Autoblog

Click above for gallery of Stadnyk receiving his custom car

Leonid Stadnyk towers 2.58 meters (8' 5") above the earth's surface, making him the world's tallest man. He was officially crowned in 2007 by the Guinness Book of World Records, taking the title away from a Chinese man who is just 7' 9" tall. As you might imagine, many things we take for granted are difficult for this 37-year-old from the Ukraine. Fortunately, ever since becoming the center of attention for his lofty height, good-natured people have provided him with things like custom-fitted clothing, electricity for his home, a giant bicycle, satellite TV and a home computer. Yesterday, however, the Ukrainian government went one step further and gave him keys to his own custom-built Chevy Tacuma van. The car was presented to Stadnyk yesterday by Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko outside the presidential office in Kiev. Stadnyk, who has lived with his growth disorder since a brain operation at age 12, had written the president for help after discovering there no vehicles for sale that suited him.

Reports say that the Chevy Tacuma was built by a team of designers from the ZAZ factory in Zaporizhia, which builds a number of Chevy models for the region. Unfortunately, no mention is made of what modifications were used to accommodate Stadnyk's significant stature. According to our images in the gallery below, the small car still looks like a very tight fit. He should come to the U.S., as our ever fattening population has made this market the automotive equivalent of a Big & Tall store.


[Source: Trend News via Motor Authority, Photos by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty]