GAZ-13 Chaika, a rare Soviet gem of a car

The GAZ-13 Chaika also known as the Seagull is one of the most striking Soviet automobiles ever built. . It was manufactured by the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1959 to 1981 with only 3,179 models every produced. Variations included the Convertible (GAZ-13B) with an electrohydraulic top, Saloon (Aka Limousine) and Station Wagon aka GAZ-13A Universal. . These cars were only available to high-ranking Soviet government officials or gifted to foreign dignitaries. Citizens could potentially rent them for special occasions only. . Fidel Castro, Mao Zedong’s wife Jiang Qing were each gifted the limo version by Nikita Khrushchev. . From the look you can see it resembles the golden age of automobiles of the 1950’s United States. . Under the bonnet sits a 5.5 Liter V8 producing 195-hp – with 4 barrel carburetor – top speed of 159 km/h . #classic #cars #automotive #buick #cadillac #vintage #soviet #sovietunion #automobile #oldsmobile #moscow #stpetersburg