AH Challenge: east block communist cars that are "good"
- Thread starter ArKhan
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Unconsensual
Banned
Well as I believe the Communist scientific system had quite a disconnect b/w it's capable scientists and actual application. More importantly command economies tend to favor numbers over quality for local ass saving reasons and some of the chief-motivators: personal control, achievement, gain, and prestige aren't exactly "encouraged". I'd assume that it will be limited to Soviet Clients and Warsaw Pact members least we rewrite the Cold War.
What incentive was there when all you had to do was fill a quota? Also with a low living standard and a political system that supposedly discouraged wealth accumulation I'd find it hard to see a market for a "good car" either as a middle-class car or a luxury car within the Eastern block.
What incentive was there when all you had to do was fill a quota? Also with a low living standard and a political system that supposedly discouraged wealth accumulation I'd find it hard to see a market for a "good car" either as a middle-class car or a luxury car within the Eastern block.
Cook
Banned
It is worth remembering that one of the twentieth century's most successful cars was also a product of a command economy:
But designed by a capitalist car maker (Ferdinand Porsche), who built his career and fame on stealing ideas from capitalist, democratic coutnry (Czechoslovakia) and the real innovator brand (Tatra).
Porsche was the Edison of the car industry.
Yup Great Example
Who's engineering (concuring with Petike and elaborating) was a direct copy of a concept from a company that tried to sue the Reich but was stopped (along with the production model) once the nation of its origin was conquered and then never resumed after the war for reparations as it was behind the Iron Curtain. Yup, great example of command ecnomics of "We take what we need and f* you to anyone who dares think we stole it."
Similar stuff happened behind the Iron Curtain concerning cars, computers and other appliances.
The only way I could see Communist cars maintaining parity with the West (which Tatra, Trabants and GAZ certainly had until the late 1950s) was focusing some of that Politbearuo love on grand projects for the civilian sector for a change. Maybe if Krustev stuck around longer some of that could have happened to an extent, even though most of his aims on improving quality of life seemed to be still mainly lip service. At least trucks, tractors (Belarus) and all terrain vehicles with origins from Communist countries seemed to have progressed nicely til this day so its not entirely out of the realm of possibility to carry that forth largely OTL after WWII.
Who's engineering (concuring with Petike and elaborating) was a direct copy of a concept from a company that tried to sue the Reich but was stopped (along with the production model) once the nation of its origin was conquered and then never resumed after the war for reparations as it was behind the Iron Curtain. Yup, great example of command ecnomics of "We take what we need and f* you to anyone who dares think we stole it."
Similar stuff happened behind the Iron Curtain concerning cars, computers and other appliances.The only way I could see Communist cars maintaining parity with the West (which Tatra, Trabants and GAZ certainly had until the late 1950s) was focusing some of that Politbearuo love on grand projects for the civilian sector for a change. Maybe if Krustev stuck around longer some of that could have happened to an extent, even though most of his aims on improving quality of life seemed to be still mainly lip service. At least trucks, tractors (Belarus) and all terrain vehicles with origins from Communist countries seemed to have progressed nicely til this day so its not entirely out of the realm of possibility to carry that forth largely OTL after WWII.
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And besides everything said before, it only became successful when it was produced in a democratic, capitalist country (after working out the bugs from the initial concept model, pun intended)
Wikipedia said:
Trabis are regarded as being good. Admittedly in an ironic, Ostalgic sort of way, but a car could do worse than becoming a cult icon.
Skoda's car were usually pretty good and nice design. But problem was quality control. I mean new car out of dealership didn't get through state inspection?
Problem was, I believe Skoda was employing a lot of prisoners (criminals) and they were generally not motivated for high quality. Skoda 110 and 130 were nice, but according to article I red some time ago very overpriced, but still sold relatively well.
I think this is a some what US ethnocentric 'challenge'
while the Trabant was 'terrible' was it much worse than say a 2CV or a Reliant three wheeler ?
what about the Fiat 124 derived Ladas ? andthe Niva?
or the rear engined Skodas ?and the pre-VW favorit ?
Moskvitch or Wartburg?
or the Barkas van
or the UAZ469 4*4 compared to a series Land Rover or basic Jeep ?
the Yugos were again Fiat derived and compared to the small cheap European cars of the time or contemporary Kei-cars in Japan how much worse were they ?
and this is without considering the higher status cars such asTatra or GAZ
also western car design *coff*Pinto*coff* and QC *coff*British Leyland, among others*coff* in the 1950s-1970 was not all it was cracked up to be?