In the Soviet Union, truck drivers highly valued the ZIL-130, but few thought about why the cabin of this vehicle was traditionally painted blue.
Military modifications of ZILs, like the previously popular GAZ-52, had a protective dark green color. However, civilian versions, released by the Likhachev Plant in 1962, immediately stood out not only for their reliability and ease of repair, but also for their more attractive design.
The author of the design was Eric Vladimirovich Sabo, who proposed an unusual combination – a blue cabin and a white radiator grille. There is no exact data on the reasons for this choice, but given the era, we can make some educated guesses.
At that time, the USSR was headed by Nikita Khrushchev, a man without a higher education, but by no means stupid. The country needed to develop, and for this, it needed to establish ties with foreign countries. However, the West was wary of the Soviet Union, remembering its military might.
Europe and the United States were afraid that the USSR, recovering from the war, could begin expansion. To dispel these fears, it was important to demonstrate peaceful intentions. But how can you convince the world if trucks in army khaki drive on the roads?
This means that the color of mass-produced models had to be as “non-military” as possible. Why did they choose blue, and not yellow or purple?
The thing is that the production of multi-colored dyes in the USSR was poorly developed. Even ordinary floor paint sometimes became a deficit. But blue and green were in abundance.
Since green was associated with the army, only blue remained. The white grille added aesthetics, and the bright shade of the cabin increased the visibility of the truck on the road at any time of year.
