Volga Mark21K motorcar, c1965. Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod or Gorky Automobile Plant, based in Russia, started to produce Volga cars in 1956. Registration number Q128 RGF

Gorkovsky avtomobilny zavod, also known as GAZ or Gorky Automobile Plant, is a Russian automobile manufacturer. In 1929 the Soviet Union (USSR) partnered with the American Ford Motor Company, and GAZ based their early vehicles on existing Ford cars. They later created their own models, including the Volga.

The Volga was first produced in 1956, complete with luxuries such as a radio, which was uncommon in American-made cars at the time. The Volga became a symbol of Soviet success, commonly used by bureaucrats. In 1961 the Soviet government even awarded a Volga M21 to Yuri Gagarin after he became the first person in space.

Private car ownership was initially difficult to achieve in the USSR due to high prices and low supply levels, but ownership numbers increased through the 1960s, with the Volga proving a popular choice.