ZIS 110 (1944-1958): From the power of Generalissimo Joseph Stalin

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Not very happy reading for the days before Christmas, but that's also the history of automobiles. It measures not only laurels, champagne, smiles and festivities, but also tears and sadness. And before the birth of one such model, we will now enter…

After the forcible takeover of power, the young Soviet state did not have the slightest concern. Its chief, Ulyanov-Lenin, who said that a bloodless revolution was no revolution, was driving a massive French Delaunay-Belleville, a popular tsarist brand, at the time he had the tsarist family murdered in Ekaterinburg, and later switched to another proletarian car. that is, Rolls-Royce. Several of them were ordered for the USSR at the time, and the Politburo continued along the same line after Lenin succumbed to the combined effects of the assassination and venereal disease.

Renovated "ordinary" ZIS 110 at the exhibition of the history and present of the Soviet automotive industry in the mid-1970s in MoscowSource: Pavel Kopáček archive (Za ruljom magazine)

His successor Jugashvili - Stalin, called Koba, liked big American cars, especially the Packard brand. The young state did not produce anything like that at the time, nor was it able to produce it. Therefore, the Ford A and AA licenses were purchased from America, but government cars did not count on the license. This is where the long period of so-called "functional samples", bought through the USSR trade mission in America and through American citizens sympathetic to the murderous regime, seems to begin. But the whole thing has an even more tragic flavor: any failure fell on the heads of the designers, and when none of the several factory-built Soviet "Buicks" finished one of the demonstration rides, it claimed death in the ranks of those "lead" (leader) responsible for the technical fiasco . After all, it was a time of "great terror"…

Stalin's Plant

We will jump right into the middle of the action and we will not deal (today) with the very beginnings of the Kremlin's motorization, the general of which we had to outline at least normally. We will try to map the development, production and use of perhaps the most well-known model of the ZIS brand (Zavod Imeni Stalina), model 110. Why this one? On the one hand, it is mostly known to those who are not interested in developments in the former Soviet bloc countries, and on the other hand, it was the first Soviet government vehicle to be used by the top Czechoslovak nomenclature.

However, we have to start from the end of production of the previous ZIS 101 model: its American design dates back to the mid-1930s, and Stalin (who, like Hitler and Gottwald never sat behind the wheel), could not fail to notice that development progressed far. Plans for modernization began in the late 1930s, but a few months later the order came from the Kremlin that nothing would be modernized and a new car would be built, so to speak. Stalin, accustomed to being driven by genuine American Packards, apparently expected the new ZIS to reflect the latest look of this classy brand.

Although the X-ray drawing is not detailed, it is enough for everyone to get a picture of the details of the huge car. Source: Pavel Kopáček archive (Za ruljom magazine)

It is certainly not without interest that the beginning of work on luxury passenger cars dates back to the time when the most difficult fighting took place in the Soviet Union, but only after the victory at Stalingrad did the development take the right turn. At the turn of 1941 and 1942, a special transport imported fifteen new models from Buick, Cadillac, Chrysler, but especially Packard from America. Among them were the years 1941, but also 1942, the last American before the US entered the war. Among them, the black Packard "One-Eighty", which was sometimes called the "Senator", stood out as a diamond, in an extended version with a partition behind the driver and an in-line eight-cylinder with 140 horsepower. The body was hand-made by one of the most expensive American body shops, the LeBaron studio. Stalin approved it immediately, but several other test vehicles ran on strictly allocated gasoline (which was always enough for the Kremlin) on the streets of Moscow and the surrounding area. The remaining vehicles from that special van were "study" dismantled, but this is common practice for all cars, regardless of political establishment. And one more event is noteworthy: another gift to Packard Stalin directly from US President Roosevelt. The threads are converging slowly!

In the autumn of 1942, Stalin appointed Andrei Ostrovtsev as chief designer by a special decree. He was accountable to the People's Commissariat, but in reality… We know! Today, it is difficult to understand the feelings of a mechanical engineer and a graduate of the Moscow Institute, with whom he took on a difficult task. Due to the complexity of the tasks, Ostrovcev was also given the right to choose his co-workers, who could even have them recalled from the front in justified cases! So if they were still alive… He saved many of these wonderful people's lives.

In the final version, Stalin could decide between Cadillac and Packard - what he preferred is to see. The first model built by hand and with great difficulty appeared during the war. He took into account not only the shape of Packard's 180 series, but also the smaller 160. Here, albeit a little premature, we must mention the often stated (and very problematicly proven or rebuttable) theory of licensing Packard to the Soviet Union, including press jigs. Due to the fact that the extra-series model of the LeBaron body shop was intended as a model, it is difficult to talk about pressing hooves for tens of thousands of series. In addition, it has not yet been possible to find relevant records of such a large business and logistically demanding transaction. A big plus in the theory against taking over the license is the fact that ZIS 110 is indistinguishable from Packard, but they are not the same! The dimensions of the individual components (especially the body panels) vary in the order of millimeters and sometimes tens of millimeters. On the other hand, the power unit and other technological components seemed to fall out of Packard's eyes. This was stated by the American press shortly after the US Army captured the ZIS 110 with its wheels and engine covered during the fighting in the Korean War and took it to the States for research.

The ZIS 110 therefore had a classic three-compartment frame body with a partially fender concept. Although the People's Commissariat insisted on fitting the driver's desk, in practice only government cars and taxis had it. Of course, some future ambulances and faetons were born without her. Stalin's personal contribution to the design of the new limousine was a cooler emblem, depicting a fluttering red banner with a Soviet emblem. The six-meter-long body of course had a pair of folding seats, but according to the custom at the time, the car seldom drove more than three people and a driver.

Some specimens also traveled to the west, albeit only for a short time: ZIS 110 and Moskvič 400/401 (in the background) at the exhibition of Soviet engineering in HelsinkiSource: Pavel Kopáček archive

The six-liter eight-cylinder was standardly connected to a three-speed manual transmission, controlled by a lever on the steering column. As expected, the engine ran velvet, with period materials claiming that the ZIS was much better soundproofed than LeBaron's original One-Eighty. A few more curiosities: for example, the three-color backlight of the speedometer according to the current pace, unusual color scheme of lights (indicators - red, ignition - green), ban on using a serial lamp car radio without running the engine, because the receiver had such power consumption that it would soon run out of battery, but also the modern placement of the reserve in the luggage compartment. Packard had a spare wheel stored in the recess of the fender, which turned into a footrest. Such archaism was already lacking in the KICs…

Production could begin

After the new KIC was inspected by Joseph Stalin and his suite in August 1944, it was approved by the People's Commissariat for Production. It started in the autumn of 1944. However, it was preceded by carefully classified orders:

* The People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade will freely purchase at the end of 1944 and throughout 1945 otherwise bound metals (including precious), machine tools and forming machines and other technical aids

* The same organization will receive one and a quarter million dollars to buy rubber, varnishes, upholstery and the necessary technology directly in the USA

* This commission was to consider and, if possible, implement the purchase of the entire mechanical kits of ZIS (ie Packard) in the USA

* The People's Commissariat of "Medium Engineering" (the equivalent of our later "general engineering", ie the automotive industry) will send a group of Soviet experts on a study trip to the Packard factory (Stalin set their number at a maximum of twenty)

The first ZISy 110 left the strictly guarded parts of the Moscow factory in November 1944, the last - and then considerably obsolete specimens - came out in 1958. In 1946, the creators of the car led by Andrei Nikolayevich Ostrovcev to the gulag).

The driver's workplace corresponded to its American counterpart, the amount of light plastic was a matter of the time, the ball on the shelf was also used by PackardSource: Pavel Kopáček archive (AMO ZIL)

A few interesting things from production and operation: each car was produced by a four-member working group, whose leader carried the skin on the market in case of poor work. During the operation in the Kremlin, the ZIS 110 covered an average of only 15,000 km, it did not have a fixed price because it was not for sale. Individual cars were allocated, and spare parts were produced according to their number. A special dispatcher took care of the KICs in the Kremlin garages under the supervision of several members of the secret police. He received information about the planned rides in advance, so he knew how many cars would need to be prepared and sent. In addition, two to three cars had a constant "emergency". Every two years, the cars went through a series of tests, at the slightest shortage they were either repaired or immediately scrapped (then at the level of lower officials). There were always plenty of spare parts and tires. The official Kremlin cars had black paint, but the factory also produced smaller quantities of wine and dark blue limousines.

During the production cycle, the plant delivered 2,083 copies of limousines, including taxis (110T) and ambulances (110S), the production of which was not (allegedly) independently monitored. Taxis appeared mainly in the capital, and later in Leningrad in the late 1940s. Mostly wedding guests, foreign tourists and pre-ordered groups traveled with them. For the average citizen, it was the only way to take a government limousine. The ambulances were not for everyone either, but the full conversion to the ambulance did not take place. The stretcher with the sick official was loaded in the back, the car different from the others in white paint and a glowing red cross over the windshield.

Other specialties

A very interesting limousine derivative was ZIS 110P. He had all-wheel drive! The reality of roads outside the capitals was harsh and similar solutions directly required. But the USSR was not ready for that, and Packard did not help either. Several prototypes were created only at the end of 1949 - the first idea was to adapt the large and heavy body of the chassis of the war Dodge series WC51. The kit didn't work out as expected. Later, another attempt came, using GAZ truck parts, including the transmission and axles. The experiment was called 110Š. Due to the consumption approaching 70 liters in the field, the car received a large tank, and the turning radius of the "terrain" giant also did not suit it. Only the chassis, accustomed to the buildings of socialism, weighed 3,200 kg without any problems. Passengers, on the other hand, complained about clouds of dust in the unsealed body, and after getting off the unpaved road the ZIS managed to mud, the limousine hung limp. Two copies - and the end.

Former Minister of Defense Alexej Čepička also conducted a military parade with one of the "Czechoslovak" KISSource: youtube.com

Between 1947 and 1955, forty 110V faetons (fabric roof and four doors) saw the light of day, which were created at the request of the Red Army headquarters. They served mainly during military parades, Stalin himself never sat in any faeton. Faetons were standardly painted in a light gray-blue shade, but they were supplied to the highest state authorities in black. The equipment included an additional protective glass and a holder for a standing statesman. A similar model, called the E110V, was not, as could be seen from the letter E today, an electric car, but a phaeton with an electro-hydraulically operated fabric roof. The complexity of the system manifested itself in constant defects and because of this, the whole project was stopped after the production of three prototypes.

Another specialty bears the designation 110B ("bronírovannyj" - armored), and was created in the number of only five pieces. Founded in 1947 and 1948, they had standard sheet metal reinforcement, the underside of the vehicle and thicker window glass. According to declassified archives, they could withstand light handgun shots, but of course they succumbed to machine gun fire. Stalin's paranoia manifested itself here in full. He refused to board the car, and if the available data could be trusted, all prototypes were immediately dismantled and destroyed.

A period image of the 110V faeton as he almost never rode. The roof remained permanently retracted and folded.Source: Pavel Kopáček archive (AMO ZIL)

The last experiment to be discussed is originally a common specimen, subsequently named as ZIS 110I, later supplemented by an eight-cylinder fork from the GAZ M 13 Čajka model, including an automatic transmission. This whole work was a mistake. The strong and elastic unit did not go together with the pre-war construction of ZIS / Packard. The prototype could not be controlled at higher speeds, refused to turn and behaved completely unpredictably. It was simply a useless attempt. The four 112 sports ZIS, derived from the "hundreds", are so specific that they deserve to be remembered in a separate article on Soviet race and record cars.

Monster ZIS 115

We come to the end of the "portfolio", which features an unprecedented but also hard-to-recognize monster called ZIS 115. They all arose between 1949 and 1952, at a time when the Soviet generalissimo apparently no longer controlled his morbid suspicion and fear. The number of pieces produced varies from 30 to 38, as some 115 reportedly reported to be ordinary 110.

Absolutely incredible more than seven-ton KICs were built in secret workshops under the direct supervision of the armed forces of the secret police. How do you know them? Simple and complicated: ZISy 115 did not have white-sided footwear, in the middle of the bumper in front of the mask there is one additional headlight, and during a detailed survey you will find an incredible thickness of glass. But the average citizen did not see all this, because he was not allowed to approach the government fleet. So he did not see that the ZIS 115 is intended for only six people, including the driver. The modification included both axles, a transmission and an engine that received a pair of carburetors. Power was increased to 165 horsepower. All body panels underwent tests at military shooting ranges, the armor resisted interventions, including a heavy machine gun. The window glass itself was 75 mm thick!

Steel profiles of incredible strength formed the basis of the body of the armored ZIS 115, developed at the direct command of Stalin. Source: Pavel Kopáček Archive (AMO ZIL)

The twilight of the ZIS began with Stalin's departure for eternity. His successor Khrushchev did not like ZISy, he used them only temporarily, the longest in his fleet were faetons. He pushed Soviet design offices to modern cars and soon moved to the world-famous Chaika. He rode ZIL (for explanation, the carmaker ZIS was later renamed ZIL), but he allegedly despised it, unlike his successor Brezhnev. But what the real relations of the powerful with their limousines were, it is difficult to find out today…

Let's look at those who traveled with the KICs: especially the Soviet "top", including some the presidents of the federal republics, especially the Asian ones during the reign of JV Stalin. Furthermore, ambassadors and the most important Soviet personalities abroad. Of course, the military nomenclature and the top boss police, especially the secret. Limousines and several faetons were exported as gifts to the heads of "friendly" countries, meaning the Eastern Bloc of Europe, but also North Korea, China and Vietnam. Heavily armored KICs 115 have also headed to countries where the people especially "love" their leaders, for example in the form of a gift to Korean leader Kim Ir Sen. Interestingly, the father of the Soviet Atomic Empire, Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov, was transported with a similar armored colossus. years, after being removed from government garages, some KICs fell into private hands. Their existence is documented in the late 70's, but extremely expensive traffic and impossible maintenance literally blew them off the roads. Today, probably only two "Czechoslovak" ZISs 110 survived, one in a very impoverished condition, the other seemingly complete, but equipped with a non-original diesel engine and many ugly accessories.

Owning any KIC is a very expensive affair. Complete and refurbished cars have price tags around half a million dollars, wrecks and disassembled incomplete specimens before renovation are available for prices starting at $ 50,000. But for that price, one can buy a completely ordinary and uninteresting car, while such a KIC in the garage, wouldn't you like it?

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