Volgas

Volgas is a term commonly used to refer to a family of full-size cars produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) in the Soviet Union and Russia. The name Volga derives from the Volga River and became both a model name and a generic reference for the line. The plural form Volgas is used in English to refer to multiple cars from this line.

The Volga family began with the GAZ-21 Volga in the mid-1950s and expanded to multiple generations over several decades. The line includes later models such as the GAZ-24 Volga and subsequent sedans such as the GAZ-3102 and GAZ-3110 variants. Volga cars were large, rear-wheel-drive sedans designed for durability and comfort, with configurations that supported state use, taxi fleets, and civilian service.

In the Soviet Union and in many Eastern Bloc countries, Volgas served as official cars, law-enforcement vehicles, and widely used taxis. They were exported to various markets and left a lasting impression as a practical emblem of the era's automotive industry. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, production waned and the brand shifted to newer models produced by GAZ and successor companies.

Today, Volgas are remembered as a symbol of mid-20th-century Soviet engineering. Surviving examples are maintained by museums and collectors, and occasionally appear at classic-car shows and in automotive history writing.