Soviet Phantom - When people think of sports cars from the 1980s, the mind usually jumps to sleek Italian Ferraris, German Porsches, or even American Corvettes. But far away behind the Iron Curtain, in a country where such machines were almost impossible to buy, a lone Soviet engineer dared to build one for himself. What came out of his workshop was something few people outside of Russia have ever heard of: the KVS, also nicknamed “Leopold’s Car.”
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| The KVS, built in 1988 by Vyacheslav Sergeyevich Krylov, took its unusual name directly from his full name. (Picture from: WeirdWheels in Reddit) |
The KVS appeared in 1988, built entirely by Vyacheslav Sergeyevich Krylov. The car’s unusual name comes from his full name, but with a twist. In Russian tradition, the surname is often placed first, so instead of Vyacheslav Sergeyevich Krylov, it becomes Krylov Vyacheslav Sergeyevich. From those initials—KVS—the car got its badge, turning it into a personal statement in steel.
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| The KVS featured a hand-built wedge-shaped body with hidden headlights, sharp flat panels, and a profile that looked more like a Western concept car than something from the USSR. (Picture from: RetroConceptCars in Instagram) |
At its core, the KVS borrowed mechanical parts from the humble ZAZ-968M Zaporozhets, but everything else was pure originality. Krylov designed and built the wedge-shaped body by hand, complete with hidden headlights, sharp flat panels, and a profile that looked like something from a Western concept car rather than the streets of the USSR. It even had a removable glass roof, giving it the flair of a targa-style sports car, something that was almost unthinkable in Soviet automotive design.
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| The KVS came with a removable glass roof that gave it the flair of a targa-style sports car, a feature almost unthinkable in Soviet automotive design. (Picture from: RetroConceptCars in Instagram) |
Step inside, and the KVS feels more like a cockpit than a car. Instead of conventional switches and gauges, Krylov fitted the dashboard with aviation-style toggle switches and instruments taken from military aircraft. Whether out of fascination with planes or personal experience in aviation, he managed to blend those details into the car’s personality, making the driving experience feel special and experimental.
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| The KVS cabin felt closer to an experimental cockpit than a regular car, with its dashboard packed with aviation-style toggle switches and military-grade instruments. (Picture from: RetroConceptCars in Instagram) |
Despite its daring design, the car’s fate took a sad turn. For years, it was left abandoned on a landfill near Saint Petersburg, where it sat for nearly 15 years, forgotten and weathered. Its unusual, cartoon-like shape soon earned it the nickname “Leopold’s Car,” after the beloved Soviet animation Leopold the Cat. Yet the story of the KVS didn’t end there.
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| The KVS, with its unusual cartoon-like shape, soon earned the nickname “Leopold’s Car” after the beloved Soviet animation Leopold the Cat, yet its story didn’t end there. (Picture from: WeirdWheels in Reddit) |
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| The KVS had a classic 1980s wedge silhouette with flat panels and sharp lines, featuring flip-up style headlights that lacked an automatic retraction mechanism. (Picture from: RetroConceptCars in Instagram) |
With the engine restored, AcademeG decided to go further—testing the one-off Soviet sports car on a dynamometer. Strapped onto modern equipment, the KVS revealed limited but fascinating performance figures. Seeing a homemade creation from the late 1980s measured with contemporary tools was both surreal and inspiring, a reminder of just how bold Krylov’s imagination had been.
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| The KVS featured three distinctive side fins that not only enhanced its sporty, futuristic look but also served as simple airflow channels along the body. (Picture from: RetroConceptCars in Instagram) |
The most emotional moment came when AcademeG finally tracked down the car’s original builder. Krylov, now an elderly man, was reunited with the sports car he had created with his own hands in 1988. Even though its driving ability remained limited, the chance to sit in it again and watch it move after so many years was unforgettable—a full-circle moment that connected past passion with present recognition. | nGLyVHKzwXQ |
Today, the KVS is more than just a quirky homemade sports car. It stands as a symbol of creativity born out of restriction, and a reminder that ambition can thrive even in unlikely places. Krylov’s initials, immortalized in the car’s name, prove that this was never just another machine; it was a dream welded into reality. And against all odds, that dream still survives—an extraordinary wedge-shaped relic of the Soviet era that continues to capture the imagination. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | ACADEMEG IN YOUTUBE | RETROCONCEPTCARS IN INSTAGRAM | STEAMCOMMUNITY | WEIRDWHEELS IN REDDIT | RAREHISTORY | RETROCARS ]Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.
