Nostalgic Enthusiasts Restore Unique Soviet Bus
From July 6 to 17, Tallinn Bus Station will exhibit three most unusual and original buses.
A true treasure for enthusiasts, the colorful ZIS-127, known also as "King of the Roads," was originally produced in a USSR factory named after Stalin in 1956. It is now unique in the world.
It took three years to restore the ZIS-127. The vehicle made its debut showing in Finland and will soon travel to Russia, upon invitation of that country's transportation ministry.
As the first Soviet bus designed for intercity travel, the ZIS-127 was also the first to incorporate comfortable seats with a high back rest. Only 851 buses of this type were produced, according to the bus company Sebe. Weighing around seven tons, the bus with a two-stroke, six-cylinder, 180-horse-power engine had a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour, far surpassing all its contemporaries. The model copies its style from an American bus. The engine made a peculiar whining sound upon accelerating because of the short exhaust pipes, and hence the vehicle's second nickname - "Jet."
The nostalgic Ikarus Lux, built in Hungary in 1971, and the Volvo SKV Katrineholm from 1962 will also be on display in the Tallinn Bus Station.
"It is our passion to preserve and introduce the history of buses," Hugo Osula, owner of Mootor Grupp, said in a press release.
Ott Tammik
