Cars Behind the Iron Curtain (Apr, 1956)
Source: Mechanix Illustrated ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Apr, 1956
| Buy on Ebay
|
Cars Behind the Iron Curtain
Here are the new autos Russia and satellites are building—Detroit has no cause for alarm.ZWICKAU P 70 assembled in the East German Audi plant has 2-cylinder. 2-cycle, 22-hp engine. Claimed top speed is 62 mph. Gas consumption 33 mpg. Car features Duroplast body and pan-carried spare tire which automatically drops when the lock is turned. Trunk is also accessible inside car.
SKODA 440 is the latest auto to be produced in Czechoslovakia. It has a reputed top speed of 71 mph and supposedly runs 39 miles on a gallon of gas. A 4-cylinder engine rated at 40 hp operates the auto.MOSKVICH is a new all-steel Russian auto which will soon be built in Moscow. It has such nobby innovations as directionals and a radio. Reds claim four-seater goes 45 miles on a gallon of gas, does 65 mph.
MODEL 72, another Russian vehicle, was designed for the most rugged terrain and comes with four-wheel drive, low pressure tires with special grip tread. Shown climbing roadless hill, it is made at Gorky.
POLISH SIREN was put into production this year. It has an air-cooled, 2-cylinder, 27-hp mill. 37-mph speed.
But it doesn’t include the Trabant!
http://www.time.com/time/speci.....30,00.html
Comment by Rick Auricchio — December 23, 2008 @ 9:23 pm
One of the last TopGear episodes featured “commie” cars. Quite amusing. Most of them were complete turds.
Comment by sporkinum — December 24, 2008 @ 3:19 am
What did Stalin and Kruchev drive?
Rolls Royce or BMWs?
Comment by jayessell — December 24, 2008 @ 1:49 pm
Stalin and Kruchev likely had Zil limos. BMW wasn’t into luxurious cars in the Stalin era, was it? Unless you count the 600 (http://www.microcarmuseum.com/tour/bmw600.html)
Comment by Toronto — December 24, 2008 @ 2:02 pm
The P70 seen on the first page was the precursor to the Trabant; the first Trabant came out in 1958/59, it was facelifted to the iconic shape in 1964, and then….East Germany stopped funding its’ auto industry and that was it for development.
Comment by nlpnt — December 24, 2008 @ 5:13 pm
Stalin and Kruschev rode comfortably in Zil limos that were knock-offs of Packards.
There is a page on Packardinfo.com that shows you all the various Soviet Zils and how close they resembled Packards..however, parts are not interchangeable
Comment by Paul Bellefeuille — December 27, 2008 @ 10:10 am