GAZ-24

GAZ rolled out the 24-series in 1970 as its new mainstream saloon, designed to offer more space and contemporary styling for officials, police fleets and taxi operators. After a continuous 15-year production run, most sales remained domestic, though batches were quietly exported to friendly states and developing markets, before the family was superseded by the up-market GAZ-3102.

At 4,735 mm long and 1,800 mm wide, the GAZ-24 sat squarely in the mid-size executive segment for its day. The low 1,490 mm roofline gave the four-door notchback a subtly athletic stance, while the 1,420 kg kerb weight reflected sturdy Soviet steel construction intended for rough roads and long service intervals.

The shape and proportions of the 24-series became so familiar that it virtually defined "Soviet saloon" to Western observers during the Cold War. Even after production ceased, the cars soldiered on in police, taxi and private hands across the USSR, leaving successive generations with the same understated silhouette that had ferried dignitaries since the early 1970s.