1966 Volga GAZ-21 - Jay Leno's Garage
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 เม.ย. 2013
- 1966 Volga GAZ-21. It's got three on the tree, a very good heater and an "agricultural" engine note. Is the brawny Volga the reason Communism failed? Take a ride with Jay to find out!
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1966 Volga GAZ-21 - Jay Leno's Garage
• 1966 Volga GAZ-21 - Ja...
Jay Leno's Garage
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Boris Leno's garage.
Has one car in it, is all Boris can afford. Such is life in Soviet Union.
But there is always Vodka, and Russian girl. Also beet stew. Russian dream.
lenosky
PeppersGhost gimme the Russian girl anytime
These cars were built in Lenograd.
I don’t know why Leno says the car is not attractive. It’s so beautiful and elegant car.
It got a reward for styling at some western European car show.. This car was heavily *inspired* by American cars.
Leno says so coz he is paid to say so by another capitalist pig just like sick leno.
@@GoHighOctane500LC It just looks contemporary. More focused on American styling probably than western European though. Some English cars look similar to this and American cars though. There is some kind of "Russian look" some cars have but what I am talking about is not so much in this car but more something people see in ZILs and the bigger GAZ limos.
@@bangerbangerbro This was a car of my childhood. It was very expensive, my parents had to use inheritance to get it. Heavy and solid, great for the crappy coble stone secondary roads in CZ. Once we were rear ended at a stop light by a Cortina (rad destroyed, fluids leaking - tow truck job). The Volga had a slightly shifted bumper and my father didn't bother to claim damage. Customs were sometimes asking if the car was ARMOURED ! LOL. Russian technology. Good thing the Sputnik was lighter.
@@GoHighOctane500LC Hahaha! A Cortina in CZ? Was this after '89 then? This would call for Cybertruck Vs Volga, in the scenario that we were actually willing to waste an entire 62 kwh li ion battery hahaha.
I love the look of the car. That grill is a work of art and the styling over all is really nice.
In USSR this was known as whale's whiskers style grill.
... because it's a Ford :)
Not a bad looking car and the fact that it's rust free is pretty remarkable. It's obviously engineered to last as long as possible in the roughest conditions. It's rudimentary construction making it easy to repair with basic tooling. I presume this is probably one of the most reliable and long-lasting vehicles ever made.
It's more remarkable to find a GAZ 21 with rust than without. Remember this is an expensive communist car it was designed to last forever whereas capitalist cars are designed to last 5 or so years
@@indiekiddrugpatrol3117it was only for party member so it's like a Mercedes w125 or a Peugeot 504 but even more expensive.
And Mercedes w125 and Peugeot
504 are also very durable.
Even if it's more similar to a Peugeot 203 ( same era same kind of style ! ) or 404. ( Rugged car too )
I wonder if someone from Jay's team ever reads it, but anyway just a point.
Russian car makers were buying different cars in the West when they were working on new models. For example they tested a 54 Ford Mainline, 54 Chevy 6cyl with Powerglide, cars from England etc, when they were designing the GAZ-21 Volga. Ford Mainline showed itself as the most capable of the lot. It combined solid body and frame, practicality and mechanical simplicity.
However, the Volga was meant for Russia - a country that is 2-3 times the size of the US and has radically climate zones: from Europe-like western part, to a scarcely populated, Northern Canada-like Far East and High North with practically no concrete roads and no service stations. I'm serious - there were no public garages, if you couldn't fix your car yourself, you went to backdoor of big transportation companies and ask ignorant mechanics to work on your car. There was an extremely poor delivery system. You could find 10 brand new roofs and 1000 brand new right hubs in a parts store and not find a distributor cap or a carburettor rebuild kit. There were 1930s-standard oils and fuel. Now imagine how a 6-liter V8 automatic air conditioned and power assisted 1958 Cadillac Series 62 would tackle daily driving anywhere beyond its home block.
In these conditions, Volga and Western cars were harshly tested for reliability, endurance, repairability and ability to work on gas & oil available in the USSR. And guess who was the best - it was the Volga. Best match - the Mainline, had cracks and tears in body pillars, sheetmetal, had its ball joints destroyed etc - all this for just 30 - 40,000 miles. Volga could easily max up to 100,000 miles with poor service and still keep going.
I do not say that Volga is better than a Ford or another car. What I'm saying is that Volga was better for Russia. People, who made Volga - genuinely, wholeheartedly wanted to make an extremely strong and good looking car for year-round driving, so easy that driver could service it himself and in every part of the giant country. Put Volga next to a Fifties American car - and it's a joke. But this is just a reflexion of how life looked in these two countries back then. It's not correct to match Volga to a Cadillac or a Buick that would not live as much and be practical in Russia back in the day. These are the cars for two different worlds, each good in its own.
I own a GAZ-21 Volga myself. I bought it in 2008 and have been restoring and daily driving it ever since. I have custom installed a Russian-designed gasoline V8 from a military truck on to it. I drove it in city, two-lane blacktops, offroad, in summer and in winter freeze of -50 degrees Celsius and it is an amazing vehicle that combines classic style with heavy-duty SUV toughness.
Thank you for sharing this information!
+fredrik payedar these cars assembled very good. quality was stayed badder and badder for cars assembled from 1986 till 1991 (to perestroyka). after perestroyka quality was low on all products till approx 2000 year.
Did you put a 5.5 v8 in it?
@fredrik payedar "too few Russians could afford it" it is problem of people but not of the car. But yes, in USSR Volga GAZ-21 have a price tag of 5500 rubles and many of Russians earn little more than 100 rubles per month. Mostly criminals and famous people (scientists, artists) can afford the car. But at least back then you not have to wait the car. Later in 1970-1980 when you want to by a car you must wait several years (Or you can by a car on black market at twice of the price).
Thank you! That was some cool info to learn. It was killing me that it was clearly built to meet the needs of the people who would be using them. Jay seemed to almost get there at times. Come on Jay, there aren't service stations every 10 blocks like in Orange County, CA.
I love Jay, but he was a little uncharacteristically condescending on this Russian rig.
I found it fun to try and figure out why the suspension were leaf springs. There's a reason they choose them.
So, I was playing those games when I found that you told the whole story. Great to have the answers so fast.
Best of the internet happening here.
KGB used GAZ-23 versions, with factory 5.5L V8 and they was automatic, dual exhaust pipes in the back was connected in 1 to keep it look like regular Volga.
Голям лъжец си.
bg?
gogu ля
Volga M23 - Википедия на помощ.... голям глупак си да се обаждаш неподготвен
I actually want a KGB version. They look fun to drive.
Doesn't connecting the exhausts together at the back defeat the purpose of dual exhaust?
Jay...this car was a dream of many soviet families. Very reliable, sturdy but not cheap. It costed 6000 roubles when average salary was 120 roubles per month. You can imagine how long you had to save and then stay in waiting list to purchase one. Was mainly used as taxis and for middle rank officials.
How many are there still today? Are they still a popular choice in Russia?
They are rarity now. Only in collections, not for everyday drive.@@Firemarioflower
@@Firemarioflower Last Volgas were basically a rebadged Dodge Stratus.
Of course it failed and the company went under.
Funny how Jay Leno says "the west" when he really means "the USA"... We wish our cars in Spain had AC in the 60s, everyone drove 20 horsepower city cars
Lol I know I live in the UK and I wasn't around at the time but I always laugh when I see someone in awe that a car doesn't have power steering and power braking. Sometimes they call a Trabant a micro car. It is too big in my opinion to be a micro car even if the engine is only 600 cc. But even in the 70s most normal cars in western Europe didn't have power steering and I think you can still buy cars today without air conditioning (I think bottom spec Dacias don't have AC).
i wish that someone even had a car in my city in slovakia during the 60s lol
@@SammyPsk No cars at all? Well I suppose you would have had Trams and trains right? Did you have bikes or did people mainly walk to public transport?
Spain wasn’t even part of the west Spain was Fascist in the 60’s
@@bangerbangerbro we had a train station and bikes, prople walked etc... but no cars really
Somehow I am absolutely sure that Jay does those Russian voices while giggling softly to himself when he’s alone driving this car. Guarantee it.
lmao I'm disappointed this comment does not have the most likes here
@@cccp9661 а ты лайкнул?...
"it looks somewhat 50's". It started production in the 1956 till 1972 so yes it looks 50's because it is designed in that period
Okay! But compare it to the Citroen DS, which also was designed in the 50´s, but is totally timeless! Always up to date and ahead of its time. Here you can really see the difference between east and west.
@@jourwalis-8875 Citroёn the one and only. They cars always looks different.
Jourwalis - the USSR never received anything like Marshall Plan money from anyone. 12 billion economic aid to Western Europe.
brbnews you know close to nothing about history. Soviet Union made last lendlease payments in the 70’s. Just imagine that country devastated by the war were paying its ally for almost 30 tears.
@brbnews Lend-lease _partically_ was PAID by USSR. But only 6,3% of goods and stuff was paid . The USA-USSR agreement had an article, that only non-destroyed machines, aircraft, weapons and stuff must be paid by USSR. Russia have paid the loan for Lend-lease only in 2015. Lend-lease was about the war machines, ammunition, food and war stuff.
Factories and technologies started to be bought by USSR from pre-1941 years, and they was paid by GOLD!
Man, so much knowledge is gonna be missing should Jay ever leave us behind. I hope his garage becomes a permanent museum and someone can take the reigns to keep the show going beyond the years cause I learn so much from all the cars that have been featured
These still work as taxis in my home town, southern Egypt. Tanks, literally.
Are you serious?
technicly tanks would brake faster but ok
@@Barten0071 No, man, it is not about breaking - it is about how solid it feels and the excess of materials used. The body panels never rust and they are about 4mm thick, let alone the tin coating. It was made to last. Perhaps one body could survive two or three engines. The engine was nothing impressive mechanically but it was a low rpm one and thirsty too but there were taxicabs with over a million kilometers on the clock(the dial had five digits). There are still enthusiasts today that convert them to LPG and use them - you can load a tonne in it. Putin has one :)
@@Barten0071 I am sure braking in the 60s wasn't that great on many cars, but no cars are built like these anymore.
@@mahmoudrefaat3009 i was just talking that tanks have short live :v
"They did tried exporting these" (and these are still running as taxies all over middle east, having like 50 years on their counter xD)
American cars fall apart before a Volga left this age.
@@junkman6456 Google a 66 Pontiac GTO or Ford Shelby Mustang and see if you could buy one today!!
@@ronschlorff7089 I tried that and it didn't work. You apparently have to pay for them.
@@suckmydingledong right big bucks. Junkman said Am cars fall apart, well some don't and fetch 100 gees plus at classics auction. Let's see a Volga do that! LOL.
amazing
It's not a *bad looking* car. It's just that it's unusual here in North America, let alone here in the USA. I like that.
If it weren't for the political tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union, we'd have a chance to experience driving these car.
+Meilenwerker I'm sure. :)
+Jason Carpp How is it unusual when the design is similar to Fords from the 50s?
+Luke Bruce Similar in design to the Ford? I'm afraid I don't see the similarities between the two.
+Jason Carpp Wasn't he referring only to the speedometer design?
6:42 "the interior lends itself to disinfection." They were ahead of their time.
venuesurf america I mean, this car was designed at a time of TB and polio
Now corona virus protected
Think about it if you shot a dirty capitalist in the back you need to be able to clean up the mess
Ahead of the curve.
Covid car!
I remember seeing many of these parked in front of the Soviet Embassy , which lay a block away from school , as I walked to & from the bus stop. Thank you for sharing.
In KGB there were volgas with V8
It made 195 hp
And 160 km/h top speed.
Damn I didn't know that and I'm from a Slav country
And came in black, all of them.
Yep, no outrunning the secret police from gulag
it wasn't truly russian engine i think
When I lived in London in the 1970's there were quite a few Russian cars on the road there: Ladas, (one of my co-workers even had a Lada), Moskvitches and I even saw a Volga or two.
You see I never knew Moskvitches were sold in the UK until I saw one on a classic car TV program a few months ago. The Wikipedia page only mentions they were sold in some continental western European countries like France under some really elaborate sounding name that I ironically can't remember.
I have seeing Lada dealership in Canada about 17-20 years ago.
@@alexdashevsky2180 I owned a new Lada 1500S back in 1983 in Quebec, Canada ! I bought it because I owned many Fiats before and they were no longer available and since the Lada was a slightly modified Fiat 124 it was the way to go for me !
@@michellevesque2130 My father-in-law he owns Lada.
@@michellevesque2130 дурак, что ты мелеш? Лада, а именно ВАЗ 2101 отличался от фиата целым рядом дороботок, было их более 800
When Leno said something like: "you'd be driven to Siberia in style" it came to my mind that at least that car was able to go to Siberia without any problem. Many many machines from that period were not capable of such tough trip.
because he hates communism because liked TV in his childhood i think
Емил Пехливанов Imagine driving stupid Cadillac in Siberia, but at least you woud have aircon. in it😂😂😂
@@Petr1331 lol exactly. It surprises me to see that there are people who care more about AC, Power Steering and Assisted Braking in a 20th century people's car. A car that's supposed to be reliable, cheap to buy and easily serviceable is what a people's car is supposed to be and they wanna shove in advanced features that make the expenses shoot up to the sky
Not very long I guess🤔 It would fall apart very soon😆
He was making a joke. It probably couldn’t make it out of Moscow without breaking down. Soviet definition of reliability was when not if it breaks down its easy to fix. Just like the WWII tanks.
These cars were , tough, rugged , reliable, very simple to maintain, had great cabin heaters and would run on very low grade fuel. They were supplied with special oil that enable the car to start in -30 and -40 and came with a comprehensive tool kit and spare parts kit. These were the most important things a car needed to do for transport in the USSR. They were never designed to compete in the west. They were supplied to Cuba, European eastern block countries and some pro Soviet middle east countries. I think it looks great and would love one, super cool rare car with great tyres and very interesting history.
Except this one isn't KGB staff car. KGB cars were black and had more powerful engines.
TCMustang yes. Correct. And if one pulled up by your door, you would know you were fucked
+whatever04811 you would never be see again
Like the GAZ Chaika, no ?
***** KGB cars came with V8 from Chaika. While Chaika itself was used by elite of Soviet Union.
TCMustang
Thank you. I knew they had something with Chaida's going on but I wasn't sure of the details.
I lived in Russia from 1997 to 2014. Jay, when you said "easy to work on", and "fairly bullet proof", you put it in a nutshell. There's no garage every few miles. If something goes wrong, a hammer and fencing wire is usually enough to get you back on the road. Will run on vodka if required. That car is luxe compared to some i've been in. Love your show.
стериотипы:водка, медведь, балалайка. вам самим то не надоело?
Под комментов выше имеется ввиду, что эта тачка в крайнем случае может ездить на водке. Учите инглиш перед тем, как писать комменты подобного рода :)
Khatuntcov Mikhail, you know better than I, that Gaz-21 engine was made to run on poor quality gasoline. It's safe to assume, that it would run on "samogon". And he never mentioned bear or balalaika...
Khatuntcov Mikhail А вообще-то так и есть. Выйди сначала в подъезд, потом на улицу, оглянись вокруг: медведи отсутствуют только потому, что им самим страшно.
Remember, comrades: In the Soviet Russia, the car fixes YOU.
Jay Leno: in america they had power windows in that time
Me:The 1982 1st generation Opel Corsa has twist chain windows
Most of us here in America didn't have power windows or a power seat until sometime in the 80s.
When I was born in 1977 in Belarus, my uncle, who was a chief of the collective farm and was driving this car at that time. He picked my mom and me from the hospital, so that was my first ride :)
Time passed, these days I live in Pennsylvania and drive Jeep Grand Cherokee :)
Повезло Вам, что тут ещё сказать !..
My father had an Volga GAZ-24 from 1976, bought new. It was incredibly cheap car in Yugoslavia in that time, it was priced half the price of VW Golf. It was big, reliable, comfortable, easy to repair, a slow cruiser... Still have got an spare back light from it :-) On the end of the usage my father just left it in the field, it was grass growing trough the hood.. One day a russian sailor came and wanted to buy it. My father sold it for really good money, because this russian sailor wated is so badly, that he said that he can't return to his family without Volga. He did't had so much cash my dad wanted, so he left to us everything he had - a Zenith 35 mm camera, lot of tools and russian chocolate (not eatable) and lot of russian Aeroflot cigarettes (barely smokable)... So, Volga, on the end got back where it came from :-)
Half the Golf price?! OMG! What a shame....
I would have bought another one lol
That's not surprising at all - I think the cheapest car AvtoVAZ made for export a few years ago went for about $3000. The engine wasn't much to write home about, it had a scratchy shift and the styling was underwhelming. However, 3 effin grand.
Great story, thank u
successful communists(leaders) and generals used to be driven in ZIM ,ZIL - armoured limos. Politicians,high rank army and city majors used to be driven in Gaz-13, gaz-14,
ZIM-12.
KGB agents used to drive Volga Gaz-21 but with V8 200HP engines(wasn't for sale) and Volga that Jay Leno has was made for doctors,scientists, ordinary managers and so on....... My grandmother used to manage the main pharmacy shop (in the small Siberian town) she owned 2x Gaz-21 1xblack , 1xwhite , she kept the black one for her husband and gave away the white volga to her daugher as a wedding present. But unfortunately in 90's this cars didn't worth anything, so many people as well as my grandmother sold volgas for a few dollars. now good Gaz 21 worth good money again(now it's a classic car in Russia, just like mercedes w114 Eclass)
and of course ordinary workers used to drive Ladas,Moscvich, ZAZ, bikes and Public transport=)
Also as far as you know , Russia has tough terrains and weather conditions, low temperatures, So '"built tough" was the must word for engineers. Big V8 5L + is useless when you have no traction on ice, that also explains low 105km's/hour max speed. no point to go faster. Also infrastructure wasn't as good as US, in some parts of the country there were no roads yet, thats why today you can compare Gaz21 to smaller moders SUVs. I'm not a Volga fan, I like Golden era Mercedes, but i think Volga was a very good car in USSR in 60's
+Alex Peace Thanks for the info
I think it was a good car too. Made to do what Russian cars, trucks, tractors and tanks do so well in bad weather/rough terrain...Work!
I'd love to own that car as a car enthusiast no matter where it was built. its held up to its age very well with not a speck of rust that I can see. Undercarriage looks clean, motor cave likewise, whole car is super immaculate condition. It presents as a easy maintenance vehicle. Here in Canada that heater a big big plus, I also like that radiator open and close vent. Thanx Mr. Leno for showing this vehicle.
PS, I initially thought of the Zepher in the opening montage. Gotta give credit where credit is due, durable and well built USSR, kudos.
I am 61 years old, when I was 10 year old, my uncle own one of Волга ГАЗ 21, thanks for this video.🙂👍👏
Where are you from ?
@@user-ir5tz1cc5s ex USSR
@@user-lx6jt5qs8i Понятно.
Удачи Вам !
@@user-ir5tz1cc5s спасибо, и вам удачи.
I think it's a handsome looking car, but I'm easy to please.
This is very good reconditioned one. Better than it left the factory..
It's not bad at all. I'm not sure why Leno kept calling it ugly
Apparently too easy.
@@MrGigi-dz9cv Leno says at the beginning it's not restored.
@@hugginkiss1027 He questioned the paint. And I too think it is repainted.
Oh, please. That car isn't butt ugly. The camera car is.
.
Anton Shwed Он наоборот, защитил волгу. Дубина.
I've ridden in several Volga cars when I was in Ukraine. I remember how solid it felt going down the road. Like it was built to last. Thank you for the video. It brought back some good memories. I know one that I road in was a V8 because the taxi driver was checking the oil when we approached the car.
My grandfather, Endre Illyes had one of these from early 70s to mid 80s. He had purchased it second hand. My first memories of car rides are in a white Volga.
Where are you from ?
My grandpa always loved telling me the story how he always parked his Moskwich next to his boss Mercedes during wintertime. He worked at a ball bearing factory in Hofors, Sweden, mid sixties. His boss always had severe problems starting the Mercedes in the cold. According to the story, the Moskwich started instantly no matter what temperature and he would leave his boss freezing his hands off with his fancy car. He always told the story with a warm smile, my grandfather. The story kept getting a little better each time it was told :)
It is true. I have bought a Moskvich cheaply for the lols, and it starts pretty easily cold, but it's darn near impossible to start it when the engine is hot. Also capable of speeds over 150km/h. Well I have flown in a Soviet built helicopter, and that was less scary than driving the Moskvich on the highway.
Also Honda’s start up in the cold well #vtecneverdies
Leaf springs? Many, well most, 1960s cars had leaf springs. This 1950s car was no exception.
@Brian W
No, this car is 100% in-fitting with cars all around the world at the time.
I owned 1970s Datson 120y that had leaf springs
the problem wasn't when the car was launched (1956) the problem was that they kept the same specs till 1970. Leaf springs were already the past in 1970s US
@@Victor-my1hi
The Volvo Amazon was made in _exactly_ the same timespan of years, and was very similar in spec'. Lots of cars around the world had leaf springs in the 1960s-70s.
The first corvetes also had them
These were partly assembled in Belgium and the Belgian made cars were available with a Perkins Diesel engine which made it attractive for taxi companies, most ended up there in both Holland and Belgium. The factory was in Antwerp and was later called Scaldia - Volga . Most cars that were sold were Diesels, later they started using the less agricultural Indenor Diesels by Peugeot.
Later they also built Lada's there and production stopped somewhere in the eighties, the works were situated in Antwerp's port at a dock.
The car is just awesome. It was considered a posh car back in the days in USSR, and they are still popular here as a base for restoration and restomod projects.
Also, a certain amount was sold to the Europe. Those were equipped with European engines and had bodies covered with zinc to prevent rust.
Volgas were popular in Finland as taxicabs back in the 50s and 60s, but eventually lost to Toyota which cost a bit more but was much more refined.
I'll say this. That this car looks better than most cars made today.
And performs well to boot!
Jay, if you want to experience an agricultural car, try the Moskvich 412!
@throwaway account you are joking right? soviet made cars very mostly really bad made, with non existing quality control ect and like this car it was produced from 56 to 70! and this is not to longest. And mind you this is luxury car.
All new cars look the same.
All old cars look the same, too - CHROME and BULBOUS
Becouse its the soviet equivalent of a mercedes e/s class. Its a luxury soviet car if that makes any sense
In Poland, Grannies warned the children by telling them that if they return home after dark, gentlemen in black Wołga will kidnap them ;).
Now it's the cult of Pedophile Mohammed that grannies warn the children about.
In Poland, Latvia , Estonia , Lithuania , and all the other soviet republics the black volga 21 was a buggy man to scar small kids :)
Я конечно знал что у него огромная коллекция редчайших машин....но такого я точно не ожидал увидеть
Clean lines, tough, simple to fix, sufficient performance, what more do you need.i think such values would still stack up today rather than having to take your car to the dealership everytime the dashboard talks to you!
FACTS.
Sure. Manufacturers try this every few years, My sister-in-law was a loony who wanted a 100% stripper, no power this, no power that, etc. Couldn't find one. Even the most basic models had power locks or power windows. So much for Puritanism or Spartanism.
I am from Ex - soviet country. I can say you are correct on most of the things you mentioned. yes Gaz-21 Volga's were used by KGB and some lower level communist officials. later replaced by newer version of Volga (GAZ-24) majority of those were black. and this wasn't a common peoples car like Moskvich 412 for example. When considering cars from that origin and era. you need to understand they were built like that for a reason. Private business was not allowed by the government so all those repair services was not around. So they built cars for people to maintain with low level of knowledge
Poor MPG was not an issue at that time since petrol in soviet union was cheaper than soda in vending machines.
Automatic transmission wasn't in the Soviet Union because we had low oil quality level
GAZ engineering tried to use that but it would stopped after same fails with oil
can u tell me what music was that at the begaining?
@@mahinahmed2316 Russian folk song "Vo Kuznitse" ( "Во кузнице".) :)
@@user-cl2tc5kd8k
Thnx a lot dude 👍
A funny fact - about 600 GAZ-21 had v8s in them, but they were mostly distributed to KGB and police forces
Jesus Christ well,those cars aren’t named «GAZ-21».Their names are GAZ-23.You can buy at least two of them in Russia at he moment.The cheaper one costs 300.000 rubles, around 4.500 USD.
Jesus Christ well,those cars aren’t named «GAZ-21».Their names are GAZ-23.You can buy at least two of them in Russia right now.The cheaper one costs 300.000 rubles, around 4.500 USD.
I love the fact it still has the place to put the crank in the front....Your battery might be too low for starter but still has enough juice to make spark!
That's supposed to be a recommendation? That the battery can't hold a charge? Just get a bump start, ferchrissake.
@@mctavish199 You don't know very much about cars I take it...I have hand cranked several cars/tractors in my life...If you are by yourself and you can't get the car to roll...or it has an automatic...We had 47 Chevy, had '54 engine and poweglide...You weren't going to get it to "bump start" unless you get it up to 30mph for the rear pump to get powerglide to turn engine over...Yet the hand crank worked fine...even had a remote hand choke by grille.
Ive owned two of these Volga M21c's both right hand drive. They gave very good service and I managed one hundred thousand miles in both of them. They were a good dependable vehicle. The front suspension was General Motors to the MM.
These really were not that upscale. We had alot them here in iceland and these were just normal cars. They were not competing with Cadillacs, we didnt really have Caddilac but anyway. These were competing with like Ford Cortinas or Escorts, and btw the Volga a thousand times better then them. But thats how it was here in Iceland, i dont know how it was in Russia or other countries. You should defenetly try the Volga 24 they were actually pretty good cars.
That's something new! Russian cars were in Iceland?! Is it possible to gain more info somehow?
Cyancobalamine Intercellular Why, even Bjork rides a Lada in the Triumph Of a Heart video. I’ve never been to Iceland, but you can barely find a video of Icelandic roads that does not feature Russian cars
He's talking about in the USSR.
Pricewise and in terms of their pecking order in cccp vs usa, in terms of flat out , it compares as he says, more with volva . Or say, cortina as you say , or in america maybe amc rambler.
I agree with you. This was a decent-sized car. The Cortina and the Escort are little tin cans.
Hi Jay,
Thanks for your Russian car. Just fe notes though.
1) The correct name would be GAZ M-21 "Volga"
2) Originally front grill was designed by Marshal Georgy Zhukov. It was changed to the type you have in the early 60's I think
3) GAZ-21 has never been "KGB Staff Car". There was the other model, GAZ-23, that looked absolutely the same as GAZ-21, but it had V8 GAZ-13 motor, automatic transmission and much stronger chassis. Also, all KGB cars were black (Black was such a "premium" color unavailable for common people)
Anyway, great video! Thank you for speaking with Russian accent. Now I know, how I sound like. =)))
Nice
It was probably a KGB agent's personal vehicle, I think that's what he's getting at.
KGB officers would not have had personal cars in most places.
good looking, simple, easy to repair, my kind of car
It looks lovely on the road. The dash is class.
A mid range Mercedes or BMW from that time only had that sort of horsepower, so I suppose it would be fairer to compare this to European cars of the time in Equipment and power rather than American cars.
yea but it was extremely hard to get at the time, so you can't really compare it to a mid range car, not only you would need to work 6-7 years for one, you would also need to get a permission to buy it.
there is no way these would sell against MB or BMW of same time period.
@throwaway account Yeah but for the same objective reasons american cars of last 30 years usually have worse interiors than Mercedes Benz - american cars are cheaper to buy and maintain than german luxury cars. But this doesn't stop german people from laughing at american cars as 'plastic crap' - so why not laugh from post-war european cars, if they are in many ways inferior to american cars of that era?
Correct. US cars also had many more failure points, like weak suspension that would fail on rough roads and highly variable build quality, that made them high maintenance and unreliable. Finally as Jay alluded to, you could just buy a car in the US and watch it rust away in front of you. That car wasn't built to be a disposable style queen, nor something that would let you down on C grade roads in the middle of a Russian winter. It had a job and it was built to spec for that job. Its a purposeful car and comparing it to yank tanks of the time, is completely missing the point of what it was for.
Comparing what we have in the West to Soviet era goods is a complete farce. Few had cars in the USSR and most struggled with daily necessities. Millions, yes, millions, STARVED to death in China and USSR. Sitting in unbelievable luxury and abundance and quality goods, some evil people and useful idiots defend it. Our small covid19 inconveniences do not compare with the suffering of these people under Socialism
I was surprised to see a Russian car in this show.
First, I can't understand all the "this is racist" comments here. Being Russian myself I just had a good laugh watching this, nothing discriminating or racist here at all. Bear in mind, that in USSR anti-capitalist and anti-US propaganda was pretty strong as well at the time and it spawned a lot of stereotypes about Americans, which existed up until the end of the Cold War.
Second, this Volga model was developed with ruggedness and reliability in mind. It literally was like "must not require highly qualified personnel for maintenance" and "should handle both highway and off-roads". So it was a compromise between a simple reliable vehicle and an attempt to make something modern. Old tried and tested technologies were used for ease of production with the existing factory equipment. And Soviet design at the time was all about being modest, not fancy.
During the testing period it was compared to 1954 Ford Mainline and 1954 Plymouth Savoy, so this car is not a competitor for more advanced cars of the 60s.
About Black Volga, in USSR it had nothing to do with scary legends or KGB. Black Volgas were reserved for government representatives and being the most expensive car at the time it became a symbol of wealth and power.
It is a perfect copy, in almost all details of a mid '50's Ford. A had the chance to see them side by side.
I drove one of this back in Siberia. It was so much fun.
I love 1960s Volgas. I actually thing they look awesome, easy to fix, easy to maintain. I'm getting one imported later this year. I want one with a deer on top of the hood though.
Lots in Ukraine where I live
That's a good looking car with the deer on the front 👍hood! Though,
very reliable long lasting cars.
They we're great on rough roads too. Excellent heating system in minus 30-50c°! Almost any body could fix it including woman.
No rust for many years either. Many we're running as taxis.
The black ones with high powered engines we're the KGB and other gov agency cars. You wouldn't want to mess with them! A true success.
Unlike the american cars of the 60's.
@@rexluminus9867 "unlike the American cars of the 60's" Ever watch classic car auctions? Or seen some in Jay's garage? Guess not, they are as affordable to the average joe today as one of these "things" was to the average ivan of the USSR then.
"Butt-ugly"? It's beautiful! I love it!!!
my grandfather had one back in Soviet Georgia, great car now it costs a lot in modern day
"You had to work at a factory for five years to afford on of these, assuming you never paid rent or bought food."
I mean. Not trying to defend communism here, but that's pretty much were we're all at nowadays.
A normal worker could not afford one of these. Not in 5 years, not in 20. Even as used cars they were probably very rare.
@throwaway account Nothing true about that at all.
Money was not even the main issue if you wanted to have one of those. You couldn't simply go to a dealer and buy it. You had to somehow get in the waiting list and wait for 5 or 10 years. And to do even that you had to have connections. Volga was a "business class" car for executives, simple engeneers and managers drove Miskviches, Zaporozhets or Zhigulis and were happy to have a car at all.
@that guy ...have you actually been outside the house since 2008?
Well, you can take a loan. And drive today. Back then you would have to save money for 5 years, and then give them away... To take the line for another 3 years, before you get the car. There can be no perfect society as there are differently imperfect people.
I actually think its a nice looking car. And being an owner of a 109 year old Mosin Nagant rifle, I have lots of respect for the Russians for building things that last.
yep, this car was made incredibly long-lasting...but it's a matter of taste...auto-producers want you to change your car more often than once in 3 decades,,,,
I love it.
John Drohan- The Soviets were many things, a lot of them bad... but cowards was not any of them.
Every volga is beautiful. The v8 volga's sound beautiful as well. I would daily the hell out of a black one thats identical to the one jay has.
If I remember correctly,very many Mosins were made by Remington in the US ,under contract,early in the 1900's also interesting to think that Nikata K's son is now an American citizen(Being Jays age I well recall the incident at (I believe) the UN where he banged his shoe on the table and offered to bury us.....Ahhhh the good old days !
Mr Leno needs to review a Lada 2121 Niva! Still one of the finest designed small 4x4 cars in the world. Not necessarily the best built but a truly fine design.
I love it great car
The Volga or the Niva.
Volga J. Dana Clark
J. Dana Clark And still being made today :D
J. Dana Clark Niva is probably the best Russian designed car ever, alongside with GAZ 20 "Pobeda". These two are the only ones which can be considered innovative.
It handled remarkably well for a car made in the USSR. I travelled around Kabul and to a lesser extent New Delhi and Kathmandu in these things being used as taxis in the early 70s! They were fine, for that part of the world, they worked well. The name plate says "Volga" in the latin script.
*That's a TANK ! (I wrote that before hearing Jay saying it) - I remember it like this - I saw a few with my own eyes when I was a child in Ceaușescu's Romania*
One has to know about these Soviet automobiles that the efficiency is so bad because the compression ratio is low to be able to run on lower grades of petrol. They had it like 72 octanes nominal.
Tanooki100 and the gas in 1960 in USSR was 3 kopeks per liter (about 4 cents per gallon
I have such car, build 1962, 2nd series, nice cream color, with dear. It is our family car since it was bought in 1962. It is not fast, but unbelievably soft on road. I really love it. This car is for the soul.
The car shown in video is 3rd series. I think that 2nd series looks more stylish.
I've always admired the ruggedness and simplicity of Russian engineering. For people who don't care about power or the opinions of others and just want something reliable and easy to work on, this would be a great car to own.
Something reliable.... AK-47
My grandfather drove one of those for years when nobody had a car in USSR.It was good and very reliable.Built like a tank.People are still driving these cars.
Jay should get a Lada.
KGB had version with V8
And they had a concrete blocs in trunk for better stability in high speed :)
With the engine and transmission from GAZ-13 "Chayka".
@@yarike91 Nice option, "few more rubles,... get cement blocks" LOL.
I'm in Uzbekistan and got to ride in a 1967 Volga yesterday from the date this posted. It was fun. The thing drove like a tank, no power anything.
Jay Leno you are a national auto history treasure!! from a guy with old cars lit up along I 94 in MN
So, do you notice the "keyhole" in the front/center under the radiator/grille, so you can hand-crank it in case the battery is dead? You can see how the bumper has a "dip" in it right there for the crank to be inserted...
The car was primarily built for robustness, against the extremely harsh Russian winters, and ease to work on - even for a lay mechanic or the car's owner. The beauty of that car was in its simplicity, and yet, pure functionality - with a "modest" degree of comfort thown in. I'd be more than happy to own one of those in good condition. There's a sense of nostalgia about it.
The engine compartment layout is superb with all easy to get at. Compare that to a BMC Mini or Citroen.
Jay did say it rides like a mid-1960s car - the car was introduced in *1956.* In looks and specification it was no different to other mid 1950s European cars - probably better.
I say better. Most European cars were little sardine cans.
@@michaelbenardo5695 debatable, BMC, Opel, Ford, Volvo etc made some pretty decent sized and quality cars in the 50s but not a single western car could outlast a Volga
We love you and your show Leno!
Late Night show, we miss you there too.
That show had its heydays with you!
Take care buddy!
Dear Jay, the car that you have is usual 3d series gaz 21P(R in Russian)Volga, not a luxury version and this is not KGB car, KGB volga was called gaz 23 it had 5,5 V8 from gaz 13 and had automatic gearbox.
P.S rear leaf springs should be in cover.
that's true, I have seen few of them in Russian embassy in New Delhi
The luxury version has chrome around the windshield and a chrome bodyside spear. This is the "base" model.
Jay, your jokes were wasted on this car. This was a good Russian car. You should review the Trabant.
The Trabant was a "people's car" though. It was intended for literally everyone (even though they missed the needed production numbers by a factor of about a hundred). The GAZ-21 was definately NOT intended to be bought by everyone.
***** Exactly and the Wartburg is far more sophisticated than the Trabant. It famously used aluminium brake drums, which are of course utterly useless at braking :D
What do you spent from a commediant with a lot of cars? This is a very nice car,,I don`t know where is the funny or weird about it
Hugo S I think Zaporozhets ZAZ 965 would be better))
Ivan Kuznetsov my dad had 2 Lada we loved them you could not brake them and they never rust like the fiat 124...
These cars, among many other Russian cars, were very popular in Iceland from the early fifties until the late nineties.
*I don’t know why Leno says the car is not attractive. It’s so beautiful and elegant car.* 🙂😉
Incredibly powerful heater, robust and simple. I dunno how that could be called bad considering the environment they were made for.
I still love Russia no matter what other say
@@strafniki1080 Some of those others being Ukrainians perhaps? Russia is like alcoholism: love the person, hate the disease, and it truly is a toxin under Putin.
From the people who built the tank that beat the Nazis in 40 below weather?
In Russia and Ukraine some of them are daily drivers up to this day. It really was a good, dependable car, solid piece of iron without electronics, emissions control etc.
Not a daily driver ,very rare .
Not a daily driver ,very rare .collector cars .
@@topshelf6792 старые дедушки, которые ездят за город по выходным, на дачу, использую такие машины до сих пор. И они не коллекционеры! Даже на более старых машинах ездят, например, на ГАЗ-М20 "Победа". Потому что эти машины для них привычны и на новую всё равно нет денег.
@@topshelf6792 где твой странный ответ, про то что "20 лет назад..." и прочее вот это вот? Удалил что ли, а с телефона не видно? Так вот, уважаемый, если лично такого не видел, то не равняй мир под свой мирок. Если ты лично такого не видел, это не значит, что подобного нет вообще и нигде. Доступно объяснил?
@@AlexBruRUS давай пруфы,где дедушка с такой машиной
I don’t know what Jay is talking about, this car is charming
My uncle who was a missionary in Bulgaria got one of these things as a gift, brought it up to my grandma’s and left it there. Now I live at my grandma’s house and I’ve been thinking of doing some work on it
I got on a Volga a couple of years ago in Armenia and I was surprised how comfortable the seats (at least the pessenger seat) were!! Actually I found it more comfortable than modern those of most modern cars
Most modern cars are in the Japanoid mold, which means that they are NOT comfortable.
I own a 2001 international school bus that I converted into and RV and the radiator has shutters just like the Volga on it. Very efficient. It actually wasn't until a couple years later that school bus's here in the US started using thermostats.
I love it. I would totally drive one daily.
My grandma's brother had a black one. I loved this car, it was elegant, especially in my childhood in the 80's, the time of boxy design. Years after I wanted to purchase the very same car, but his son refused to sell it :)
I like it, have always since I saw them in old soviet films and the streets of Kabul or Tashkent. As a classic car man, I like the quaint, simple but solid engineering. Look at the design of the rear axel, engine and the body too. The suspension reminds me of the Indian Ambassador. This thing is a tank! If I had one, the slight changes I would do are, mild tuning of the engine and aircon fitted as good as the factory. For me it all about the culture, the era and people in the factories who built them.
RIP for the good workers of the era. They we're proud people.
Thank you .
1955 Dodge Mayfair 4 door sedan. You can see almost identical front doors dash, windshield, hood.... it is 😜 crazy
if we look at 54 ford there are even more common details ;)
@@napalmv8356 To me, it looks a lot like the Hudson Jet dash with a 54 - 55 Ford Speedometer mated to it.
My grandpa had gaz 24 from 1979..that was a badass car..it looked like chevy impala..i have beautiful memories with that car
I like the look of the car, it looks a lot of early to mid 60's British cars like the Anglia or Morris Oxford. If I saw this on the street and didn't see the Cyrillic writing, I would think it was a British car. Here in Canada, most of the imports were British cars in the 1960's so I grew up with them so I like the style.
They made quite a lot of them, not a few, as Leno implies, this was a standard workhorse of the USSR administrative apparatus, but not KGB. If anything, KGB would have used ones in black colour.
Many VOLGA we're in green color.
Cream white too.
You have seen noting yet!
Let me introduce you east german Trabant!
A car so ridiculous that it fills a whole chapter in every german jokebook.
-It came out in 1958
-When it came out it had a 2-stroke engine with 18hp
-the most "successfull" version the Trabant 601 which came out in 1964 and had a 2-stroke engine with 26hp
-the rallye version even had 65hp
-THEY WERE MADE OF CARDBOARD
-When you ordered one it took them 10 years to deliver it
Oleg Alkhimovich East Germans (DDR) would producting cars but after WW2 was the East Germany totaly destroyed and the steel was need for other purposes.The Duroplast was good and symple idea . Also todays cars use some plastic parts on carosery :-)
Oleg Alkhimovich Nothing is free in this world!
Education was more of - PROPAGANDA.
Medicine was good only in Cuba. Health care was free but corrupted. You still had to pay somehow to the doctor just to do your the "favour" of providing you with your free healtcare service.
Housing - you had to pay too....
The horror was that people willing to travel out of USSR republics had to be checked by KGB or any local secret service officers just to be sure that you are Wellbehaved communist and you are not leaving the country forever.
If you try to escape you get bullets in the back shot by border military services. After that your all family is under investigation... SICK!
And yes... NOMENCLATURE did trade with the west and WIN a lot of money because of the cheap slave labour.
Boris Petrov Some might idealise communism because the situation in the USA and propably elsewhere is quite bad and there's a lot of inequality almost like oligarchy. But the fact is that exaggerating both is bad! Every state has to find a way between the two where safety and freedom are to a certain degree guaranteed.
Boy, that escalated quickly!
John Wayne Truth is that USA had economic problems also in time when the "East block" ended .Todays USA with big debt live only for the fact that Dolar is reserve currency . In Europa same states must doing heavy restructuralisation (example the Greek).
Yes many peoples from previous Comunistic states want the Comunists back , because the system was Social justnees. Todays are many peoples poor without Jobs or with too low wage ,and have problem with living etc..
Marek Balog True, many presidents were sweeping the debt under the carpet until their administration was over so they could pass it to the next president. Jimmy Carter didn't and he wasn't reelected.
It's a fact that people hate inconvenient truths even more than lies!
Good morning Jay I do remember this car very well back in Kabul Afghanistan majority are our taxis were Volga And Moskowitz
I saw one about 2 months ago in a car parking. Rusted, with a washing machine drum in the back seats, but, obviously, still going. It was carrying the oldest registration plate for that town. Photographed my 40 years younger coupe along with it, turned out an interesting photo.
I can't wait till Jay reviews the Trabant. That is gonna be my favorite episode.
lol
Hahaha! The TRABANT! ***
There's a video by some one in the USA driving it... etc. Really good one.
@@rexluminus9867 Ah, Aging Wheels channel right?
Nice video! Thank you for having this car and for telling about it!
Some points to mention: the Volga GAZ21 was first produced in 1956. The one in the video is a 1964 (1962 exterior) model year and is not a delux version. The delux had chrome moldings under the windows and a chrome trim around the windscreen. It had a specification "yc" or "c". if yours has this letters in the specification, you must be having these parts missing.
The automatic transmission is harder to maintain than the manual. And because the 21volga was for the state agencies mainly (taxi, police, other institutions), the people in charge decided the AT wasn't practical or profitable. And for private owners there was no extencive network of service stations yet in USSR, so the AT was not appropriate for them as well.
Although there was the volga GAZ 23, the indeed KGB version that was really put against foreign powerful cars, including american cadillacs etc. (to follow them if they were driven by suspicios foreighners) and the GAZ 23 volga had a V8 5526cc engine of 195 HP with an AT.
And yes, volga21 was imported by many countries but not by USA of course..
That's what I was thinking - his is the base model.
my father has the same Volga Gaz-21. Built in 1963. Black pearl color. It was part of the car park for the Ministry of Defence, but after the Soviet Union dissolved, they were selling the entire car park and my father bought it. I've travelled thousands of kilometers in this Volga with my dad.
Regarding GAZ
I am from East Europe, they were quite common in 70s and 80s. My uncle owned one of these and I remember how I was fascinated of comfort,quit and high back seat position when he took me for a ride. Especially when I re entered it from our rear engine Skoda 100. I felt like in Cadillac.The engine was strong up to the hill, the car was able to drive on bad field roads too. Therefore directors of state owned agricultural farms used to use them.
Then,after the end of the service period they could buy it as a personal car.
My friend's father bought one of Volga GAZ 24 and he was not happy with a gas consumption, so they changed the engine for a diesel unit of Avia, light 3,5t truck. It was very cool to watch a blue-grey smoke when he started it.He made one of the first diesel car in our town in early 80's.He said the consumption was now better:)
Btw:GAZ mean Garkovskyij Avtomobilnyj Zavod
(Garkhovsk's Car Factory)Greetings from Slovakia.
I want one. Imagine having the V8 version, it's literally the most underrated sleeper out there. More than twice the displacement, more than twice the horsepower, a full aluminium engine, and it looked exactly the same and didn't sound much different too, because it had the same exhaust system as the four cylinder version. They were so powerful, they had to put lead blocks in the trunk to keep them going straight.
I often see Americans ask, "Why did europe, asia and soviet have such crappy cars in the 60's ? We had 7 liter V8 engines in our cars!" when they the answer should be obvious, it's not their cars that were crappy, it was American cars that were outrageously big because America had the worlds lowest gas prices.
After WWII, eastern europe was in literal ruins, so cars from the late 40's and early 50's tended to reflect that, people could only spend so much on cars, after spending a whole lot on repairing their house, their roads, buying new tractors ... etc. etc.
It got better by the late 50's and 60's, but gasoline was still expensive, so the cars reflected that reality.
The Volga GAZ-21 should probably be compared to cars like the Volvo Amazon, and the Peugeot 403.
On top of that, don't forget that the soviet union preferred durability and reliability, over style and flair.
And that's when it becomes obvious why the GAZ-21 is the way, it is.
Omg that Volvo Amazon is sexy when modified
Oh my, yes - The Amazon looks great modified.
And it doesn't hurt that it looks great in a wide range of colors either.
Though I prefer it in black, like the one that Stance Works made for Keith Ross :
th-cam.com/video/3GIq5kOuBIQ/w-d-xo.html
So pretty ! :)
You forgot the fact that the Soviets had a V6/V8 car... the Chaika
And that Americans only see the size of the engine and number of pistons as the only thing that matters [they compensating for something :P]
Fairy tales, uh?
@@yanuchiuchihaanimegamesand3907 The "Chaika" (and especially ZIL) is a machine for the party elite and leaders. Also, sometimes it was presented to outstanding people, for example, astronauts and writers. It was not on sale for ordinary citizens, so it is impossible to consider it a car for everyone. And anyone could buy the "Volga" if there was money.
I can’t believe Jay calls that butt ugly.
That thing is really nice looking and stylish.
Вот уж не ожидал встретить нашу волжанку у Jay Leno)
Thank you Jay for the interesting community of our Volga 😁👍
A я её давно заприметил у него в гараже в других роликах, всё думал - она или не она ?