HISTORY

The GAZ M21 Volga was produced from 1956 and is a big part of the Russian automotive history. The Russians called this car "a tractor in a tailcoat". Volga was a design copy of the "Ford Customobile" and the "M21" became the most luxurious car any Soviet citizen was permitted to own. But due to its high price, only about 2% could afford to buy one. Therefore the "M21" remained a distant dream for the last 98%. However, up to 1975, the Volga was the most frequent seen automobile in the streets. Even Yuri Gagarin (the soviet cosmonaut who was the first person in the space) was driving this car.

Volgas were built to last in the harsh climate and rough roads of the Soviet Union. It had high ground clearance, rugged suspension, a strong and forgiving engine and rust proofing unheard of in the 1950s. The car had a "high look" contrary to the "low-long-sleek look" of the American cars of resembling design.

The Volga M21 was exported to 75 countries worldwide. The car was nicknamed ‘wheeled tank' in Belgium and ‘tail-coat tank' in Finland and Norway. In Great Britain they would refer to the Volga as a ‘reliable working horse'.

Five pointed Star
The very first edition had a five pointed star on the front grill. The legend has it that it appeared after Marshal Zhukov, a Soviet Defense Minster in the 1950's, was shown the first preproduction car in Kremlin and did not like what he saw. He found the front grill design of three horizontal nickel-plated elements to be dull. Since the car was also meant to be delivered for the army, where Zhukov was a chief decision-maker, the Volga designers made some fast needed adjustments. The revised design had the five pointed star placed in the center of the grill. It was a "no-risk" decision - Zhukov would never dislike an army element added to a civil motor car. Soon after the contract was awarded to the GAZ Motor Car Plant and the five pointed star became a part of the car's design and history.

In Lithuania owners of the first edition M21 experienced troubles with vandalism during the 1980s revolutionary movement against the Soviet Union. Lithuanian patriots were breaking the front grills or taking the five pointed stars off the cars. Many owners would change to the later model grills in order to avoid the problems and the vandalism of their "once upon a time" prestigious car.