GAZ ir kt. istorija (anglų kalba)

[Kipshas]

In the pic above, instead, a symbol of the "Russian pride": the incredible GAZ turbo-jet prototype realized in the 1954 by A. Smolin in order to win the absolute record of max speed about the cars (held by the Americans, 694 km/h). The turbine engine was derived even from a jet MIG-17, with a power of 2700 hp on the aeronautical version!!! The machine was tested by the driver M. Metelev, with the obligation to not exceed the 300 km/h (waiting for better tyres for the high speeds), but it was surely capable of much more than 300 km/h...unfortunately, logistic problems (and also an accident, although not grave) stopped the challenge. A shame!

[Kipshas]

The 4x4 of the Red Army
Already in the 1938, caused by the war, the GAZ started the production of 4x4 vehicles: the first model was the GAZ "61", inspired, like the following GAZ "64" (above, first pic; in the second pic, an armored version), to the american "Bantam". In the 1943, the GAZ "67" cames into production (third pic), with several improvements (another fuel tank under the driver seat, for example): the car, in off-road, was even better than Willys, Bantam and Ford, but was less reliable; the fuel consumption was very high (in hard conditions, half liter of fuel per km!!!), the brakes were weack and hard to repair.

[Kipshas]

Indeed, contemporarily to the GAZ "64", the "NATI" research institute realized another 4x4, remained at the stage of prototype: the NATI "AR" (three pic above). Realized in the 1941-42 by F.Andronovu, this off-road vehcile competed with the GAZ "64" to be choosen as official 4x4 of the Red Army. Like the GAZ "64", the engine was the same of the GAZ "M-1", but equipped with two carburettors taken from the KIM "10" car (the first model produced by Moskvitch), that improved the power from 50 to 57 hp. The prototypes of the GAZ "64" and of the NATI "AR" were submitted to Stalin, and the GAZ model was choosen. It's quite strange: the NATI "AR" seems to have a design more modern that the GAZ...but the decisions of Stalin were hard to refuse!

[Kipshas]

In the 1953, the new 4x4 GAZ "69" (or "Kozlov", that means "goat" in Russian) cames into existance (first and second pics above). Projected by Grigory Moiseevich Vasserman, this vehicle was totally new, but always with an engine with side valves, 2100 cc, 55 hp. This engine is the same of the GAZ "Pobjeda" sedans. As the previous 4x4, it was equipped also with two fuel-tanks: 47 liters under the floorpan, and 28 liters under the driver's seat. Moreover, the transmission (rear wheel drive, with connecting of the 4x4 drive throught a manual lever) have an interesting feature: the 4-reduced speeds of the transfer box (for the high gradient) can be connected only with the 4x4 transmission (not with the only rear wheel drive), to avoid an excessive sollecitation on the rear axle. Also an amphibious version was realized: the "46-MAV" (third pic above), capable of a max speed of 9 km/h in the water.

[Kipshas]

Above, some curious images of the GAZ "69", with the driver -"equipped" with moustaches and busby- that courts a beautiful countrywoman! During the time, the production of GAZ "69" was transferred to the city of Ulyanovsk, and the well-known UAZ starts the production with this model. The "Goat" equipped several army in all the world (not only in the Eastern countries): Africa, Mongolia, Cuba and Afghanistan (several exemplars of "Goat" -with the newer UAZ "469"- were seen in TV, during the recent USA attack against the Afghanistan).

[Kipshas]

The assistant of Grigory Moiseevich (the engineer of the GAZ "69"), Vitaly Andreevicha Gracheva, realized, in the 1955, even a 4x4 variant of the "Pobjeda", the "M-72" (first picture, above), with chassis GAZ "69"! A real SUV "ante-litteram"...In the second and third pics, the "M-73" pick-up, always with 4x4 transmission.

[Kipshas]

The limousines

In May, 1948 the GAZ factory (called, during that period, "ZIM", Zavodi Imeni Molotova, in honour of Molotov, the Foreign Affairs Minister) received the governmental task for development of a six-seater car, to place it in a intermediate position between prestigious ZIS-110 and the smaller "Victory". For all works, including release of a pre-production series, the term fixed by the Governement was of only 29 months (incredible for a Russian car...). Therefore, it was necessary to copy the similar foreign machine (the American "Buick"), or to create a new project, taking several components available at a factory, first of all, the engine. Finally, in the 1950 (exactly in time!), the GAZ "12-ZIM" (four pics above) was launched. It was equipped with the lenghtned floorpan from the "Pobjeda", with a six-cylinders engine (90 hp, 3500 cc) derivated from the "M-1" model.

[Kipshas]

Anyway, this car keeps a radical American layout: above, the pics shows clearly this inspiration. This car was a real dream for the Russian "common people", with a rich equipment (also a 3-band radioreceiver) and especially an unbelievable level of construction, differently from the other Russian cars: the GAZ "12 ZIM" can run over 550 mm of water on the ground, without a drop of water in the interior; there is also an anti-dust joint on the doors, outstanding feature for that period!

[Kipshas]

Also in the '60s and '70s, the American inspirations remains: in the four pics above, the GAZ "Chaika M-13" (very similar to the ZIL "111"), in the normal, cabrio and station-wagon versions. "Chaika" stands for "seagull" in russian; this car was substantially inspired to the American Packard, with a big-displacement V8 engine, with central camshaft. The "Chaika-13" was often used by the KGB: therefore, i think that the image of that car in the mind of the Russians was enough worrysome!

[Kipshas]

In the four pics above, instead, the following "Chaika 14" (limousine and cabrio versions), launched in the 1977. The big V8 engine (5500 cc.) reach a power of 220 hp, for 175 km/h of max speed...ok, it's a very low speed considering the high power of the engine, but the car is long 6, 11 meters, and it has a weight of 2600 kg!! Indeed, it's even lighter than the ZIL, that has a weight of...3400 kg (!!!!!). The GAZ limo were used only by the most important Eastern personalities: presidents as Breznev, Andropov and Kruscev, but also non-politicians, as Yuri Gagarin. These cars shows that the Soviet technology was advanced, although copied...but it was reserved to the very few Russians!!