Behind the Iron Curtain, the Chaika ran an American-style gearbox: a push-button automatic of a similar design to Chrysler's TorqueFlite, in a limousine of which only 3,179 were ever built.
Lead trim: Chaika GAZ-13 5.5 L V8 (195 hp SAE gross)
GAZ Chaika GAZ-13GAZ-13 · 1959–1981
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a GAZ Chaika GAZ-13 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactBehind the Iron Curtain, the Chaika ran an American-style gearbox: a push-button automatic of a similar design to Chrysler's TorqueFlite, in a limousine of which only 3,179 were ever built.
The GAZ-13 Chaika, debuting in 1958 (exhibited internationally at the Brussels motor show) and produced 1959-1981 (3,179 built), was a luxury car one rung below the ZIL-111/114 limousines and built in far greater numbers; American-styled with a front closely resembling contemporary Packards. Offered as a saloon (GAZ-13), limousine (GAZ-13A) and, for official parades in 1961-1962, a four-door electrohydraulic-top cabriolet (GAZ-13B), plus a station-wagon hearse/ambulance variant. Its 5.5-litre V8 made 195 hp (SAE gross), through a push-button automatic transmission similar in design to Chrysler's TorqueFlite. Chaikas mainly served regional Soviet governors (the more prestigious ZIL was reserved for the Politburo), though Fidel Castro used one in Cuba. The page gives no wheelbase or body dimensions and never states a drivetrain layout in words (unlike the ZIL infoboxes above), so those are left unset here rather than assumed.
Collectors Spotted in the GAZ Chaika Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the GAZ Chaika yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaika GAZ-13 5.5 L V8 (195 hp SAE gross) | 1959–1981 | 5.5 L V8 | 195 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
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Owners’ builds
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Rivals
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