (1st generation, really an Audi 80 hatchback) with heavy duty cooling and air conditioneering. It was basically a barter trade: Iraqi sent oil and got the cars. Crude prices went down and the deal became unprofitable, so the last batch was sold at the home market. Despite an unusual burgundy interior (for Brazil), people appreciated their good finish and full equipment for an affordable price, so VW sold all of them and made a small profit. AGB
AGB,
As you may have seen in my earlier Cars of Baghdad CC, the early to mid 1980s VW Passat is a very common car in Iraq. In my observation, they appeared to be private cars rather than taxis, but that does not mean that some were ordered and used as taxis.
Do you have any more information or links to any information about the Brazilian VW Passats made for Iraq? I may be in Brazil later this year, and I would like to be able to recognize one of these cars if I see one in the street.
I spent a lot of time in the USSR during 1982-83. I do not remember the Volgas I rode in being quite as bad as you describe, but I certainly would not have traded a Valiant, or any American car, for one. The country lacked either the ability or the inclination to finish off goods at a high quality level. That included airplanes, buildings, clothing and often restaurant meals. Anyone who spent a lot of time there and poked around would come to the realization that the threat we heard so much from our politicans and generals about it’s army attacking Western Europe was absurd.
While I agree that the threat to Europe may have been overstated, I want to caution that Russia’s military hardware has, because of State priorities, always been superior to her consumer goods, both in design & execution. However, this has not been clear to the public because most countries using Russian weapons get dumbed-down “Monkey Models” — everyone saw the Coalition blowing away Iraqi T-72s & MiGs, & assumed that Russia is nothing to worry about. But I would NOT want to find out how good Russia’s military is on her home ground; look what happened to Sweden, France, & Germany, ea. at the top of their game in their day. I’m grateful we’re on another continent.
The US has also removed content from exported weapons, to a lesser extent.
Goodness, I’ve got tons of (passenger) seat time in various Volgas. I worked in the former USSR in the mid-90s. Back then you could hail any driver just like a taxi, and you hoped for a Volga, as better foreign cars in the Urals were still a rarity. The heaters were better, the room better, and in summer they weren’t dying on the side of the road like cockroaches the way all the Moskvitches did any time the temps rose above 85°. Their drivers (then) were still proud of them, especially the more reliable 24s (all things being relative).
The nicest was one I hailed one evening that was a pristine 3102, black, with a very rare govt issued telephone up front. That driver was an official of some sort, gruff, and clearly not too happy to find out his passengers were Westerners. We were glad it was a short ride. He was the only driver that gave us pause about hiring cars that way.
Hank,
The majority of my Volga passenger seat time was in 1993, when I was working in Moscow. Like you, I remember being able to get a ride from almost any car in the street in seconds, and go anywhere for two dollars, sometimes as little as one dollar if you wanted to be stingy and haggled. The Volgas were better to ride in than the Ladas and Moskvitches, and in cross-country driving they could sustain speeds that the smaller cars could not. Nevertheless, a ride in a modern foreign car was a night and day different experience.
Like you, I have a vivid memory of a ride in an official black Volga with a telephone. It stood out for the car being exceptionally clean and well maintained, with a quieter engine, doors that sealed properly, and suspension that seemed to absorb bumps better (shocks that were not worn out?). It also stood out for the driver being unfriendly and completely unwilling to talk, the only time that I ever encountered a Russian driver not interested in talking about America, life in Russia, or something. My impression was that the driver wanted a few extra dollars but knew that he was doing something wrong, so feelings of guilt kept him quiet.
Storey about Iraqi Malibu Taxis was in IRAN – thanks billchrest
remindes me of paykan(based on hillman hunter from rootes&also called persian chariot)in iran stayed in production for 40 years&after 4 decades the only changes been made was head&tail lights with way more worst quality compare to the time it started being made.in last 10 years of production(1995-2005)most paykans ended up braking down before they reach 10 k miles,i should write about paykan if you guys are intersted.
Kian,
I would love to see a write-up about the Paykan or any other Iranian car. They are little known in the U.S. The classic American car scene in Iran has been covered by the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/automobiles/collectibles/14IRAN.html?_r=0), but Iranian-made cars have not received the same attention.
robert kim,sorry that i have not had chance to get back to you earlier,first day of spring is persian new year&i have been really bz in past week or so,i would love to write you up about paykan,samand&afew other persian cars,just let me know how to get in touch with you as my access to internet is a little limited from time to time,but i will do my best to get together enough information & it should be kind of interesting for people overthere to learn afew things about iran.thanks for your interest&looking forward to hear from you.good day.
pierre. We’d love to see that when you have the time to put something together. You can send it to us here at curbsideclassic@gmail.com
Very interesting write-up as always, thanks. I know it’s just a one-off, but would have loved a footnote on this dystopian M21 coupe, built around a Bimmer 850.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/volga-v-12-coupe
I very much wanted to mention that one-off M21-styled coupe, and even had an excellent photo of it in front of a classic Stalin-era “wedding cake” building that I would have used, but I decided that it would have been a digression in an article that was already quite long. Paul already mentioned it in his M21 CC, and that was the decisive factor against covering it here.
Thanks for fascinating story, but i still prefer my Peugeot 404 wagon! Dawid Botha
the Volga really more comparable to Volvo 140-series(1966-1974)or Volvo 164(1968-1975).The only way you can compare the Volga to Chevrolet Caprice both cars were used as a taxi cabs in their native countries in large amounts;just like as Volvo in Scandinavia or Mercedes-Benz W114/W115 in Germany.In comparison to Chevrolet Caprice the Volga is small,spartan trimmed and weak car.GM were had change generations of their cars more often than any other auto manufacturer in the world and every Chevrolet Caprice was very modern at a time;the Volga Gaz 24(1967-1993)(series production from 1970) was a little bit outdated yet in the early 1970’s,not to speak about mid 80’s!The Cold War is not the reason to declare about similarity or equality between the Soviet Union and the United States!!!!!!!
Volga GAZ 24 95hp.@4500rpm[106.5 SAE hp] source: Wikipedia. And now about heavy gauge steel used in the Volga Lenght 186.4inWidth70.86inHeight58.66inCurb weight3 .131lb.Let’s compare Mercedes-Benz W114/W115(1968-1976)Lenght184.25in with Euro-spec bumpersWidth69.75inHeight56.75in Curb weight 2.998-3.516lb. BMW 5-series E 12(1972-1981)Lenght181.1inWidth66.5inHeight56.1inCurb weight 2.734-3 .373lb.So about what heavy gauge steel you are talking mr.Kim?!!! what’s this communist propaganda?!!!
One more thing about “Volga”-s (GAZ 24) – there were special models for government use (mainly KGB) GAZ-24-24 that had engines and automatic trannies from GAZ 13 “Chaika”. V8 with 3.speed automatic. A friend of mine had two of these a few years back. Funny contraptions but one could drive these only in a straight line. No handling whatsoever. If i am not mistaken, the earlier GAZ 21 had some KGB versions as well. No personal memories about these though.In 1962 a very rare GAZ-M-23 model was introduced. Powered by the 5.53 litre V8. It was nicknamed The Chaser. A total of 603 Chasers were made.
peykan is very nice…
Going off-topic, but you knew the Aussies had to do this. 1970 Hillman Hustler.
They’re actually good looking vehicles. It’s too bad they were never imported to the USA. Perhaps the political climate of the time (USA vs USSR, “Democracy” vs “Communism”). Still, it would’ve given American car buyers a look at what cars the Russians are capable of building.
This is a car I can actually enjoy driving. It’s better looking than its predecessor, while still being rugged enough for Russian climate, and hopefully reliable enough for American driving. 🙂
A Soviet-era, pre-1990 example could be imported without much difficulty, since it would be over 25 years old. (A survivor sold in Europe with the Peugeot diesel would be an especially interesting driver, in my opinion.) I have seen a GAZ-21 being driven in the U.S., and imports of old WWII Harley-Davidsons and Soviet-era Ural motorcycles are quite common, so it can be done.
You may be disappointed in the actual Volga driving experience, though. I am not sure what I would compare it to among U.S. or European cars. A four cylinder Chevy Nova with worn out shock absorbers, and worn out everything, may be the closest approximation among American cars.
Well then, perhaps one had better get some new shock absorbers to improve the ride. Condition is *everything*. I wouldn’t want any car if everything were worn out, and not working worth a damn.
Volgão russo, tentativa fracassada de imitar o lincão americano…:)
Thanks for running this article again. I like the explanation of the mechanicals. How markets change! Today in Russia one can purchase a Bentley SUV with Diesel power that achieves 30 MPG but this is not available in the U.S. It seems that Russia has a more open market.
Well, just guessing, looser pollution requirements anyway.
I got a chance to drive a restored 1979 Volga when visiting Odessa two years ago. It feels exactly like an early 1960s American compact stripper manual 4-banger, perhaps something like a Studebaker Lark or a Rambler. Even a base Dodge Dart or Chevy Nova (I have driven both) with zero options feel luxurious in comparison. But if you have driven such cars, the Volga would be familiar. The only thing shockingly bad were the brakes, I quickly learned to start braking much earlier than I was used to – even compared to 1960s cars. Also, this car and every other Volga I’ve ever rode in stunk of gas fumes, and of course the fit and finish is typically Soviet. But they’re not as awful as some people would have it, merely much “older” than the model year would indicate and much more basic, despite filling the same role as the larger and more luxurious B-body.
The Lark is a fairly substantial feeling car overall. The only part of my 1962 that seems tinny and flimsy is the hood, which closes with a loud “BONG!”. While the body really *isn’t* that strong, it feels the part. Mine has a V8, so the overall impression isn’t too far removed from a traditional full size body-on-frame American car of the era, sans the floatiness. The brakes are also surprisingly good for a stock 1960’s car, coming from the fact that the Lark was basically a sawed off 1958 Studebaker. 6 cylinder Larks provided weak performance, though the engines are turbine smooth (the OHV 6 even ran nicely… when it ran).
I’m betting a 4 cylinder Chevy II might be a buzzy ride, and the half-a-389 Pontiac Tempest surely so.
The lead photo shows a ‘universal’ which, I believe, is another way to refer to a station wagon.
Remember being soundly chided by my girlfriend and also my female cousin for even considering buying a used one when I was living in what had been a socialist country. My purpose was to have a grocery getter and car for the city rather than always use the bus. Looked to be relatively easy to work on and I figured I could adapt parts from Western makes if needed.
Like the idea of wet cylinder liners, had a Renault Dauphine with them. Easy to rebuild. Cheap ones seen to be available. https://cylinderlinerfactory.en.made-in-china.com/product/kqFxDUCMksay/China-Russian-Spare-Parts-Cylinder-Liner-Used-for-Volga-Gaz-21.html
The wagons have a Rambler-vibe to them which I find appealing.
Pleasant-looking car.
Sounds like it’s not much fun to drive but probably beats riding the bus.
Interesting that on that first brochure shot they use what looks to us like a ‘3’ to represent the ‘z’ sound of GAZ (GA3-24?), but elsewhere the ‘3’ is also used for the number 3. I guess if you’re used to reading Cyrillic it’s normal to use the same symbol in two contexts.
Sort of like many English-language typewriters came with 2 as the first number key; the lowercase L also served as the numeral 1.
Hi Robert,
I am currently completing an academic book project on 1960s-1990s Russia and I have been looking all over the place for someone who has personally taken a picture of that Peresvet ad that you have as your last image in this article. You took it from such a perfect angle and the Volga looks lovely against that backdrop. I would love to include it in the book. Is there a way to get in touch with you about this directly? Thanks so much!