Gaz VOLGA M21 Goes for a Drive

In the old Soviet Union cars took years of waiting to acquire and what you got depended on your status. If you were important enough you could buy a Volga like this one, the Mk3 Gaz Volga M21

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[tasospappas]

I love how you appreciate those cars. Doug DeMuro recently made huge fun of it without even understanding that it was absolute luxury in USSR back in the day

[sjcuk]

That's was one of the best unbiased reviews of a Cccp car I have seen. Positive and enthusiastic. Many youtubers just find a reason to laugh, you didn't.

[nuclearlad]

There was a famous soviet comedy "Beware of cars!" that focused on these cars as objects of great prestige. The protagonist was an insurance agent who would steal them from owners he deemed corrupt or generally crappy people and sell them to give the proceeds to charity. It then focuses on the cat and mouse game between him and the detective tracking him down. I think the humor still holds up, and last I saw it was on youtube with subtitles, if anyone wanted to check it out and get some of that vintage Brezhnev-era comedy (there was a bit of a loosening of censorship then).

[AlejjSi]

My grandpa had one back in the day. He bought it new in Czechoslovakia in 1965, so it too was a Mk.III. We still have the side wing "Волга" bolted on to the garage door. He was not in the party or anything, he worked in agriculture (in 1965 he was 32) as a combine harvester driver and they were payed the best (after the party officials of course), because their work was very hard, the combines didn't even get a roof back then. So he and my grandma, who used to drive with him and later became an accountant (she was very smart and knew how to work numbers) earned enough on the 60's to buy the Volga and build a house (of course with just their own bare hands on evenings after work). And so they were permitted to get hold on one (in Czechoslovakia you didn't own a car, you were a holder of the car even though you payed for it. The registration documents titled you "Car holder", not "Owner" and you had to get a permission to hold one before buying it). They even had to pay extra money for it, because in 1965, a big sporting event called "Spartakiade" took place and all of the available Volgas had to go to the taxi drivers, so to discourage anybody from buying it, they upped the price. It did cost around double the price of the Skoda Octavia or later the 1000MB back then (65 000 Czechoslovak crowns). They had it right until 1988, when they bought a new Skoda Favorit, which we own until now. Granpa always praised the Volga for being reliable, comfortable (yes, they did sleep in it when on travel, didn't have to waste time building a tent :D) and the torque it had. He always said that you would pull off on first, ten go for second, third and on third it would go all the way to Moscow :D And of cours, in among his friends and coworkers, who maybe had a Skoda or bette a Lada, his car was king even in the 80's. To this day, I still have the original owners manual in Russian and the receipe from the showroom, though I actually never saw it. But I've seen few on the road still in actual use. My brother, who works in a used cars showroom once called me to show up, because they had a Volga M21 in the yard. It was an early Mk.I and I was able to examine it and sit in it. It was sooo comfortable. Thank you for this video, I really like you appreciate cars no matter from where they came.

[hughjass]

The very embodiment of simplicity. What a beautiful car!

If they sold such things today, by any manufacturer, I'd buy one in a heartbeat!

[simbastra]

A truly beautiful vehicle. That speedometer should have gotten a design award.

[mr-wxlv]

I love it. Just love the rustic charm of eastern European cars..

[recoveringnewyorker]

As a retired auto mechanic in the United States, I find this car fascinating! Jay Leno, about nine years ago, profiled his 1966 Gaz Volga.

[GlamStacheessnostalgialounge]

When I was a kid there was an old guy who had one of these, bought it second hand in the USSR in the early 80s and had it until he passed in the mid 2000s. The thing guzzled fuel like a tank, was slow and parts were non-existent for it, but no Mercedes or Audi could ever come close to the quality and comfort of it.

[tonys]

Everyone knocks Russian Soviet era vehicles but those built in Russia were built like tanks and reliable, something which could not be said of those designed and built in satellite states like East Germany and other Communist Countries. The Engineering may have been agricultural and low tech but was easy to get repaired by a blacksmith or local village garage, often the same place.

[jimmyj]

Popular as taxis in greek countryside these Volgas, due to being so tough! I remember going in cycladic islands, as a kid, back in the '70s, and all taxis on the island (3-4 of them) being Volgas!

[bartl]

My dad had two in the sixties, one with a Perkins diesel as far as I know. That engine survived the car and was sold to someone who put it in a yacht. In the Netherlands the were used as taxis in Rotterdam.

[neilwalsh]

What a fabulous car and a great find Matt. I'm fascinated by Eastern Bloc cars in general but the Volga and the Chaika are simply stunning.

[eozcompany]

Most of these were used as taxis in Czechoslovakia.
tough, dependable and comfortable really great for such use.

[russellflacco]

Of all of the you tube automobile hosts/drivers you are about the most entertaining and well versed of the group. You put some effort into these vids. Happy to see the trees are blooming back in the empire.

[davidjames]

Back in the 1950s, that design must have been the business, and it's lovely now. Thanks for showing these unusual vehicles that many of us may have heard of but don't get to see.

[TheHerbas]

Loved the video, informative, no stupid laughter off things you didn’t know, no comparing to modern cars, loved❤ finally a perfect review of old car. Take care and good luck, waiting for next video ❤

[MaxMicron]

5:40 That thing behind the spare wheel is actually a starting crank. It came as standard on every Volga GAZ M-21 and GAZ-24. You should try a GAZ-24 one day, it has really cool looks as well

[Werkplaatsvlog]

That’s very interesting! One of our viewers send me the link to this video. We’re currently working on a Gaz M21 in the Netherlands right now, hope to have it driving next week.

[garygriffiths]

You often say that the next car may be 'something entirely different' - that mission is accomplished I think!