Packard Forum Index » ZIS, ZIL, and other Packard Cousins!

The engines for the early AMO trucks such as the AMO F15, were built at Yaroslav.

John F. Shireman

I mentioned in a prior post in this thread that I'd post some pictures of a 1950 parade car (convertible sedan to us) here in New Jersey. It's been in the states for a number of years, was partially restored some years back, and is now enroute back to Russia. This is the 6th ZIS 110 that I've been lucky enough to examine. Hope you enjoy.

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Back in the 1930s, Packard was an ultra-luxury automaker; buying one was akin to owing a Rolls-Royce or Maybach, then it moved down-market in the ?40s to become more like Mercedes or BMW. The brand died in the late ?50s as horrid rebadged versions of Studebakers.
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nickysam

Car Auctions

Love those photos. No question - Stalin loved his Packards. Would have loved to have seen the expression on the Chief Engineer when "Uncle Joe" first told him "say..buddy...I really like that '42 Packard..how about making some knock-offs"......?"

Can you IMAGINE this whole damn fool ZIS business...? During a war, when the country is invaded and in danger of becoming extinct, and hundreds of thousands, if not millions of his people are being murdered by an invading agressor, and Stalin devotes resources to this....!

Oh, by the way, that data plate indicates that car was built in Moscow.

G'day all, Love the parade car. I understand that Uncle Joe accounted for a few million Russians himself during his Office "purges", on top of the Nazi toll. Best regards Peter Toet

Peter,

Do you have any of these down on the farm? I was intrigued that Guscha posted this pic, thought of you immediately!

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Glad you guys enjoyed the photos, I certainly enjoyed seeing and photographing the car. Your comments bring a few others to mind. (1) Though Stalin loved the 41/42 Packard design, he wasn't the first Russian ruler to have a love affair with Packard, there is an occasionally seen photo of Czar Nicholas II in his Twin Six with skis mounted on the front wheels out flailing thru the snow and as I remember reading he had several Packards. Given the interval between the dates of the Twin Six introduction and his abdication, he didn't have all that long to enjoy them. (2) Responding to PackardTwelve's comments about the folly of producing the ZIS 110 during the war, the ZIS 110 was a post-war car, though design work may have occurred during the later parts of the conflict. Guscha will correct me if needed but I believe the car was introduced about 1947 and produced thru 1952 or thereabouts.

Another European leader who had a liking for the 1941/42 Packards was the King of Norway who I believe at one time had at least a half-dozen; some were used by the occupying Nazis during the war and atleast one survived the war to see Royal service again postwar and I've heard (not confirmed) is still in the Royal stable. PAC had a short story on this back some many years ago.

The last Packard I know of that was bought for offical European government use was a 1956 Patrician bought by the government of Iceland; local PAC correspondent in Iceland Siguborn Helgason related to me that it proved very troublesome and was either returned or sold off shortly thereafter.

I'm really glad I started this thread, it surely has gotten a lot of interest.

"G'day all, Love the parade car. I understand that Uncle Joe accounted for a few million Russians himself during his Office "purges", on top of the Nazi toll. Best regards Peter Toet"

If accurate statistics existed, from the time he came to power until he died in 1953, it is probable that he actually outstripped the Nazis in the area of ruthless extermination of his own countrymen. One of the reasons that the Soviets did so poorly on the battlefield when the Germans attacked unexpectedly was the wholesale purge of the Red Army Officer Corps in the late 1930s. After all, the WWII Russian campaign only lasted a little over three years and Uncle Joe had a lot more time than that to work on the project.

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Guscha,

The skis are one aspect but the other is the rear wheel arrangement which is unusual to say the least. Is this a "common" feature from days of old, before chains, when owners used their cars in the snow? And I don't think it's a RR - the radiator shell shape isn't right.

Gusha: Here is a picture of a 1940 or 1941 ZIS 102a phaeton or touring convertible.

John F. Shireman

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