There are a lot of infamously mediocre cars that came out of communist countries in the 20th century, but I’m curious whether there is any consensus over what the best were and whether they could stack up with their contemporary capitalist ‘competitors’. When I say ‘best’ in association with these cars people usually think of the mechanical simplicity, cheap repairs and ruggedness, but I’m more interested in those that excelled (at least in relative terms) in comfort, handling or speed (brakes? haha) given the production limitations involved. I’m guessing they’ll mostly be ‘luxury’ cars for the party elite rather than the people, but I’d be interested to have my expectation disproven. Copies of Western cars can be included, as long as they were sold domestically.
One thing that comes to mind is the Melkus RS1000, a pretty rare GDR made sports car, using the three cylinder 2 stroke also used in the Wartburg 353, but tuned to achieve numbers around 100hp. It does weigh only about 700kg, though. It’s also aerodynamic enough to go over 200 km/h (>120mph).
i wouldn’t say that counts, as it was a privately built car. which i was amazed to find out was a thing in the GDR
Still a GDR car, the GDR was “communist”, even though it practically wasn’t, since money still was a thing. And only barely socialist.
Little story time! My parents have grown up in the GDR, and from what I can tell from their stories, daily life for the average person was actually not very different in terms of how the economy worked: You go to work, you get paid (not the same amount for all jobs, contrary to popular belief), you go to the store and pay for goods, pay for (the ridiculously cheap) rent, pay for services, with some essential things like healthcare being provided as a given. Heck one could even purchase a house if one got the Ostmarks together!
The differences begin at a larger scale. It may be best described as all larger companies being bound together into huge state-controlled cartels, and for these the general doctrine for what is produced is following a two step system: 1. Is it available/feasible? 2. Is it demanded/necessary? 3. Is it allowed?. These are the two steps, and quite some endeavours failed at the second (third) step. Consequently, there was generally a poor selection of goods, not to speak of the infamous technological stagnation.
I’ll give my vote to the Gaz-21 Volga from 1956.
It was competitive with capitalist cars of the era, and it could be bought by at least the richer portion of the mass population; unlike a lot of the “political” cars. It also won awards at the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair.
It doesn’t get that many points in the way of speed with a 70hp engine… but it was a comfortable car. It had reclining and folding front seats, a cigarette lighter, heater, windshield washer and a 3-wave radio; all fairly advanced for the mid 50’s. It also had the most advanced rust-proofing measures of any car in the world at the time. That, combined with the typical Soviet design school of thought; being simple, durable, and off-road capable, made it a very pleasant car to own.
I’ll just throw it out there that I actually am a fan of communist cars for the most part, there’s just something about them and the way they look that just gives you the impression that they are simple, rugged, cheap, offroad capable, relatively easy for self maintenance, and with no unnecessary things. I mean I know they are probably unreliable shitboxes with no concern for anything other than ability to go forward, to turn, and slow down not well, just be able to do it. One thing I hate with a lot of modern cars was that it seems like they would struggle with even moderately bumpy dirt roads and seem like they would almost scrape from normal driving and low driver position. That wasnt a problem with commie cars though
Having driven one… NOT in the slightest. GAZ 24 is a much better choice.
For 1956; supposedly so. Can’t really say anything though… haven’t been in one; nor in another car of similar vintage.
Oh, it’s awful 
Laugh to be had, but its’ downright dangerous to be driven in traffic, there’s no power, no cornering ability, absolutely no brakes, the controls are ALWAYS an issue (I’ve driven one with a column shifter and it was pretty bad, and the one I drove with a 4 on the floor was even worse, you have to lift you knee to get the stick from under it (that’s where it’s positioned)), so is the visibility. In any case, I’ve never feared a drive more than when they said I’d have to drive it again.
That thing sounds godlike… From the inside atleast 
A Russian man goes to buy a car. He fills out the paperwork and pays the full amount in advance, and the man behind the counter says “Okay, come back in ten years.” “Morning or afternoon?” asks the man. “It’s ten years from now, what does it matter?” asks the man behind the counter. The first man replies, “Well, I’ve got a plumber coming in the morning.”
i know its a GDR car, but i was thinking that the car had to be from a state-owned marque. so like ZAZ or Trabant or FSO
Stratopolonez. Rally monster with 2.4 Ferrari V6.
FSO Syrena Sport. Polish sports car prototype - original destroyed in 70s, this is a replica
Apart from that derpy face the rest of the Syrena looks sweet as
Gaz Volga 31029. Supposed to be the equivalent of an E-Class or 5 Series, except far less refined. But I like it, it has a certain character to it.
It’s based on the old California is communist joke, Teslas are pretty much made in california and are very popular there ergo its a communist car thats the joke.
thats what i mean, if we go by a commie car as one built under a socialist/marxist/communist regime, then the Melkus qualifies. but, to me, a commie car has to be built by the state i.e. seized means of production, under which the Melkus doesn’t fit.
I’d actually go ahead and say this, but there are a lot of Chinese cars that are getting better and better quality (My friend drives one, he lives in St.Petersburg, Russia, those are popular there), so … I’m wagering that most of the modern Chinese plastic fantastic crap is quite good, actually.