As you know, I am from England, and I moved to Russia many years ago.
I have been fortunate enough to have experienced driving many different types of cars, from many different backgrounds. I have driven cars from the small European hatchbacks to Big Luxury German cars. I have even driven a few Big american cars, but nothing prepared me for the experience of driving a small Soviet car.
It was May 2018 (just before my little angel was born), and I was going to change the rear brakes on my BMW 1 Series, when I saw my friend in her garage. She was working on her 1985 Chevrolet Caprice Wagon. It was a big old bus, and she said she will let me film it when this virus is over.
Anyway, outside of the garage, next to her partners Chevy Caprice was her Classic Zaporozhets 968M, or ZAZ 968M for short.
Its such a beautiful, cute little car with lots of character. The owner changed the colour from a dull beige to a lovely orangery, yellow colour, but calls it her little tomato.
When she saw me looking lovingly at her car, she said jump inside. I was very excited, but I thought how can I fit in it, its tiny. Her partner jumped inside, and he was the size of a Russian bear, and believe it or not, he still had plenty of room.
With this I jumped inside, It was quite comfortable, for a very very basic car. I loved it!!
Then she threw me the key and said drive it up and down this private land, and see how you do.....
I adjusted the choke, pressed a bit on the accelerator, and turn the tiny key, which looked like it was from a padlock, off some bike.
The little 1.2litre V4 Engine jumped into life. I had to keep adjusting the revs and choke to stop it stalling.
The time came to drive it. I put her into first, which was a task in itself. Its much harder than a very old Land Rover....
I found the biting point, added a bit of gas, and went to pull away, when pft, she stalled.
Her partner said give it more gas, so I did. Its so odd having to rev a car hard.
Finally, I went down the track, bouncing away, moving the wheel drastically to drive in a straight line. It was like wrestling with a little pig. But I loved it.
What is the most unusual car you have driven??
