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27/01/2021 5:28 pm
The GAZ M12 ZIM was commissioned in 1948 as a 6 passenger limousine that was actually available for private ownership. It was produced from 1950 to 1960. Could you get to the Kremlin in a hurry? Well, 0-60 mph in 37 seconds with a top speed of 78 mph, it probably wouldn't matter if you took the highway or the back roads. The ZIM moniker honored Foreign Secretary Molotov. GAZ was the acronym for the Gorky Automotive Factory.
27/01/2021 6:45 pm
As I happen to have a little Gaz 12 (along with some near contemporaries) sitting on my desk at present, I could not resist posting some shots - though as ever, they're not up to the standard generally expected on this site!
27/01/2021 9:14 pm
@rich-sufficool Rich, it's a 1948 factory design sample from Mercedes-Benz. What I find so fascinating about it is that whilst it is absolutely spot-on for its time, Mercedes decided not to run with it concentrating, rather, on smaller sized ponton bodied designs which clearly was the way forward, as your excellent Zim post demonstrates. I believe the car found its way to Australia and remained in almost perfect condition until its 'rediscovery' five or so (from memory) years ago.
" One such vehicle was a new luxury car based on the 320 and Daimler-Benz built a single prototype in 1948, retaining the W142 model designation. Powered by the same 3.4-litre side-valve six-cylinder engine and with a four-speed gearbox plus fully independent suspension all round, the vehicle remained a one-off as development of the 300 series - with overhead camshaft six-cylinder engine - took over. The 1948 W142 therefore remained a one-off prototype and eventually escaped into private hands, surviving today as a unique example of what might have been. "
28/01/2021 12:42 am
@charles-rockett @rich-sufficool Thanks for the history.
Loved that model the moment I saw it, have it in my modest 1/43 collection. Issued by Matrix maybe 2-3 years ago, there is open top version that is still available in some online stores, however the top-up version was gone pretty quick.