The ZIS-115 is a Soviet-built, armored version of the

ZIS-110 The ZIS-110 is a Soviet Union, Soviet limousine produced by Zavod Imeni Likhacheva, ZIL from 1946 to 1958. The 110 was developed from the reverse engineering of a 1942 Packard Super Eight during 1944. The first five prototypes were completed by ...

limousine, designed and built especially for

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

. 32 of the cars were manufactured between 1948 and 1949. The heavily armored car's design was based on the American 1942

Packard Super Eight The Packard Super Eight was the larger of the two Straight-eight engine, eight-cylinder Luxury vehicle, luxury automobiles produced by the Packard, Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan. It shared frames and some body types with the top m ...

. The car weighed over 4 tonnes, with windows made of glass nearly thick (each of which weighed over ) were powered by a hydraulic system. Its straight-eight engine (an upgraded version of the ZIS-110 engine) generated with a top speed of . Stalin, paranoid about

assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

, always rode in the rear of the car, seated between two armed

bodyguards A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public officials, wealthy business ...

. He never rode in the same armored ZIS two days in a row, and frequently changed the route driven from his home in

Kuntsevo Kúntsevo () is a district in Western Administrative Okrug of the federal city of Moscow, Russia. Population: History In the 18th century, a palace and a park were built; they were often visited by the Empress Catherine II. Kuntsevo is the site ...

to the

Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...

. Usage of this vehicle was seen in other countries, as Stalin donated a ZIS-115 to Chairman

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...

due to the lack of armored Chinese vehicles suitable for the purpose of transporting high-ranking officials. After Stalin's death in 1953, the armored ZIS limousines continued to be used for many years by successive Soviet leaders. In 1955

Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...

donated two of these vehicles (which are on display in the Slovenian museum Bistra) to Yugoslav president

Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito ( ; , ), was a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 unti ...

. Several of the cars still exist, owned by private collectors and museums around the world. Russian leaders had some in their official garage until 1994.

References

Cars of Russia 1940s cars 1950s cars

115 115 may refer to: *115 (number), the number *AD 115, a year in the 2nd century AD *115 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *115 (Hampshire Fortress) Corps Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, a unit in the UK Territorial Army *115 (Leicestershire) Field ...

Soviet automobiles Rear-wheel-drive vehicles {{Classicpow-auto-stub