Chaika 1958-1989 - State limousines and pride of the East
Summary
There were around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of them have disappeared. One of these vanished brands is Chaika, which existed from 1958 to 1989. Its core business was the construction of state limousines for the second most important nomenclature of the Soviet leadership, or vehicles such as the GAZ 13 and later the GAZ 14. In 1980, the output was 500 Chaikas and ZILs, in 1987 still 250 vehicles combined. The last Chaika was built in 1989.
Estimated reading time: 3min
Preview (beginning of the article)
In 1932, the second Soviet car factory, the Molotov Works, was established in Nizhny Novgorod, in the north-east of Moscow. After the war, in addition to GAZ off-road vehicles and the Pobyeda mid-range passenger car (predecessor of the Volga), the 7/8-seater Zim GAZ 12 luxury saloon was built there from the beginning of the 1950s, based on American engineering. This also applied to the successor model Tschaika (= Möve) GAZ 13 presented in 1958, which was clearly reminiscent of the Packard from 1955 onwards in terms of style. While the ZIL 111 (formerly ZIS) built in Moscow was intended for the top echelons of the state, the Chaika served the second most important nomenklatura of the Soviet leadership. They were only slightly smaller: wheelbase/length 325/560 cm (Chaika) and 376/603 cm (ZIL). Both were based on a solid frame with cross bracing. The Chaika engine was a 5.5-liter V8; the transmission was an American-style 3-speed automatic gearbox with push-button controls on the dashboard. In 1962, the front end was given a new twin headlight design.
Continue reading this article for free?
_RM.jpg)
