The Best GAZ M20 Pobeda In The World & The Most Expensive. Here’s Why It’s Worth It.

The GAZ-M20 Pobeda, Victory in Russian, is one of those unusual cars that we didn’t really see in the west until the Iron curtain fell. Deeply fascinating, to me at least, this Soviet take on the family car was something of an oddity. Being produced many years ago in Russia, living on in Poland and North Korea, they have a style that looks more American than European.

So, what we have here is probably, no I’m going to say has to be the best and most expensive GAZ M20 Pobeda in the world. In the Soviet union the GAZ M20 was produced from 1946 until 1958, lasting until 1973 in Poland as the FSO Warszawa built under license. Who knows how long they made them for in North Korea as it’s probably a secret, but I’d like to find out.

Usually known as the GAZ-M20 the car was originally just the M20 which stood for Molotovets, from the factory named after Vyacheslav Molotov, a Soviet politician.

Back then in Soviet Russia they had access to American publications and adopted the style of American cars amongst other things so It’s no surprise that the M20 looks the way it does. And coming from a design that started in 1940 of a two door coupe that was essentially the same car. Importantly it was the very first unitary constructed car, one with a monocoque, in the Soviet union.

There was some evolution of the M20 and later versions, like this 1956 example, is has the later slightly more powerful 1.1 litre side valve four with around 55 hp. It’s quite a heavy car at 1460 kg, being built to be robust and survive in some hostile conditions, so it’s not fast but will hit a top speed of around 65 m.p.h.

More modern features of the car were turn signals, two speed electric wipes, hydraulic brakes on all four wheels, an electric heater and a factory radio.

This one is that little bit different. Even though the M20 Pobeda is quite a collectable car, this has been restored to a level you wouldn’t expect. Concourse condition from specialist restorer Classic Investments based in London, with all the work done in Latvia.

They have some serious skills over there and the quality of the work done is outstanding. the paintwork is the first thing to catch your eye, but if you look around you see the chrome. There’s real depth here, not just the shiny surface that I thought was quite good on my very cheap, used, Honda motorcycles some years ago.

In fact, it’s so good that I have to say it was one of, if not the car, of the whole NEC show for me.

The cost of doing this has to be high, thankfully done in house by Classic Investments, who also made the wooden steering wheel by hand.

The interior trim features the same leather you would use in a Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing and the fabric used in the seats and doors has a similar air of quality.

The dash has been sympathetically restored and not only looks great, will last longer than they used to with the use of better quality paints and finishes. I love the style.

The radio works as it does and they have even discretely incorporated a USB aux input in the glovebox so all forms of modern functions can be used.

They say many times that cars have been restored to better than new, and many would argue that with the crude nature of cars of the 40s and 50s it’s easy to do. However, this isn’t just better than new for a GAZ, it’s way better than that.

You see the process used to restore this car is exactly the same as used on an E-Type costing around £120,000 to £130,000.

This car is expensive, very expensive. But when you consider the price, which is on special for the NEC show, it’s actually not. It’s cheap as there is no way you could get it done for what it would cost you to buy the car. There’s even a bespoke set of luggage built for it.

So, I’d say it’s like paying for a restoration of an incredibly high standard, usually applied to other cars costing a lot more, for less than the cost to do it and a Free GAZ M20 thrown in. That makes it a bargain.

Head to the Classic Investments website and have a play with the 3D inteactive walkaround, then have a look for any spare cash you have, but they do finance apparently. Someone please stop me…