Estonian businessman Oleg Gross collects Soviet-era classic cars
Businessman Oleg Gross has built a retro car collection dominated by Soviet-made vehicles, saying modern and Western cars hold little appeal for him.
The Estonian program "Зеркало" visited businessman Oleg Gross's collection of classic cars, most of which are vehicles produced during the Soviet era.
Gross admits that modern and Western cars do not particularly attract him - even a Lamborghini on display in the museum, valued at 700,000 euros, fails to spark much interest for him.
This attitude has roots in his past: during Soviet times, Gross used to drive cars from Russia to Estonia and resell them there. Back then he covered many thousands of kilometers behind the wheel of Soviet-made vehicles, an experience that likely later inspired him to start his collection.
According to Gross, every car in the collection carries primarily emotional rather than material value. Prices for vintage cars are often unpredictable, ranging from a few thousand euros to extremely high sums.
A particular stroke of luck for a collector is finding a car in fully original condition - and such vehicles can still be found. Their histories vary widely: some owners bought a new car back in Soviet times but were reluctant to use it, continuing instead to drive their old one, which ended up preserved as a kind of "time capsule." Others had access to a company-issued Volga, removing any need to drive their own personal car.
Gross allowed the "Зеркало" crew to take a ride in his most recent acquisition - a GAZ-3102 Volga equipped with a pre-chamber engine. More details are available in the video segment.
