Rare Rides: A GAZ-21 Volga - Russian Decadence From 1967

With an unusual combination of Fifties American car styling and Sixties Russian build quality, today’s GAZ-21 has everything the discerning Communist motorist needs.

Let’s talk Volga.

Read more
Rare Rides: The Beige 1988 Lada Samara Is Neither Sporty Nor Luxurious

We’ve featured a communist-built car before on Rare Rides; it was an old Czech-made Skoda 120, located in Canada. A specialized importer group brought many cars just like the Skoda into Canada in the 1980s, supplying bare bones Soviet Bloc vehicles to frugal Canadians living in Quebec and some other places.

Today’s Rare Ride was never part of LadaCanada, and lived its life abroad until very recently. Made in Russia, sold in Belgium, and imported to America, it’s a Lada Samara.

Read more
Rare Rides: A UAZ From 1991 Brings the Iron Curtain to the Midwest

Earlier this week, we brought you a Rare Ride straight from the Eastern Block. The Skoda 120 was Czechoslovakia’s answer to the middle-market family sedan. Today we keep it Communist and look at Russia’s answer to the decadent and capitalistic Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender, the UAZ-469.

This four-by-four can really do some work.

Read more
Cubans Hoping to Buy New & Used Cars Despair As Government Stores Add 400% Dealer Markup

Last Friday, for the first time since the communist revolution there more than 50 years ago, Cubans were able to buy new and used cars without government permission, as state owned dealerships started retail sales, but residents of the island were disheartened by markups of 400% or more that the government is framing as a luxury tax. Cubans walked away from the Havana Peugeot dealer, a state-run enterprise, shaking their heads in disgust after seeing sticker prices ranging from the equivalent of $91,000 for a 2013 206 to $262,000 for a 508. For comparison, in the UK most 508s sell for less than $42,000. That’s quite a substantial additional dealer markup. Eighty percent of employed Cubans work for the state and the average wage in the country is about $20 a month so the cars area still out of reach to the vast majority of Cubans. The tens of thousands of small private businesses that have sprung up since the introduction of economic reforms have a great need for vehicles, but they too have been priced out of the market. At those prices, don’t expect Cuba’s fleet of old American iron to be taken out of service any time soon.

Read more
  • Analoggrotto TTAC is full of drug addicts with short memories. Just beside this article is another very beautiful article about how the EV9 was internationally voted by a renowned board of automotive experts who are no doubt highly educated, wealthy and affluent; the best vehicle in entire world. That's planet earth for you numbskulls. Let me repeat: the best vehicle in the world is the Kia EV9. Voted, and sealed, and if you try to deny it Fanny Willis is ready to prosecute you; but she will send her boyfriend instead because she is busy.
  • MaintenanceCosts Our Bolt is not going away for a while but if I had to predict today what would replace it, I'd predict an EX30. It checks every box for my wife.
  • Ajla Both Biden and Trump are on record caring ~0% what the WTO says and the US government isn't bound by WTO rulings.
  • Honda1 The FJB Inflation Reduction Act will end up causing more inflation down the road, fact! Go ahead and flame me libbies, get back to me in a few years!
  • Cprescott Fisker is another brand that Heir Yutz has killed.