Castro's limo fleet

A

Attila Bethlenfalvy

Being repurposed as taxis. Time for Greg to take a trip?

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/06/20/fidel-castro-former-limos-reborn-as-havana-taxicabs/

http://news.yahoo.com/fidels-former-limos-reborn-havana-taxicabs-154835668.html;_ylt=A0LEVyTfFqVTchkAC8hXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0MXUwZ2VyBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDQzM18x

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Cool, looks like a big moonshine runnin' car.

I watched an interesting show a while back about all the old classic American cars left in Cuba that are still being used, and how people make parts there to keep them on the road. One guy was making windshields in his back yard, another was fabricating brake discs and drums, at great detriment to his health. Pretty interesting stuff.
 
Todd Merrifield said:
Cool, looks like a big moonshine runnin' car.

I watched an interesting show a while back about all the old classic American cars left in Cuba that are still being used, and how people make parts there to keep them on the road. One guy was making windshields in his back yard, another was fabricating brake discs and drums, at great detriment to his health. Pretty interesting stuff.
Click to expand...

"Yank Tanks". That documentary showed people with some amazing determination.
 
That's a Gaz-14 Chaika (Seagull). This style was introduced in 1977 and built through 1988. There were 1,114 of these built in a ten year period. This style replaced the Gaz-13 Chaika that was introduced in 1959 and slightly resembled the 1955-1956 Packards. While most of the Gaz-14s were standard, closed, long-wheelbase sedans or limousines, there were a few built as convertibles - for Red Square military parades.
 
One interesting technical note regarding this generation of Chaika is that it carried over the old-style X-frame from the GAZ-13 (though WB increased a little IIRC). The frame generally resembled GM's late-'50s-early-'60s design, and was in production by GAZ for a good three decades or so.

There were one or two ambulance variants for party officials. Chaika ambulance conversions were performed at the RAF plant (known primarily for minibuses and light trucks). Models of the ambulance and other variations are avaiable in 1:43 scale.

Linked here is a Russian-language article with technical drawings and photos showing the amblance and cabriolet variations:

http://modelist-konstruktor.com/avtosalon/predstavitelskij-avtomobil-gaz-14-lchajkar
 
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