Heavy Retro-Luxury: 67-Year-Old GAZ Sedan for Sale in Novosibirsk

A 1959 GAZ-12 ZIM, produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ), is being sold in Novosibirsk for 2.5 million rubles (about $28,000 at current rates). This large executive car became a symbol of luxury in its time.

The listing states that under the hood is a 3.5-liter gasoline engine with 90 horsepower, a manual transmission, and a stated mileage of 125,000 kilometers.

«The car is in good condition,» the seller notes concisely.

The GAZ-12 ZIM executive sedan was produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1950 to 1959. During its production run, 21,527 cars were assembled.

Development of the model began in 1948 on government orders—it was needed to fill the niche between the mid-size GAZ-M-20 Pobeda and the ZIS-110 limousine. The car was conceived as an executive-class vehicle for official use, but versions for taxis and medical services were also created based on it.

Among the design features is a wide rear track, which made the interior more spacious and allowed three passengers to be comfortably seated in the rear seat.

The ZIM became GAZ«s first executive model. It was widely used by party and state structures, but unlike the more expensive limousines from Moscow plants, such cars rarely reached private owners. Later, the model was replaced by the GAZ-13 Chaika, which debuted in 1960.

Previously, NGS wrote about the sale in Novosibirsk of a cult «two» from Soviet times.