The Times (UK)
July 20, 2001
Genoa Summit
Putin takes glory road in Khrushchev Zil
BY RICHARD OWEN

Genoa: President Bush is bringing a Cadillac from the White House and Tony
Blair is using a limousine provided by the Italian authorities, but
President Putin has trumped the other G8 leaders by dusting off a Zil - the
Soviet Union's answer to the Cadillac - last used by Nikita Khrushchev.

The Russian leader has chosen a symbol of the days when Soviet power was at
its height: a black cabriolet Zil 111 (second series), a marvel of gleaming
chrome, white-walled tyres and leather upholstery built in 1963. At its
zenith the Zil factory - which ceased production as Communism collapsed in
the early 1990s - accounted for 3 per cent of the Soviet gross national
product.

In choosing the vehicle, Mr Putin is harking back to a time when Russia
challenged America in space; when the two superpowers came within an ace of
war over the Cuban missile crisis; and when Khrushchev dominated the world
stage, banging his shoe on a desk at the United Nations and alternately
charming and alarming the world with his combination of rough peasant
humour and belligerence.

"Perhaps Putin is deliberately stressing the continuity of Russian history
by emphasising one of the more enlightened periods of Soviet rule," one
diplomat said.

• V-8s at the G-8, John A., Fri, 20 Jul 2001 12:50:06 <-- Viewing This Message
  • Last Zil I swear!, Dinger, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 15:09:57
    • Zil bought the body dies from Packard...later GM also. n/m, Tcar, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 18:51:29
      • Yes. The 64-67 Cabrio has the grill from a 61 Caddy, Dinger, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 22:30:00
    • Re: Last Zil I swear!, Dave Westlake, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 15:13:33
      • Dont knock the Zil!, I remember Kruschev's shoe! n/m., KsKid, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 17:21:11
  • More Great Zil's, Dinger, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 15:04:49
    • With a Caddy grille and a '61 Biscayne windshield (nm), John A., Fri, 20 Jul 2001 16:55:08
    • Looks like a Chrysler Imperial to me, John A, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 16:53:15
      • All Packards, even a couple Studebaker/Packards n/m, Tcar, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 18:57:30
        • Russian buddy says Packard outside/ Buick inside (roughly) nm, John A., Mon, 23 Jul 2001 15:50:03
    • Hmmm.....looks strongk like bull. n/m, Dave Westlake, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 15:11:14
  • Re: V-8s at the G-8, Dinger, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 14:58:48
    • Re: V-8s at the G-8, Steve L, Mon, 23 Jul 2001 12:44:40
    • It's a later Packard...Zil bought those dies also... n/m, Tcar, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 18:53:23

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• Prev by Date: Sounds more like suspension parts than an axle., Dave Westlake, Fri, 20 Jul 2001 12:47:20
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