The ZIL-117 is a luxury sedan (sometimes referred to as a limousine because of its size) built by ZiL

ZIL

ZIL and similar may refer to:*Zil, a village in the Tabasaran rayon of Dagestan, Russia*Zil stands for Zulfikar Industries Pvt. Ltd. Pakistan, a Chemical factory in Pakistan producting soaps and related chemical products since 1976...

 in Russia first presented at the Autopron (precursor of the Moscow International Motor Show

Moscow International Motor Show

The Moscow International Motor Show or MIMS is the annual autoshow in Moscow, Russia.- History :The first motor show occurred in Moscow in 1992 at "Krasnay Presnya" ExpoCenter.From 2008, the motor show is situated at Crocus Expo.-2010:...

) in 1977. The car was reported to be only 228 inches (5,791.2 mm) long, compared to 247 inches (6,273.8 mm) for the established ZIL-114

ZIL-114

ZIL-114 is a car from ZIL introduced in 1970 to replace the ZIL-111 series which was gradually becoming out of date.In almost all respects, the ZIL-114 improved on the 111, 111A and 111G models...

The ZIL-117 shares the 6.9 litre V8 engine by now fitted also to the earlier long-wheelbase ZIL-114. Maximum power output of 300 bhp at 4,400 rpm was claimed, using a relatively high 9.0:1 compression ratio, fuel feed being via a single four-choke carburettor. The car uses a three-speed automatic transmission and power steering came as standard. The factory claimed a maximum speed of between 118 and 125 mph (190 and 201 km/h).

The 117 and the 114 represented a break from the over-decorated and ornate styles of previous ZIL models, and both cars had uncluttered, modern lines. In some respects the 117 also resembled the Chrysler Imperial of the mid-1960s. Another car of similar design that was based on the ZIL was the Hongqi (Red Flag) automobile

FAW Hongqi

Hongqi is a luxury car brand of First Automobile Works. These cars were the first domestically produced Chinese passenger vehicles.First manufactured in 1958, the original Hongqi models were only for high-ranking party elite and remained in production until 1981...

 of that time.

One of the reasons to design the ZIL-117 was a need of a government car of an intermediate rank between ZIL-114

ZIL-114

ZIL-114 is a car from ZIL introduced in 1970 to replace the ZIL-111 series which was gradually becoming out of date.In almost all respects, the ZIL-114 improved on the 111, 111A and 111G models...

 (reserved for highest state and party authorities) and GAZ-13 Chaika, appropriate for example for Politburo

Politburo

Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...

member candidates, and also as supporting cars in highest officials' convoys.

Model cars

Although made in limited numbers, the car has proven popular for die-cast model makers. The first and most detailed was a 1:43 version released by Radon (Russia), a company which produced a wide range of Soviet-era vehicles (left). This heavy model was available in black or grey (the colour of army parade versions) with 12 moving parts, and featured opening doors and boot (with spare wheel), opening bonnet and detailed chromed engine, chrome metal trim and grill, rubber tyres and suspension, and perspex lights. Some examples had a metal aerial. Convertibles were also available in 2- or 4-door variants. Radon's post-Soviet successor Agat/Tantal released a white wedding version as well as the black, but quality can be poor compared to Soviet-era examples. In 2011 IXO/De Agostini released a black 117 with magazine detailing the car's history (having earlier produced a black ZIL-114). In line with other IXO models the body is basic with no opening panels, engine or suspension, and the exterior has painted trim/tail lights. Another version of this model was released as part of a series featuring cars from James Bond films (in this case Casino Royale) and included a magazine.