I remember in the novel Darkness at Noon where Rubashov is arrested and taken away in a car described as "an American make." He comments that foreign cars cost quite a lot of gold, and "after half a year on our roads, they are finished."
The USSR did make their own motor vehicles, but presumably couldn't get enough, even if only the government used them. Did they have to import a lot of cars as well, and if so from where? I always wondered.
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Civilian cars in the USSR
long_tom
Joined: March 18, 2006
KitMaker: 2,362 posts
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Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010 - 06:13 AM UTC
minimanfactory
Joined: September 24, 2007
KitMaker: 119 posts
Armorama: 118 posts
Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010 - 06:21 AM UTC
Hi,
Soviet Union had soviet cars. Maybe impressed by american cars, or by licence of an italian, but they was all soviet.
The east block had soviet cars...and eastern cars...but best cars from eastern block was soviet cars, as Lada.
there were some private imported western cars...one to thousand.
It was the situation up to 1980-85 then lot of older western cars was imported by privates.
In Hungary was the Merkur the car reseller. in 1987-88 was already Opel Kadett and VW Golf II in program.
For You in the states they are even so small ones like the soviet cars.
...
i personally drive a V8...but british one :-)
Cheers,
Gabor
Soviet Union had soviet cars. Maybe impressed by american cars, or by licence of an italian, but they was all soviet.
The east block had soviet cars...and eastern cars...but best cars from eastern block was soviet cars, as Lada.
there were some private imported western cars...one to thousand.
It was the situation up to 1980-85 then lot of older western cars was imported by privates.
In Hungary was the Merkur the car reseller. in 1987-88 was already Opel Kadett and VW Golf II in program.
For You in the states they are even so small ones like the soviet cars.
...
i personally drive a V8...but british one :-)
Cheers,
Gabor
spoons
Joined: January 09, 2008
KitMaker: 527 posts
Armorama: 500 posts
Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010 - 07:01 AM UTC
hello
check the english russia website there is a few threads on russian cars, the soviets set up a few factories blatentley copying american cars with only a few detail changes.
check the english russia website there is a few threads on russian cars, the soviets set up a few factories blatentley copying american cars with only a few detail changes.
Frenchy
Joined: December 02, 2002
KitMaker: 12,719 posts
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Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010 - 07:15 AM UTC
design_ex
Joined: August 02, 2009
KitMaker: 6 posts
Armorama: 5 posts
Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010 - 07:26 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I remember in the novel Darkness at Noon where Rubashov is arrested and taken away in a car described as "an American make." He comments that foreign cars cost quite a lot of gold, and "after half a year on our roads, they are finished."
The USSR did make their own motor vehicles, but presumably couldn't get enough, even if only the government used them. Did they have to import a lot of cars as well, and if so from where? I always wondered.
what year?
long_tom
Joined: March 18, 2006
KitMaker: 2,362 posts
Armorama: 2,005 posts
Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010 - 08:03 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextI remember in the novel Darkness at Noon where Rubashov is arrested and taken away in a car described as "an American make." He comments that foreign cars cost quite a lot of gold, and "after half a year on our roads, they are finished."
The USSR did make their own motor vehicles, but presumably couldn't get enough, even if only the government used them. Did they have to import a lot of cars as well, and if so from where? I always wondered.
what year?
Darkness at Noon was written in the mid 1930's.
design_ex
Joined: August 02, 2009
KitMaker: 6 posts
Armorama: 5 posts
Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010 - 08:23 AM UTC
machines were still in pre-revolutionary times, and probably purchased abroad, because the first Soviet car was only released on Jan. 29, 1932 it was licensed FORD-AA and FORD-A
18Bravo
Joined: January 20, 2005
KitMaker: 7,219 posts
Armorama: 6,097 posts
Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010 - 10:15 AM UTC
A man in the Soviet Union saved for years and years to purchase a new car. Finally, when he had saved enough, he went to the Ministry of Transportation to order his car.
The bureacrat behind the counter tells the man, "You cannot choose the color - what you get is what you get."
"I don't care what color it is," says the man anxiously. "Just tell me when I'll get it."
"Your new car will be delivered to you exactly ten years from today," says the bureacrat.
Unfazed, the man replies, "What time will that be?"
Dumbfounded, the bureacrat says, "The car is not going to be delivered for ten years! What difference could it possibly make what time it arrives?"
"Because," says the man, "the plumber is coming at one."
The bureacrat behind the counter tells the man, "You cannot choose the color - what you get is what you get."
"I don't care what color it is," says the man anxiously. "Just tell me when I'll get it."
"Your new car will be delivered to you exactly ten years from today," says the bureacrat.
Unfazed, the man replies, "What time will that be?"
Dumbfounded, the bureacrat says, "The car is not going to be delivered for ten years! What difference could it possibly make what time it arrives?"
"Because," says the man, "the plumber is coming at one."
jakes357
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 254 posts
Armorama: 132 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 - 06:42 PM UTC
Quoted Text
I remember in the novel Darkness at Noon where Rubashov is arrested and taken away in a car described as "an American make." He comments that foreign cars cost quite a lot of gold, and "after half a year on our roads, they are finished."
The USSR did make their own motor vehicles, but presumably couldn't get enough, even if only the government used them. Did they have to import a lot of cars as well, and if so from where? I always wondered.
Tom,
I worked for Fiat in the US in the early '70s, when the Soviet Union purchased an entire factory from Italy to produce the 124 4-dr sedan. This was sold in Russia as the Lada sedan. I remember there was a minor stink about the new automatic tranny in the car,as it was a GM Turbo 350(licence built thru GM behind a 4 cyl Fiat engine). That transmission was fairly new technology and I'm sure they (US Govt) didn't want that stuff going behind the "Iron Curtin". This was during the Cold War Era and there were lots of trade restrictions with Russia.
While I was in Kyrgyistan in '03 is was amazed to look under the hood of the Fiat 124/Lada to find the same engine I worked on the 1970's. It was like " deja-vue all over again" A Kyrgy national I talked to said that Lada model had been around "as long as he could remember".
I recall them being a pretty rugged little car. A little automotive history from the Cold War.
Jake
Demchenko
Vendor
Joined: February 21, 2005
KitMaker: 230 posts
Armorama: 173 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 - 07:39 PM UTC
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