GAZ-14 Chaika USSR Auto Legends

The source description dates the start of second-generation GAZ-14 production to 1997. The ruling elite considered the car so luxurious and large that it approached government ZILs. It was therefore sought by officials of ministerial rank or higher.

Yet the same description dates the final car to December 1988 and identifies it as the 1,114th built. The source’s start date contradicts its end date.

The author offers a sarcastic “thank you” to Gorbachev, whose initiative led to the destruction of technical documentation and equipment for both the full-size car and souvenir models. An interesting detail is that the GAZ-14’s large ribbed rear lights closely resembled those of the Mercedes W123 and W126.