Re: Russian Chaika [means seagull]
Posted by Ozstatman On 2009/6/4 14:54:11
Gerd,
You're probably right on top of this but just in case, here goes - Excerpt from Hemmings e-Weekly Newsletter Volume 4 - Issue 52
Collectibles
My New Gull Friend
Automotive delights from behind the iron curtain remain a mystery to most of us -- we hear stories about how terrible the cars are. Whether they were any good or not, nostalgia still hits hard. This is true even in the former Soviet Union.
And where there's nostalgia, there's someone to capitalize on it. Welly, the Hong Kong die-cast concern whose model range consistently surprises, is offering a line of Russian vehicles, exclusively through Russian channels. Among the Ladas, UAZ off-roaders and other newer machines is this -- the GAZ Chaika.
Chaika means "gull," but it's hard to get a sense of what the gentle, aerodynamic beauty of a bird has to do with a late-'50s, Packard-copied sedan that's one step down from a limousine and often driven by the secret state police. More than 3,100 were built from 1959 to 1981, during which time the styling hardly changed at all.
Thirty years on, one cold war and a continent away, we're not sure what to be most tickled by: the notion that this car exists in small-scale at all, that Welly has done such a bang-up job with it, or that it's available exclusively through Russian channels.
In 1:64 scale, it would be huge, so it's a more manageable 1:72 scale. But the detail! Tampo hits, perfect molding, even the wheels and tires are excellent. There are multiple colors available, but honestly, black is where it's at with this one. And, seriously, the style is pure mid-'50s Packard. It's so close that Packard collectors might want one in their own collections, in which case the multiple available colors might make a little more sense.
To get your hands on one, check outhttp://store.diecast.ru for pricing and more information.
- By Jeff Koch
Attach file:
(3.24 KB)
You're probably right on top of this but just in case, here goes - Excerpt from Hemmings e-Weekly Newsletter Volume 4 - Issue 52
Collectibles
My New Gull Friend
Automotive delights from behind the iron curtain remain a mystery to most of us -- we hear stories about how terrible the cars are. Whether they were any good or not, nostalgia still hits hard. This is true even in the former Soviet Union.
And where there's nostalgia, there's someone to capitalize on it. Welly, the Hong Kong die-cast concern whose model range consistently surprises, is offering a line of Russian vehicles, exclusively through Russian channels. Among the Ladas, UAZ off-roaders and other newer machines is this -- the GAZ Chaika.
Chaika means "gull," but it's hard to get a sense of what the gentle, aerodynamic beauty of a bird has to do with a late-'50s, Packard-copied sedan that's one step down from a limousine and often driven by the secret state police. More than 3,100 were built from 1959 to 1981, during which time the styling hardly changed at all.
Thirty years on, one cold war and a continent away, we're not sure what to be most tickled by: the notion that this car exists in small-scale at all, that Welly has done such a bang-up job with it, or that it's available exclusively through Russian channels.
In 1:64 scale, it would be huge, so it's a more manageable 1:72 scale. But the detail! Tampo hits, perfect molding, even the wheels and tires are excellent. There are multiple colors available, but honestly, black is where it's at with this one. And, seriously, the style is pure mid-'50s Packard. It's so close that Packard collectors might want one in their own collections, in which case the multiple available colors might make a little more sense.
To get your hands on one, check outhttp://store.diecast.ru for pricing and more information.
- By Jeff Koch
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