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Polish Barn Find: 1961 GAZ-21 Volga

Barn Finds come in all shapes and sizes. With cars from the former Soviet Union gathering traction in the classic market, buying one today could represent a reasonable long-term investment. The owner of this 1961 GAZ-21 Volga found it hidden in a Polish barn. When he dragged it into the light of day, he was faced with a pleasant surprise. Not only is this gem complete, but it is rust-free. He has revived the GAZ and has decided that it needs to find a new home. If you feel that it could be part of your life, you will find this Russian beauty in Rumia, Poland. The owner has listed it for sale here on Barn Finds Classifieds, and he has set the sale price at $4,495.

The GAZ-21 was introduced to the Russian public in 1956, and it remained in production through three distinct series until 1970. Our feature car is a Series 2, which the company produced and marketed between 1959 and 1962. It is a four-door sedan that could seat up to six people, and in keeping with most cars from the USSR at that time, it is a rugged old vehicle. The styling is pretty conventional for its time, although the GAZ sits significantly higher than its Western counterparts to cope with the harsh road conditions in its home country. This car is finished in an attractive shade of Blue, and it is the entry-level vehicle that the company offered. This is easy to pick because the more upmarket  Deluxe featured additional chrome trim around the windscreen. The panels are in excellent condition, although the owner notes a repairable dent in the driver’s side rear quarter panel. There is also a dent inflicted by a previous owner in the passenger side front fender. It may be repairable, but the owner includes a genuine replacement panel in the sale. The Volga found its way to its current location from Ukraine. It isn’t unusual to see cars from this area with rust issues due to their exposure to snow and salt, but the news is positive with this classic. The seller says that its history reveals that it was a dry-weather car, and coupled with the excellent rust-proofing that GAZ applied, it remains completely rust-free. The trim is in excellent order, while the glass is equally impressive.

Lifting the Volga’s hood reveals a 2,420cc four-cylinder engine capable of producing 64hp and 114 ft/lbs of torque. In keeping with its rugged design, that power finds its way to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission. If the owner launched the GAZ through the ¼ mile, the journey would take 24 seconds. However, outright speed is not this car’s strong suit. The engine is a remarkably tractable unit, with both its maximum power and torque delivered below 3,000 rpm. That means that it can pull its way from low speeds in surprisingly high gears with ease. The owner has revived the Volga and supplies this YouTube video that shows it starting and running. It starts at the first turn of the key, and the engine sounds excellent. It shows healthy oil pressure and no signs of any odd noises. Everything seems to work as it should, although the buyer will face a few small tasks to ensure that the car is mechanically perfect. The seller notes that the radiator should be rebuilt due to its age, but any radiator specialist should easily tackle this. He notes that the shocks have deteriorated, but these are surprisingly easy for the buyer to source. The other item that the next owner should replace is the tires. They are marked “Made In USSR,” suggesting they are at least thirty years old. I’m all for authenticity, but I’m not sure I’d trust them at highway speed. Otherwise, this Volga looks good to go.

This GAZ’s interior is a surprise packet because it is pretty well preserved. The seats are upholstered in an attractive combination of vinyl and cloth, with the same materials gracing the door trims. The front seat has a slight seam separation that any competent upholsterer should be able to repair. There is also some wear and marks on the cloth sections, and it would be interesting to see how these would respond to some professional cleaning. The carpet is faded, but I would attempt to dye it before considering replacement if I were to buy this car. The dash is in excellent order, and as well as a pretty respectable gauge cluster, it scores a pushbutton radio and heater. If the buyer wishes to protect this car’s originality, a set of slipcovers will help to preserve the seat upholstery for many years for little cost.

Market trends indicate that many cars that have found their way from the former Soviet Union are building a strong following in Western markets. The GAZ-21 Volga is no exception, although relatively few have found their way onto US soil. The owner of this 1961 model is willing to help the buyer to organize shipping so that this can become a reality for this wonderful survivor. He quotes a figure of around $1,800 to ship it from its current location to North America, which would bring the total cost to approximately $6,300 plus any relevant duties. These don’t come onto the market often, but prices well north of $10,000 are typical when they do. This car has a few needs, but addressing those would still leave the total cost well under five-figure territory. Therefore, if you would like to own a classic that would stand out on the road or at a Cars & Coffee, this GAZ-21 Volga could be the car that you’ve been searching for.

Comments

  1. Avatar angliagt Member

    At a local restaurant there was a flyer for a local cruise in,
    & there was an illustration of a Volga on it.Weird.

    Like 4
  2. Avatar Bigcat Member

    Sorry but I’m calling BS on this “Barn Find “. Pic is totally staged. Nice car, not for me but someone will like it.

    Like 17
    • Avatar David Frank

      One of the highlights of Barnfinds are cars like this one, the odd and unusual finds. Thus, they are cars very few folks would consider owning by their nature. And always in reply there are those who proclaim “not for me” (so?) or those who suggest an LS swap, LOL!. This is what makes Barnfinds great! “Vive la différence” as Anatole France is said to have said. So call me strange, but I think this would be a great car to own!

      Like 8
  3. Avatar alphasud Member

    Maybe if they had changed the name to Vulgar I would be on board.

    Like 4
  4. HoA Howard A Member

    Poland, you say? I feel the jokes amassing once this hits the “regular” readers. While horribly politically incorrect today, making fun of certain ethnic groups was my old mans claim to fame, as it were. He made fun of everybody that wasn’t his, um,,kind. Today, it just doesn’t fit, and the Poles are just as cool as anyone else.
    This is a great find, for our side of the pond, in all my travels, I don’t ever recall seeing one, although, I’ve only been overseas once, as a kid, and that was good enough for me. As popular as these cars were around the world, with the internet, parts should not be a problem( is there an AutoZone in Prague? “Autodily Hlasik”, I see) except USA, can you imagine someone pulling in their driveway in rural Detroit, IN A GAZ??? Be run out on a rail, you would. There was a HUGE anti Soviet Union attitude then, even though most of it was BS, I think. Cool find, looks like a good car, and as stout as a tank, I bet.

    Like 5
  5. Avatar Moondawg00

    That’s the most staged Barn Find photo I’ve ever seen.

    Like 11
  6. Avatar T-Dogg

    Would this be considered a “Pole Barn” find??

    Like 6
  7. Avatar Steve Clinton

    It’s in nice condition and if parts are needed, the owner can just go down to his local GAZ dealership.

    Like 2
  8. Avatar Will Fox

    LOL! The ‘Peek-a-boo’ speedometer is straight off of a `54-`55 Ford!!

    Like 1
  9. Avatar Ken Carney

    Jay Leno has one of these. I watched a 2011 segment on
    YouTube when he featured it on Jay Leno’s Garage. His was a
    “66 that was original down to the tires! He told the audience
    that he doesn’t drive it much in order to preserve them. The
    price is fair, but the shipping and duty costs would eat you up.
    Cool find though and a refreshing change from the usual
    Mustang and Camaro fare. Variety is under the spice of life.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Brian Member

    Kinda tri-5 Chevy(ish). I like it. I know ill take a beating for this but update the mechanicals, some nice wheels and im sure you’d be the only one at Cars and Coffee.

    Like 2
  11. Avatar FOG

    Despite the comments previously stated, this is a good price for what condition it’s in. Would definitely have fun going on outings and place it on a list for movie productions.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Ensign Pulver

    Having been to Eastern Europe in the old days….if it ain’t staged then it didn’t happen….perhaps “Volga” means “Frumpy” in Russian 😁

    Like 1
    • Avatar Chuck Dickinson

      It’s just the name of a river. I rode in Volga taxis in the Soviet Union in the mid-80s–they were the most common taxis there. Gov’t cars (black ZILs and Volgas) and taxis made up about 85% of the cars on Moscow streets. Private ownership of vehicles wasn’t all that common then. The Soviets marketed their cars in Western Europe in order to get ‘hard’ currency income, even tho’ people at home had to wait for years for a new car.

      Like 1
  13. Avatar Richard Haner

    I can see this one in a cold war epic pic….be a great one to market for movie sets…

    Like 0
  14. Avatar George

    I like that the license plate is :”00 21 GAZ”. Many call such car BS or laugh a lot, (like someone on youtube, when reviewing a GAZ 24). But someone who really likes to read/search, or do some “home work” right, will discover that pre/post WW II Russian cars are (based on) Ford design & heritage and Russian trucks are (based on) Ford, Studebacker and International design & heritage. The Russians, received all this prior to WW II and then during WWII, due to the Lend/Lease Agreement. Then they started to develop / improve and / or modify all these according to their needs and roads.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Josh

    ANGLIAGT, could you please contact me? Thank you!

    Like 0
  16. Avatar r

    One time in Bulgaria, we did help some old guy, ho did drive an old blue GAZ 21 Volga, from Russia, but the car his motor did stop on the middle of the road. So we did help move the car fore warts till the motor did start. Our car is an Renault Mascott, from France.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Rolls-Royce

    My name use to be Rolls-Royce, the ¨Leave A Comment¨ of Barn Finds, made a mistake and made my name like ¨r¨.

    Like 0

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