(first posted 10/12/2017) Having taken the opportunity to discover Iceland last July, I went ahead and took the opportunity to take a trip to Armenia and Georgia in September. Why? Because I had never been there before. And these countries have a long and fascinating history, beautiful mountains and monuments, edible food and nice wine… The intriguing carscape I was to encounter on this edge of Europe there was just the icing on the cake.
14th century fortress and church near Mt Aragats in Armenia.
Perhaps some of you may not be entirely familiar with this corner of the globe, so in a nutshell, Armenia is a small landlocked country, about the size of Belgium or the State of Maryland, with a population of about 3 million. Georgia is a bit bigger, roughly equivalent in area to Ireland or West Virginia, with 3.7 million inhabitants.
Mt Kazbek (5033 meters) and its glacier in the Greater Caucasus range of northern Georgia.
Both countries share a border, but they also have problems with their immediate neighbours. About 30% of Georgia’s territory is under Russian control, whereas Armenia controls a chunk of Azerbaijan’s territory – the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia’s borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed, but one can go either north to Georgia or south to Iran.
Part of the Geghard monestary and church (4th cent. – 13th cent.) in Armenia.
Armenia displays its long-standing Christian heritage prominently, as it claims to be the oldest Christian nation in the world (since 301 A.D.); not to be outdone, Georgia’s flag has five crosses – St George is a bigger deal here even than in England. Over the centuries, these countries have had to endure invasions and occupation by a variety of empires – the Romans, the Ottomans, the Persians, the Mongols, the Russians… So the culture and language in these countries is quite unique.
Stalin’s armoured railcar, used in the ‘30s and ‘40s, displayed in his home town of Gori, Georgia.
Both Armenia and Georgia have their own alphabets, their own independent clergy and their own issues with the past. Armenians are still marked by how most of their country was basically destroyed by the Turks and their population scattered around the world, the Georgians still live with the memory of the two prodigal sons that became their tormentors during the Soviet days – Stalin and Beria.
Typical Old Tbilisi street, with typical local traffic.
But let’s get to the cars already. Both countries seem to be sourcing a lot of their stuff second-hand from Germany nowadays. The ultimate status symbol, as in many former socialist countries, is owning a Mercedes-Benz. Plenty of new-ish Opels, VWs, Škodas and Fords are around for those who cannot afford the three-pointed star. Japanese and Korean cars are a bit less common here than in other parts of Europe (though they get several models that are not found in the EU) and American ones are nowhere to be seen, barring the odd Escalade.
Stark automotive contrasts in Yerevan, Armenia.
No Italian cars either really, except a single Maserati Ghibli saloon I saw in the middle of nowhere in Georgia. Of course, as in any capital, a few super-rich elites drive around in spanking new top-of-the-range luxobarges, but they are the exception (this is not Geneva or the West End of London). A smattering of Renaults and Peugeots, but no Citroëns. But I’d say a good fifth of the cars are still Russian-made legacies of the old Soviet days. And that’s what interested me, first and foremost.
Of course, we should get the Ladas out of the way. These are ubiquitous, though I personally don’t get tired of the sight of them. These Fiat derivatives were built in a completely new factory in Togliatti from 1971 to 2015 – over 18 million were made.
The basic Lada (often called “Zhiguli” in Russian) had a 1200cc engine and looked almost exactly like the Italian Fiat 124. Not sure when they stopped making these with full chromed trim and single round headlamps, but they’re still around – both in saloon and wagon form. And seeing these never fails to bring a smile to my face.
More common are the newer “Russian Mercedes” Lada Riva 1500 / 1600, also known as the 2107. They are mechanically very similar to the Zhiguli, but their bigger engines and more manly looks have made them far more popular. Lada Rivas are going to be with us for a long while yet.
In the mountainous terrain of the Caucasus though, it’s perhaps better to opt for the Lada Niva. These rugged 4x4s have been in production since 1978 and have a worldwide following. You still see some in Western Europe, whereas other Ladas have pretty much gone extinct there. Few Russian designs can claim to have as much personality as the Niva, and the car’s simplicity and roadability on rough mountain roads have made its success.
In 1984, Lada introduced the FWD Samara, known in Sovietland as the Sputnik. I cannot remember the last one I saw in Western Europe, though they were imported (and dirt cheap) at the time. These were in production for almost 30 years, but their overall shabbiness seems to have claimed a good number of them already. They are definitely not as common as the Niva or the Riva.
AvtoVAZ, the makers of Lada, introduced the 110 (or 2110) saloon during the dark days of the Yeltsin era, though it was designed, with a little help from Porsche, during the last years of Gorbachev’s premiership. They barely lasted a decade on Togliatti’s roster, though they lasted a lot longer in the Ukraine and Egypt. Was is the bulbous styling, the devalued badge or the overall poor quality that kept most foreign buyers away? The 110 (along with the 111 wagon and 112 hatchback variants) bombed in export markets but were pretty strong sellers in Soviet successor states.
Sensing that the 110’s rather amateurish design hindered its larger popularity, Lada gave it a mild makeover and renamed it Priora in 2007. These are still being made in Russia, but again export markets responded with an emphatic “Nyet”. That’s it for the Ladas – I don’t recall seeing any Okas, the smaller model that Lada used to make, nor many of the newer cars they came out with recently.
So on with the show and to Russia’s other big carmaker – GAZ. The Gorky Automobile Factory has produced cars since 1930, but it seems the oldest ones still on the road are the Volgas from the -50s and ‘60s, such as this lovingly restored M-21. This looks like a 3rd series car (nicknamed “the baleen”), which would make it a mid-‘60s example, with the oft-added, but not period-correct, pedestrian-piercing leaping gazelle hood ornament.
These are not that rare in the Caucasus, though roadworthy cars are not as common as wrecks or parts cars. The 3rd and 4th series were outwardly pretty identical, with production lasting until 1970. Their 2.5 litre 4-cyl. engine is one of their most valued assets, as it is known for its torque and durability. But the Volga one sees most often in Armenia and Georgia is the M-21’s long-lived successor (and a personal favourite of mine), the M-24.
I chanced upon this restored 1st series M-24 in Tbilisi, complete with bad quality black paint and toothy chrome grille. These are relatively large cars to non-American eyes and noticeably wider than the M-21 – hence their nickname of “barzha” (barge).
The M-24 was officially launched in 1967, but production only really got going in 1970. This particular car’s lack of bumper guards and C-pillar sidelights appear to make it a 1974-77 model, but it’s anyone’s guess when this car made it out of the factory, really.
The “gazelle” emblem makes this car something of a Soviet Impala. A good portion of these were used as taxis and government cars, but some were exported to various Asian and European countries. They’re not the status symbol they once were, but it’s heartwarming to see some folks are taking the time and effort to save a few.
Of course, there were other chrome-grilled (i.e. pre-1985) Volgas around, but most of them were in pretty poor nick. This 2402 station wagon, photographed in the Armenian city of Gyumri, is a case in point. Funnily enough, the more recent Volga wagons have a modernized front clip, but the whole rear end was never updated, which makes them look like two cars merged into one.
Some Volgas are still on taxi duty, of course. This 2nd series (plastic grille) Volga 2410 was working for a living despite its advancing years – the last ones were made in 1992. I’m no fan of the black plastic scourge that befell the automotive world from the late ‘70s onwards, but I must say GAZ did very well compared to most other automakers, be they European, Japanese or American. These still looked damn good.
For a 30-year-old Volga taxi, it seemed in impeccable condition. The engine was probably still the original 2.5 litre four with its Cossack-like cavalry of 98 ponies (DIN), which doubtless has quite an appetite compared to a Lada engine. But you make do with what you have.
The more serious-looking Volga 3102 was also to be seen on occasion, though not as frequently as other Volgas. This one was snapped in Yerevan. The 3102 was launched as a more upmarket Volga, though still quite visibly based on the M-24. These were produced from 1982 to 2009, this being one of the later models. The 3102 was reputed to have a better build quality than its lesser stablemates, which explains its long life within GAZ’s lineup. Personally, these Volgas’ ham-fisted, square-jawed looks and rectangular tails leave me pretty cold.
The M24’s rather dated appearance was, by the ‘90s, obvious to all, so Volga gave the old girl a much-needed butt and facelift, resulting in the 3110. The new rear was certainly a departure from the previous Volgas’ vertical tail lamps and squarish looks. But did this gel with the carried-over central section? No, not really. And the new front clip was not an aesthetic triumph, either. Luckily, that last point was taken into account.
This is the 31105’s happy and smiling face – the 2005 facelift of the 3110. I hadn’t seen these in the metal before, but they’re quite an improvement over the mid-‘90s facelift. These were to be the final iteration of the M-24: GAZ halted production in 2009, just as the platform reached its 40th birthday. For this final version, the toothy chrome grille made a welcome return, now frozen into a grin and accompanied by bulging thyroid-eyed headlamps on either side – the epitome of Volgarity. Nicely done.
So now we enter the domain of the “others”, the non-Lada and non-Volga Soviet cars. I recently wrote about the AZLK Moskvich 412, which was once about as ubiquitous as the Lada Riva is now. But this is no longer the case, I’m sad to report. At least in this part of the former USSR, there were few Moskviches to be seen. I did glimpse a few 2140s and at least one of the weird Izh combis, alas these were not captured on camera. I did not see any Moskvich Alekos, as far as I know. The only 412 I did capture was this late model (but already pretty far gone) Izh van, with a novel front-mounted spare wheel.
On the other hand, this being a region of rough roads and steep grades, there were quite a few UAZ 4x4s around. This UAZ-69 looks like it had been somewhat restored and accessorized to the hilt. These things were designed by GAZ in the early ‘50s but built at the Ulyanovsk Automobile Factory (UAZ), which was originally set up in record time when the Germans attacked in 1941 to make trucks. These were made until the early ‘70s and some are still in regular use.
But the UAZ one really sees everywhere is the Jeep-like 469. These tough little things are your best bet to get through the higher mountain passes in the Caucasus. A lot of them seem to be army surplus and consequently wear olive garb paintwork and have canvas roofs. This one though, which I saw in the Kazbegi region of Georgia and seems to be the village police officer’s car, was a “civilian” four-door with a full metal roof.
I have no idea if these can be dated in any way – it seems the ones they make nowadays are pretty much identical to the ones they made back in the early ‘70s. Similarly, the engines used in these could be anything from a 2.4 to a 2.7 litre 4-cyl. made (I believe) by GAZ.
UAZ may be the kings of the Soviet 4×4, but they also produce a significant amount of trucks and small vans, including this rather cute 451 – also available as the 452 in 4×4. These were introduced in 1965 and have remained in production ever since. These are often seen in Armenia and Georgia, though usually in 4×4 guise. This one seems to be a 4×2 (RWD) used by the Georgian Water & Power company.
Last but not least, a lovely Izh motorcycle and side-car found in Tbilisi. Motorcycles are not my field of expertise, so I’ll defer to the CCommentariat for the identification of this machine, but it does look like an Izh Planeta 3 with a single-cyl. 350cc engine, built anytime between 1962 and 1989.
A couple of regrets include my missing an opportunity to photograph a ZAZ – I did spy a couple of these little Corvair-esque rear-engined cars on my trip, but alas they escaped. Also, I did not see a single ZIL, but those are ultra-rare even in Russia, so that was perhaps to be expected. A couple of cars I found are worthy of stand-alone features, to be written up and posted soon. Hope you enjoyed this little virtual tour of these two fantastic countries as much as I did hiking there for a couple of weeks.
Related posts:
Back To The USSR – Or A Long Time Ago In a Galaxy Far, Far Away…, by Hombre Calgarian
Junkyard Classic: 1988 Lada Samara – The Modern Lada, by David Saunders
Cohort Sighting: Lada 112 – The Russian AMC Hornet?, by Perry Shoar
Curbside Classic: Volga GAZ-21 – Coming Out Of Hibernation , by Stanislav Alexeyev
GAZ-24 Volga: The Near-Immortal GM B-Body Of Russia, by Robert Kim
Curbside Classic: 1974 AZLK Moskvich 412 – Cod War Icon, by T87
The Dodge Stratus was put back into production somewhere in that neck of the woods. Can’t recall by whom, though.
It was GAZ. It’s name was Volga Siber.
BTW, @Tatra87, didn’t the dash of the 31105 look a lot like that of a B5 VW Passat?
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.automobilemag.com/news/2008-gaz-volga-siber-134701/amp/
Gaz Volga siber. Killed off by the recession as well as access to current model cars
That’s a remarkable trip, and a great article. Glad you had such a good experience.
Thank you for this interesting writeup about a region rarely if ever covered in many automotive sites. I haven’t been to Armenia but during a trip to Tbilisi and Batumi last November, I’d say about a good 30% of the cars were right hand drive Japan domestic cars. They still had Japanese parking permits affixed on their rear windows and it was interesting to see the different prefectures represented on those permits. I read somewhere that accidents involving right hand drive vehicles are quite common, especially when overtaking at high speeds on freeways. Many German makes like Opels, Audis and Volkswagens still had the oval D (Germany), NL(Netherlands), or CH (Switzerland) stickers on them. Also prevalent were North American models of Mercedes, Honda CR-V, and BMWs. Some of these cars still had state inspection permits and dealer decals affixed on the back. Interestingly, Georgia’s police force uses gray Ford Taurus interceptors. Georgia is trying to boost its tourism and it has good food, hospitable people, a nice wine industry, great hiking especially in Kazbegi and nice views on the Black Sea coast. This is a photo of an Iranian IKCO Samand I took in the historical part of Tbilisi. I rode in a taxi version of this car.
I photographed this postwar Zil in Tbilisi many years ago,
When Stalin was in power, Georgia received more than its fair share of best Soviet production cars.
Old Joseph was fidel to his homeland inspite of the fact that he had no voter base in Georgia or any where else in the former Soviet Union for that matter.
That is a ZIM (aka GAZ-12), predecessor of the Chaika GAZ-13
Nice ZIM (as Goodwin pointed out) — wish I’d seen one when I was down there.
I don’t think many Georgians would agree that Stalin displayed any favouritism towards his countrymen back in the day. He set Beria on them (a truly horrible man, also a Georgian) and was particularly ruthless with their clergy. The cars came after Uncle Joe’s reign, I would think.
Interesting pictorial. The Volga M-21 was a pretty handsome and up-to-date car when it was introduced in 1956. I’m particularly partial to the first-series grille which featured a big shiny star in the center and had a vague resemblance to a ’53 Ford.
The Volga M-24, on the other hand, seems to have borrowed its front styling from a late-’60s Ford Taunus 12M.
The black Volga is about 85-86 vintage, however it is in rather rough condition, so it could be an older one repaired with 2410 parts. The taxi is most likeley a 1986 model, so you can see that the only difference betwen the two is the plastic grill.
In its domestic market the Volga was called GAZ 24 (no M). The “M” stuck with some export versions. Why i do not know.
Great overview! Just a couple of minor corrections:
“The basic Lada (often called “Zhiguli” in Russian) ”
– practically ALWAYS called Zhiguli in Russian. The Lada name was only used for export, never for cars sold domestically within the USSR. Some owners may sometimes call their Zhiguli cars Lada as a nickname, and some export Ladas found their way back to Russia, but otherwise it was always Zhiguli. The appeal of RWD Zhiguli cars in Russia and other ex-USSR countries today is similar to the fondness Americans have for B-body Caprices and Panther Fords: large, sturdy, durable, inexpensive and simple to repair with easy-to-obtain parts. The FWD models are not as popular despite being newer.
“The 3rd and 4th series were outwardly pretty identical”
– there were only 3 series of the GAZ-21 Volga. The easiest way to tell them apart is by the grille. The first series from the 1950s had a big star in the center of the grille, the second series (early 1960s) had a body-color painted grille with chrome surround, and the third series (mid 1960s up to 1970) had the chrome grille as your example above. The deer (not gazelle) hood ornament was deleted from the 3rd series Volgas, but was frequently added retroactively by owners in Soviet days and by restorers today.
The Lada 1200 / VAZ 2101 was not always badged as a Zhiguli, i.e. given that name by VAZ. Some folks also called these “Kopeyka”, not just Zhiguli.
As to the GAZ-21, some say the mechanical modifications made in 1965 constitute a new series distinct from the “3rd series” (1962-65) Baleens. Not everyone agrees, as there were no external changes. But what constitutes a series is always up for debate, I suppose.
All RWD Ladas were always Zhiguli. They are often related to as “classic” VAZ.
Thank you for your post, what a great trip. Someday I want to visit Georgia.
“The FWD models are not as popular despite being newer.”
Not sure where you’re getting this from, I’d say it’s all a matter of preference. The FWDs actually sort of resemble something modernish to drive, with FWD traction for the winter, and in fuel injected guise, actually decently peppy acceleration. The RWD “Klassika” certainly have their place though, like you said they are sturdy and repairable (not to say the FWDs aren’t, just less so perhaps). The RWDs were cumulatively made for a longer time, and sold for cheaper prices on the whole, so yes overall more people bought them. But as far as popularity and preference, it all comes down to what a driver was looking to get out of a car.
Also, the RWD ladas aren’t very large at all, I think they weigh about 2100lbs give or take, and have the interior room of a modern FWD subcompact car. The B-body equivalent is definitely a 24 Volga. Cheap, big, sturdy.
Although all the USSR vintage cars are great finds, I’m quite intrigued by your trip for your other reasons: hiking. I’ve long harbored interest in that part of the world, to enjoy the scenery, hiking and presumably a relatively low tourist load, unlike the Alps and such. This piques my interest even significantly more.
Me too, but for differing reasons. Ancestry.com analyzed my DNA, and it mostly confirmed what I already knew–that I was about 1/2 Italian and 1/2 Northern European (England, Holland, Belgium) and…here was the surprise…6% Caucasus region! I had no idea that I had any genetic connections to this part of the world, which is really off the beaten path!
As Tatra87 reports, besides the rugged natural beauty, there looks to be some beautiful historic architecture, as well as a fascinating cultural history.
The tourists are there, but in manageable numbers – especially if you avoid July/August.
It’s a terrific part of the world to hike in. Dry climate, beautiful views, culture and history – this place has it all. One day, this might become a no-go area due to the Matsamor nuclear power plant, a Soviet era legacy near Yerevan that, according to the IAEA itself, should never have been built there.
Wow, that 3110 face is… ugly. Great selection T87.
Enjoyed your post. Some very interesting cars and scenery.
I cannot thank you enough for the tour of Armenian and Georgia. As you can see by my last name, my ancestry is Armenian. I love the tour of the cars and the comments from all of you gents. The Caucasus Mountains are considered the origin of the Caucasian race. Of the four rivers named in The Old Testament whose headwaters were in The Garden of Eden, three of them can still be found and they have their headwaters in Armenia. These two countries are located at the center point of the span of area of the Indo-European language group and share their languages with the peoples east and west of them as well as to the north. The apricot has at its genus and species prunus armeniaca which tells you the origin of this fruit along with the pomegranate. These are beautiful countries. I look forward to more of your car and country tours of these two lands. Regarding the claim to Christianity, Armenia was the first nation to not only allow Christianity, but it was also made the state religion by the king, King Drtad. Gradually, Christianity literally came out of the ground as nations allowed the new faith (now over 300 years old at the time) and this enabled the first ecumenical council to beheld in 325 A.D. Thanks for the presentation.
+ 1 Thomas, I have commented below.
Great write up.
So many of the photos take me back to a six week vacation in Poland at age 18 (1973). My father rented a taxi for a couple of weeks (a black Volga) and away we went going from place to place dropping in on relatives. That taxi driver pampered his ride and I remember how clean it was under the hood when he checked the oil. i remember the Volga having a quiet and comfortable ride. My mother and I had enough room in the back seat, Dad sat up front.
Wonderful stuff. And bonus travelogue of Georgia and Armenia.
Very nice selection of vehicles, thanks for taking the time to document the trip! I love the Lada Niva, saw my first one in Iceland a few years ago and was smitten. All the others are very enjoyable to take a gander at as well, lots of “firsts” in there.
When you explore Russian (or former SSR) car crash videos — yes, I was hooked on them for a while — every second or third car involved was a white “Zhiguli.” Or so it seemed. Don’t know what that means. I loved my Fiats . . .
Terrific post. Until reading this, I couldn’t have fathomed what types of vehicles were on the road in Georgia and Armenia today. I must admit, though, that the Volga 31105 is one car that I’d have an awfully hard time warming up to.
My favorite from this post is probably the Volga M-24… for some reason, I just like the look of those cars, particularly from the rear angle.
Incidentally, the new Mercedes in Yerevan appears to have diplomatic license plates. Spotting diplomatic plates is great fun here near Washington, DC, but most diplomatic vehicles themselves are very mundane. (The flashiest diplomatic vehicle I’ve seen was a Maybach that belonged to the Ambassador from Equatorial Guinea.) Very rarely I’m treated to a diplomatic-registered car that’s been imported from elsewhere — my most exciting find in that category was a Lancia Thesis I saw a few years ago.
Thank you. This was a delight, not only for the cars but seeing the scenery in the pictures. It’s a part of the world that many simply aren’t exposed to with any sort of frequency and seeing this was a high point in my day.
Me too.
Many thanks for this. Amazing pictures. Really nice to see so many “new to me” cars.
I also can not skip the opportunity to mention that in my opinion you have really good taste for travel destinations.
A few years ago, while attending a weekend car-show in Vienna Virginia, I spotted a later model, black Volga M21 parked at a nearby service-station. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and the shop was closed – so nobody there who knew about the car. At least I got some pictures. I went by the place a year later and the Volga was gone.
I wonder how many are in the US. I think Jay Leno has one.
Happy Motoring, Mark
Indeed – Jay Leno owns a Volga. Here’s a couple of links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozzlbrh6Tfc
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a9128/soviet-sedan-jay-lenos-1966-gaz-21-volga/
“About 30% of Georgia’s territory”
I suppose this would depend on who you ask. When the USSR split up and everyone was applauding countries for breaking away from the yoke of Soviet domination, within said breakaway states, were breakaway states. Abkhazia and Ossetia both fought wars with Georgia in the early 90s, and achieved defacto independence, brokered through Russian ceasefires. Saakashvilli’s campaign promise in the early 2000s included returning territorial integrity to Georgia, and he attempted this in 2008, with disastrous results. he was banking on NATO intervention/support, and instead got mopped up in the matter of less than a week. The sad thing is that before the breakup of the Soviet Union, things were largely peaceful and ethnic Ossetians and Georgians tended to get along (high rates of inter-marriage, etc). Similar to the “Balkanization” of the former Yugoslavia where groups rekindled age old ethnic strife once the totalitarian regime that stifled such conflict went by the wayside.
“brokered through Russian ceasefires”
Oh please. It’s called “salami tactics” (slice by slice) and it’s a time-honoured way for a stronger country to make territorial gains through limited and manageable conflicts against a weaker opponent.
So Georgia was in the right to launch an artillery barrage on Tshkinvali (including hitting a Russian peacekeeper mission there under OSCE mandate)? Russia definitely played its part by not keeping a tighter lid on the South Ossetian side in the skirmishes that lead up to the overwhelming Georgian response. But Saakashvilli’s gamble was a very poor one indeed. To launch the recapture of the entire region under the pretext of those skirmishes is exactly what Russia was looking for to totally incapacitate Georgia’s military, and basically quash their dreams of NATO membership (aspiring members cannot have active border conflicts). This all goes back to the Kosovo independence referendum. It was dubiously implemented, and furiously opposed by Russia. But once it was pushed through, Russia now points to that anytime territorial issues like this arise (Ossetia, Abkhazia, now Crimea).
Didn’t say Saakashvili was right about anything, merely that Russia currently occupies 30% of Georgia’s territory.
BTW, Kosovo is another example of salami tactics (in this case by NATO).
Fair enough.
“UAZ-69 looks like it had been somewhat restored and accessorized to the hilt. These things were designed by GAZ in the early ‘50s but built at the Ulyanovsk Automobile Factory (UAZ)”
They are in fact universally called “GAZ-69,” in common parlance “UAZ” is reserved strictly for the UAZ-469/452 family and onward. However, both the GAZ-69 and UAZ-469 jeeps are endearingly called “kozlik” (goat).
Love this photo-report! If there is interest, I’d be willing to upload and narrate some recent trips to the Siberian part of Russia.
Absolutely. Let me know…
What a post.
I had every plan to go to these places in 1988, when personal circumstances sadly tripped me up. Very naively, I had had a fascination with the Soviet Union for some time. An innocents’ idea of an ideal, or somesuch. Perhaps I wanted to believe fiction from fact, or chose not think otherwise. Anyway, the sheer otherness of everything there had me goggle-eyed. Still does.
It is still a lesser-known area, though my brother’s ex-partner’s(!) specialist field as an academic in the field of the Armenian genocide gave me some tiny insight into the intense history and politics of the region, if not actual knowledge.
Thankyou Tatra 87. The blinding ugliness of some of these cars, the “updates” particularly, are quite secondary to their cultural significance – not to mention the 18 f**ing million of those Ladas made! Amazing.
This is amazing. I was also in Armenia some weeks back. I was also hiking and discovering old monasteries, mainly in the south. We rented a 2015 Niva for several days, and had the opportunity to drive an old UAZ 469 in Jermuk. It’s an awesome country. I also saw several “barges” and old soviet cars. Loved the combination of friendly people, history and nature. I can only recommend it! Here’s a picture of “my” Niva
Great post and pictures, THANX .
-Nate
Btw, you can rent these Nivas from “CarAVan.am” for about 40 EUR/ day
I’m going to keep CarAVan as a reference if I ever go to Armenia. It would be so cool to rent a Lada Niva. I rented a rather normal Toyota Corolla from Avis in Tbilisi.
Awesome! I think we need a “Rental Review” of this…
Great article, tatra87 … who needs National Geographic?! And cars too. Being of Russian descent, I have paid a bit more attention than some to the cars from the former Soviet Union, but the more recent evolution is all new to me. Also interesting is the relative lack of Japanese and Korean cars which seem so common in other parts of Eastern Europe or Central Asia. Is the ZAZ the car also known as Zaporezhets? BTW, not to inject any more politics but thanks for not whitewashing the legacy of Stalin and Beria.
Yes ZAZ is “Zaporozheskiy Avtomobilestroitelniy Zavod,” or “Zaporozhie Automobile Factory.” The factory is located in modern-day southern Ukraine (they make rebadged Daewoos now), old Cossack turf.
Our family still has our ’71 ZAZ-966 with an uprated 1.2L 40hp engine sitting in our co-op garage in Akademgorodok near Novosibirsk.
i am always excited to find one of tatra’s articles here. this one did not disappoint!
i have been fascinated by the uaz 452 since ian frazer wrote a great series in the new yorker about crossing the trans siberian highway in one of these vans. one big advantage on cold days is that engine is inside the van.
i also found a interesting article on these vans by the legendary murilee martin.
http://autoweek.com/article/wait-theres-more/yes-you-can-still-buy-brand-new-uaz-bukhanka-road-van
Nice post
I actually like the looks of the GAZ M21. I also like the GAZ M20 too. Those have that American 1930’s and 1940’s car vibe.
To me looking at the back and side of the Priora remind me of a Mazda Protégé and a Kia Sephia.
I am a little late, but want to thank you for this fascinating stuff. CC is becoming truly the only website a guy needs to be schooled in history and world affairs. 🙂
My only tie to Armenia is that I have been watching old reruns of Mannix lately. Mike Connors (the lead actor) and his character Joe Mannix were of Armenian descent.
The cars are, of course, fascinating. And I am with you on the scourge of black plastic.
While perusing the BBC news I found a pictorial featuring automobiles of world leaders. One that stood out and made me think of this posting was this one featuring Vladimir Putin and G. W. Bush in Putin’s 1956 Volga. Though I don’t remember seeing this in the news at the time, this apparently got some worldwide attention. This particular shot came from China Daily because I couldn’t attach the one from the BBC. There are other photos of then-president Bush grinning happily while driving the car.
The BBC article http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/features/strangest-cars-presidential-limousines-used-dignitaries-heads/ also has a picture of Putin with a sinister looking Zil limousine.
Great story and photos from places we normally don’t hear much about. I’ve always liked old Soviet iron, particularly the UAZ-69 and 469 4×4 vehicles. Not much to look at, but they appear to be unstoppable. The Lada 2107, Samara, and Niva models were once sold here in Canada but are now a very rare sight. A friend of my sister owned a 2107 in the early ’90’s – she said it ran better in the winter. I also came across a 1986 GAZ Chaika limo (black, of course) at a car show in Toronto’s Distillery District several years ago. The owner said it originally came from Bulgaria. It was in nice shape, but I’ll bet the owner had fun sourcing parts for it. Again, thanks for an interesting morning read.
There was a Samara in my southern Ontario town but I have not seen it for a couple years. It looked OK without obvious rust, but I never saw it running.
I notice that although Armenian and Georgian have their own alphabets, the license plates are in the Roman alphabet.
Im glad old Russian cars exist somewhere, theres virtually none on the roads here now those Samaras were junk new endless issues with them most people just gave up and bought something else, Ladas came in as swaps for our butter mountain, some were towed from the ships having never had engines fitted and wrecked for parts by the local dealer, some ran for years trouble free, but they all seem to have gone.