Pobedas’ resting place

Among the exhibits at the Lomakov Museum of Moscow, two German convertibles from the 1930s stand out, supposedly having belonged to notable figures of the time. Both the Mercedes 540K and the Horch 853 have been preserved just as they were on the last day their owners used them, as the French would say “dans son jus”. The remaining thirty or so cars are mostly Russian and are piled up among motorcycles, sewing machines, automobile memorabilia, communist flags and portraits of Lenin. Undoubtedly, it is a unique experience for anyone unfamiliar with Soviet aesthetics.

Most of the cars are in their original condition — complete, but not restored. However, the most attractive part of the museum is outside, in the surrounding area. Dozens of Russian cars from the 1930s to the 1970s are parked outside waiting to be restored. I was told that they are all for sale.

The first time I went to the museum, I had to photograph the cars from outside the fence. The lady at the entrance scolded me for taking pictures without her permission and, of course, did not let me into the area where the cars were. This time it was different. The elderly woman in charge was very kind and spoke English. She explained the history of the more unique cars to me. She also had no problem with me walking around the grounds as long as she accompanied me.

In the yard, Moskvitch 400 predominate, based on the 1938 Opel Kadett, that Stalin kept as war booty, as well as the GAZ Volga and Pobeda, of which there are dozens. I was also impressed by the rusted silhouette of what seemed to be a Tatra T87 model. It's a shame to see such a beautiful car deteriorating outdoors.

GAZ Pobeda

The GAZ Pobeda «Побе́да» seems to be the owner's favourite car in the museum — he has even designed T-shirts featuring it. Despite having never seen one in the West, I felt familiar with the car from the very first moment. Its body is inspired by the 1938 Opel Kapitan, a car with which I am also unfamiliar. With its fenders integrated into the body and the sloping rear, it certainly reminds a Peugeot 203.

The Pobeda is a milestone for the Russian — or rather, Soviet — automotive industry. Until the early 1940s, most production was based on North American models, with Ford A being the most popular. By the time of World War II, they had developed the capability to produce their own cars, although they did take inspiration from other manufacturers' designs. The Pobeda was developed during the war, despite the fact that the GAZ (Gorky Automotive Plant) factory was repeatedly bombed by the German air force. Nevertheless, production of the intended trucks and armoured vehicles was never completely interrupted.

The presentation of the Pobeda prototypes to Stalin took place during the final stage of the Battle of Stalingrad, which is why the car received the triumphalist name "«Побе́да»", meaning "victory" in Russian. It seems that Stalin himself made the final decision about the name. The Pobeda, or GAZ M20, was the first Soviet car to have a proper name; until then, all cars were designated only by initials. There was also an Austin called 'Victoria' in Spain, in the '70s, but I had never thought that this name was inspired by the military; I had always associated it with a woman's name, as in the case of Mercedes-Benz.

The Pobeda is powered by a four-cylinder side-valve engine. Apparently, versions with four and six cylinders were developed simultaneously, but Stalin himself rejected the larger engine, deeming it unsuitable for the post-war era of scarcity.

It was first launched on the market in 1946, and by 1958, a quarter of a million units had been produced. From 1951 onwards, it was also manufactured in Poland under the name FSM Warszawa, where production continued until 1973. Some vans derived from the same chassis were still being produced in 1998.

Although the three-volume version of the Pobeda became popular in Poland, most of the sales in the Russian market were of the original body style. The photos show a taxi version (the blue car) and a convertible version similar to the Citroën Visa Plein Air. Both photos depict specimens at the Moscow Transport Museum that were in better condition than those displayed at Lomakov.

If you enjoy strolling among dozens of rusty cars as much as I do, the Lomakov Museum is the place for you. If you want to find out more about the Pobeda, check out the website of this Russian club, which explains the evolution of the model in detail (www.pobeda-club.ru). Next time, we will talk about the Volga, the successor to the Pobeda and a true symbol of the Soviet oligarchy.

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