GTP Cool Wall: GAZ Chaika M13

  • Thread starter BKGlover
  • 41 comments
  • 4,467 views

GAZ Chaika M13

  • Total voters
    74
  • Poll closed .
BKGlover

BKGlover

6,094
United States
Texas
GAZ Chaika M13 nominated by Rage Racer

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Stats that Matter:
Production: 1959-1981
Style: 4-Door Sedan, 4-Door Convertible
Engine: 5.5L V8 (195 HP)
Transmission: 3-Speed Push-Button Automatic
Layout: Front-engine, Rear-drive

My Take: Well, it looks ok. OK, it's in the same discussion with the Tri-5 Chevys and the Checker Marathon. Problem for me, all three are nice, but they just don't move me one way or the other. Meh.

Wikipedia
Automobile-Catalog

Nomination Thread​
 
Looks really out of proportion.

I would love to take the roof off and hoon around a farm in it with a beer though.
 
Was going to vote uncool. Usual reasons - represents a car available only because there wasn't a free market letting better stuff in, almost certainly shoddy for that same reason etc.

But sod it, went for cool anyway. If you drove it past most people you'd get the necessary "ooh" reaction. Also, the fact that pedestrians might assume you own a small country somewhere.
 
Looks its great, power, terrible. I'll vote cool because aftermarket can really beef that motor up and you'll turn heads either way.
 
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Far from brilliant under the skin like many Soviet of that era. Even sitting below the monster that was the ZIL-111, it was still a imposing-looking motor which looks awesome in black. I'm almost tempted to vote sub-zero, but the design alone isn't enough for me to make that choice.

A solid cool.
 
Slashfan
Looks its great, power, terrible. I'll vote cool because aftermarket can really beef that motor up and you'll turn heads either way.
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I doubt that there even is an aftermarket for 50's Sovjet V8's..

I give it a meh, I just don't like this type of styling, same goes for it's American distant cousins.
 
It's got the Soviet-era gangster vibe about it and that's cool in a 1960's Cold War sort of a way. It's not sub-zero, but it's a solid cool.
 
It's a regular "Cool." Bumped it up from "Meh" for the fact that it was still produced in the 80's.
 
I gave it a tentative "Cool" because apparently the KGB used them. When you drive it, people will think you're a Russian agent. Otherwise it's not a cool luxury car in the everyman aspect.
 
I would say this is about as cool as the Soviet Union gets.
 
Heh, it looks pretty good in black. Judging by looks, it's cool...but only just. Too many pillars and what they do to the roofline, mostly. To be honest, if the car was any other color in the picture, it'd get a solid 'meh' or maybe even uncool.

Cool.
 
This car is pretty cool.
I think it would be over the top if it were available as a 2 door model.
 
It is fairly cool. Looks like something 1960s Bond henchmen would drive. In other colours probably not so much, but I'll give it a cool anyway.
 
Takes designs from '50s American motors which make it look fairly decent and not down right ugly. But it's underpowered for it's engine size and it's very badly made. It scrapes a Meh for me.
 
Leonidae@MFT
Seriously uncool. Soviet copy of Cadillac.
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Actually, the design was influenced by 1955 Packard Patrician primarily, and some minor design traits (like aprons above the headlights and V-profiled taillights) were picked from Ford (/Lincoln/Mercury) and General Motors models of the middle '50s. Most Chaika's design elements were just common for the '50s American "tailfin" style in general.
But it was neither a copy nor "creative development" of any American car.
Chaika has some original traits that are common for the rest of the GAZ lineup, like the shape of the rear quarter panels (reminding of the M21 Volga) and the shaping of the hood (inspired by the previous model - GAZ M12 ZiM).

The automatic gearbox was similar to the AT of the M21 Volga, and the Volga's one was based on the Ford-O-Matic Drive transmission. And the Ford's one was developed by Borg-Warner company (the English Wiki page about Chaika is wrong with that).

But the rest is completely original. For example, Chaika uses a lightweight X-shaped frame. In the US, such frame became used by GM cars in '60s.

hawkeye122
Car brought up by someone who just watched the relevant Top Gear episode? Uncool
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I've watched that episode, but it's not the cause why I nominated this car. :)
 
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