Nothing epitomises the capitalist system more than cars. And nothing highlights the changes to the Russian economy more than Moscow’s appalling traffic. With more than 15,000 new cars being taken on the road every month, the capital city is gridlocked as Russians trade in their clapped out Ladas for brand new Ford Focuses paid for with credit.
Russia now boasts Europe’s fastest growing car market. The total volume of car sales doubled year on year in 2006 to reach a total of two million units as Russians spent more than $32bn on new cars; they have already spent $16bn in the first six months of this year.
