Zil Other models

The ZIS-8 is powered by a four-stroke, carburettor, six-cylinder engine of 5,555 cc, producing 73 hp at 2,400 rpm. At 7,384 mm long, 2,200 mm wide and 2,750 mm high, the bus weighs 4,200 kg, with a wheelbase of 4,420 mm.

With this layout, the ZIS-8 was among the first series-built buses in the Soviet Union and served urban and inter-city passenger transport at a time when motor buses were still rare there. Its smooth-running, large-displacement six-cylinder engine was tuned for low revs and high torque rather than high specific output.

Preserving a ZIS-8 today is mainly about historical substance and originality: the engine block, carburettor and chassis should be checked for consistency with the period, since parts for a vehicle this old come practically only from reproductions or museum stock. The body and frame should be assessed for a properly executed restoration rather than mere cosmetics. It is also worth checking the wood-and-metal body framing typical of buses from this period, together with the condition of the braking system and the leaf-spring suspension.