The history of GAZ begins in the late twenties of the last century. In March 1929, the Council of National Economy of the Soviet Union signed a decree to begin construction of a new Gorky automobile plant in the closest location to Nizhny Novgorod. Construction began in early May 1930. In connection with the settlement that formed near the new building, the Avtozavodsky district was created in 1931, and by January 1, 1932, GAZ was built.
Checkpoint of the GAZ automobile plant
But at first it was called the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant named after. Molotov.
First cars
The prototype of the first Nizhny Novgorod cars was American Ford cars. The GAZ A passenger car was developed on the basis of the Ford A; the GAZ AA truck (one and a half truck) was based on the American Ford AA truck. The cars were similar to the “Americans”, but still had their own outlines - the head of the Nizhny Novgorod design group made his own adjustments when developing projects.
In October, Nizhny Novgorod is renamed Gorky, then the name of the automobile plant changes - it becomes Gorky.
The assembly shop of the Gorky Automobile Plant
GAZ is quickly gaining momentum - in 1933, the GAZ 03 30 bus is developed and launched into production. Almost simultaneously, a pickup truck is created on the basis of GAZ A, the metal body of which is capable of carrying a load of up to 500 kg.
The following year, the 3-axle GAZ AAA appears. In 1935, GAZ had already produced 100,000 cars, and this event was an important date in the history of the plant.
In 1936, the plant began production of the legendary Emka GAZ M1. The “black funnel” is based on the Ford V8-40 model. This machine was also produced in the first war years; its production was discontinued in 1943. On the basis of the GAZ M1, a new model GAZ 11 73 was created, on which the GAZ 11 engine was installed. This engine has a long history - later it was equipped with the well-known GAZ 51 truck.
Conveyor for the production of engines for GAZ trucks
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the GAZ plant had mastered about two dozen different modifications and produced almost half a million vehicles of various types. Before the war, 70 percent of all cars produced in the Soviet Union were produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant.
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Oct 28, 2022 Autostory by admin
The Gorky Automobile Plant ( GAZ ) is a manufacturer of the well-known Chaika and Volga cars and a series of trucks. The history of this domestic giant in the automotive industry began in the 1930s, when Nizhny Novgorod did not yet exist, and the city of Gorky was flourishing. Part of the Gorky Automobile Plant team collaborated with American technologists from the Ford Motor Company, but in January 1932, when the construction of GAZ was completed, they “migrated” to their homeland. Soon a prototype of the NAZ-AA truck rolled off the assembly line of the Gorky Automobile Plant.
In 1933, the domestic automobile plant set its sights on the production of GAZ-A middle-class passenger cars. The first-borns in the GAZ-A and GAZ-AA series were assembled using drawings from the American concern Ford
Motor Company, but our designers made several changes: they strengthened the steering mechanism and clutch housing. Then the GAZ-03-30 service bus rolled off the assembly line of the Gorky Automobile Plant. At the end of 1934, GAZ began implementing a master plan for the mass production of the three-axle GAZ-AAA truck and the GAZ-410 dump truck, and in 1937, the GAZ-55 ambulance bus and the GAZ-42 gas generator truck. In the 1930s, the first pickup truck of the Gorky Automobile Plant, created on the basis of the GAZ-4 passenger car, rolled off the assembly line. It is worth noting that in the 1930s, cooperation with American automobile companies played a special role in the history of GAZ.
At the end of the 1930s, GAZ, together with the Ford Motor Company, began developing a new M-1 passenger car. However, the car turned out to be more American than domestic, so the management of the Gorky Automobile Plant decisively refused to completely copy the foreign model. The GAZ designers did a great job creating the GAZ M-1, which differs from the American model in its four-cylinder engine, modernized suspension and disc wheels. Ultimately, the GAZ M-1 turned out to be an almost ideal passenger car, which was entrusted to represent the USSR at the World Industrial Exhibition in Paris. The GAZ M-1 model was modernized several times, as a result of which the public saw GAZ-415, GAZ-11, GAZ-11-73, GAZ-11-40, GAZ-61.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Gorky Automobile Plant began producing army equipment: GAZ-64, GAZ-67 all-terrain vehicles; armored vehicles BA-64, BA-64B; tanks T-60, T-70. A special innovative contribution to the production of army equipment was made by design engineers: V. A. Grachev, L. V. Kostkin, V. K. Rubtsov, V. A. Dedkov. The GAZ team put forward the slogan “Everything for the front, everything for victory!” In the summer of 1943, the Gorky Automobile Plant was partially destroyed by strategic air raids of the German army. Thanks to the skillful leadership of I.K. Loskutov (then director of GAZ), in 3 months it was possible to repair about 50 buildings and structures, over 9 thousand units of various equipment. From 1941 to 1945, the Gorky Automobile Plant produced about 177 thousand cars, 12 thousand tanks, 24 thousand mortars and 30 thousand Katyusha shells. The USSR government adequately appreciated the merits of the GAZ team, awarding them the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Great Patriotic War, 1st degree, and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
After the war, GAZ management decided to update the model range of cars and trucks, so it was necessary to carry out an unscheduled modernization of the equipment. Ultimately, the Gorky Automobile Plant became the leader of the automotive industry in the USSR! In January 1946, a brand new GAZ-51 truck rolled off the assembly line. The “calling card” of this model was quality combined with exemplary reliability and efficiency, so it did not leave the production line for 29 years, and even today it is still “surfing”
vastness of the Universe." In June 1946, the first batch of GAZ M-20, better known as Pobeda, was assembled. This car has gained worldwide popularity! It was distinguished by its appearance, in particular the first “wingless” body shape; hydraulic brakes; independent front axle suspension; A V-shaped windshield and extreme comfort, because the Pobeda’s interior was equipped with an improved heating system and a radio.
In 1948, the designers of the Gorky Automobile Plant began developing the GAZ-12 “ZIM” - the first high-class passenger car in the history of GAZ. In 1953, the GAZ-69 SUV rolled off the assembly line of the Gorky Automobile Plant, which proved to be excellent in the USSR, after which it was actively exported abroad.
In 1956, the first Volga, GAZ-21, was born. This model was popularly dubbed the “twenty-first.” It symbolized the beginning of a new century in the domestic automotive industry. Of course, the GAZ-21 model was modernized several times, resulting in the GAZ-22 and a special export Volga.
In 1959, the role of the flagship of the Gorky Automobile Plant passed to the GAZ-13, a seven-seater Chaika. The new product was equipped with a super-powerful V-shaped eight-cylinder engine, a hydromechanical gearbox, a four-chamber carburetor and other technical innovations of that time. “Volga” and “Chaika” received the Grand Prix at the World Automobile Exhibition in Brussels.
In the 1960s, under the leadership of I. I. Kiselev, the Gorky Automobile Plant acquired the status of a huge corporation. Mass modernization of trucks began, as a result of which GAZ-52, GAZ-53A, GAZ-66 rolled off the assembly line. Thanks to the highest performance characteristics of the GAZ-66, the Gorky Automobile Plant received the Quality Mark.
In 1970, the global automobile market was turned upside down by the “twenty-four” or GAZ-24. It was distinguished by its simplicity, but this did not prevent this model from becoming a symbol of prestige.
The end of the 1970s was marked by the release of a new large-class passenger car - the GAZ-14, which from a technical point of view was not very different from the “twenty-four”. In 1973, “GAZ” already meant 11 factories. Since 1973, the Gorky Automobile Plant slightly suspended the progress of the model range and focused on the “dieselization” of trucks. In 1984, the first truck with an air-cooled diesel engine, the GAZ-4301, rolled off the assembly line.
In 1985, in parallel with the mass production of the GAZ-24, the Gorky car GAZ-3102, which was equipped with a pre-chamber-torch type of ignition, therefore this car for a long period of time was considered exclusively the official transport of state and party officials. At the end of the 1980s, GAZ produced to order the GAZ-2410, a more “major” modification of the “twenty-four”. After the collapse of the USSR, the Gorky Automobile Plant managed to avoid a deep crisis and relatively quickly adapted to new conditions.
In 1997, GAZ returned to its roots, that is, to cooperation with foreign automobile companies, but this time with the Italian concern FIAT. At the end of 1999, the rear-wheel drive GAZ-3111 sedan rolled off the assembly line of the Gorky Automobile Plant - the result of cooperation between GAZ and Venture, an American automobile company.
In the period from 2000 to 2009, thanks to the efforts of the designers of the Gorky Automobile Plant, the world saw the GAZ-17310 “Trofim”, GAZ-2217 “Barguzin”, GAZ-2308 “Ataman”, GAZ-2310 “Sobol”, GAZ-2330 “Tiger”, GAZ- 2705
"Gazelle", GAZ-31105 "Volga".
In September 2008, the Gorky Automobile Plant was hit by a financial crisis, and a month later by a sales crisis. In connection with the problems that arose, the Russian government decided to support the domestic manufacturer. Of course, the crisis did not pass without a trace: it was necessary to fire about 10 thousand employees, reduce production rates and product prices.
On May 6, 2009, the domestic corporation sold its plant in Britain to the little-known Malaysian concern Weststar, where since 2006 Maxus cars from the family of light delivery front-wheel drive models have been assembled.
Since 2009, GAZ has been trying to find a way out of this situation by reducing the cost of its own products - first the regular Gazelle, then many of its modifications.
In 2011, the Gorky Automobile Plant was lucky enough to sign a contract with the American concern GM for the joint assembly of the new Chevrolet Aveo series. In the summer of 2011, GAZ and Volkswagen Group Rus agreed on an 8-year joint production of VW Jetta, Skoda Yeti and Skoda Octavia with only one nuance - at least 110 thousand cars per year.
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GAZ during the war
The war began, and the plant needed to switch to producing military products. It was necessary to repurpose as soon as possible - the production of the GAZ 64 all-wheel drive army vehicle was mastered in record time.
In the fall of 1941, the T 60 tank rolled off the assembly line of the automobile plant, and in the spring of 1942, a model of the T 70 light tank was created. Based on the GAZ 64, the plant began producing the BA 64 armored car.
A little later (in 1942), a model of the T 80 tank was designed, but subsequently its production was moved to Mytishchi, and GAZ launched the SU 76 self-propelled artillery unit into production and began intensively producing the modernized T 70M brand.
Installation of the T 70M brand
The plant worked around the clock, without days off or breaks - the factory workers understood the importance of the equipment they produced for the country.
Hitler's Germany tried to destroy the city of Gorky, which was a major industrial center. Frequent bombings in 1943 caused significant damage to the Gorky Automobile Plant - about fifty buildings were damaged and destroyed, about a dozen substations were damaged, conveyors and overhead cranes were disabled, and there were many other losses. Continuous conveyor production has stopped. Builders and installers were brought in for restoration; they worked only with a break for sleep and restored the plant within a hundred days.
Military truck GAZ AAA in the museum
We had to stop the production of GAZ AAA, BA 64, but the tanks continued to roll off the assembly line, their production did not stop for more than one day.
Let's sum it up
Any merger of Russian automobile companies with foreign companies has always benefited the domestic automobile industry, and GAZ-AA is no exception. Its similarity with foreign variations can be seen in the photo. The car turned out to be surprisingly simple, but functional and in demand.
At that time, there were no environmental standards yet, so the fuel consumption of its weak power plant was 20 liters per 100 kilometers. The appearance of the car was very simple, and there was not even a hint of sophistication, because one should not forget the year of its production and the purpose of its release.
It was supposed to serve faithfully on almost all road surfaces. The truck has a good ride height, rear-wheel drive and a payload of 1,500 kg. This was not a record, but in the pre-war period and during the hostilities, the Union of Socialist Republics was in dire need of light-duty vehicles.
Only two people, including the driver, could fit inside the cabin. The interior was also very simple, which once again emphasized the purpose of the car - for work. Russian specialists were able to take the best from the well-known American company, which made it possible to make a successful car.
Decades later, the Gorky Automobile Plant will more than once resort to help and purchase foreign vehicles and spare parts. Today you can find this model from private collectors and in museums.
We advise you to read the article: GAZ - the history of car production.
Post-war years
After the war, the entire model range of manufactured equipment changed, and the car plant switched to peaceful footing. The factory workers began producing the GAZ M20 Pobeda passenger car and the GAZ 51 truck.
In the executive class in 1948, the ZIM 12, the predecessor of the Chaika, appeared. In 1952, the legendary GAZ 69 jeep was created on the assembly line - the model replaced the military “goat” GAZ 67, which had been produced since 1943. GAZ 69 was the first civilian all-wheel drive passenger car, its production continued until 1972.
GAZ-AA photo
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Volga cars
The history of the Volga begins with the GAZ 21 model, which appeared in 1956. The car immediately gained great popularity; there were many cars in taxis. Also, the Volga GAZ 21 was often used as a service vehicle.
Having a personal GAZ 21 car in the Soviet Union in the 60s of the last century was considered a great achievement, and sometimes such luxury for personal use aroused suspicion among others. The history of the no less legendary GAZ 24 model began in 1970.
The design of its body turned out to be so successful that all subsequent models were created based on the skeleton of the “twenty-four”, including the latest modification of the GAZ 31105.
GAZ 24 was produced for more than 20 years, only in January 1992 the model was replaced by the “twenty-ninth Volga”. The GAZ 31029 car was a new model only conditionally.
Volga GAZ 21 and 24 cars
By and large, the “29th Volga” was just a deep modernization of the previous brand.
Other fenders, optics, and bumpers changed the car beyond recognition, although the body remained the same. The axles and engine have not changed, the same gearbox remains. The suspension hasn't changed either. Only over time was one or another component in the car modernized. Moreover, all innovations were introduced gradually, not immediately. One gets the impression that GAZ is afraid to break some chain of consistency, and if it is suddenly broken, the car will cease to be in demand.
The factory workers were afraid, apparently for good reason. The popularity of the Volga gradually began to fade. The next model, GAZ 3110, which appeared in 1997, was no longer in such demand. GAZ was further crippled by the 1998 crisis, and things got worse for the plant. In 2004, there was an attempt to revive the GAZ 3110 - the deeply modernized model 31105 was again put into production.
This is what Volga model 31105 looks like.
But this time it didn’t last long on the assembly line - in 2009, the Volga assembly line was completely shut down. There was another attempt to put Volga Cyber into production, but this project failed after existing for about a year.
Specifications
Power unit
For all its simple qualities, the GAZ-AA was technically quite advanced. As an engine, it had a four-cylinder engine, the displacement of which was 3.285 liters and which produced about 42 horses. It was the same power unit that was installed on the GAZ-A passenger car.
It was an in-line carburetor, four-stroke, overhead valve, water-cooled. Fuel consumption per 100 km at full load (driving on the highway) was 18.5 liters. Maximum speed at 70 km/h.
Transmission
The engine transmitted torque to the drive axle through a single-disc dry friction clutch and a four-speed manual gearbox. It appears to be a three-way mechanism and has four forward gears and one reverse. The box was not synchronized. Wheel drive is rear.
Suspension
It was represented by dependent mechanisms. The wheels mounted in front were suspended on one transversely mounted semi-elliptical spring, where there were push rods that could transfer the load to the frame.
The wheels mounted at the rear were mounted on a pair of longitudinal cantilever springs and were devoid of any shock absorbers. As a design feature, there was a rear suspension mechanism together with a transmission, where a driveshaft was used as a longitudinal rod, which rested on a bronze bushing.
Brake system
The service brake had a mechanical drive. The brakes were foot type with shoe mechanisms. All wheels had drum brakes.
Steering
The steering mechanism had a worm and a double roller, and the gear ratio was 16.6.
Specifications
| Engine | gasoline carburetor 4-stroke lower valve |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Working volume | 3285 cm³ |
| Max. power | 40/2200 hp/rpm |
| Max. torque | 15.5 (152) kgf*m (Nm) |
| Drive unit | rear |
| Transmission | manual, 4-speed, not synchronized |
| Front suspension | dependent, on a transverse semi-elliptical spring with push rods |
| Rear suspension | dependent, on two longitudinal cantilever springs, without shock absorbers |
| Front/rear brakes | drums |
| Maximum speed | 70 km/h. |
| Length | 5335 mm. |
| Width | 2040 mm. |
| Height | 1970 mm. |
| Wheelbase | 3340 mm. |
| Ground clearance | 200 mm. |
| Curb weight | 1810 kg. |
| Tires | 6.50-20 |
| Load capacity | 1500 kg. |
| Fuel consumption | mixed cycle 20.5 |
| Fuel tank capacity | 40 l. |
Production of Gazelles and trucks
Time changes, and so does the demand for cars. With the advent of market relations in Russia, demand for commercial vehicles and trucks appeared. Transporting goods became a profitable business, and the plant switched to producing Gazelles and GAZ 3307 and GAZ 3309 trucks.
The first Gazelle rolled off the assembly line in 1994, and in 1998 the assembly of more compact Sobol vehicles began. Since 2013, Gazelle Next has been produced, which meets all modern requirements both in design and technical characteristics.
Gazelle truck Next
Brands of commercial vehicles are presented in a wide range.
Models include one and a half ton trucks, minibuses, and minivans. All-wheel drive versions of cars are very popular - increased cross-country ability has never been superfluous for cars of this class. In the history of GAZ, the most popular brands were GAZ 53 and GAZ 52. The production of these cars began in the early 60s of the last century. The 53rd "Lawn" turned out to be a long-liver; it was produced until 1993. In 1990, in parallel with GAZ 53, the plant launched the production of the 4th generation GAZ 3307 trucks. The model in an improved version is still produced, but with a diesel engine (GAZ 3309). More recently, in 2014, a new generation of 5-ton “Lawn Next” trucks was launched - the history of the plant continues.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros of the car
- High-quality and reliable body metal;
- Good ground clearance;
- Excellent vehicle cross-country ability;
- Small dimensions of the truck;
- There is a windshield wiper (on the driver's side);
- Unpretentiousness in fuel;
- Clear service;
- American roots of Ford;
- The windshield extends;
- Trailers can be transported.
Cons of the car
- There are no hydraulic power steering and brake systems of the car;
- There are no steering wheel and sofa adjustments;
- Ascetic look of the interior;
- Weak power unit;
- Simple and cool cabin;
- Dependent suspension;
- High fuel consumption;
- Low transportable weight;
- Lack of any comfort.
SUVs
Among SUVs, except for cars like GAZ 69, only trucks can be distinguished at the GAZ plant. You can recall the brands GAZ 93 and GAZ 63, but the most popular were GAZ 66 and GAZ 3308 “Sadko”. The GAZ 66 all-terrain vehicle, due to its extraordinary cross-country ability, has found application in various spheres of the national economy. The car is a faithful companion for avid fishermen and hunters, geologists and prospectors. “Shishiga” is often subjected to tuning, and this makes the vehicle’s cross-country ability even better.
The Gorky Automobile Plant not only remains afloat - it continues to develop. New models “Gazelle Next” and “Lawn Next” were launched into series; Volkswagen Jetta, Skoda Yeti and Skoda Octavia are assembled on a passenger conveyor. I would like to hope that the GAZ plant will cope with any crisis and delight consumers with new high-quality products.
ZIM production - 1948-1960
The world-famous ZIM with a six-seater interior was released in 1950. The length of the sedan was 5,530 mm, and the wheelbase extended to 3,200 mm. Thus, the salon was huge and ideal for representatives of the party and nomenklatura. Only a select few could afford this car for personal use. ZIM was the first car designed for a six-seater, three-row seating position: there were no analogues of this model in the world. Separately, they noted the merit of the engineers who introduced a hydromechanical transmission, which allows the car to start moving smoothly.
90s: on the verge of bankruptcy
With a heavy burden of experience in the conditions of the planned Soviet economy and in the absence of competitiveness with foreign cars filling the Russian car market, by the end of the last century GAZ was an enterprise with outdated equipment and a backward production culture, on the verge of bankruptcy. Due to the inability to work in the conditions of the emerging market economy, the plant had no money not only for development, but also for settlements with partners.
GAZ products of the late 90s were of low quality and did not meet modern requirements for cars. New products continued to be created the old fashioned way, without taking into account customer needs. Accordingly, there were no marketing forecasts for the demand for the products being developed on the market, development and implementation in production occurred very slowly, there was a gap between the design project and the possibilities of mass production, there was no feedback from consumers, and the company incurred huge costs to eliminate defects in the warranty.
The plant of those years was notable for its low labor productivity. Downtime often reached three hours per shift due to the lack of necessary parts; inventory turnover in the warehouse was four days, at work sites - eight hours. Operators interfered with each other while moving, workplaces were cluttered with a large number of unnecessary parts, production was burdened with many problems: defects from suppliers, low-quality tools. In addition, employees had to work in dark, dirty workshops, where it was cold in winter and stuffy in summer due to the lack of proper ventilation. At the end of the last century, the company’s management had no feedback from GAZ employees.
