A VIP-car museum in Moscow – I just had to go!

Privyet folks!

My February and March passed unusually quietly – without any particularly long trips. Was it fate preparing me for upcoming heroic feats? Fate or no – here those feats come: the rest of April, and both May and June, are shaping up to be quite eventful.

In the meantime I’ve had the chance to visit a few cool places closer to home. One of them was the Museum of the Special-Purpose Garage.

And it turned out to be a most curious place! It houses both vintage and more modern cars that over the years have been used to chauffeur around the top officials of the country – since 1921 to present day. So for fans of the history of Russian state limousines, this place is simply must-see. Or even if you just like checking out luxury retro cars – it’s a great place to visit:

The cars here aren’t only in official black – there are some unusual specimens as well:

There’s even a bright green Volga (all-wheel drive, by the way)! ->

As you can see – we went in the evening:

The museum is located in Pavilion 53 of VDNKh (the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy). Once inside, by the entrance you’re greeted by this here modern Aurus + motorcade escort. A real fancy ride – but I prefer something more modest :)…

The main museum building has two halls:

The exhibit begins with pre-revolutionary cars. The Russian Emperor and his family rode in vehicles like these. Sadly, the original cars haven’t survived, but near-identical models are on display.

This is exactly the kind of car the Tsesarevich – heir to the throne – used to ride in. But what happened next you already know…

Here’s a Mercedes from those times:

One thing this museum does really well: almost all major exhibits have touch-screens next to them where you can view a 3D model of the car, read its history, and more. Super cool! You could easily spend hours and hours here…

Then came the Revolution, and for a short time, the ministers of the Provisional Government must have ridden around in the fanciest cars (I write “must have”, since there’s nothing about this in the museum but it’s surely obvious). Then, some years later (the Revolution(s) lasted several; it’s complicated), the leaders of the victorious Bolshevik regime began being chauffeured about in the country’s coolest rides.

This is the kind of Rolls-Royce that Lenin – leader of the proletariat! – rode in. Actually, judging by the plaque, Lenin’s was a Silver Ghost – a model which preceded this here Phantom I ->

But now we’re getting into originals. For example, this Packard was used by other early Soviet leaders:

Meanwhile, the domestic auto industry had come back to life, and government leaders switched to Russian cars:

The first government convertibles began to appear:

A re-painted Pobeda:

A Chaika:

Government cars from different manufacturers didn’t vary much in design :) ->

Moving on to the next hall… Whoa, what’s this? It’s students from NAMI having fun: using parts from a Lada Kalina II, they assembled this sports car :). It’s actually a real roadster called the Krym.

Time goes on, and the country’s leaders begin riding in increasingly modern cars. Some of them I definitely remember seeing on TV back in the ’70s and ’80s…

Whoa: a Volga off-roader. All-wheel drive, reinforced suspension… ->

This is a VIP-escort vehicle: windows that lower quickly, a rear window that folds down, special mounts for guns – and more. Alas, it was with these models that the era of domestic official cars came to an end…

The factories that built government vehicles suffered a complete collapse in the wild 1990s. Technical capabilities to produce new models disappeared entirely and forever. Meanwhile the country’s leadership switched to Mercedes. Comfortable, convenient, not too expensive ->

A hit with security and escort teams – the G-Wagen. Also popular with New Russians and “Bandits” ->

Of course, armored Benz for high-ranking officials – practical, convenient, and economical. But if a country wants to have some self-respect, it’s a bit shameful. And so, finally, eventually, it happened:

Sure, production isn’t large-scale; yes, it’s expensive; yes – localization is still low. But it exists:

By the way, there’s a room here with civilian versions of the Aurus. You can touch them, sit inside, and if you’re really interested, even take a ride in one – if they see you as a potential buyer :). Cool – but, like I say, pricey…

The museum also covers some history of how domestic cars for top officials were made. Hand-assembled, custom designs, and wooden design hoods built individually for each car:

No assembly lines! Cars were assembled on jigs like these:

And assorted other bits and bobs…

And in the neighboring building (Pavilion 54) – there’s a motorcycle museum and more. Whoa, they even have an Aurus motorbike ->

Electric model:

Model with sidecar:

Motorcade bikes:

And much, much more…

And that was that. Special-Purpose Garage Museum: done. Like!

The best high-res photos are here.