Executive car of the highest category ZIS-110 was created in 1945. The machine was intended to serve the Kremlin nomenclature, government and ministers. The model was a supporting frame structure of increased strength, capable of supporting the additional weight of the armored body, as the machine had to meet special safety requirements.
American Packard
Starting to develop the ZIS-110 model, a group of engineers tried to take into account the indifferent attitude of JV Stalin to the American Packard car. The project was based on the Packard 180 Touring Sedan 1941 edition. The ZIS-110 turned out to be more of a “Packard”, but the appearance of the “American” as a whole was able to be adopted. The engine was also borrowed - the inline "eight". All other components and assemblies were supposed to be used in domestic production.
Armor protection
The ZIS-110 model became a headache for designers at the stage of development of the car safety belt. Since the car was supposed to be armored, I had to re-calculate all body parameters. There was not enough free space in the doors, where the armored plates were placed, and the mechanisms of the window lifters interfered. A heavy reinforced roof required more powerful body racks. There were fewer problems with the plumage booking, the wings, both front and rear, the hood and trunk lid made it possible to integrate armor plates up to 8 millimeters thick. The armored modification received the index "115".
ZIS-110. Specifications
Overall weight parameters:
- car length - 6000 mm;
- height - 1730 mm;
- width - 1960 mm;
- ground clearance - 200 mm;
- wheelbase - 3760 mm;
- front track - 1520 mm;
- back track - 1600 mm;
- weight - 2575 kg;
- fuel tank capacity - 80 liters;
- fuel consumption - 23 liters per 100 kilometers, in mixed mode.
Power point
The ZIS-110 engine gasoline, with carburetor injection, had the following parameters:
- configuration - in-line arrangement;
- working volume - 6005 cc / cm;
- torque - 392 Nm at 2000 rpm;
- the number of cylinders - 8;
- maximum power - 141 liters. from. at 3600 rpm per minute;
- number of valves - 16;
- piston stroke - 108 mm;
- cylinder diameter - 90 mm;
- cooling - water;
- Recommended fuel - AI-72 gasoline.
Gearbox - three-speed manual, synchronized. The gearshift lever is located on the steering column on the right.
Chassis
The first Soviet cars with independent front suspension began to be developed exactly at the time when the ZIS-110 project was launched. Prior to this, all models, both freight and passenger, were equipped with a front axle beam on springs.
Since the "one hundred and tenth" was developed as a government order, it became the very first model with an independent front suspension. The rotary mechanism was a pin-type pin connected to the worm assembly by means of an adjustable traction. The left and right front suspension assemblies were connected by a movable bar of the transverse stabilizer.
The rear suspension is a axle with two axles and a planetary differential operating in hypoid lubrication. The entire structure was suspended on semi-elliptical springs. Hydraulic shock absorbers were installed military type, taken from a light armored personnel carrier, since the armored vehicle had significant weight. The whole system was rigidly connected by a beam of lateral stability.
Assembly
The entire chassis was based on a riveted frame from the channel. An engine was mounted on the front side members. A carcass was mounted on top of the frame, then wings, a hood, a trunk lid, all internal equipment and, last but not least, doors. The assembly was carried out manually, although it was believed that the car was mass-produced. Each car was assembled by a team of four people, who then was responsible for the quality of work.
Interior
The government ZIS was originally conceived as a luxury executive car, in which you can invite foreign guests, ambassadors of foreign countries, other officials. Passenger seats were given special attention. To make them especially soft and comfortable, the pillows were stuffed with coconut tows, which have excellent springy properties. And regular covers, which were pulled on top, were hemmed in several layers with eiderdown pads.
The seven-seater limousine never fully loaded, usually, apart from the driver, two or three more people were in the car. Thus, it was possible to maintain the impression of a spacious interior with a high level of comfort. In the garage of the Central Committee of the CPSU there was a special position of dispatcher for loading. Knowing about the upcoming trips - to the airport, to the meeting of delegations, servicing of festive events - this employee sent the required number of cars, since there were more than enough of them.
In each car, the floor was covered with expensive carpets - Persian or even Tekin. The seats and door panels were lined with high-quality velor, leather upholstery at that time was not there. There were no air conditioners either, but ventilation in ZIS-110 cars was considered quite effective. Silent fans filled the interior with fresh air continuously.
In winter, all air ducts switched to heating mode. The temperature in the cooling system was about ninety degrees Celsius, this was enough to heat the cabin. Part of the hot air was diverted to the windshield to avoid fogging. To quickly heat the interior of the car, fans were also used that drove heat into the passenger compartment through deflectors.
Dashboard
On the dashboard in front of the driver were all the necessary sensors and indicators. The instrument panel was compact and occupied a small part of the dashboard. In the center was a speedometer with a rectangular dial. The arrow was highlighted with multi-colored bulbs. At a speed of not more than 60 kilometers per hour, green was burning, from sixty to 120 - yellow, and at a speed of more than 120 km / h, red was on. The speedometer scale was indicated by numbers without zeros. "6" - sixty km / h, "10" - one hundred km / h, "12" - one hundred twenty km / h and so on.
All control sensors and instruments were signed, not indicated by icons or symbols. To the left of the speedometer were indicators of gasoline level in the tank and water temperature in the cooling system. On the right was an ammeter indicating battery charging and an oil pressure sensor. There were placed arrows of direction indicators, flashing red, a blue light (high beam) and green, indicating the ignition is on.
To the right was a radio, below the tuner was a speaker. To the right, opposite the passenger seat, a “glove box” was built in - a box for small items. The dashboard and instrument frames, steering wheel, control levers were classic ivory, all the first Soviet cars - ZIS, ZIL, Pobeda, Volga, Moskvich - were decorated in this style.
In the USSR, there was a tendency to produce passenger production cars in one style common to all models. It was fashionable to decorate the exterior with chrome or nickel-plated details, moldings, decorative metal plates and nameplates. Soviet retro cars today are distinguished by an abundance of sparkling attributes.
This is especially noticeable on the example of the Volga GAZ-21, in which the windshield is enclosed in a chrome frame four centimeters wide, and the whalebone-type radiator grille is a decoration of the entire front of the car. Other Soviet-made retro cars also feature spectacular sparkling elements.
Cabriolet
In 1949, the Stalin plant began mass production of the ZIS-110 with open top in two versions at once - a phaeton and a convertible. Roofless cars were required for holiday trips of the high command of the Soviet army, during military parades, as well as trips out of town in good weather, members of the Politburo and the Government of the USSR, together with foreign guests.
The ZIS-110 “cabriolet” model looked very organically on the streets of Moscow, when a motorcade of Kremlin limousines drove out of the alignment of Tverskaya Street, crossed Red Square, drove onto Moskvoretsky Bridge and headed towards Bolshaya Ordynka. Convertibles had a folding roof made of soft black tarpaulin, which with the help of an electric drive was pulled out of a special niche and covered the car in case of bad weather.
In addition to convertibles, phaetons were produced that did not have rear door windows. These vehicles were used for the departure of the Minister of Defense when he hosted a parade on Red Square on May 9. In the government garage there were three ZIS-110 phaetons of gray-blue color. Two cars drove to the parade, and one was always ready, in reserve. Each machine was equipped with a special stand in the middle of the cabin, for which the Minister of Defense or his deputy held on. The phaetons also had a retractable roof, but it was almost never used.
Repair and service
Representative cars ZIS-110 were assembled by hand and passed comprehensive tests, and then followed by government acceptance. Therefore, no technical flaws, breakdowns, engine failures and other mechanisms were not detected. The operation of the machines was low-intensity, each ZIS per year passed no more than fifteen thousand kilometers. Once every two years, cars were decommissioned, but not one of them fell into private hands - individual possession of a government limousine was not allowed.
Maintenance was carried out regularly, according to the technical map, in specialized Kremlin workshops. If repair was necessary , the car was sent to the diagnostic center, and then to the profile restoration workshop. Spare parts ZIS-110 "received" strictly according to the results of a technical examination, but there was never a lack of them.
Cost
Assembling one car cost a round sum; ZIS-110 was considered one of the most expensive objects of the Soviet automobile industry. But since the machine was produced for nomenclature officials, there was never any talk of value. Money was allocated in sufficient quantities and always on time.
Today, the ZIS-110 is a rare car, its value as a technical means may be low, but the history of the car forms truly sky-high prices. Any collection of vintage cars can be decorated with this model, released in the fifties of the last century. ZIS-110, the price of which varies from 185 thousand to half a million dollars, is a profitable investment. The cost of the car will never fall below today's limit, it can only increase. Such is the situation on the market of Soviet-made rare cars.
Modifications
During the production of the ZIS-110 model, six different modifications were released:
- 110A - ambulance carriage;
- 110B - a car with a body "phaeton";
- 110V - convertible with awning;
- 110P - all-wheel drive modification, experimental development;
- 110Sh - control car, staff;
- ZIS-115 - armored.