GAZ-M20 Pobeda Taxi

The GAZ-M20V Pobeda became the mainstay of post-war taxi fleets. GAZ built around 37,492 taxis between 1946 and 1958. There was no domestic alternative: Moskvich cars were too small and the ZiS-110 too expensive.

The only known genuine GAZ-M20V Pobeda taxi survives at the State Military Technical Museum in Chernogolovka. Like other taxis, it carried a row of black-and-white checks along its sides. A taximeter replaced the radio. Later, following pre-war practice, cars were painted beige above and brown below. The upholstery also differed from the standard car: cheap leatherette was easy to wash but needed regular replacement.