Gaz 12 Zim
Year of Manufacture: 1953
Power: 95 horsepower
Displacement:3,485 cm3
Number of Cylinders/Valves: 6/2
Weight: 1,900 kg
Condition: Operational
Catalogue Number: 247
This is a representative limousine over 5.5 meters long. Due to time constraints, chief designer Andrei Lipgart was given a choice between copying an American product (Buick) or developing an entirely new model — he chose the latter.
The GAZ-12 was a Soviet limousine produced from 1950 to 1960 by the Gorky Automobile Plant. It was built to serve both the upper and middle class, but was also widely used as a taxi and ambulance. Unlike its successors, the GAZ-12 was the only Soviet executive vehicle intended for private ownership. While a Pobeda cost about 16,000 rubles, a GAZ-12 cost around 40,000 rubles. It was designed for mid-level political and economic officials and was also used by the KGB.
The vehicle boasted a length of 5,530 mm and a wheelbase of 3,200 mm. Inside, it featured two rows of soft plush bench seats, with two additional fold-out jump seats integrated into the floor. For its time, it was considered highly luxurious.
It was powered by a 3,485 cm3 inline six-cylinder engine with a maximum output of 66 kW (95 hp), paired with a three-speed gearbox. The car could reach a top speed of around 125 km/h and accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in roughly 40 seconds. Fuel consumption was about 19 l/100 km.
Over the ten-year production span, a total of 21,527 units were made. A few made their way to Czechoslovakia, where they were used by state officials. One such vehicle was used by then-Minister of Defense Alexej Čepička.
