The appearence was similar to an AC Cobra. Powered by a 6-litre 280PS ZIL-111 V8 engine according to a period magazine. It sported GRP bodywork, disc brakes at the front and had a De Dion rear axle.
It was built in the Likhachev factory in Moscow.
First apperance seems to have in 1961 although the magazine first seem to have heard about it 1963.
Some images below shows the ZIL-112S.
Maybe someone has more info on the race history and production numbers of this car.
Additional photos, would also be welcome.
Viktor Galkin sitting in his ZIL-112S.
Now, I can only say that Zharkov's name was not Oleg, but Gennady. The first time when ZIL 112S appeared on racing track was in November 1961 at Luzhniki, Moscow. In 1963, Viktor Galkin was 3rd in Soviet group V championship; in 1964, Zharkov took the same place in F5 (F. Libre) championship, and the next year he won it, as Andrzej has just said. I don't have any information on the racing achievements of these cars in 1966-68, but in 1969, they raced in Soviet F1 championship - without any success, however. Also ZIL works drivers established three national speed records in group 10 (from 5000 to 8000 cc) - the distance was 500 m, with dead start. The best result, shown in 1970, was 112.606 km/h (Nikolay Razinchev).
So here are four images that I have found in my home PC:
So as to cover for myself I can say that in the 60s, there were several tens (and perhaps even more than hundred!) of 'home-made' sportscars, built by amateur drivers and based on mass-production Moskvich and Volga cars. Usually they didn't have any name, as I just wrote more than year ago in 'Car Name Origins & Oddities' thread (
There is another explanation, which seems to me to be more believable. Motorsport was very popular in Leningrad, and when racing events were held at Nevskoe Koltso, all the city lived for it, and cars of participants were easily recognized by almost everyone. Perhaps the local police simply shut its eyes to the absence of registration plates on the car...
