EST
RUS
Ikarus 55 main data
| Manufacturer | Ikarus (Budapest, Hungary) |
| Year | 1968 |
| Model | Ikarus 55.52 It was in serial production in 1955 - 1973, during which period 7425 buses were manufactured, most of them for import. |
| Nickname | Vacuum cleaner, Sputnik, Rocket |
| Characteristics | 60s saw the start of the Ikarus era on Estonian roads. The older generation reminisces on the buses with a "tail", which were the finest buses of their era. Ikarus buses were significantly more comfortable, with better cushioning, more economic and reliable than previous USSR buses. |
| Peculiarities | The engine is located at the rear end of the bus and makes a sound similar to a vacuum cleaner. |
| Technical data |
8,28-litre and 6-cylinder diesel engine, 145 hp |
Ikarus 55 history - owners
| 1968 - 1988 |
VEB Carl Zeiss Jena | The bus was taken good care of, because its luxury gear included air plane seats, a storage room, roof windows, radio, microphone and a magnetophon. In 1988, the engine was repaired and the bus repainted blue-white instead of the original red. |
| 1988 - 1992 |
VEB Kreisbetrieb für Landtechnik Sitz Rothenstein, later called Rotrak GmbH | The bus was used to transport workers as well as for some summer tourist trips. After East and West Germany reunited, the company changed its name and the bus, though in a working condition, was left to lie idle. By accident, Jukka Liehu and Siegmar Koeke happened across it. |
| 1992 - 2010 |
Jukka Liehu |
The price of the deal was 1 German Mark or 2,70 Finnish Mark. In addition to that, the Finnish state was paid 102 444% in customs and other taxes. In 1993, the bus was repainted the original red in Estonia. In 1994 it received a licence number IK-55 and a vintage certification (in Finnish museoajoneuvotodistus). In 1995, the bus was renamed "Pölynimuri" (Vacuum cleaner) and shown at public events. |
| 2010 - |
Mootor Grupp AS |
The renovation begins. |
Ikarus 55 restoration
| Restoration time |
2010 autumn - 2012 summer |
| Approximate cost of restoration |
ca 10 000 euros |
| Aim | To preserve a look as close to the original as possible |
| Specialists | During the restoration works, advice and help from people interested in vintage vehicles is used under the leadership of Tõnu Piibur |
| After renovation |
We plan to apply for a black vintage number plate |
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Back to the page History and Highlights
Vintage bus (1994)
Repainting (1999)
With a fresh coat of paint (1999)
