WMJ:
Yes they do have RWD and abundant Chrome.
I guess I AM prejudiced when it comes to Russian cars. I've met and know several Russain people and have nothing against them personally but their conntry did some horrible things to my native Slovakia. My family back in Slovakia does not have a good histrory wiht our Russian oppressors, starting in the early 1940s when they destroyed my Grandfather's life/business/financial stability by stealing his brand new Mercedes truck at gun point. My grandfather had saved up whole life to buy that truck with his brother so they could really start doing well with their Delivery business. They sold their Clidesdale (sp?) horses and almost anything of value other than family members to afford it, only to have some snot nosed soldier with a rifle take it away.
My grandafather was one of the greatest people I have known. A kind, gentle, forgiving soul wiht a heart of gold. He used to say all the time how the German soldiers were respectful and never really bothered them but most of the Russian soldiers were scumbags.
So, yes when I look at this car I think of all that crap, and all the innocent people the Russians killed but are not recorded in history books because their slaughter was not a part of evermentioned holocaust. Stalin, as I'm sure some of you know killed more people by far than Hitler.
I don;t judge people I meet who are Russians for their countrymens' mistakes but this is a car from a dark era. An era that most of the people on this forum can probably relate to only from movies but my relatives lived throught it. These stupid cars were reminders of their oppression by the Russians and thet's why to me it's never going to be an appealing car, desite some appealing features it borrowed from American cars of the 40s & 50s.
Razor:
You crack me up!
Ocnblu:
Me and marcia were looking at houses again the other day & I thought of you. The combination on the lockbox at one unoccupied house was: O C N.