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I have seen this when it was put up for sale.

Of course, its implications were not as complicated as how it is today. (at the time I put a hammer and sickle plate on the front of my Fleetwood. It is a big peace symbol in rainbow colour from 2022 and I kept the poppy on the grill since 2021 Remembrance Day) It is still possible to import one from Russia today as long as the seller, shipper aren't in SDN list. Certainly in practice, it is a lot more difficult.

I spotted a 1985 ZiL 41045 for sale too. So both versions are somewhere in the US (early version and late version)

Well, this would be a long answer, but I kind of know how it happened, logic wise.

The last few ZILs made in that documentary, were not sold to the Russian government for "Victory Parade" as planned, but eventually a mysterious buyer bought one of them. Who is that buyer? Turned out to be Yanukovych! I guess it makes sense, considering his usual preferences.

Here's the former Ukrainian president's car collection

When the USSR existed, it was just impossible to buy them. Letting one of such cars slipping away could carry the crime like treason, anti-revolutionary and depending on the position of the person, lower rank people could face really really really long prison terms, if not executed by firing squad. (some people were denounced when politics got crazy, for suggesting one red flag instead of five on Hongqi CA770's fender. I forgot if he got to live nor not) Senior people might be expelled from the party, such.

But of course, after 1991 everything changed. Everything was for sale, it was a market economy after all! All state-owned entities, nuclear weapons, jet fighters, medals, people (this was bad), classified documents, technologies, even aircraft carriers, as long as knowing the right person for a good price, everything could be bought! It wouldn't be as easy as picking a candy for ZIL of course, but if anyone really wanted the car or the other end really wanted US dollars, it would be very reasonable to figure things out!

And once such cars got out of Russia, it is up to the destination country to figure out if it can be driven on the road or not. Of course, with such degree of privilege involved, it isn't all that hard to figure out neither. (far less prestigious cars with certain owners could even get legally registered, it would be strange if it couldn't be done for ZIL! )

It is hard to say if that ZIL was a diplomatic car. It could be, as Russian government bought a 1999 Cadillac Fleetwood (that car is somewhere in Ohio now, with quite a bit of rust around the back window) later to replace the ZIL, maybe whoever just wanted to make few bucks. Or maybe Politburo class cars ended up in certain people's hands. It is a pile of money on wheels anyway! Very tempting in that situation, very very tempting. )

Quote:
Howard (HH56), my interest in vehicles built in the Soviet Union after the 1970s waned, so I no longer followed their development with the same attention as earlier cars. As luck would have it, I saved the offer at the time. However, it did not contain any information about the history of the Kremlin sedan chair.
Even if the vehicle pictured was not built for people like you and me, this car was not used by the "Council of the red Gods" in Moscow, but rather for provincial princes, security service or similar service units. Otherwise it would be armored.


source: classiccars.com

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