KEEPERS
Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and comedian Jay Leno have both owned Volgas. Fellow fan Barry Daff explains why this cult classic appeals to him so much
BARRY DAFF LINCOLNSHIRE
‘Some years ago, my work took me to a town called Martin in Northern Slovakia where I was visiting a factory that produced generators. Before I left, the owner, Vladimir, showed me his pride and joy – a classic Gaz Volga 21R that he stored in his workshop. I’d never seen one before but the car appealed to me and I asked if we could take it out for a drive. Upon our return, Vladimir lifted the bonnet, and I was immediately transported back to the days when I drove a Ford Anglia, and my Mini, Wolseley Hornet, Wolseley 1500… I’ve always loved 1960s cars and the fact that I can repair them – unlike today’s cars.
‘There was something about the shape, the quality of the metalwork, the way the pressings have been formed, the quality of the chrome plating and, of course, the lovely engineering, that just resonated with me. I begged Vladimir to sell his car to me but he was having none of it. However, he did promise to speak with a friend of his – a Mr Rogan – who was the highly respected local Volga restorer and ask him to find a car for me.
‘Almost 18 months passed before Vladimir called me. Mr Rogan had restored a Volga 21R only to discover that the owner had “gone missing ”. Vladimir immediately thought of me and I jumped at the opportunity. It arrived at my home in 2017 and the specialist restoration was every bit as good as I had been led to believe. The restoration engineer had made a cracking job of it, and they tend to restore and repair original parts in eastern Europe rather than throw them away and replace them with pattern bits, which is the quick and tempting thing to do here.
‘I like the American-influenced styling and the fabulous interior with its unusual touches such as the straps across the back of the front seats for rear seat passengers to cling on to during spirited cornering. Then there’s the quirky instrument binnacle that the designer presumably thought would look much better if it was fitted with dark tinted glass!
‘As well as getting out and about in the car and enjoying the experience, I started reading about the history of the marque and only then did I fully appreciate how iconic it is. So when the chance came to follow the World Cup in 2018 I contacted the factory in Nizhny Novgorod explaining that I was the proud owner of a ’66 Volga and to my amazement they invited me out to lunch! Everyone at the factory was really kind and passionate about the marque and they opened up their museum, which was fascinating. That evening I visited a local square where they have an impressive
