by Recently, we published the prices of Soviet cars translated into modern money. Now we will compare the cost of cars in the USSR with the prices of famous Western models. For comparison, let’s take the year 1970, as it was precisely during this period that two iconic cars entered production – the VAZ-2101 and the Volga GAZ-24. The dollar then, according to the official exchange rate of the State Bank, was worth 83 Soviet kopecks.
Zaporozhets and Ford Mustang
The ZAZ-966 in 1970 cost 3000 rubles and was the most affordable in the USSR.
At the official rate, this was $3614. For comparison, for $3526 in the USA, you could buy the legendary Ford Mustang in the cool Mach I version! 
The Ford Mustang Mach I with a 5.7-liter V8 producing 290 hp, air conditioning, and an automatic transmission was cheaper than the Zaporozhets! It accelerated to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds. By the way, the base Mustang in 1970 cost only $2820.
Moskvich and Jaguar E-Type
A 1970 Moskvich 408 could be purchased for 4936 rubles ($5946). In the West, the Jaguar E-Type was offered for $5920 (2097 British pounds). 
Let us remind you that for its time, the Jaguar E-Type was very fast: the streamlined coupe with 265 hp reached 240 km/h. Well, the Moskvich… In general, comments are unnecessary.
Zhiguli and Chevrolet Corvette
The first VAZ-2101 was sold for 5620 rubles, which means $6771. For the same money in America, you could buy, for example, a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in the top configuration. 
The price of the 1970 Corvette started at $5192. The flagship coupe with a 7.4-liter 390 hp V8 and all options would cost $6650. Note, this sports car accelerated to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and reached 230 km/h.
Also, the Corvette was equipped with power steering, air conditioning, a leather interior with power windows, and a cassette player. The Zhiguli, however, never even had air conditioning.
Volga and Mercedes-Benz S-Class
In 1970, the GAZ-24 cost 9200 rubles, which means $11,085. For the USSR, it was the top and in terms of price, it was comparable to the German top Mercedes-Benz S-Class. 
To be precise, the Mercedes 280 SEL cost 41,800 Deutsche Marks ($11,330).
For this money, the buyer received a sedan with a 160 hp inline-six, a 4-speed automatic transmission, disc brakes on all wheels, power steering, a leather interior, and air conditioning.
Ural Motorcycle and Mini
For 1250 rubles ($1505) in the USSR, you could only buy an “Ural” motorcycle with a sidecar, while in the West, for less money (537 British pounds or $1288), the iconic Mini was offered. And it wasn’t the cheapest car of those years – the Fiat 500 and Citroen 2CV cost even less. 
