What Proper Autumn Should Look Like

Fall aka autumn views somewhere on the banks of the great river Volga (Europe's largest but only fifth largest in Russia itself).

Embankment on the Volga

Here is something from my travel a view on the river Volga (the largest and longest in all of Europe) from the embankment at some place.

Volga GAZ-21 Snow Bound

A snow-bound Volga GAZ-21

Soapbox photos: Old-Style Automobile in December Snow: A snow-bound Volga GAZ-21 Avtozilla: Old-Style Automobile Volga GAZ-21 in December Snow...: A snow-bound Volga GAZ-21 Soapbox photos: Old-Style Automobile in December Snow : A snow-bound Volga GAZ...

Volga Cars

Another car show at Moscow's VDNKh that I visited -- Cars of Our Back Yard -- USSR cars.

Not the first car-themed show I saw at the location -- in August last year we saw Car Industry of the USSR.

But that time I was lazy to make too many photos. This time however I made over 200!

So it is in parts.

Part 1 - the Moskvitch -- is here -- Part 1 Moskvitch Cars.

Part 2 -- ZAZ cars -- is here -- Part 2 Zaporozhets Cars.

Part 3 -- Moto -- is here -- Part 3 Old Russian Motorcycles, Mopeds, etc. 

Part 4 - Lada cars -- is here -- Part 4 Lada Cars. 

And now Part 5 - the Volga automobile.

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1959 Volga GAZ-M-21I ("Second Series")

Below is the second series Volga and a third series Volga. The main differences in appearance are as follows:

Second series: the Shark (Maw) radiator grille, all-chrome bumper with guards ("fangs"), and also the Deer figurine.

Third series: the Baleen grille, bumper without guards, chrome plated only on top while the bottom is painted and color matched to the body, no Deer figurine.  

Filters on.

The Volga Deer.

Also, this Volga looks exactly like the Volga that (may have) won Grand Prix at Expo 1958 in Brussels. Picture from the Expo'58 catalog.

A Youtube video of the Second Series Volga.

1962 Volga GAZ-21US, Third Series

GAZ-21 Volga Car x 3

Starting a new car spotting series of posts on my blog -- Moscow Cars -- all interesting cars spotted and photographed by me as I go about my daily business here in Moscow where I am based.

To begin with, three GAZ-21 Volga cars, iconic Soviet cars. 

Truth to tell, they are not daily drivers -- I spotted them on a movie shoot in November 2014 -- the same one I photographed this Lincoln Town Cars 1st Gen.

Members of the public are watching movie people shooting a movie, and I am shooting period cars.

Volga GAZ-21, Third Series.

The Volga Third Series fascia ... quite different from that of the Second Series, see below. 

Whalebone grille, no deer hood ornament, the bumper without guards ("fangless" as it is known in Russia) whose bottom is painted the color of the body.

Russian Cars -- Auto Industry of the USSR Exhibition 2014

In August we visited the VDNKh, a permanent expo and entertainment facility here in north of Moscow where I am based, as I mentioned in this post -- Pictures from an Exhibition.

I also mentioned there that the Space Pavilion there was at the time hosting a car exhibition -- Auto Industry of the USSR. I made some pictures, and here they are.

Entering the exhibition.

Oldies on the ground floor in the middle, such as this GAZ AA truck.

GAZ GL-1, a sports car.

Truth to tell, I am a bit wary of these examples. Obviously, they were heavily restored but the line between restoration and replication is a bit blurred here.

GAZ GL-1

GAZ M-415 pickup.

This is more after my taste -- GAZ M 20 V Pobeda.

ZiM GAZ-12.

Three Chaikas. the first one is a very interesting example.

It is a RAO (RAF) GAZ 13 S Chaika -- a Chaika customized by Riga Auto Plant (RAF). 

Served as an ambulance car for senior party and government officials. One was gifted to Fidel Castro, I think.