Jay Leno has released a new video to show off one of his other “underground” cars. If you live in America or some other countries out of the Eastern European ones, you might not be able recognize this particular vehicle - it’s a Russian GAZ-21 Volga.
The GAZ M21 Volga was developed in the early 1950’s, entering production in 1956 and going out in 1970. The basic model represented the whole communist idea - simple mechanics, tank robustness and a minimalistic interior design.
Being built on a high platform, the 4-door Russian sedan suggested robustness at first glance, the statement being reinforced by the thick and rustfree body. It was powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, developing about 90 hp. Bolted to a 3-speed automatic transmission, the engine gave the bulky sedan a top speed of 80 mph (129 km/h). Don’t ask about 0 to 60 acceleration as it probably took days to reach it. The agricultural 4-cylinder engine was not built for performances, but for easy maintenance and durability.
The interior was fitted with just the things you needed to get from A to B - seats, radio, a clock and the driving commands. No power-windows, no power steering, no power nothing, except the windshield wipers, and also no air conditioning. But it had a very good heater instead, to face the harsh Russian winters.
Still, being some sort of flagship among the range, the car was not affordable by anyone at that time. It was popular for its use among the Police forces and some taxi companies. Also, there was a special model built for the infamous KGB forces, which was equipped with a 195 hp V8 engine, and it was probably painted in black.
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