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

Yes, the Opel has always been one of GM's superior overseas operations and, I think, mainly profitable. The Kadets of the early '60s that were imported into the U.S. were extremely hardy, dependable cars and fairly popular for a time. The more recently imported Opels that were marketed, here in the U.S., as the Cadillac Catera did not apparently serve as well.

Guscha, your wealth of knowledge and information on Soviet and Eastern Bloc vehicles and especially the Packard inspired ones continues to be of much interest. Most of us in the west have little knowledge of them.

Yes Loyd. Guschas contributions here are magnificant and an inspiration to broaden our hobby base.

Gerd, How can you say the Moskvitch is a direct 1:1 copy of the Opel. After all, they did turn the nameplate upside down.

Gerd: It was in March 1929 that GM bought a controlling interest in Opel as you pointed out. However by Octobe 1931
GM obtained total control of Opel. It cost GM almost $67 million dollars to obtain complete ownership of Opel by 1931.

John F. Shireman

In picture #2 of post #204, is that a young Herman Munster selling an insurance policy to someone in the back seat, while driving by ESP?

"Travel insurance Comrade? The way I drive you are going to need it!"

Gerd, thanks for sharing this. I would never have thought the Soviets would have advertising-- particularly on cars--or something showing any features of a car. Notice it is in English so must have been for someone besides their citizens.

Always thought only the important or favored people could get a car in the Soviet Union and then only when and what the govt said they could have. This almost makes it look like the ordinary citizen had a choice and could go out and buy one. Is that the case?

From the information hat I have been able to obtain the Moskvich was the only auto produced in Russia that there was no need to sign up for or be on a waiting list.

Gerd if I am wrong on that point please correct me.

John F. Shireman

Quote:


Old Soviet joke:

A Russian goes to the state car agency to buy a car. He places his order and the salesman says " Congratulations comrade! Your car will be ready 10 years from today. Would you prefer to take delivery in the morning or afternoon?"

The customer replies " Better make it the afternoon. The plumber is coming in the morning."

Gerd: The Maskvich 410 front end looks like it is taken from a 1954 American Ford.

John F. Shireman

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Thank you Gerd. That explanation and the pictures of streets with people but no cars, and low production numbers are very much what I was taught in school--only very important people had cars. Reasons we were told:
1) the people were poor and couldn't afford them
2) they didn't have any to buy because they didn't make any
3) the government wouldn't let them have one.
Thanks to you, we know number two is a stretch because they did make them--just not for the regular people.

There was a picture I remember in some book where a large Moscow street was divided into several lanes. One was only for official cars, I think another for Army or trucks & busses -something like that. Another was for regular cars (empty, while the others had traffic) and many hundreds of people on the sidewalks and in carts or other things in a different lane.

I didn't realize the lady was a hero of the Soviet Union but maybe should have guessed she was not the usual citizen because she is wearing a medal.