"Stalin's Limousine"

[Christophe]

Whatever it is Stalin's real one or not, it is a good deal for such a car !!

Ch.

[HuliganRS]

Can you imagine the quality of the leather in this BadBoy?

The back seats look like a nice comfortable couch!

The middle row doesn't look too inviting, though!
They do look like they fold forward to make a nice working space...

...And it's a convertible!!! You can't even buy a decent vintage convertible for half that much

Rusty.

[Mozzabloke]

It sure sounds like a bargain but I'm suspicious that its the same car that someone paid 1.6 million for it has not become any less desirable over time and that is a ridiculous amount of money to lose. I can't beleive someone could write off that amount of money.

Mark

[Christophe]

What do you think of this one ?
Another 3 guys parade... but the same car !

With a former ZIS model, the ZIS 101 (1936).

But on the - supposedly - parade car for sale, where is the third headlight (the one located on the bumper) ?

Ch.

[Christophe]

As seen in the Telegraph (3 march 2003) :

"End of the road for the limo loved by Kremlin dictators

Zil limousines, the weighty black status symbols favoured by the Kremlin's occupants from Joseph Stalin to Vladimir Putin, have come to the end of the road, victims of Russia's capitalist economy.

After almost 60 years, the factory in Moscow where model Soviet workers once assembled up to 24 Zils a year by hand has suspended production of the car indefinitely.

Since the fall of communism and the break-up of the Soviet Union, the popularity of the 3.5-ton behemoth - once seen as the acme of socialist technical prowess - has collapsed. The armour-plated, bullet-proof and grenade-resistant 41052 model had remained popular in Moscow for a while after the end of the Soviet era despite its £380,000 price-tag, but more recently the Mercedes has stolen its thunder.

Now, 15 unwanted Zil 41047s, the most recent seven-seater models, stand unsold at the Likhachyov factory in south Moscow, with no buyers in sight. "They are equal to almost a year's output," lamented Vladislav Yevlampiyev, the assembly chief at the plant. "These are very tough times for us."

Vitaly Mochedlovsky, the 67-year-old deputy head designer for Zil, said: "I've been here 45 years and have seen most of the Communist Party general secretaries come and go. I should retire myself now but I can't leave Zil at this moment." The rise and fall of the Zil closely mirrors that of the Soviet Union. Originally modelled on Buick and Packard sedans from America, the car was born out of Stalin's desire to match the vehicles turned out by the Soviet Union's rival for superpower status.

He launched the project to create the 315hp Zil limousine at the height of the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942, in defiance of the Nazi invasion. For more than 50 years, convoys of Zils were a familiar sight on the streets of Moscow and other Russian cities, whisking the party elite along reserved traffic lanes. Designed for luxury rather than speed or fuel economy, the Zil managed a maximum 118mph and took 13 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60mph, averaging just 10 miles to the gallon.

A few of the cars were also exported: past and present owners include Fidel Castro of Cuba, the former Indonesian president Suharto and heads of state in Mongolia and Eastern Europe. At the height of communism, two models a month came off the production line, destined for party bosses. The cars were returned to be scrapped after 10 years or 100,000 miles - and a few were destroyed with only a few thousand miles on the clock, written off by the country's leaders as "excess" vehicles.

It was Boris Yeltsin who delivered the first of a series of fatal blows to the Zil when, in 1992, he opted for a German Mercedes. Although President Putin reverted to the Zil, and has two at his disposal - one, with white-walled tyres, built for Nikita Khrushchev in 1963, is used on foreign visits - government orders for the limousine have dwindled from 25 a year to only 10.

In an effort to clear its unwanted stock, the company has cut the price of its Zils to £79,000. It has also hired a new designer, a 38-year-old aviation engineer, Konstantin Laptyev, to try to revive the marque's fortune. The older generation of workers at the factory believe he can secure a future for the car. "Even in 1942, Stalin believed we must emerge and join the ranks of the leading nations with our own face - and our own car," said Mr Mochedlovsky. "But no one envies the burden on Laptyev's shoulders."

Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev waves from his Zil to welcoming crowds along the Stalin-Allee in Communist East Berlin, Germany, 1960.

And here, no third headlight !!!!

Ch.

[kameli]

...but very fine on its own way.

The SAUNA built on the old ZIL !!!

Must be only one in the world.


Jussi-Pekka


Picture from yesterday's daily newspaper "Ilta-Sanomat":

[new world]

Just put for sale on auto-show in Moscow - Brezhnev favorite car for $160,000.

Make - Nissan President, limited edition of couple of hundred pieces.
All original parts (except tires and battery).
Mileage - 55,000 kilometers.

As the seller states - Brezhnev liked this particular car a lot and drove the car all the time (mind you that Leonid Illich was avid driver...)

Some famous guests were driven with Brezhnev in thsi car - Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, President Nixon, etc.

After Brezhnev death car was used by Patriarchs of Russian Orthodox church. Current owner acquired the car in 1992.

Interior of Brezhnev car:

[Esteban_cool]

Originally Posted by Tal Inbar

"THERE IS A VIDEO THAT SHOWS JOSEPH STALIN, ROOSEVELT AND CHURCHILL RIDING TOGETHER IN RED SQUARE AT VICTORY PARADE"

How could that be?
Wasn´t F. Roosevelt already DEAD(April 12, 1945, in Warm Springs, Georgia)when the Victory Parade was?

[new world]

Originally Posted by Esteban_cool

How could that be?
Wasn´t F. Roosevelt already DEAD(April 12, 1945, in Warm Springs, Georgia)when the Victory Parade was?

He probably ment Truman...

[CtahhR]

Off the factory line limousines are quite a rarity, as most are "lemons" but here's an example.

I was driven around in this elongated Volvo for a number of years. It is currently on blocks but it certainly didn't cost $60,000! It'll be back one day with a custom built bar (with hand pulled beer!) in the rear for my enjoyment.