The Russian GAZ Volga M21 derivates.

The Soviet Russian car industry in the communist era had a strong influence at the automobile industry in China, in North Korea and in North Viet Nam.

A good example is the Volga M21 sedan made by GAZ.
Let’s start with the CHINESE.

Dongfanghong, first prototype, registration 1*0282Test. One of the first three., in front of the factory.

In November 1959 the Chinese authorities wanted to produce a motor car based on the Volga M21N. Beijing Auto Works got the task, after they had shown with the Jinggangshan production that they were capable of making cars. They got technical support from Soviet experts.

Soviet expert instructing at the Beijing Auto Works.

The first prototype was ready in April 1960 and was named Xinghuo (Meteor) 760. For political reasons this name was changed into Dongfanghong (The East is Red) BJ760. Tycho has written four years ago about this car, I show you some nice pictures which came up in recent years.

Dongfanghong BJ760, party time, the workers are there, where is the staff? The tables are ready!

The Soviet experts took a Volga with them to test drive it on the Hainan Island test track, and also the complete technical set of drawings how to make the car, which they left at the Beijing factory.

Not sharp copy of an interesting photo showing a Dongfanghong and a Volga. Archive mr. Bai Guang.

Instructions given by a Russian technician.

Deng Xiaoping and probably his youngest son Deng Zhifang, visiting the Beijing Auto Works in 1960.

Some cars had an ornament, a rocket?

Later, only three characters: Dong Fang Hong.

The specifications were practically the same for the Dongfanghong and the Volga, engines completely the same, sizes 4800x 1800x 1590mm (DFH) and 4830x 1800x 1630mm (Volga). Wheelbase both 2700mm. The Dongfanghong was heavier: 1500kg, the Volga 1360kg.

One of the first Dongfanghong’s, the 01-03264 of which you have seen the ornament here above already.

A rare photo of some Dongfanghong’s in use (in front left and middle, with a single piece front window), here in a group of official cars, together with a lot of ZIM’s, and in front to the right a majestic ZIL 111G.

There are two cars left, one from mr. Luo Wenyou, described by Tycho, and one from mr. Bai Guang, even more beautiful.

Mr. Bai Guang and his Dongfanghong. Photo Autofan.

Mr. Luo Wenyou opens the bonnet of his Dongfanghong. Photo Erik van Ingen Schenau.

Next is the NORTH KOREAN interpretation of the Volga M21.

I have written before about the Paektusan. I speculated that the prototype was made by the Pyongsang Works. I was wrong, the car was made by the Sungri truck factory in Tokchon in 1978.

Paektusan made by Sungri, 1978. Photo The Korean Pictorial (in Chinese), March 1978.

Sombritude discovered the magazine photo in an old Chinese-language North Korean magazine. Paektusan means Mount Paektu (or Baekdu). I already wrote about this great find.

The German painter Jörg-Peter Rabe made on my request these paintings of the Paektusan, I published them before, but I like them so much…

Paektusan by Jörg-Peter Rabe, copyright 2021. Painting showing a scene of the movie: Yeolnebeonjjae gyeoul (1980).

Paektusan by Jörg-Peter Rabe, painting copyright 2021.

It seems that the car was based on the Volga M21, not on the newer Volga M24.

The third car here is already known to you, it is the NORTH VIETNAMESE Chan Thang (Victory), shown in December 1958. In the article I took a side path thinking the car was based on a Renault Frégate, but I was quickly corrected: here too the Volga M21 is the base.

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