This is the ZIL 114 limousine used by the Mongolian President as his official state car. The limousines built by ZIL were used extensively by members of the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, before it collapsed in 1991.
At first glance one could be forgiven for thinking the ZIL 114 is an American car from the same era. The styling is remarkably similar to the earlier 1966 Chrysler Imperial, and just like its American cousins the 114 is powered by a hefty pushrod V8.
Fast Facts – The ZIL 114
- The 114 was introduced in 1967 by ZIL, or Zavod Imeni Likhacheva, as the primary transport limousine for the Soviet Union’s most senior politicians.
- The ZIL 114 was used extensively within the Soviet Union by its leaders and the leaders of its allies, it was also transported internationally for global summits and meetings with foreign heads of state.
- Interestingly, the ZIL 114 has appeared twice in the Guinness Book of Records, firstly in 1971 as the widest production car in the world, then again in 1974 as the world’s heaviest production car.
- The 114 was released as a major update over the ZIL 111, the V8 engine was increased in size from 5,980cc to 6,959cc. it produced 300 bhp and 412 lb ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, giving the 114 a top speed of up to 200 km/h (120 mph).
Zavod Imeni Likhacheva And The ZIL 114
The Zavod Imeni Likhacheva company was known by many names from the time it was founded in 1916 to when it ceased operations in 2012. It’s best known today by the acronym taken from its final Russian name – ZIL.
The ZIL 114 is a gargantuan car it has a width of 2,068 mm (81.4 in), a length of 6,305 mm (248.2 in), and a weight of 3,085 kg (6,801 lb).
The most important job entrusted to ZIL was the design and manufacturing of the limousines that were used by the heads of state – typically with Soviet flags attached to the front of each front fender.
Engineers at ZIL developed the 114 to replace the outgoing 111 model that had been developed in the late 1950s. Both the ZIL 111 and the ZIL 114 looked an awful lot like American production cars from the period.
Some have postulated that the Soviets may have had a 1966 Chrysler Imperial sent to the Zavod Imeni Likhacheva factory during the development phase of the 114, given how similar the two cars look.
The ZIL 114 was a luxurious car for the era, it was certainly vastly more comfortable than the cars being used by regular folks in the Soviet Union. The 114 was equipped with power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, power windows, power seats, and power mirrors.
The 7.0 liter (6,959cc) V8 produces 300 bhp and 412 lb ft of torque, which is fed through a two-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels.
Under the hood of the 114 you’ll find a pushrod V8 developed by Zavod Imeni Likhacheva in the 1950s, but updated for the 1960s with a displacement of and 300 bhp being fed to the rear wheels via a two-speed automatic transmission and a live axle.
The top speed was up to 200 km/h (120 mph) depending on the specific model’s final specification, quicker than almost any other ground-based vehicle in the Soviet Union, with the possible exception of the Melkus RS1000 from East Germany.
With a kerb weight of 3,085 kilograms (6,801 lbs) the 114 is a prodigious vehicle, as a result it became the first Soviet car to be fitted with four wheel disc brakes as it was the only way to ensure adequate braking performance.
The ZIL 114 would remain in production from 1967 to 1978 when it was replaced by the ZIL 4104. Many senior members of government kept their 114s in service for many years after it left production, and only relatively few have survived to the modern day.
For most citizens of Soviet states, the ZIL 114 was the most expensive and exotic car they were likely to see on the streets. Despite its weight it was also one of the fastest.
The ZIL 114 Shown Here
The ZIL 114 you see here was formally used by the President of the Republic of Mongolia using the license plate YB0001.
In the years since it left the Soviet Union this car became part of the Museum of the Heads of State Cars. It was bought by the current owner directly from the museum in 2004, and it’s been preserved in original condition since.
It’s important to note that this 114 will require recommissioning before it’s put back into use, it hasn’t been run for approximately 15 years and the listing explains that the sills show the beginnings of some corrosion.
If you’d like to read more about this unusual limousine or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing on Artcurial. It’s due to cross the auction block with them on the 18th of March in Paris, with a price guide of $45,100 – $67,600 USD.
Images courtesy of Artcurial
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
