Limo of Former Soviet Leaders on Sale in Moscow for $1.6 Mil

Limo of Former Soviet Leaders on Sale in Moscow for $1.6 Mil

The Soviets weren’t known for their love of luxury, but that doesn’t mean their heads of state didn’t need suitably imposing vehicles to cruise around the Kremlin in. Enter ZIL: the auto manufacturer that has been producing hand-built armored limousines for Russian leaders for the better part of the last century. Recently, one of these custom-made limousines was put on sale in Moscow by luxury goods seller James Edition for $1.6 million.

So why the astronomical asking price? The limo, which was in service between 1989 and 2007, was reportedly used by both Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. The Limo’s service tenure suggests that it may also have been used by Vladimir Putin, but this was not explicitly stated by the seller.

Despite its age, the limo is reported to be in excellent condition, with only about 20 thousand miles on the odometer. The 1989 ZIL-41052 looks about as stately and serious as you would expect a Soviet era limo to look, and thanks to its extensive armor plating it weighs about 12,000 pounds. A massive 7.7 Liter, 300 horsepower V8 engine sits under the hood to move all that steel and bulletproof glass.

The interior, while certainly pretty comfortable-looking, is clad in dark gray velour that looks better suited to somber diplomatic meetings than nights out on the town. It’s a unique piece of history that is sure to catch the eye of the right kind of collector with heaps of surplus income on hand. The add has come and gone on the internet a few times over the course of the past year so it’s unclear if the seller has managed to find a buyer or if they’re just holding out until they meet the right millionaire.

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