Vintage cars from the National Service for Protection (NSP) fleet are on display at the National History Museum from today until 15 September. The exhibition marks the 145th anniversary of the service.
Visitors can see four rare vehicles preserved by the National Guard, including the centrepiece of the exhibition - the most valuable classic car in Bulgaria and one of the rarest Mercedes-Benz models in the world - the Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet. Only 26 units of the six-door model were ever produced.
The car was used for official purposes and welcomed numerous heads of state and government, including Leonid Brezhnev, Nicolae Ceaușescu, Kim Il-sung, Muammar Gaddafi and other notable figures from the recent past.
The exhibition also features the legends of Soviet motoring, the GAZ-13 and GAZ-14 "Chaika", as well as one of the rarest collector's cars, the ZIL-115, produced in just over 100 units between 1978 and 1983. The ZIL-115 has the reputation of being the fastest and most prestigious representative car of the Soviet automotive industry.