Istorie
The GAZ M21 Volga is an automobile manufactured in the Soviet Union from 1956 to 1970 by GAZ (Gorkovsky Avtomobilniy Zavod, in English "Gorki Automobile Factory").
A Volga M21 was given to Yuri Gagarin after his orbital flight; Gagarin was very fond of his Volga.
Full description
The first car to carry the Volga name, it was developed in the early 1950s. Volgas were built with high ground clearance (which gives it a specific "high" look, contrary to "low-long-sleek" look of Western cars of similar design), rugged suspension, strong and forgiving engine, and rustproofing on a scale unheard of in the 1950s.
Stylistically, the Volga was in line with the major American manufacturers of the period in which it was introduced, and had luxury features such as a reclining front seat, cigarette lighter, heater, windshield washer, and three-wave radio. When the six-cylinder line was discontinued by GAZ in 1959, the GAZ M-21 Volga became the largest and most luxurious car officially sold to individual owners in the USSR. Although its very high price made it unavailable for most car buyers, a total of 639,478 cars were produced.
Three series GAZ -21 were released, most easily identified by the grille. The first series (1956-58), known as the Star, was distinguished by a grille of three large horizontal bars with a medallion containing a star in the centre. The second series cars (1958-1962), known as Shark, featured a grille with 16 vertical slits. The third series (1962-1970), known as Baleen, had a grille with 34 thin vertical rods.
The car's large size and tough construction made it popular in the police and taxi trades, and V8-powered versions (designated GAZ M23) were produced for the KGB (Committee for State Security). An automatic transmission was briefly offered in the late 1950s, but later discontinued due to lack of service stations.
An M21 was given Yuri Gagarin after his orbital flight; Gagarin was very fond of his Volga.
This car was fully restored in 2020 by a Tiriac Collection team of specialists and mechanics.
This exhibit has covered 4.125 km.
