ZIL ZIS-110 History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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The ZIS-110 was the Soviet Union's principal state limousine for over a decade after World War II. Development began in 1944, with engineers reverse-engineering a 1942 Packard Super Eight as the engineering template; the first five prototypes were completed by August 1945 and production began in 1946.
Power came from a 6.0-liter straight-eight engine producing 140 hp, giving a top speed over 140 km/h. The car was produced in limousine and convertible (ZIS-110B) body styles and was provided as gifts to allied communist leaders including Mao Zedong and Kim Il-sung. A heavily armored variant, the ZIS-115, was built in 32 examples specifically for Stalin between 1948 and 1949.
Total production reached 2,089 cars — substantial by ZIS/ZIL standards — before the line was retired in 1958 and replaced by the ZIL-111. The ZIS-110 remained in service well into the 1960s and survives in museum collections.
Body styles
- Limousine
- Convertible
Notable special editions & performance variants
ZIS-110B
Convertible variant of the ZIS-110, used for military parades and state occasions.
ZIS-115
Armored variant built specifically for Stalin; only 32 produced.
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