If I were a sultan … A hundred wives? Chur me, chur! Today’s sultans and divorced with one – such times. But cars are a different matter! And a hundred, and two hundred. Most-most! And as I understand Leonid Ilyich)) His love for good cars began back in the 38th year, when the first secretary of the Dnipropetrovsk regional committee Brezhnev was “allocated” Buick-90 Limited.
Then, in general, loved American cars – as you know, Stalin traveled to the Packard.
But Buick was not bad at all …
One way or another, but from that moment on Leonid Ilyich could not indifferently look at good cars.
The next foreign car Brezhnev became the legendary Chevrolet Bel Air, a massive car, not preuminous, however, unusually popular in the mid-50s in distant America.
In the spring of 1955, the head of the USSR, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, staying on a visit to Vienna, ordered to buy several good cars — as gifts for those who particularly distinguished themselves before the party and the government. Therefore, in April of the same year, a white-green Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe Hardtop was bought in the cabin of Berhard Daneka – with a “mediocre” engine producing 170 hp. and a manual transmission, although at that time in America, cars with “automatic” were considered to be a special style.
Khrushchev knew that the head of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, did not like the soul of thoroughbred high-speed cars. Nikita Sergeevich decided: “Let Brezhnev raise the virgin lands and support me at the XXth Congress – then I will return him to Moscow and present Chevrolet.” So it happened.
But even such a chic gift didn’t please the future general secretary for long – the “luxurious” Bel Air was not so luxurious. For example, windows were the usual mechanical – the servo was not offered even for a fee. Chevrolet is not a Cadillac. However, let’s not guess the reasons, but the handsome BelAir was presented to daughter Galina, who at that time was married to circus artist Yevgeny Milaev.
Yevgeny and Galina did not remain in debt – and in 1960, Opel Kapitan L. sedan was brought to Leonid Ilyich from touring Germany.
A Chevrolet later still returned to his father’s garage. After divorcing, Galina took him with her, although by that time he was already pretty battered. After some time this car, through the mediation of the famous pilot Alexander Pokryshkin, was sold to the chief engineer of one of the Dnipropetrovsk factories.
This car was lucky – already in our time, enthusiasts found it in an unconscious state, and breathed new life. The photo is the same machine after the restoration.
After Opel Leonid Ilyich pleased handsome CHRYSLER 300 (1966)
The fate of this beauty was tragic. In 1986, from the Maxim Gorky film studio, was bought by Ezhiev Muharbek Ismailovich, who at that time lived in SOASSR. In 1992, during the Ossetian-Ingush conflict, it was burned by marauders after an unsuccessful attempt of theft. The only thing that remains of this car are the keys and documents.
The real pearl of the Brezhnev collection was the Maserati Quattroporte. In 1968 it was one of the most powerful and expensive four-door sedans. It could accelerate to 230 km / h and had a V-shaped eight with a powerful 290 hp. engine. This car Brezhnev received as a gift from the leadership of the Italian party.
Well, and what is the collection without Rolls-Royce? It would not be Lenin at all))
Leonid Ilyich had two Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows. One “ghost” was presented to him by the “great friend of the Soviet Union” by entrepreneur Armand Hammer, and the second by Queen Elizabeth II
According to one version, the royal gift was broken by Leonid Ilyich near Zavidovo, according to another, official, the driver of the Garage for special purpose is to blame. Broken “ghost” is in the Riga Museum …
A year later, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany presented another car to Brezhnev. This time it turned out to be a 6-door limousine from a Mercedes model 600 model. The series of these cars was strictly limited. They were made only seven, and 6-door – two, one of which went to Brezhnev, and the second – the emperor of Japan.
In May 1972, the visit of US President Richard Nixon to Moscow was expected. On the eve of the trip, the USSR Ambassador to the US Anatoly Dobrynin privately told Nixon: “Leonid Ilich would like very much to receive as a gift a Cadillac Eldorado car.” The car was made by special order for three days. On the fourth day, the “Cadillac” for L.I. Brezhnev was flown to Moscow by a US Air Force transport plane.
Henry Kissanger recalls:
“Once he led me to a black Cadillac, which Nixon presented to him a year ago on the advice of Dobrynin. With Brezhnev at the wheel, we rushed at high speed along narrow winding rural roads, so that we could only pray that some policeman would appear at the nearest intersection and put an end to this risky game. But it was too unbelievable, because here, outside the city, if there was a road inspector, he would hardly have dared to stop the car of the General Secretary of the party. Fast ride ended at the pier. Brezhnev placed me on a hydrofoil boat, which, fortunately, he did not drive alone. But it seemed to me that he should beat that speed record set by the general secretary during our car trip. ”
Lincoln Continental 1972 was another chic American in the General Secretary collection.
This car was also donated to Brezhnev. The story was as follows: during Nixon’s visit to the USSR, Brezhnev saw the limousine of the US President, and had the imprudence to wish himself the same.
Luxury blue sedan was presented to Brezhnev at Camp David. The car was also unique, like all the others – there was a climate control unit, power seat adjustment and a stereo system. When Brezhnev saw this supercar, he was very happy, and decided to ride her immediately, along with Nixon.
“I gave him the official gift of his visit to America – the dark blue Lincoln-Continental custom assembly. The inscription on the dashboard was engraved: “For a good memory. Best wishes”. Brezhnev collected luxury cars and therefore did not try to hide his admiration. He insisted on testing the gift immediately. He got behind the wheel and enthusiastically pushed me into the passenger seat. The head of my personal guard turned pale when he saw me sit inside. We rushed along one of the narrow roads that run around the perimeter around Camp David. Brezhnev was accustomed to freely move along the central streets of Moscow, and I could only imagine what would happen if a secret service jeep or marines suddenly appeared around the corner on this one-way road. In one place there was a very steep descent with a bright sign and the inscription: “Slow, dangerous turn”. Even when I was driving a sports car here, I pressed the brake to get off the road. Brezhnev was traveling at a speed of over 50 miles (80 km) per hour as we approached the descent. I leaned forward and said: “Slow descent, slow descent,” but he did not pay attention to it. We reached the end of the descent, piercingly screeching tires, when he slammed on the brakes and turned. After our trip, Brezhnev told me: “This is a very good car. He’s great on the road. ” “You are a great driver,” I replied. “I could never turn here at the speed you drove.” Diplomacy is not always an easy art. ” I pressed the brake to drive off the road. Brezhnev was traveling at a speed of over 50 miles (80 km) per hour as we approached the descent. I leaned forward and said: “Slow descent, slow descent,” but he did not pay attention to it. We reached the end of the descent, piercingly screeching tires, when he slammed on the brakes and turned. After our trip, Brezhnev told me: “This is a very good car. He’s great on the road. ” “You are a great driver,” I replied. “I could never turn here at the speed you drove.” Diplomacy is not always an easy art. ” I pressed the brake to drive off the road. Brezhnev was traveling at a speed of over 50 miles (80 km) per hour as we approached the descent. I leaned forward and said: “Slow descent, slow descent,” but he did not pay attention to it. We reached the end of the descent, piercingly screeching tires, when he slammed on the brakes and turned. After our trip, Brezhnev told me: “This is a very good car. He’s great on the road. ” “You are a great driver,” I replied. “I could never turn here at the speed you drove.” Diplomacy is not always an easy art. ” the tires shrilled shrilly when he slammed on the brakes and turned. After our trip, Brezhnev told me: “This is a very good car. He’s great on the road. ” “You are a great driver,” I replied. “I could never turn here at the speed you drove.” Diplomacy is not always an easy art. ” the tires shrilled shrilly when he slammed on the brakes and turned. After our trip, Brezhnev told me: “This is a very good car. He’s great on the road. ” “You are a great driver,” I replied. “I could never turn here at the speed you drove.” Diplomacy is not always an easy art. ”
The Japanese note in this automobile symphony is the Nissan President. The first copy was an official car of the Prime Minister of Japan, and the second was made specifically for L.I. Brezhnev. It was on Nissan that the Secretary General once drove around Moscow President Nixon and Secretary of State Kissinger. From here the joke went: “Do you see who their driver is?”
With its volume of 4.4 liters and weighing more than two tons, the car accelerated to 195 km / h. At the same time, fuel consumption with an installed automatic transmission was only 15 liters / 100 km, which was a great innovation for those times.
But not a single foreign cars. Were in the garage at the General Secretary and cars of domestic production. For example, the famous liftovannaya “Volga”, which Brezhnev went on the hunt. Here it is – a prototype and forerunner of modern crossovers!
Not without “The Seagull”, where do without it? At first it was the “Seagull” GAZ-13
And in December 1976, the collection of Leonid Ilyich was replenished with a new car – the representative GAZ-14 Seagull.
The headrests and armrests of the comfortable seats were covered with natural wool or leather, mainly from the English brand Connolly – the supplier of Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. The middle row of seats was folding and, if necessary, easily folded in niches in the backs of the front seats. There were two options for upholstery: beige and dark green.
Electric windows, cigarette lighters, four ashtrays, a telephone, heated side door and rear windows, a high-end stereo stereo receiver “Radiotekhnika” with a Wilma cassette provided convenience and comfort to the “public servants”. Control of the radio receiver from the remote control integrated into the rear seat armrests was basic – the driver must put up with the tastes of the owner without complaint.
This is the love story of General Secretary and Cars. The fate of rarities was different.
After the arrival of Gorbachev, the cars went to different places. Wonderful Maserati came to Estonia. After perestroika, he ended up in the hands of the security company Dolomit, which consisted of former KGB officers who sold it to Margaret Thatcher. Broken “ghost” is in the Riga Museum. Cadillac Eldorado can be seen in the club “Autoamerica” in Moscow.
Until now, different cars from the Brezhnev collection float here and there around the world. In Germany, the auction was sold to Mercedes Brezhnev. In Moscow, once again resold the Nissan car at an auction organized by Sotheby’s, although this time unsuccessfully.
It would be good to put them all together, right?)
Source: http://boltai.com/g/cccp/topics/43627923728/Lyubimyie-avtomobili-Leonida-Brezhneva/