Self-made cars in the USSR: how and why did they appear so much?

Soviet Union and the socialist countries, people built their own cars. Surprisingly, not only mechanics and engineers, but even musicians and cosmonauts, doctors and teachers were able to do it. Now it looks strange, but in the seventies and eighties of the twentieth century this phenomenon was quite large-scale and well-known and attracted the attention of not only auto enterprises and the Minister of the automotive industry, but also the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the CPSU. Why did people build cars themselves and what did it sometimes lead to? Continue reading →