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Soviet-Era Car drives into Sunset
THE death knell sounded for one of the Soviet Unionâs most enduring symbols yesterday when the makers of the majestic but chronically unreliable Volga car announced that it is to be discontinued from 2007.The Volga went on the market in 1956, in an effort to prove that the Soviets could make cars as big and luxurious as the Americansâ models. It remained a status symbol for millions of Soviet citizens until the collapse of Communism. The Volga was the choice of mid-level party officials; the top brass cruised around in the Chaika (Seagull) limousine. Some owners even called the Volga "Russiaâs Mercedes". Volgas and Ladas still dominate the roads in the former Soviet Union. But they face competition from cheaper, more reliable foreign cars, especially from Japan, South Korea and China, as Russia prepares to join the World Trade Organisation. Privatised in 1994, the Gorky Automobile Factory (GAZ), which also produces vans and lorries, sold only 50,000 Volgas last year, with prices starting at $7,000 (£4,000). Ford, by comparison, expects to sell 60,000 of its Focus model in Russia next year for about $10,000 each. The Gorky Automobile Factory was founded on the orders of Joseph Stalin in 1930 with the help of the Ford Motor Company. Its first passenger car, the GAZ-A of 1932, was based on the Ford A. By the mid 1930s the engineers had abandoned the American prototype and begun producing their own models, which soon began to compete with their Western rivals. GAZâs crowning achievement was the GAZ-21 Volga, which could reach 60mph (96 km/h) in 34 seconds and had a top speed of 80mph. It was upgraded several times but the basic design stayed the same. Posted by: Pappy 2005-12-08 |
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