Limousine ZiS-110 - an indicator of the revival of the post-war USSR

In the summer of 1945, when the Soviet Union was just beginning to try to revive the destroyed country, several ZiS-110 limousines were assembled at the Stalin Plant. It was the first post-war passenger car.


With his luxury, he surprised not only Soviet citizens, but also Europeans and Americans. Foreigners could not understand how a war-torn country could produce such a thing and marveled at the wealth of the USSR.

After all, it was all meant to be! Stalin himself personally oversaw the creation of a Soviet limousine, which should command respect from foreign diplomats and politicians!

The story of

Before the ZiS-110, the USSR had its own representative cars. Before the start of World War II, the most advanced was the ZiS-101, which by 1940 was considered obsolete. Most likely, it would have been replaced on the assembly line, but after the German attack, there was no time for civilian cars.



Although the ZiS-110 appeared in 1945, the task for its development was received at the end of 1942, when it became clear to Stalin that the USSR would win the war. The Packard 180 was chosen as a role model, which in the early 1940s drove Franklin Roosevelt, the President of the United States.



There are a couple of versions about how they wanted to create the body of the ZiS-110, but in any case, all the details had to be made independently.

The previous model 101 limousine was ordered in the USA, spending about $1 on it. Then all the stamps for body panels and frames were made by Badd. But it was unreasonable to spend such money in wartime conditions, so several cars were bought in the USA and not only Packards.

Now it is impossible to say exactly which models were purchased in 1943, but the documents indicate several cars from different manufacturers:

• ? Three Packard Custom Super Eight
  
• ? Two Buick 90 Limited
  
• ? A pair of Cadillac 75th and 67th models
  

Therefore, the ZiS-110 cannot be called a complete copy of the Packard 180. Rather, the Soviet limousine has become a kind of hodgepodge of the best US-made cars.



But the appearance is stylized precisely under the Packard-180 - that's what Stalin wanted.



Designer Herman, who created the appearance of the ZiS-110, did not like the American auto industry, so he tried to make the body look as different as possible from the Packard-180. This was due to new trends in automotive fashion.

External differences:

• ? Gone are the wide footpegs
  
• ? Spare wheel moved to trunk
  
• ? Rear end is more streamlined
  

The first running model of the ZiS-110 was ready on September 20, 1944 and demonstrated to Stalin. Tom liked the car, after which the plant received the go-ahead for small-scale production.



By the way, one of the ZiS-110s was presented to Patriarch Alexy I personally by Joseph Vissarionovich.

Technical specifications

The limousine received a length of 6 meters exactly, with a wheelbase of 3 mm. Vehicle width - 760 mm, ground clearance - 1 mm.

The eight-cylinder engine was copied from the Packard almost completely. Cast iron engine, aluminum alloy pistons. Working volume - 6 liters with a power of 140 liters. With. Initially, the motor developed 162 hp. s, but due to the fact that in the USSR there was no motor gasoline with an octane rating of more than 70, it was necessary to reduce the compression ratio. As a result, power also dropped.

The gearbox was installed mechanical three-speed. Thanks to the huge torque, the driver of the limousine could get under way immediately from the second.

The cooling system for the first time for Soviet cars was sealed. To speed up warm-up and simplify adjustment, special blinds were installed in the radiator tank. When necessary, they opened or closed.



There were other innovations in the ZiS-110. For example, the front suspension is independent - for the first time in the Soviet Union such a design was used. The car had anti-roll bars. The hydraulic brake system was also first used on passenger cars.

Salon

The ZiS-110 was comfortable, which stood out especially against the backdrop of post-war devastation. Even foreigners were impressed, what to say about Soviet citizens? The cabin was as quiet as a private office. This was achieved due to excellent sound insulation and thick glass.



The windows of the ZiS-110 were automatic, but for this they used not standard electric motors, but special hydraulic jacks. This design raised not only thick glass, but also weighted armored ones.

ZIS-115

Armored cars were called ZiS-115, but few people knew about this. For ordinary Soviet citizens, all ZiS-110 limousines were considered the same. From 1945 to 1961, 2 vehicles were produced, but only 100 of them were armored.

The first such limousine was assembled for Stalin, and it was a serial ZiS-115. The car outwardly differed from the standard ZiS-110 by the presence of an additional central headlight.



The engine was also different - it was decided not to reduce its compression ratio and the car developed a power of 162 hp. With. I had to fill the ZiS-115 with high-octane gasoline. It is believed that the fuel was bought abroad, but this is unlikely. Most likely, it was made specially in the USSR.

The weight of the ZiS-115 was 7 kg versus 500 for the 2 modification. I had to change the rear axle to a cargo one from the ZiS-500.
The maximum speed of the armored limousine is 100 km/h. For a weight of 7,5 tons, this is a good result.

Other modifications of the ZiS-110

In addition to limousines, several special cars were produced on the basis of the ZiS-110. For example, an ambulance, which is distinguished by color, a lantern with a cross and a station wagon body. Inside there was a stretcher for one patient.

For guests of the capital, special modifications of taxis were produced. Yes, under Stalin, everyone could ride in a representative limousine if they wanted! Although it was difficult to find such a taxi on the street, they worked on order.

For military parades, special phaetons with the ZiS-110B index were produced. These cars replaced the horses of the commanders-in-chief.
The all-wheel drive ZiS-110Sh received two drive axles from the Dodge WC51 and a transfer case from it. It was not difficult to do this - after the war, a lot of Lend-Lease SUVs remained in the USSR.



Four-wheel drive ZiS-110Sh was produced in 47 units, but it is not known whether at least one such limousine has survived.
In 1958, the ZIL-110 (it was already called that by that time) was replaced by the ZIL-111 model, but the old limousine was produced in parallel for almost three more years.

Not a single subsequent Soviet executive car became as massive as the ZiS-110. Such cars are still on sale, but they ask for them from 30 rubles. If it is possible to keep the limousine, then the purchase is a profitable investment of money - over the years, the ZiS-000 will only become more expensive.