As you know, the most "bad guys" - scammers, bandits, killers - traditionally prefer the best cars. The best of those who are available at a particular time in a particular country. In our long-suffering Motherland, there were, in fact, only a few such cars, but they all left a bright mark on the history of Russian crime.
Since in Soviet times (until the early 80s) organized crime did not actually exist in the country, there were essentially no gangster cars. Of all the pre-perestroika cars, only the “twenty-first” Volga is remembered, and even then thanks to the famous story about Yuri Detochkin. No, since the 70s, individual underground millionaires and thieves in law could afford to hide in the garage the most luxurious Mercedes at that time in the bodies of the W123 and W126 or the BMW 7th series, which ordinary Soviet citizens saw only in the movies. But these were few. It was much more realistic for lovers of luxurious life in the USSR to illegally acquire a Volga decommissioned from some state institution, and if there were good funds and connections, even a Chaika. God himself ordered ordinary "hucksters" and criminals to drive a VAZ "classic", the best car available at that time. But Zhiguli, even the most prestigious models of their time (VAZ-2106 and VAZ-2107), did not stand out from the general flow - after all, in principle, the whole country drove them. And the car became an indispensable attribute of the criminal world only in the late 80s - early 90s, when the decline of the law enforcement system and a sharp rampant crime led to explosions, chases and shootouts right on the city streets ...
Perhaps the first "gangsta-mobile" in Russia was an ordinary VAZ "nine". At first, in the mid-80s, the Volga front-wheel drive, like any new car, was taken by many inhabitants rather warily, but over the five years since the start of production, the plant solved the main problems with spare parts and brought it to an acceptable (by Soviet-Russian standards) level of reliability. It was then that all the positive qualities of the “chisel” came to the fore: good dynamics and controllability for those times, relative unpretentiousness and reliability. Why did the nine that appeared later, and not the eight, become more popular? Yes, because the four side doors favorably distinguished the VAZ-2109 from 2108 - they allowed the “team” of 4-5 people, if necessary, to get into the car very quickly or leave it. In the conditions of a dashing life with showdowns and shootouts, this was an important advantage of the car. No wonder the group "Combination" sang a song about the cherry nine - so many "tough guys" of the country dreamed of such a car. At the turn of the 90s, the Samara turned out to be both an affordable and quite prestigious car; various representatives of the “shadow business” of our country did not shy away from driving it. The Volga has not yet lost its solid status: all kinds of black marketeers, swindlers, thieves often traveled on such - in a word, representatives of the "intelligent" criminal professions.
In perestroika times, the prospect of switching to a foreign car for the first domestic “merchants” became quite real - Mercedes and Volvo from the West, Toyota and Nissan from the East, slowly began to seep into the country. They were imported for the most part illegally - as a rule, for bribes at customs or hidden on foreign ships. Well, with the fall of the Iron Curtain, at the very beginning of the 90s, a real stream of used foreign cars poured into the country. Both European and Japanese small cars for middle-class people and American dreadnoughts for those who are richer were imported to Russia. Against this background, the prestige of the "cherry nines" and black Volga very quickly faded. And besides, the quality of assembly and parts has plummeted in domestic cars. It is worth noting that AvtoVAZ itself, like many Russian factories, was in the first half of the 90s under the control of organized crime groups - according to some reports, a tenth of all produced cars went straight off the assembly line to extortionists as various "ransoms". So many bandits of the Volga region actually got brand new Zhiguli for free - ride as much as you like. But for “serious people”, domestic cars no longer relied on status. According to the unwritten rules, in those days for any self-respecting "comers" the first serious money was supposed to be spent on a decent foreign car. At first, Russian businessmen and representatives of crime fell in love with the “Americans” very much. Newspapers and magazines from 1991-1994 were literally full of advertisements for various American sedans - from the mid-size Chrysler New Yorker and Pontiac Grand Am / Bonneville to the huge Cadillac Deville and Lincoln Town Car. Their powerful unpretentious engines normally digested bad gasoline, huge bodies made of thick steel not only successfully accommodated a whole gang of bodyguards, but also gave additional chances to survive in accidents and skirmishes. No wonder the “team” of Sasha Bely at the beginning of his journey cut it on the old Lincoln, and not on some kind of Mercedes. The hero of Viktor Sukhorukov also rode the "American" in the first film "Brother". It should be noted that in the early 90s there were a lot of American cars only in Moscow and the region - wide avenues and ring roads, at that time still unloaded with traffic jams, were perfect for multi-liter dreadnoughts. Petersburg, due to its proximity to Scandinavia, fell in love with Volvo and Saab for a long time - they were driven from Sweden and Finland, and spare parts were also supplied from there. Quite strong and very prestigious, these cars turned out to be an indispensable attribute of business and crime in the North-West of Russia. To confirm my words - Volvo 940 flashes in the first series of "Brigade" along with the usual "nines" and "Americans". SAAB 9000 was also very popular in the early 90s in both capitals and adjacent areas.
The province, not provided with good roads, spare parts, or service, was almost closed to prestigious foreign cars at first. However, very quickly, the "new Russians" from the regions found a way out - to buy used all-terrain vehicles. The most famous "gangster" SUV was, of course, the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was this car that starred in the famous episode with the Maxim machine gun from the movie Brother-2. "Wide Jeep" perfectly combined high cross-country ability, speed, acceptable handling and comfortable interior. Perhaps the only drawback is the high fuel consumption. But who considered it in those days when gasoline in Russia cost a penny? Jeep Grand Cherokee actually became the world's first all-terrain vehicle of the executive class. In the Russian market, he easily laid on the shoulder blades of his competitors - Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Blazer. But, despite the rather simple and durable design, the Russian “nouveau riche” managed to kill Jeeps as well. Therefore, in the Urals and Siberia, where the situation with roads and spare parts was very bad, the local "brothers" were much more willing to take the "Japanese" - albeit less prestigious, but more reliable. Toyota LC80 and 4Runner, Mitsubishi Pajero, and Nissan Terrano took not the last place in the rating of "gangsta cars" of that time.
However, the main drawback of the Jeep Grand Cherokee was already felt then - the huge fuel consumption (with 5.2 liters of volume and an uneconomical machine). Well, the fact that with such a liter engine, he gave out some 220 hp. – these are rather the claims of today. Old-school "Americans" are just like that - wasteful, multi-liter, with a voracious machine gun and cubic optics ...
Toyota Land Cruiser 80, or simply as the Kruzak lads called it, as always, "Toned all around." Also an unforgettable car in the 90s. Starred in the film "Brigade"
Mitsubishi Pajero, aka a real tank for shooters, with an elevated seating position is ideal for dodging bullets. As for the swift bird "Pajero", then as a trump card, in addition to a more economical engine, he also had the image of a multiple conqueror of the "Dakars". In addition, the Japanese could boast of the Super Select 4WD transmission, which was ultra-progressive at that time, which allowed changing operating modes on the go up to 100 km / h, ideally adapting to any type of road and off-road.
Surprisingly, in the era of the primitive accumulation of capital, German cars were not very in demand among the Russian "lads". The turning point came somewhere in the mid-1990s. The conservatism, sluggishness and mediocre driving performance of the American and Swedish dreadnoughts had already bored the “elite” of the underground world by that time. Fresh German models looked much more advantageous - just as powerful and prestigious, but more dynamic, elegant and modern.
After the opening of the borders, the symbols of not only the gangster business, but also the era of the 90s as a whole became the BMW 5 in the back of the E34, the Mercedes-Benz G-Klasse (popular to this day) and, of course, the legendary "boar" - the Mercedes-Benz S in body W140. On the latter, the elite of the criminal world, "heliks", as a rule, traveled with an escort. "Fives" were used by bandits with a lower rank, but already risen.
In the first half of the 90s, a brand new BMW 525i cost only 35-40 thousand dollars in Moscow, and a used one was even cheaper. With age, the Bavarians lost value significantly faster than Mercedes: a three-five-year-old could already be bought for quite reasonable money. To feel like a respected person, all that remained was to tone it tightly, and, if possible, get “beautiful” numbers. In terms of indestructibility, in the end, BMWs were almost as good as Mercedes, and they won in terms of driving performance. A fairly simple and unpretentious "five" E34 clearly came to court. Relatively light, with powerful engines (the 192-horsepower 2.5 on the 525i became the most popular), and a memorable design, it became a real “extortionist fighting machine” in the 90s. In the Brigade, Sasha Bely's friend Rafik drove such a car, and in blindfolds the main characters rolled almost the entire film on a black "beamer" ... Perhaps the BMW 525i became the car number 2 in the criminal world of Russia - behind the "six hundredth", but ahead of the Grand Cherokee.
As a rule, risen bandits moved on such 5th behahs!
It was prestigious and honorable to have such a car among the criminals!
Listing the films of the 90s with the participation of this car, one cannot but remember the first Sasha "Bely" from the Brigade, who rode the E34 in the 92s, and some other guys from this film, I think everyone remembers!
Fifth, it should be noted in the film "Blind Man's Buff", which was ridden by two frostbitten funny types, shooting and knocking down everyone in their path! By the way, when a car cuts them off in the film, Seryoga (Aleksey Panin) says to Simon (Dmitry Dyuzhev), who was trying to catch up with this car, like: “Don’t, let him drive, his car is cool, they told me now that this is the best .. ." And it was the BMW /// M5 that cut them in the 34th body, which had a lot more than 380 hp, but in those days, for the power of the hood, it was an exorbitant figure, which in our time is not enough! Super film, very positive, I like all the characters, without exception, especially "OOO, ETHIOP?! - I'm Russian ..." =)
Everyone knows the very best beshka in the back of the E38! This is the 7th episode of the movie "Boomer". Movie first!
"Cool car, beha seven" these words are especially memorable for us in the film, because. this car is really the best of its kind and at one time, the only competitor to which could be a Mercedes S-class in a 140 body (I will talk about it a little later)
I will not tell the story of the film, because. many know it by heart, but rather I'll tell you about the famous and legendary boomer in the 38th body.
The car in the film is BMW 750iL (L is an extended base by 7 cm), although 5 cars were filmed in the film, and each in every moment of the film, both 735 and 740, and probably many do not know about it!
BMW 750 - after the movie "Boomer" - was the dream of any teenager, after the movie, this car was truly recognized in Russia!
In the 90s, only quite significant authorities, the first people in the criminal circle, could afford this car!
By the way, in the second half of the 90s, the true Aryan, Mercedes Gelandewagen, replaced the Cherokee Jeep itself. By that time, a simple army all-terrain vehicle was just overgrown with powerful engines and a lot of “bells and whistles” - what Russian citizens in power need! The prestige of gelendevagen was reinforced by very small, almost exclusive production volumes (about 7-8 thousand per year), and of course, the magical combination of cross-country ability and indestructibility, which is so important in our area. A Gelik in good condition cost not much less than a five-hundredth passenger car, and yet the Russian elite considered it a matter of honor to have a couple of such cars accompanied. By the way, it was no coincidence that Gelendevagen became a security car - for the cones themselves, it was not comfortable enough - cramped, shaky and noisy. But for protection just right: albeit uncomfortable, but strong and impressive in appearance.
But the main and unconditional grandee, the subject of admiration and cult, as well as the hero of numerous jokes about the nouveau riche, was the Mercedes S 600. Launching the car for sale, the concern's advertisers provided it with the slogan: “In the S-class you will find a lot that fans of other companies will receive only in the next generation of cars. And indeed it is. Why, many options of this car, presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in 1991, you will not find in the basic equipment of many modern foreign cars of the middle class.
Electrical controls for everything you see. Infrared remote control system for blocking everything that is locked. Climate control for all riders and even for individual parts of their bodies. Possibility of installation of telephone and telefax for those who do not have pagers... To enumerate lotions of the "six hundredth" is a thankless task. Who saw us will understand. And whoever hasn't seen it will still think that we forgot something. Towbar, for example. Or a steering wheel with four holes. Or an optical windshield "-3" - for the short-sighted.
However, just having a ship in the 140th body was not enough. It was necessary that the treasured numbers flaunted on the trunk lid, making the car an idol. Actually, there were not so many six hundredths - of course, in relative terms.
One way or another, it was from the “six hundredth” that the real cult of the three-beam star began in Russia. Those who were forced to hide their old Mercedes from the KGB in their dachas a decade ago now had the opportunity to show the whole country who is the boss in it. Mercedes were feared and respected in much the same way as black Volgas and Chaikas in Soviet times. At the same time they were shot, set on fire and blown up - the "six hundredth" became a real symbol of criminal wars in Russia in the mid-90s. It was even called the most unfortunate car in the world - so many lives were taken with them by these gloomy sedans! Apparently, this did not bother even the President of Russia, who used the same car - though well-armored, and besides, an exclusive extended version of the Pullman. The Mercedes W140 was big, heavy, incredibly comfortable (especially popular is the legend of the double, and therefore soundproof glass rear doors) - and terribly expensive. A new S500L or S600L cost in Russia in the 90s in the range of 130-180 thousand dollars - almost three times more than the Jeep Grand Cherokee. And this is only in the basic configuration. Armored "elephants", very relevant at that turbulent time, cost simply fabulous money - as a rule, $ 300-500 thousand. Probably, for this money in the 90s you could buy any of the most luxurious apartments in the center of Moscow. But the love of the then businessmen for the "many hundred" knew no bounds: they say there were people who lived in "Khrushchev" and dressed in the markets, but at the same time managed to drive brand new Mercedes! It is not surprising that such cars appear in almost every film "about good and bad" filmed in Russia over the past 12-15 years. Some time after the end of the release of the W140 in 1998, one of the Russian TV channels even made a documentary about the difficult life of the "six hundred" in Russia.
By the way, contrary to popular belief about the mass character of the “six hundredth” Mercedes, only about 500-1000 cars in the back of the W140 were bought new annually in Russia. Several times more cars were imported in used condition from Europe. Most of them really were the S600 model, or at least the S500 - tight-fisted Germans willingly got rid of the old voracious "elephants", selling them for
relatively little money to Russia ...
Interestingly, the BMW 7-series in the back of the E32, traditionally the main competitor of the Mercedes S-class in the world markets, was clearly in the shadow of the “six hundredth” in our country. It did not become too popular in Russia due to the rather pampered design of the chassis and the abundance of electronics - car repairs often resulted in too much money even for "dashing guys".
The Stuttgart concern often equipped its spacious handsome man with economical six-cylinder engines of 2.8 and 3.2 liters, with a capacity of 193 and 231 hp. respectively, as well as a V-shaped “eight” of 4.2 and 5 liters. But the most outstanding achievement is, of course, the S-class V12 with a 394-horsepower engine, which accelerated a 2650-kilogram car to a hundred in just 6 seconds ...
Despite the highest technical excellence, third-generation S-class cars for a long time did not find enough fans and potential buyers in Germany. It seemed too baggy to the Germans ... But what a misfortune - for 1/6 of the land for six hundred long ten years - a whole era! - a symbol of success, the limit of the wildest dreams. Indeed, in the 90s in our country, a car was not just a hallmark of its owner - it was an object of culture (or subculture - someone will object), reverence, a reference measure of everything and everything.
Undoubtedly, this is number one on the list of cars with echoes of the 90s!
Also, it was impossible not to notice the Mercedes W140 coupe
One way or another, even in a used condition, the "six hundred" or BMW "seven-fifty" were very expensive for street gangsters and mediocre businessmen. They turned their attention to smaller and cheaper cars. It would seem that the ideal “gangsta-mobile” of the middle class in Russia at that time was to be the younger brother of the “elephant” - the body of the W124. The then E-class was much more affordable and massive, had a huge number of modifications. However, the rather complex chassis did not tolerate bad roads very well, and besides, in Europe the car had a stable image of a taxi car. In addition, most of the cars from Europe came with low-power 4-cylinder engines, including diesel engines. In a word, the Mercedes W124 was a car of economical burghers, while our “brothers” needed something more aggressive and dynamic.
I remembered another car from the "Boomer" when there was a skirmish at a gas station, when the guys drove up in a Merce 124 coupe! (One of the guys, with the phrase: "What? Normal! And then Kolka was torn out of Padzherik yesterday, some hooligans" - is the director of the film - Pyotr Buslov. World man, for "Boomer" he has a separate honor!
And here is his Mercedes-Benz W124 coupe
And then came the August crisis of 1998. It would seem that the level of crime in the country completely mired in financial problems will only increase and a new round of criminal wars will begin. However, the initial redistribution of spheres of influence and financial flows has already taken place. Now, in order to steal something, you had to wait for someone to earn it. Under the new conditions, making money on the sale and purchase of bankrupt factories and enterprises has become even more profitable than robbing and killing. Dirty money was slowly laundered, the former "brothers" legalized their "business". Perhaps the most iconic car of that time was the Toyota Land Cruiser 100 all-terrain vehicle - many people switched to it from the huge American Chevrolet Tahoe / Suburban all-terrain vehicles, popular in central Russia in the mid-90s. Appeared in 1998, the "hundredth" won the hearts of the powerful citizens of Russia for a good decade. The highest reliability and cross-country ability made the car very popular in the regions. In addition, "Kukuruznik" (or "Kruzak", as it is usually called), even in the most expensive version, cost one and a half times cheaper than Gelendevagen and therefore seemed a rather pragmatic choice. Thanks to this "hundred part" was quickly loved not only by businessmen, but also by law enforcement agencies, especially the top of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the traffic police. So the "corn-grower" had a very peculiar "gangster-cop" image - but in any case, mere mortals usually bypassed such cars...
At the turn of the 21st century, it was time to update the car fleet of the "bigwigs" of local importance - the old "five" BMWs had already served their purpose, more modern, comfortable and solid cars were needed. Many "tough guys" of the country again made their choice in favor of German cars - they were the new "five" BMW (E39 body) and the "pop-eyed" Mercedes W210. Both models went on sale in Germany back in 1995, but in Russia they became massively available only five years later - already imported second-hand. It is interesting that the new, “pop-eyed” E-class was coolly accepted in Europe (according to some reports, in 1995, during the discontinuation of the W124 and the transition to the new W210, taxi drivers even went on strike in Germany), but in Russia it was clearly to the yard. A very memorable appearance, improved equipment and more powerful engines compared to its predecessor made a decisive contribution to popularity. A scene from the movie "Boomer" with the participation of "big-eyed" Mercedes and Dimon Oshparenny eloquently shows what kind of people drove these cars.
The direct competitor of Mercedes, the BMW E39, also had every chance to continue the criminal glory of its predecessor ... However, one significant event happened - at the end of 1998, a contract was signed to organize the assembly of BMW cars in Russia. In the conditions of the flaring crisis, this decision looked almost like a mockery, because at that time more than half of the country's population could barely make ends meet! However, contrary to skeptics, a year later the first "beamers" rolled off the assembly line of the joint venture in Kaliningrad. And in 2000-2001, there was a fairly massive campaign to "transplant" Russian officials to the same "fives" and "sevens" of BMW - under the slogan of supporting the domestic manufacturer. In particular, the then Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin drove a BMW E39. This was probably the very first blow to the criminal image of BMW - the brand was slowly turning from gangster to government. And in general, in the early 2000s, the level of organized crime in the country finally began to decline ...
Under these conditions, it was the turn of the Russian elite to change their faithful horses - the brutal Mercedes W140 - for something more restrained. The Daimler-Benz concern was very dissatisfied with the criticism of its “suitcase” and prepared a new generation of the S-class, the W220, which is very different from the old one, for launching into the series. The change of generations, by the way, surprisingly exactly coincided in Russia with the August 1998 crisis. A more compact body, the rejection of double glazing for the sake of saving weight - skeptics itched that the new "two hundred and twentieth" had lost strength and comfort. In fact, many nouveau riche were at first simply put off by the unusual design. Against the background of the brutal solidity of the 140th, the new W220 looked too smooth, light and elegant. It should be noted that the share of the S600 model itself has noticeably decreased - the lighter S-class now had enough 8-cylinder engines. For the entire time of production, "two hundred and twentieth" did not come up with a single nickname - it was very unusual for the Russian "target audience". It cannot be said that the 220th body was not popular in Russia: it was still the sole leader in its class in the domestic market. About 1,000 cars a year were bought from us new, and used cars were imported a couple of times more. And yet, the glory of the predecessor was far away.
In those days, part of the political and criminal elite even moved from the old "six hundred" to the Audi A8 and BMW 7-series. They looked much more severe and even gloomy against the background of the new S-class. The first one could boast of all-wheel drive, but due to a rather specific design (in particular, an extremely complex and expensive aluminum body to repair), the A8 was not very suitable for Russian operating conditions, and few were imported. In addition, it can be noted that the Audi company, unlike Mercedes and BMW, has never had a pronounced criminal image in Russia. Partly because in Russia in the 90s, first of all, low-power and not very prestigious "barrels" and "herrings" were imported - they did not pull on gangster cars. In addition, Audi has always had a not-so-prestigious kinship with Volkswagen. Rumor has it that in the late 90s, a batch of Audi A6 and A8 cars for government members was imported into Russia - this finally discouraged criminals from driving such cars. Later, in the 2000s, quite a lot of Audi A6 sedans in the back of the 1997 model were imported into the country - but this was primarily a "director's" car, not a gangster one.
"Seven" BMW (E38 body), in turn, starred in the landmark film "Boomer" - and in the title role. But now the criminal glory of BMW was spoken about rather in the past tense. Yes, and the 38th body was not really popular with Russian criminals - primarily because of the undercarriage too gentle for our roads ...
The hero of the second part of Boomer, the BMW X5, became much more famous. Moreover, at the beginning of the century, a real boom in SUVs and SUVs began in Russia. Since 2003, the three-year-old BMW X5 has been pouring in from the USA. Very prestigious, with a characteristic appearance, high-speed, but at the same time not exorbitantly expensive - they turned out to be a desirable transport for the "tough guys" of Russia. For some time, "he-fifth" became perhaps the most fashionable car in the country. He made a very strong competition to the clumsy Gelendevagens and Land Cruisers. Yes, having excellent asphalt driving performance, he outright lost to real all-terrain vehicles in terms of cross-country ability - but who needs it if the paths of the "powerful" now pass mainly along the asphalt highways of the capital and other large cities of Russia. It is noteworthy that despite the general love for the X5, government departments almost did not buy these cars - apparently, they scared away the operating costs that were too high for Russian "state employees". Indeed, this BMW is distinguished by very expensive maintenance, and therefore, as a more reliable and affordable alternative, the Lexus RX300 crossover became popular in Russia in the same years. Firstly, it became the first widely known car of this brand in Russia, and secondly, along with the compatriot Toyota Land Cruiser 100, it did not allow German manufacturers to “monopolize” the market. However, today, capital housewives and even taxi drivers are already rolling out used Lexuses with might and main ...
Nowadays, almost any luxury SUV is popular with the "powers that be" in Russia - from Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne, Infiniti FX to Hummer H2 and Lexus LX470. Of course, they are far from being driven by street bandits and extortionists, but by quite “law-abiding” officials and businessmen…
All of the above is true, first of all, for the European part of Russia - from Kaliningrad to the Urals. Approximately the same "alignment of forces", obviously, was in Ukraine and Belarus. In Siberia and the Far East, due to the geographical proximity to Japan, the car market developed according to its own scenario, and completely different cars became popular there. Instead of BMWs and Mercedes beyond the Urals, the top models of Toyota and Nissans were much more popular...
We have seen all sorts of exotic things - and today you won’t surprise anyone with a powerful car. Well, for example, ask anyone: Name a powerful SUV?! What's the first thing that comes to mind? Naturally - Cherokee SRT-8, BMW X6M and various Mercedes AMG - G, GLE, etc. Boring and trite! I want something special.
And if you ask the same question, but with the wording: “Name any powerful SUV from the 90s” with a prefix of 500 or more hp?! As it turns out, there are no options! In those years when European auto giants were just starting their first steps in this direction, such power was considered something beyond. There were simply no serial SUVs with such charged engines in those years. In this niche, only rolls and imposing American SUVs reigned. And by the second half of the 90s, the Germans finally took up this niche, thereby displacing Fords and Chevrolets, giving birth to such models as the BMW X5 and Mercedes ML. On the basis of the latter, this monster was built, the brainchild of the notorious Brabus manufactory ...
Yet there is something about the Brabus of the 90s that gives a feeling of something special, incomprehensibly a lot of money spent. And all for the sake of not being like everyone else. Arouse the envy of others!
Salon was originally beige. Then the owner simply repainted it (not altered) in dark blue. Only the ceiling remained. And repainted the car...
I inserted an audio system and paid $ 80,000 for all this!
At first, I wanted to radically deal with all the “macs”, but then it was decided to leave everything as it is. As a monument to illogicality and selfishness, based on kilometers of foreign currency.
Think about what you could buy in 1998 for $80,000?! And the first owner simply took and “put a tape recorder” with this money!
Yes, and the purchase of this EXHIBITION COPY looked something like this:
How much does this "jeep" with a 7.3 liter engine cost?
- this particular one is not for sale, this is the “Show Car” ...
- we can do the same for you in two months ...
- how much will it cost?
- 250,000 Deutschmarks ...
- I pay 500,000 Deutschmarks!
Congratulations, you have just purchased this item. He is yours!
The buyer from Russia first wanted the goods he saw “in the window”, then he found out that no one would definitely have this copy more exclusive, and then he simply “killed the seller at a price”! For which we are very grateful to him!
Brabus 7.3 from the 90s in Russia is always a story of easy money! On this car, no one has ever saved up from the salary. They just bought it in the Brabus salon, or they took it in a hurry right from the exhibition. Thus, challenging first of all your desires, and only then those around you. In the 00s, 7.3 cars from Brabus became the subject of a casual purchase by the curious. In the majority, they raised WHAT fell into their hands and brought them into their proper form. Now 7.3 has become a fetish. And the fetish is not very cheap. Perhaps this is partly due to the modern auto industry with engines as large as a pack of juice and the quality of the materials of a children's pedal plastic horse. But for the most part, all connoisseurs of 7.3 understand that these are collectible legends that stand apart from all other Mercedes ...
Any review is better to start with the "Germans"
On all online car sales sites, a special caste of ‘legendary cars’ is especially popular. This review presents models of passenger cars produced by well-known manufacturers in Europe. In Russia, these legendary cars have become the most beloved and desired.
Many cars in the early 90s can be categorized as spaceships. At that time, the idea arose that foreign cars were worse than domestic cars. True patriots of the country convinced all motorists of this. No less absurd was the idea that only blondes could use an automatic transmission and it was made just for them. Many motorists also believed that only mechanics were needed for a real man.
Everyone loved the domestic auto industry at that time. But during these years, the domestic auto industry did not feel special love for car owners. This led to the fact that only foreign cars brought joy with their dynamics and great design.
The most popular Mercedes of the 90s: Mercedes-Benz w124
This car suits everyone. It has a stylish look and a spacious interior. It also attracts with its legendary Mercedes quality and goodies such as Parktronic or ABS. The car is liked by all drivers, without exception, from taxi drivers to the sheikhs of Saudi Arabia. Time and mileage have become a test for the hardware on the W124. Transmission diseases in this car also did not happen.
Godfather for different types of Mercedes: Mercedes-Benz w123
This car behaves on the road like a huge ocean liner. The movement in it resembles a song and evokes a forgotten sense of luxury. The car can be awarded with such epithets: brilliant, peppy, charismatic. Any bumps in the road he swallows instantly. At the same time, the machine gently rolls over even if significant obstacles appear on the way and only shakes its stern a little.
Fast stylish and beautiful: Mercedes w126 coupe
The prestigious brand Mercedes 126 is distinguished from others by its two-door coupe. In any car market, such a car costs 5 - 15,000 dollars. This car belongs to the early 90s. Later Mercedes models have sleek body lines. At the same time, model 126 is very common on the roads of our country. On the roads of Russia, a car with an AMG body kit will look very exclusive.
Ferrari Killer: BMW 8 Series E31
All car owners value the most well-groomed e31 copies at least 1 million 500 thousand rubles. Rare products of the Alpina tuning studio are among the most expensive today. One of the most unique products of the Bavarian brand is currently the BMW 8 Series E31. This car is very strong, but at the same time luxurious. He was quickly dubbed the "Ferrari killer" in Germany. This first BMW could have been a real rival to the best GT cars from Great Britain and Italy.
Attractive German: BMW 6-series E24
In March 1976, at the Geneva Motor Show, a comfortable coupe of the BMW 6-Series (E24) was presented to the public. The strict and stylish design of the car simply amazed everyone present. The exterior of the BMW 6-Series E24 was developed by the chief designer of the Bavarian company, Paul Brack. He and his team set the task of creating an "ageless car" and coped with it perfectly. The relevance and freshness of the BMW 6 E24 coupe is still preserved. But in Russia there are still few offers for E24 cars and it is problematic to buy them. The cost of a car can be 450 thousand - 1 million rubles. It depends on the type of engine, the general condition of the car, the year of manufacture.
Sports all-wheel drive: Audi coupe quattro
The German car manufacturer Audi produces the Audi quattro road and rally car. It was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1980 for the first time. This is the first all-wheel drive rally car that took part in the competition. He has won two competitions in a row since he was released.
Cult status: VW golf 1 Golf GTI Mk1
Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1 by ABT Sportsline can accelerate in 6.8 seconds. up to a speed of 100 km / h, and from a standstill. This became possible due to the use of a well-thought-out ratio of weight and power. It is 5.2 kg per hp. The steering wheel and dashboard in the car were also replaced. Previously, a Golf with 163 hp cost 15,000 German marks. The cult status of the GTI today is beyond doubt. All car owners are delighted.
Chic German coupe: Opel Manta
In September 1970, the popular Manta A appeared on the Opel production line. This sporty coupe was Opel's answer to the Ford Capri. The bodywork of the Manta used a pure 2+2 coupe scheme. Front and rear twin stylish round lights were placed, which became the decoration of the car. In May 1988, the last Manta model was released. Soon, an updated Opel Calibra coupe appeared in it.
As you know, the most "bad guys" - scammers, bandits, killers - traditionally prefer the best cars. The best of those that are available at a particular time in a particular country. In our long-suffering Motherland, there were, in fact, only a few such cars, but they all left a bright mark on the history of the dashing nineties. Today we will talk about gangster cars of the 90s.
Since in Soviet times (until the early 80s) organized crime did not actually exist in the country, there were essentially no gangster cars. Of all the pre-perestroika cars, only the “twenty-first” Volga is remembered, and even then thanks to the famous story about Yuri Detochkin. No, since the 70s in the USSR, the share of foreign cars in the hands of actors, directors and other celebrities of that era has noticeably increased. And already on the Soviet numbers. One of the first who changed several foreign cars in his life was Vladimir Vysotsky. Already in the 80s there were noticeably more such people. Individual underground millionaires and thieves in law could afford to hide in the garage the most luxurious Mercedes at that time in the bodies of the W123 and W126 or the BMW 7th series, which ordinary Soviet citizens saw only in the movies.
But these were few. It was much more realistic for lovers of luxurious life in the USSR to illegally acquire a Volga decommissioned from some state institution, and if there were good funds and connections, even a Chaika. God himself ordered ordinary "hucksters" and criminals to drive a VAZ "classic", the best car available at that time. But Zhiguli, even the most prestigious models of their time (VAZ-2106 and VAZ-2107), did not stand out from the general flow - after all, in principle, the whole country drove them. And the car became an indispensable attribute of the criminal world only in the late 80s - early 90s, when the decline of the law enforcement system and a sharp rampant crime led to explosions, chases and shootouts right on the city streets ...
Perhaps the first "gangsta-mobile" in Russia was an ordinary VAZ "nine". At first, in the mid-80s, the Volga front-wheel drive, like any new car, was taken by many inhabitants rather warily, but over the five years since the start of production, the plant solved the main problems with spare parts and brought it to an acceptable (by Soviet-Russian standards) level of reliability. It was then that all the positive qualities of the “chisel” came to the fore: good dynamics and controllability for those times, relative unpretentiousness and reliability.
Why did the nine that appeared later, and not the eight, become more popular? Yes, because the four side doors favorably distinguished the VAZ-2109 from 2108 - they allowed the “team” of 4-5 people, if necessary, to get into the car very quickly or leave it. In the conditions of a dashing life with showdowns and shootouts, this was an important advantage of the car. No wonder the group "Combination" sang a song about the cherry nine - so many "tough guys" of the country dreamed of such a car. At the turn of the 90s, Samara turned out to be both an affordable and quite prestigious car; various representatives of the “shadow business” of our country did not shy away from driving it. The Volga has not yet lost its solid status: all sorts of black marketeers, swindlers, thieves often drove such people - in a word, representatives of the "intelligent" criminal professions.
It should be noted that in the early 90s there were a lot of American cars only in Moscow and the region - wide avenues and ring roads, at that time still unloaded with traffic jams, were perfect for multi-liter dreadnoughts. Petersburg, due to its proximity to Scandinavia, fell in love with Volvo and Saab for a long time - they were driven from Sweden and Finland, and spare parts were also supplied from there. Quite strong and very prestigious, these cars turned out to be an indispensable attribute of business and crime in the North-West of Russia. The Saab 9000 was also very popular in the early 90s in both capitals and their surrounding areas.
The province, not provided with good roads, spare parts, or service, was almost closed to prestigious foreign cars at first. However, very quickly, the "new Russians" from the regions found a way out - to buy used all-terrain vehicles. The most famous "gangster" SUV was, of course, the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
It was this car that starred in the famous episode with the Maxim machine gun from the movie Brother-2. "Wide Jeep" perfectly combined high cross-country ability, speed, acceptable handling and comfortable interior. Perhaps the only drawback is the high fuel consumption. But who considered it in those days when gasoline in Russia cost a penny? Well, the fact that with a gasoline engine volume of 4 to 5.9 liters, it produced from 185 to 245 hp. – these are rather the claims of today. Old-school "Americans" are just like that - wasteful, multi-liter, with a gluttonous automatic machine and square optics ... The Jeep Grand Cherokee actually became the first all-terrain vehicle of the executive class in the world. In the Russian market, he easily laid on the shoulder blades of his competitors - Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Blazer.
But, despite the rather simple and durable design, the Russian "new Russians" managed to kill Jeeps as well. Therefore, in the Urals and Siberia, where the situation with roads and spare parts was very bad, the local "brothers" were much more willing to take the "Japanese" - albeit less prestigious, but more reliable. Toyota LC80 and 4Runner, Mitsubishi Pajero, and Nissan Terrano took not the last place in the rating of gangster cars of that time.
Toyota Land Cruiser 80, or simply as the Kruzak lads called it, as always, “Toned all around”. Also an unforgettable car in the 90s.
Mitsubishi Pajero, he is a real tank for shooters with a boost. As for the swift bird "Pajero", then as a trump card, in addition to a more economical engine, he also had the image of a multiple conqueror of the "Dakars". In addition, the Japanese could boast of the Super Select 4WD transmission, which was ultra-progressive at that time, which allowed changing operating modes on the go up to 100 km / h, ideally adapting to any type of road and off-road.
Surprisingly, in the era of the primitive accumulation of capital, German cars were not very in demand among the Russian “lads”. The turning point came somewhere in the mid-1990s. Conservatism, sluggishness and mediocre driving performance of the American and Swedish car industry by that time had already bored the "elite" of the underground world. Fresh German models looked much more advantageous - just as powerful and prestigious, but more dynamic, elegant and modern.
After the opening of the borders, the symbols of not only the gangster business, but also the era of the 90s as a whole became the BMW 5 in the back of the E34, the Mercedes-Benz G-Klasse (popular to this day) and, of course, the legendary "boar" - the Mercedes-Benz S in body W140. On the last one, the elite of the criminal world, "heliks", as a rule, traveled with an escort. "Fives" were used by bandits with a lower rank, but already risen.
In the first half of the 90s, a brand new BMW 525i cost only 35-40 thousand dollars in Moscow, and a used one was even cheaper. With age, the Bavarians lost value significantly faster than Mercedes: a three-five-year-old could already be bought for quite reasonable money. To feel like a respected person, all that remained was to tone it tightly, and, if possible, get “beautiful” numbers. In terms of indestructibility, in the end, BMWs were almost as good as Mercedes, and they won in terms of driving performance. A fairly simple and unpretentious "five" E34 clearly came to court. Relatively light, with powerful engines (the 192-horsepower 2.5 on the 525i became the most popular), and a memorable design, it became a real “extortionist fighting machine” in the 90s. Perhaps the BMW 525i has become the number 2 car in the criminal world of Russia - behind the "six hundredth", but ahead of the Grand Cherokee. As a rule, risen bandits moved on such 5th behahs. It was prestigious and honorable to have such a car among the criminal circle.
In the second half of the 90s, the Jeep from the Cherokee tribe was replaced by a true Aryan, Mercedes Gelandewagen. By that time, a simple army all-terrain vehicle was just overgrown with powerful motors and a lot of "bells and whistles" - what Russian citizens in power need! The prestige of gelendevagen was reinforced by very small, almost exclusive production volumes (about 7-8 thousand per year), and of course, the magical combination of cross-country ability and indestructibility, which is so important in our area. The cost of a "Gelik" in good condition is not much less than the passenger "five hundredth", and nevertheless, the Russian elite considered it a matter of honor to have a couple of such cars accompanied. By the way, it was no coincidence that Gelendevagen became a security car - for the cones themselves, it was not comfortable enough - cramped, shaky and noisy. But for protection just right: albeit uncomfortable, but strong and impressive in appearance.
However, just having a ship in the 140th body was not enough. It was necessary that the treasured numbers flaunted on the trunk lid, making the car an idol. Actually, there were not so many six hundredths - of course, in relative terms.
One way or another, it was from the “six hundredth” that the real cult of the three-beam star began in Russia. Those who were forced to hide their old Mercedes from the KGB in their dachas a decade ago now had the opportunity to show the whole country who is the boss in it. Mercedes were feared and respected in much the same way as black Volgas and Chaikas in Soviet times. At the same time they were shot, set on fire and blown up - the "six hundredth" became a real symbol of criminal wars in Russia in the mid-90s. It was even called the most unfortunate car in the world - so many lives were taken with them by these gloomy sedans!
Apparently, this did not bother even the President of Russia, who used the same car - though well-armored, and besides, an exclusive extended version of the Pullman. The Mercedes W140 was big, heavy, incredibly comfortable, and terribly expensive. A new S500L or S600L cost in Russia in the 90s in the range of 90-120 thousand dollars - a very impressive amount by the standards of the mid-90s. That's almost three times more expensive than the Jeep Grand Cherokee. For example, the average European small-capacity foreign car of the late 80s then cost 3-4 thousand dollars.
Armored "elephants", very relevant at that turbulent time, cost simply fabulous money - as a rule, $ 300-500 thousand. But the love of the then businessmen for the "many hundred" knew no bounds: they say there were people who lived in "Khrushchev" and dressed in the markets, but at the same time managed to drive brand new Mercedes! It is not surprising that such cars appear in almost every film "about good and bad" filmed in Russia over the past 12-15 years. Some time after the end of the release of the W140 in 1998, one of the Russian TV channels even made a documentary about the difficult life of the "six hundred" in Russia.
By the way, contrary to popular belief about the mass character of the “six hundredth” Mercedes, only about 500-1000 cars in the back of the W140 were bought new annually in Russia. Several times more cars were imported in used condition from Europe. Most of them really were the S600 model, or at least the S500 - tight-fisted Germans willingly got rid of the old voracious "elephants", selling them for relatively little money to Russia ...
The Stuttgart concern often equipped its spacious handsome man with economical six-cylinder engines of 2.8 and 3.2 liters, with a capacity of 193 and 231 hp. respectively, as well as a V-shaped “eight” of 4.2 and 5 liters. But the most outstanding achievement is, of course, the S-class V12 with a 394-horsepower engine, which accelerated a 2650-kilogram car to a hundred in just 6 seconds ...
Despite the highest technical excellence, third-generation S-class cars for a long time did not find enough fans and potential buyers in Germany. It seemed too baggy to the Germans ... But what a misfortune - for 1/6 of the land for six hundred long ten years - a whole era! - a symbol of success, the limit of the wildest dreams. Indeed, in the 90s in our country, a car was not just a hallmark of its owner - it was an object of culture (or subculture - someone will object), reverence, a reference measure of everything and everything.
Undoubtedly, this is number one on the list of cars with echoes of the 90s!
It is interesting that the BMW 7 Series in the back of the E32, traditionally the main competitor of the Mercedes S-class in the world markets, is clearly in the shadow of the “six hundredth” in our country. She did not become too popular in Russia. Perhaps one of the reasons could be due to the rather pampered design of the chassis and the abundance of electronics - car repairs often resulted in too much money even for "dashing guys".
One way or another, even in a used condition, the "six hundred" or BMW "seven-fifty" were very expensive for street gangsters and mediocre businessmen. They turned their attention to smaller and cheaper cars. It would seem that the younger brother of the "elephant" - the W124 body - should have become the ideal "gangster car" of the middle class in Russia at that time. The then E-class was much more affordable and massive, had a huge number of modifications. However, the rather complex chassis did not tolerate bad roads very well, and besides, in Europe the car had a stable image of a taxi car. In addition, most of the cars from Europe came with low-power 4-cylinder engines, including diesel engines. In a word, the Mercedes W124 was a car of economical burghers, while our “brothers” needed something more aggressive and dynamic.
And then came the August crisis of 1998. It would seem that the level of crime in the country completely mired in financial problems will only increase and a new round of criminal wars will begin. However, the initial redistribution of spheres of influence and financial flows has already taken place. Now, in order to steal something, you had to wait for someone to earn it. Under the new conditions, making money on the sale and purchase of bankrupt factories and enterprises has become even more profitable than robbing and killing. Dirty money was slowly laundered, the former "brothers" legalized their "business".
Perhaps the most iconic car of that time was the Toyota Land Cruiser 100 all-terrain vehicle - many people switched to it from the huge American Chevrolet Tahoe / Suburban all-terrain vehicles, popular in central Russia in the mid-90s. Appeared in 1998, the "hundredth" won the hearts of the powerful citizens of Russia for a good decade. The highest reliability and cross-country ability made the car very popular in the regions. In addition, "Kukuruznik" (or "Kruzak", as it is usually called), even in the most expensive version, cost one and a half times cheaper than Gelendevagen and therefore seemed a rather pragmatic choice. Thanks to this "hundred part" was quickly loved not only by businessmen, but also by law enforcement agencies, especially the top of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the traffic police. So the "corn-grower" had a very peculiar "gangster-cop" image - but in any case, mere mortals usually bypassed such cars...
At the turn of the 21st century, it was time to update the car fleet of the "bigwigs" of local importance - the old "five" BMWs had already served their purpose, more modern, comfortable and solid cars were needed. Many "tough guys" of the country again made their choice in favor of German cars - they were the new "five" BMW (E39 body) and the "pop-eyed" Mercedes W210. Both models went on sale in Germany back in 1995, but in Russia they became massively available only five years later - already imported second-hand. It is interesting that the new, “pop-eyed” E-class was coolly accepted in Europe (according to some reports, in 1995, during the discontinuation of the W124 and the transition to the new W210, taxi drivers even went on strike in Germany), but in Russia it was clearly to the yard. A very memorable appearance, improved equipment and more powerful engines compared to its predecessor made a decisive contribution to popularity.
The direct competitor of Mercedes, the BMW E39, also had every chance to continue the criminal glory of its predecessor ... However, one significant event happened - at the end of 1998, a contract was signed to organize the assembly of BMW cars in Russia. In the conditions of the flaring crisis, this decision looked almost like a mockery, because at that time more than half of the country's population could barely make ends meet! However, contrary to skeptics, a year later the first "boomers" rolled off the assembly line of the joint venture in Kaliningrad. And in 2000-2001, there was a fairly massive campaign to "transplant" Russian officials to the same "fives" and "sevens" of BMW - under the slogan of supporting the domestic manufacturer. In particular, the then Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin drove a BMW E39. This was probably the very first blow to the criminal image of BMW - the brand was slowly turning from gangster to government. And in general, in the early 2000s, the level of organized crime in the country finally began to decline ...
Under these conditions, it was the turn of the Russian elite to change their faithful horses - the brutal Mercedes W140 - for something more restrained. The Daimler-Benz concern was very dissatisfied with the criticism of its “suitcase” and prepared a new generation of the S-class, the W220, which is very different from the old one, for launching into the series. The change of generations, by the way, surprisingly exactly coincided in Russia with the August 1998 crisis. A more compact body, the rejection of double glazing for the sake of saving weight - skeptics itched that the new "two hundred and twentieth" had lost strength and comfort. In fact, many nouveau riche were at first simply put off by the unusual design. Against the background of the brutal solidity of the 140th, the new W220 looked too smooth, light and elegant. It should be noted that the share of the S600 model itself has noticeably decreased - the lighter S-class now had enough 8-cylinder engines. For the entire time of production, "two hundred and twentieth" did not come up with a single nickname - it was very unusual for the Russian "target audience". It cannot be said that the 220th body was not popular in Russia: it was still the sole leader in its class in the domestic market. About 1,000 cars a year were bought from us new, and used cars were imported a couple of times more. And yet, the glory of the predecessor was far away.
In those days, part of the political and criminal elite even moved from the old "six hundred" to the Audi A8 and BMW 7-series. They looked much more severe and even gloomy against the background of the new S-class. The first one could boast of all-wheel drive, but due to a rather specific design (in particular, an extremely complex and expensive aluminum body to repair, especially in those days), the A8 was not very suitable for Russian operating conditions, and few were imported. In addition, it can be noted that the Audi company, unlike Mercedes and BMW, has never had a pronounced criminal image in Russia. Partly because in Russia in the 90s, first of all, low-power and not very prestigious "barrels" and "herrings" were imported - they did not pull on gangster cars. In addition, Audi has always had a not-so-prestigious kinship with Volkswagen. Rumor has it that in the late 90s, a batch of Audi A6 and A8 cars was imported to Russia for members of the government - this finally discouraged criminals from driving such cars. Later, in the 2000s, quite a lot of Audi A6 sedans in the back of the 1997 model were imported into the country - but this was primarily a "director's" car, not a gangster one.
"Seven" BMW (E38 body), in turn, starred in the landmark film "Boomer" - and in the title role. But now the criminal glory of BMW was spoken about rather in the past tense. Yes, and the 38th body was not really popular with Russian criminals - primarily because of the undercarriage too gentle for our roads ...
The hero of the second part of Boomer, the BMW X5, became much more famous. Moreover, at the beginning of the century, a real boom in SUVs and SUVs began in Russia. Since 2003, the three-year-old BMW X5 has been pouring in from the USA. Very prestigious, with a characteristic appearance, high-speed, but at the same time not exorbitantly expensive - they turned out to be a desirable transport for the "tough guys" of Russia. For some time, "he-fifth" became perhaps the most fashionable car in the country. He made a very strong competition to the clumsy Gelendevagens and Land Cruisers. Yes, having excellent asphalt driving performance, he outright lost to real all-terrain vehicles in terms of cross-country ability - but who needs it if the paths of the "powerful" now pass mainly along the asphalt highways of the capital and other large cities of Russia. It is noteworthy that despite the general love for the X5, government departments almost did not buy these cars - apparently, they scared away the operating costs that were too high for Russian "state employees". Indeed, this BMW is distinguished by very expensive maintenance, and therefore, as a more reliable and affordable alternative, the Lexus RX300 crossover became popular in Russia in the same years. Firstly, it became the first widely known car of this brand in Russia, and secondly, along with the compatriot Toyota Land Cruiser 100, it did not allow German manufacturers to “monopolize” the market. However, today, capital housewives and even taxi drivers are already rolling out used Lexuses with might and main ...
Nowadays, almost any luxury SUV is popular with the "powers that be" in Russia - from Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne, Infiniti QX80 to Audi Q7 and Lexus LX570. Of course, they are far from being driven by street bandits and extortionists, but by quite “law-abiding” officials and businessmen…
All of the above is true, first of all, for the European part of Russia - from Kaliningrad to the Urals. Approximately the same "alignment of forces", obviously, was in Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In Siberia and the Far East, due to the geographical proximity to Japan, the car market developed according to its own scenario, and completely different cars became popular there. Instead of BMWs and Mercedes beyond the Urals, the top models of Toyota and Nissans were much more popular...
