Acting important in Soviet style with GAZ-24 Volga

In the classless society that communism pursued, there should be no distinction, but a GAZ-24 Volga was reserved for only a select few. It served as a status symbol for important people who felt superior to the common people. As a current owner, it's almost impossible to shake that feeling, and somehow, that leads to the cult car effect. 

By: Aart van der Haagen

Daniël Bouwmeester became fascinated by the GAZ-24 Volga during a visit to Ukraine in 2019. "In Kyiv, I visited Vintage Motors, which specializes in exclusive Soviet-era cars. I saw the GAZ-24 with a V8 engine, specially delivered to the KGB in black with a red interior. That was immediately my favorite model, but prices are skyrocketing these days."

"That model is among the most sought-after examples among enthusiasts, just like the relatively rare station wagon version, ambulances, and Scaldia-Volgas from Belgium," explains Captain Zubek, who has been running a workshop in Poland for about twenty years, dedicated entirely to the GAZ-24 and from where he serves customers from all over Europe and beyond, including an impressive parts supply. "In our region, the model is called 'the Russian Mercedes.'" We should take that term with a grain of salt. "The GAZ-24 doesn't even come close to the quality standards we expect from the industry in Western Europe." 

GAZ-24 Volga Diesel

Rapid model changes were never the norm in the Eastern Bloc. Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod put the GAZ-24, presented at the end of 1967, into production on July 15, 1970, after a three-year test period, and built it until 1985. After that, it continued as the facelifted GAZ-2410 until 1992, parallel to the drastically modernized series under the designation 3102. Aside from the KGB version with a 5,5-liter V8 and a three-speed automatic transmission, the factory kept the powertrain lineup relatively straightforward with a 2445 cc aluminum ZMZ four-cylinder engine and a four-speed manual transmission. In Belgium, however, at Scaldia, things were different.

Captain Zubek: "The carriages and spare parts arrived there by train. Usually without an engine, because the Volga M24 – as the model was then called – was almost always converted to diesel, with a 2,1- and later 2,3-liter Indénor engine from Peugeot." The Dutch importer Gremi charged 15.500 guilders for it at the end of 1972. Very reasonable, but the high road tax deterred customers, and the taxi market was reluctant to take the plunge. Belgians, thanks to favorable tax conditions, were enthusiastic, especially for the seven-passenger station wagon. 

Illegible inscriptions on Daniel Bouwmeester's GAZ-24 Volga

To acquire a GAZ-24, Daniël Bouwmeester didn't have to travel to Eastern Europe. He practically had one handed to him when a friend tipped him off about an early example from 1971 at Gerard Kramer Klassiekers in Wolvega. "It was the original version with the ribbon speedometer. It was originally painted green and later white. Definitely not a top-of-the-line example, but it was unmolested, not rotten at all, and in good condition, especially after replacing the cracked interior. However, I had to check it mechanically." Bouwmeester added his own twist to the austere Soviet ambiance with a few almost playful accessories in the form of glittering door lock pins and a kitschy transfer gear lever made of hardened epoxy with a rose incorporated into it. That's how it goes among enthusiasts of cult cars from the Eastern Bloc. "It has Russian bias-ply tires on it. They drive like crap, but purists love them." The various illegible lettering on the body and dashboard enhances the atmosphere. That's exactly what you want with a cult car from the Soviet Union. 

The complete article, including many photos, can be found in the December issue of Auto Motor Klassiek.That is still in the kiosk now.

(Below are some more pictures.)