ZIL-111 USSR Auto Legends

Khrushchev personally commissioned the ZIL-111 limousine for the party leadership. The first sketches of the new official car were drawn in 1955. Work had actually begun in the early 1950s, when different factory departments sought modern solutions to replace outdated designs.

Development difficulties even led to Soviet designers being sent to the USA for training in body construction. The first prototype of the new body, named Moskva, was shown in 1956 on a ZIS-110 chassis. Series production began in 1958, averaging no more than twelve cars annually. The air-conditioned ZIL-111A followed in 1959.

A distinguishing feature was its hydromechanical transmission with a two-speed automatic planetary gearbox. Panoramic front and rear windows and electric window lifts were fitted for the first time to a limousine of this class. The 5,980 cc engine produced 200 hp at 4,200 rpm, giving the three-tonne car a top speed of 170 km/h.