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

Gerd, if you ever come across a spare set of those switch bezels, I'd like to have a set. I think it'd be funny as hell to put those on a '55-'56 Packard dash and watch the comments from onlookers at a car show! (Uhhh, it's an original Russian undercover KGB car from the '50s, used right here in the States!)

Thanks, just curious but don't want you to spend a lot of time on finding an answer. Am sure you have better things to do.

Was thinking the button layout almost looks like the Chrysler setup except buttons are round instead of square.

I see a lot of Chrysler styling engineering features the Dash has a 55 56 Chrysler look as does the steering wheel. The under hood generator and heater box plus the power brake booster.
Appears to me that a lot of features or the look of parts were borrowed from different companies. That is a common practice in the auto industry . The engine and has a International truck like appearance to me. The upper a arm on the suspension looks similar to current designs while the lower looks lake the Buick casting rather than the more common steel pressed style common in mid 50 US designs.
I would like to be able to go to a U-pull junk yard and look over one of these cars. I always enjoy looking at cars of different years and manufacture in the junk yards

Gerd, PM sent, and my curiosity I must say is rather "stimulated"!

How do the bezels attach??? What is the thread if they are threaded????

Guscha. Are u affected any by the Gazprom shut down???

Gerd, thanks for trying. That large rear "flywheel" in pict 1 appears to be the same emergency brake drum and sure makes me think Chrysler again.

There is little confusion in the thread. The Tchaika or "Chaika" (as it has usually been known and spelled in the USA) and the ZIL are similar, but different cars. Just like the 1955-56 Packard and Clipper. I think of the Chaika as the counterpart to the Clipper. Both even have two syllables.

Often I have seen ZILs referred to as Chaikas and vice-versa. In one set of photos in the thread there is an obvious ZIL, but it is labeled as a Tchaika. ZIL is the senior car and looks more like a 1956 Packard from the front. There were different versions of the ZIL (sedans, limos, convertibles) and a special ZIL 111G that was made in a convertible for Nikita Kruschev.

The ZIL (actually ZIL 111) was NOT based on 1956 Packard factory dies, but was obviously copied the senior Packard right down to the cathedral style tail lights in the rear. Some pieces were copied from 1957 Ford (like the side trim), some from 1956 Ford, some from Cadillac, some from Pontiac, some from Chrysler, etc.

The Chaika (like the 1955-56 Clipper) had toned-down grille, different side trim, tail lights and rear quarters.

There is a Chaika in the LeMay museum collection in Tacoma Washington. However, it is described as the "car for communist party high rollers." In fact, if you were a big wheel in Russia, you were in a ZIL... smaller wheels rode in Chaikas!

Gerd,

I for one am never tired of hearing about them. The Soviet cars really get no exposure is the US, and the pictures you post are probably the most any of us have ever seen about them.

Keep up the good and appreciated work!

Gerd,
with Kev on this, your contributions are always appreciated whether they are for the "Packard cousins" or on Packard matters. The insights you give to us on Soviet vehicles and to their wider community and history are enlightening, keep 'em coming!