Norwich Union's Mirov 2 (II) - The Revolutionary Sports Car from the Soviet Union

Whatever happened to the Mirov II?

Well, I can't answer that, but I can provide some information about the advertising campaign that took place for this fictional vehicle. And, perhaps for some of you, this will confirm the Mirov 2 from the pre-collapse of the Soviet Union was not a figment of your imagination. 

Way back in the days before the Spanish-sounding Aviva (formerly CGNU) removed reference to 3 of the UK's largest insurance companies (not to mention subsidiaries like Scottish Insurance and London & Edinburgh), and even before Norwich Union floated on the stock exchange, the insurer Norwich Union came up with a marketing campaign to highlight the companies' strength in investment performance.

The Mirov 2 (II) was born - the centre of a £5 million national advertising campaign that got everyone talking. Indeed, at the time many wondered when the car would be available to buy (or was that just me?)

With the exception of the newspaper cutting, the images below are all of promotional material sent to clients to outline the aims of the marketing campaign. 

Below, a page from the Press Release for the Mirov II commercial.

During my time working at Norwich Union in the early 1990s I had the opportunity to occasionally see the Mirov II, which was stored in a workshop next to a staff car park off All Saints Green. If I recall correctly, part of the car park was once part of Norwich Co-op and was used for stabling and deliveries. The car park was quite rubbly, and some cars parked under cover (the old stables?) There used to be a team of valets working for Norwich Union who would care for seniors staff's vehicles, and it was in their workshop where the Mirov II was stored.

The old buildings were knocked down (with the exception of one, which fronts on to All Saints Green opposite the old BBC offices) and there is now a YMCA there.

It was great to pop in and take a peak - Yes, nice to get close to Jaguars and other top-end vehicles, but for me it was always about seeing the red "Soviet Union supercar". Okay, it wasn't a real car that you could go out and buy but it looked cool. In my mind I had plans to buy it and make it work but of course that never happened. 

So, what really happened to the Mirov 2 (II)?

I always wondered what happened to it, and it turns out some bloke bought it from Aviva. Gutting because a) I wanted it b) it should've been kept and put on display somewhere on the Norwich office's island site). A bit of googling suggests there was actually 2 built, and I understand the same chap owns them both. How Norwich Union/CGNU/Aviva let these has never been mentioned anywhere, and to me to let these go is beyond comprehension.

NOTE: All photos uploaded are exclusive to this blog. Please do not republish without permission.