ZIL 111

The Zil-111 was a limousine produced by the Soviet car manufacturer ZiL in 1958–1967. It was the first post-war limousine designed in the Soviet Union. After tests with the shortlived prototype ZIL-Moscow in 1956, which gained a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest passenger car in the world, the ZIL-111 was introduced from ZIL in 1958. The body style was in the American tradition of the time and resembled the mid-1950s cars built by Packard, an American luxury automobile manufacturer, although, apart from the similar styling, the car was an original design and had nothing in common with them, except in general layout. The interiors were trimmed with top quality leather and broadcloth and decorated with thick pile carpet and polished wooden fittings. It featured a comprehensive ventilation and heating system and a 5-band radio, all of which could be controlled from the rear, electric windows, vacuum-operated screen wash, windshield and front door window defrosting. It was powered by a 6.0 L V8 engine producing 200 hp connected to an automatic transmission (similar to that of Chrysler's PowerFlite and influenced by it, but different in design) giving a top speed of 170 km/h (106 mph), hydraulic drum brakes with a vacuum servo booster, coil and wishbone IFS. The car won a top prize at the Brussels Expo World Fair in 1958.

Apart from a basic version ZiL-111, there was produced ZiL-111A with air conditioning (it had a smaller and flatter rear window due to air tubes) and convertible ZiL-111V (ЗиЛ-111В in Russian, only 12 made). The convertible based on the ZiL-111 was dubbed ZiL-111V.

In December 1962 the car was restyled and it was available both as sedan ZiL-111G and convertible ZiL-111D. Fitted with a 200 hp 5,980 cc (365 cu in) V8, The new styling also followed the American fashion of its time: the front styling very closely resembled the 1961-62 Cadillac Fleetwood 75, while the dual-unit taillights were similar to those of an early-Sixties Mercury. For U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's visit, E. Molchanov designed a special version. Air conditioning was standard. The ZiL-111G went out of production in 1966. The first ZiL-111D was built in 1963, six months after the new ZiL-111 appeared; only about eight were built, half with grey exteriors, and all were fitted with microphones. Fidel Castro was given a ZiL-111D.

As a rule, the ZiL-111 was available only for members of the Politburo. In 1958-1967 only 112 of all models were made, of them only 26 ZiL-111Gs.

A minibus based on the ZIL-111, the ZIL-118 Yunost (Youth), was also developed, but built only in small numbers.

The ZiL-111 would be replaced in 1967 by the ZIL-114.