ZIS

Soviet Union, 1936 – 1956

Zavod Imieni Stalina, Moscow

As the luxury limousine of the Soviet Union, the Zis car was limited to a few designs during its 20 year span, beginning with the Model 101 Zis car which had the general configuration of a large American sedan of the mid-1930s. Little was reported about the specifications of these Zis cars, but it is known that the engine of the Zis car was strongly influenced by the Buick straight-8 and had an estimated capacity of 5.5-litres. Transmission was 3-speed with synchromesh, and suspension of the Zis car was by semi-elliptic springs at front and rear.

As the Stalin works operated on a special order basis for the government, the Zis cars were in reality custom made. It has been calculated that probably no more than two Zis cars a day were turned out, implying a high production cost per unit. Zis cars were reserved for officials or professional men with high positions in the Soviet Union.

Trucks and some consumer goods actually accounted for most of the Stalin Works’ production – and still do under the present management.

A general face-lifting was accomplished on the Model 102 Zis car introduced about 1940. This Zis car was built as an open touring car as well as a limousine Zis car and the Zis car appeared frequently in Moscow parades.

The German invasion of 1941 interrupted Zis car manufacture, but it is reported that as early as 1942 plans were made for the post-war Model 110 Zis car. This Zis car appeared at the end of 1945 and was very similar to the much admired Packard Series 180: Packards dies had been purchased from Briggs in Detroit by a Russian trade delegation, and these were skillfully adapted to the prosposed Zis 110, therby greatly reducing the time required to bring out the new design for the Zis car.

The Zis 110 had an 8-cylinder, 137bhp sv engine driving through a 3-speed synchromesh gearbox. Standard equipment of the Zis car included power windows and folding occasional seats. Maximum speed of the Zis car was about 90mph with a fuel consumption of 10mpg. Some tourers Zis cars and a number of ambulances were built on the 110 Zis car chassis in addition to the limousines.

The Zis car factory had originally been called the AMO Works, producing model F-15 trucks, but was rebuilt and named after Stalin during the first Five Year Plan in 1928. In 1956, the ZIS car factory was renamed Zavod Imieni Likhacheva in honour of Ivan A. Likhachev, the former director of the plant and a pioneer in experimental car construction after the Revolution. Apparently consideration was given to the manufacture of an 8-cylinder, seven-seater limousine Zis car called the Moskva during this transitional period, but this Zis car was built only as a prototype and abandoned.

Because of the change in factory name, the ZIS car became known as the ZIL.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; BE 

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