Historical photograph by Kuramshin from May 15, 1945, showing 88th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment Commander P. G. Mzhachikh and his driver Tyutin with an extremely rare Steyr 220 Gläser Roadster in Berlin.
Colonel P. G. Mzhachikh with a Trophy Steyr 220 Gläser Roadster in Berlin (May 15, 1945)
This exquisite archival photograph, taken by military correspondent Kuramshin on May 15, 1945, depicts Guards Colonel Pyotr Grigoryevich Mzhachikh, commander of the 88th Separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, standing beside his driver Tyutin and an ultra-rare trophy sports car: a Steyr 220 Gläser Roadster.
Posed in a wooded park area of post-surrender Berlin, the image offers a captivating glimpse into the high-end European automobiles acquired as trophies by senior Red Army officers at the conclusion of World War II.
Automotive Rarity: The Steyr 220 Gläser Roadster
The vehicle captured in the frame represents one of the most exclusive hand-built coachwork designs of the late 1930s:
- Coachbuilder Heritage: Built on the Austrian Steyr 220 chassis (powered by a 2.3-liter, 55 hp 6-cylinder engine), the streamlined two-seater body was custom-crafted by the renowned Gläser-Karosserie workshop in Dresden.
- Extreme Scarcity: While Steyr produced nearly 5,900 standard 220 sedans and factory cabriolets between 1937 and 1941, only approximately six custom Gläser Roadsters featuring Art Deco teardrop styling were ever built.
- Military Markings: The driver's door displays the painted military registration index
Т-74-485, marking its official inclusion in the regiment's vehicle inventory.
An Anecdote of Trophy Reassignment
As remembered in the personal memoirs of Colonel Mzhachikh, the striking automobile remained in his possession only briefly. Upon spotting the elegant roadster, the Front Commander of Armored Troops requisitioned the car for high-command duties. In the cascading shuffle of vehicles that followed, Colonel Mzhachikh acquired the Opel Kadett belonging to his deputy, trading his older BMW in exchange.
📍 Location: Berlin, Germany
📅 Date: May 15, 1945
📷 Photographer: Kuramshin (Military Press Corps)
📰 Primary Source: Personal Archive of Guards Colonel P. G. Mzhachikh
Recommended reading:
- The Steyr 220 Gläser Roadster: Design history, Art Deco styling, and surviving units
- Trophy Vehicles in the Red Army (1945): Regulations, reassignment, and command transports
- The 88th Separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment: Post-war staging in Berlin
- Pre-War European Coachbuilders: The legacy of Gläser-Karosserie Dresden