Legendary Soviet trucks

The first truck from the 19th century

The world's first truck with an internal combustion engine can be considered a car built in 1896 at Gottlieb Daimler's enterprise. The pioneer of the Russian truck industry was the model produced at the Peter Frese factory in 1901. And only in 1923, the famous inventor Karl Benz created the first truck with a diesel engine.

With trucks of its own design, the Russian Empire could meet the market demand by no more than 2%. French, English, German and American brands dominated Russian roads. Most of these machines were assembled here - in those days, as now, “screwdriver” production was widely used.

Despite the growth in the number of trucks in the country and the expansion of their scope, the use of vehicles was extremely limited. Until 1921, trucks worked no more than 10 days a month, while their carrying capacity was used at 35%, five people were needed to service one vehicle. It was especially difficult with car repairs, since there were no specialized workshops with qualified personnel.

The first Soviet truck AMO-F15 1924-1931.

The first Russian car by Yakovlev and Frese was created back in 1896. However, the domestic automobile industry did not enjoy government support until the very first world war, and therefore Russian cars “Russo-Balt” and “Lessner”

and “Bubbles” made up only 3% of the total number of cars encountered on the roads of our empire. Only by 1916, due to an acute shortage of cars, the government made serious efforts to create a national automobile industry. Serious funds were allocated from the treasury for the construction of six automobile plants: AMO in Moscow (now ZiL), RBVZ in Fili, Russian Renault in Rybinsk (now NPO Saturn), the V. A. Lebedev plant (currently Yaroslavl Motor plant) in Yaroslavl, Aksai in Rostov-on-Don and Bekos in Mytishchi. Before the revolution, only the Moscow AMO was completed.

Back in the same 1916, the then owners of the plant, the Ryabushinsky brothers, chose the Fiat 15 Ter

model 1912, which proved itself well in Libyan off-road conditions during the Italo-Turkish War. The Fiat 15 Ter was a two-axle rear-wheel drive truck with a one and a half ton payload. Such vehicles were available in large quantities in Russia, and light machine-gun armored cars were even created on their basis at the Putilov plant. Construction began on August 2, 1916, and the plant began production of finished products in March 1917. By the spring of 1918, he managed to assemble 1,317 cars. However, after this, the vehicle kits imported before the revolution ran out, and assembly stopped. Only in 1923, when different countries began to recognize Soviet Russia one after another, did the Soviet government turn to the Italians with a proposal to resume cooperation.

photo of AMO-F15 truck

By that time, Fiat was preparing to replace the 15 Ter model with the more advanced Fiat 505, and therefore the Italians easily agreed to supply technical documentation for the discontinued model. After finalizing this documentation, the result was a significantly “Russified” truck, called AMO-F-15

. The length of the car with a 3070 mm wheelbase was 5050 mm. The width was 1710 mm, and the height with 245 mm ground clearance reached 2250 mm.

AMO-F-15 - the first Soviet truck

From 1917 to 1919, the Italian FIAT 15 Ter truck was assembled at the AMO (ZIL) plant. It was on the basis of this machine that the AMO-F-15 was developed. The first car was produced on November 1, 1924. By the holiday of November 7, they managed to assemble 10 cars. Red trucks took part in a demonstration on Red Square. Immediately after the parade, three cars went on a test run along the route: Moscow - Tver - Vyshny Volochek - Novgorod - Leningrad - Luga - Vitebsk - Smolensk - Roslavl - Moscow. The vehicle's carrying capacity was 1.5 tons. The AMO-F-15 was equipped with a 35 hp engine, and the fuel consumption was 24 liters per 100 km. The truck reached a maximum speed of 50 km/h.

In general, the machine was quite outdated by the time it was put into production. For example, a flywheel with blades covered with a conical casing was used as a radiator fan. During the car's production, from 1924 to 1931, 6,285 cars rolled off the plant's assembly line.

Wheels, tracks and two engines: forgotten Soviet experimental AT tractors

Artillery tractors became an important means of motorization of the Red Army

Artillery tracked satellites

In preparation for the big war, the leaders of the Red Army understood that the army needed strong artillery: the number of guns and mortars of all types and calibers from 1934 to 1941 increased from 15,059 to 110,444 units. This is more than the Wehrmacht had at the time of the attack on the USSR.

Crawler tractor S-2 "Stalinets-2"

The situation was noticeably worse with the means of transporting weapon systems. Until the early 1930s, horse traction was used in this capacity. The situation was radically changed by the resolution of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR “On the transition of the Red Army artillery to mechanized traction,” adopted in May 1932.

Over the following years, they mastered the production and adopted a series of tracked tractors of various traction classes for the Red Army. Thus, “Komsomolets” could tow trailer systems weighing 2 tons, STZ-5 – 4.5 tons, “Comintern” – 12 tons, S-2 “Stalinets-2” – 10 tons, “Voroshilovets” – 18 tons. Together with them, the arsenals of the Red Army were replenished with agricultural tractors, which served as artillery tractors. The traction capabilities of such models STZ-3 (SKHTZ-NATI), ChTZ S-65, Kommunar and ChTZ S-60 ranged from 2.6 to 5.5 tons. True, these vehicles were seriously inferior in reliability and speed to special tracked military vehicles.

The Comintern tractor could move on almost any off-road terrain

In June 1941, the Red Army had 44.9 thousand tractors and tractors, among which special army vehicles (Komsomolets, Komintern, Voroshilovets) accounted for slightly more than 10 thousand - 20.5%, of which the artillery were 26%, and transport vehicles (Kommunar, STZ-5, S-2 Stalinets-2) occupied no more than 15% of the total. The remaining 64.5% were agricultural tractors - ChTZ S-60, ChTZ S-65 and STZ-Z.

The most powerful pre-war tracked tractor "Voroshilovets"

The greatest concern was caused by the segment of army artillery tractors, where even with the massive use of civilian tractors, the army had only 27 thousand instead of the required 31.5 thousand. Moreover, most of them are agricultural tractors and low-power Komsomolets. That is why the artillery’s need for special tractors before the start of the war was at the level of 20%. Those in greatest deficit were STZ-5, Cominterns, S-2 Stalinets-2 and Voroshilovtsy.

Heir to the Comintern

The situation on the fronts was changing, the Red Army went from retreat to counterattack. By the summer military campaign of 1942, powerful tractors with high traction qualities were needed to transport specially powerful artillery systems at the disposal of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command - otherwise it was simply impossible to carry out an offensive.

However, the remaining pre-war vehicles such as “Comintern”, S-2 “Stalinets-2” and “Voroshilovets”, the production of which had been discontinued, were clearly not enough. All these tractors were civilian. With a certain degree of convention, they were created as dual-purpose vehicles, but in military conditions their components and assemblies worked under extreme loads, breakdowns were frequent, and constant problems arose with spare parts.

First of all, a relatively compact tractor was needed, capable of towing up to 9 tons. The performers were found quickly. They became ZIS and the Scientific Research Tractor Institute (NATI), which had previously worked in tandem to create army half-track tractors ZIS-42 and ZIS-42M. An incredibly short period of time was allotted for everything (development and mass production) - three months. It seemed possible to complete this extremely complex task only by using products from existing production. And if so, they decided to select the engine, transmission and front axle from the ZIS nomenclature, and unify the chassis with the T-70B light tank.

For the new half-track tractor, one of the aggregate donors was the three-ton ZIS-5V

There was also a reason for choosing the half-track design of the tractor, which received the designation AT-8 (the index is given based on the mass of the towed systems). A vehicle of this type is stable on the road, does not sway and allows the installation of special superstructures, the design manages to fully use automotive parts and transmission units, the hood layout with the engine located above the front axle provides large body dimensions and makes the tractor more versatile. In addition, the steered wheels do not destroy the road surface when cornering.

They decided to borrow many elements of the chassis for the AT-8 from the T-70B light tank

The main problem was the lack of a serial engine for the AT-8 with an estimated power of at least 150-160 hp. For this reason, NATI engineers, when designing their version of the tractor, were not able to use the in-line 6-cylinder overhead valve engine MB-27 (10.3 l) with a power of 155 hp, developed at the institute before the war. and a three-speed manual gearbox paired with it. These units remained experimental, although they performed well on the experimental NATI-A city bus.

Motor hunger forced NATI specialists, when developing the second version, to focus on a pair of ZIS-5 (ZIS-16) engines, kinematically connected to each other using a sequential summing gearbox, main clutch and gearbox. Unfortunately, the mentioned transmission units were also not mass-produced, which decided the fate of the project.

Adhering to the twin-engine layout, the engineers of the ZIS Design and Experimental Department took a different path. The team, headed by Boris Fitterman, relied on a proven and industry-proven component base, primarily the engine. The choice fell on the ZIS-16 in-line six (5.55 l), the power of which was increased to 90-92 hp and the torque to 30 kgf m. The engine was boosted due to the fact that cast iron pistons were replaced with analogues made of aluminum alloy, a cylinder head with a new combustion chamber was used, increasing the compression ratio from 4.6 to 5.7, the valve lift was increased to 10 mm, using new pushers and a modified camshaft. designs with wider valve timing, spark plugs were placed above the exhaust valves. The engine was equipped with a 12 V generator (ZIS-5 has 6 V), and its assembly was carried out with individual selection of parts and scraping of the main and connecting rod bearings. At the same time, the engine was equipped with a standard clutch and a four-speed manual gearbox from the ZIS-5.

When creating the AT-8, the experience of working on the YAG-NATI-2M twin-engine truck came in handy

Here, the experience of designing an experimental twin-engine truck YAG-NATI-2M (6x4), in which B. Fitterman also took part, came in handy. The vehicle, built in 1933, was equipped with two AMO-3 engines and two transmissions, each of which transmitted power to its own drive axle using a Brown Lipe 35 gearbox and a NATI-designed range-shifter. A common lever was used to control both gearboxes.

Parallel arrangement of engines on YAG-NATI-2M under a single hood

A similar scheme without a rigid mechanical connection between the tracks was used on the AT-8. The engines are placed on a supporting frame welded from two longitudinal channels, cross members and reinforcements, at a distance of 660 mm from each other. Torque was transmitted to the drive axle, made in the form of a cast crankcase with two ZIS-5 main gears installed inside, through gearboxes and cardan shafts. At the same time, synchronous control of both gearboxes was provided by a single lever. The tracks were directly driven by axle shafts topped with drive wheels from the T-70B tank.

AT-8 twin-engine half-track tractor

A special lever differential mechanism that acted on the engine throttle valves was responsible for synchronizing the operation of the engines. Stability of movement in a straight line was ensured by steered wheels. When turning, the corresponding (internal) motor reduced power and speed, and the external one proportionally increased these parameters, and the process occurred automatically using an ingenious vacuum device connected to the steering mechanism. The control of clutches, gearboxes and accelerators has been duplicated. The confident movement of the AT-8 on soils with low bearing capacity (snow, swamp, muddy road) was facilitated by a differential-free transmission with a rigid kinematic connection between all its elements.

The car felt confident on rough terrain

To facilitate turning, the transmission belt brakes (with foot and manual control), mounted on the shanks of the main gears, were applied separately to the right and left sides.

Without a trailer, the tractor climbed a slope of 34°

The front axle was equipped with dependent suspension on semi-elliptic springs and oversized tires with developed lugs. In addition to the lantern drive wheels with removable gear rims from the T-70B tank, the tractor received sloths equipped with a track tensioning mechanism, and four single-pitch road wheels (on each side) with a diameter of 550 mm with rubber tires, unified with them. The upper branch of the small-link caterpillar, 300 mm wide, rested on three small support rollers on each side. Suspension: individual torsion bar without shock absorbers. This design provided the car with a good smooth ride on the roads.

Movement along the slope

The unique flavor of the car was given by a two-seater wooden cabin from the ZIS-5V of increased width, a massive hood with folding side flaps that covered both engines, a simplified tail and a front bumper made of channel wood. Immediately behind the cabin there were gas tanks, and next was a wooden side platform with an area of 4.5 m2 with a folding tailgate, which could accommodate 2.5 tons of cargo or 15 people. The curb weight of the tractor without cargo and fuel was 7 tons, width - 2550 mm, length - about 6.5 m, minimum ground clearance (under the steering axle beam) - 380 mm. The load on the front axle (without/with load) is 1.9/2 tons, on tracked vehicles, respectively—4.8/7.5 tons.

To understand the difference, it makes sense to compare the performance characteristics of the AT-8 with the pre-war Stalinets-2 tractor, which is similar in characteristics. The weight of the latter in running order without cargo is 11.94 tons, the load capacity of the platform is 1.5 tons (8 seats in the body), the weight of the towed trailer is 10 tons. You can compare the AT-8 with the Comintern. That one had a towed trailer weight of 12 tons, and a curb weight of 10.64 tons.

In general, the main thing that distinguished the AT-8 from its predecessors was its significantly lower weight and, moreover, greater payload capacity.

Overcoming the scarp

A prototype AT-8 was designed and built during October-December 1942. The vehicle was tested in the spring and summer of 1943. From the very beginning, the tractor demonstrated impressive results, which indicated the correctness of the solutions incorporated into its design.

AT-8 tows an ML-20 gun-howitzer with a caliber of 152 mm. With the ML-20, the tractor could move on muddy ground.

Towing an artillery system weighing 9 tons, the AT-8 with 2.5 tons of cargo in the back confidently moved on all types of roads and off-road. The maximum speed with a full load reached 28 km/h, the average speed when driving on the highway was 20-21 km/h. The greatest climbable climb with a 9-ton trailer was 20°, without a trailer – 34°. The car could move along a 30-degree slope. The average specific pressure of a caterpillar propulsion unit without a load is 0.36 kgf/cm2, with a load – 0.47 kgf/cm2. On the highway, the fuel consumption of a train weighing 18.5 tons was around 160 l/100 km or 1.2 kg per km of track.

Transportation of a 203-mm howitzer B-4 with a dismantled barrel

Some shortcomings were also discovered. Among them are insufficient traction force on soils with a low coefficient of adhesion, rather low strength of the supporting frame and axle shafts, and in extreme operating conditions there have been cases of gearbox failure.

The traction capabilities of the AT-8 made it possible to create a new, more advanced vehicle

At the same time, the tests revealed a large reserve of power, which gave grounds to continue work on an improved version of the tractor, designed to work with trailed systems weighing 13-14 tons.

Older brother

Having received feedback (and, by and large, a refusal to take the vehicle into service), the factory workers actively began developing a new tractor with the AT-14 index, completing design work at the end of the summer of 1943. The index was again assigned based on the mass of the towed system. Already in the fall, two cars were produced. On each of them, the strength of the frame and axle shafts was increased, gearbox failures were eliminated by equipping the transmission with range-shifters from a Studebaker US6 all-wheel drive truck, which at the same time expanded the power range of the transmission. To simplify control, transmission belt brakes began to act simultaneously on both sides. Now they did not need separate controls to make turning easier. Thanks to an increase in the difference in rotation speeds of the engine crankshafts, the minimum turning radius (on the inside of the track) was reduced to 6.3 m.

The main difference of the AT-14 tractor was the extended tracked propulsion unit

To improve driving performance, each tracked propulsion unit received a fifth road wheel, and the tracks received rubber shoes. This led to an increase in the supporting surface area. Due to the fact that the front part of the track was moved closer to the steered axle, the overall length of the tractor did not increase. Three gas tanks with a total capacity of 315 liters with separate fuel supply to the engines were moved to the front part of the body, which was moved close to the rear wall of the cabin. The fastening of the towing device from the rear cross member of the frame was transferred to an elastic element in the form of a spring, which, when towing trailers, reduced dynamic loads, especially when starting and braking. A place was found for the spare wheel on board the cargo platform. Loads and people in the back could be protected from bad weather by removable arches and an awning. Other components of the design have remained virtually unchanged. After modernization, the curb weight of the vehicle increased to 8 tons.

The new tractor now has a spare wheel, which is mounted on the side of the body

In the winter of 1944 at the factory, and in the spring and summer at the testing grounds, the AT-14 was subjected to extensive testing. The obtained characteristics turned out to be quite convincing. The thrust on the hook when driving on snow reached 3.9 tons, on the ground - 7.5 tons, on asphalt - 6.2 tons. On the highway, the car, towing a 14-ton trailer, accelerated to 25 km/h, the average speed was 18 km/h, and on a country road – 8-12 km/h. The car’s assets include overcoming 14-degree inclines and fords up to 0.8 m deep. With a load in the back, but without a trailer, it was possible to conquer inclines of up to 30°. The average specific pressure of the caterpillar propulsion system of a vehicle with a load in the back was around 0.5 kgf/cm2. Cruising range with full load is 225 km.

Another advantage of the chosen layout scheme was that a tractor with one running engine could move on a highway with a trailer without much effort, and without it on a country road. In a combat situation, the failure of one engine did not lead to the vehicle stopping with all the ensuing consequences.

Layout of AT-14 and its overall dimensions

In the fall of 1944, state tests of the AT-14 were completed in the Moscow region, which showed that the tractor complied with the tactical and technical requirements of the Red Army. The vehicle, as expected, could not only work reliably with artillery systems weighing up to 14 tons, but also, if necessary, up to 19-20 tons. These factors, despite the somewhat massive size of the tractor, the not very high reliability of a number of elements and the absence of a winch, became decisive for military experts. As a result, the Main Logistics Directorate of the Red Army expressed serious interest in the AT-14 as a transporter of heavy artillery systems.

AT-14 was distinguished by its relative simplicity of design

Encouraged by this outcome, ZIS began manufacturing a batch of eight tractors. But the joy turned out to be premature. Back in 1943, high-speed tracked tractors HD-7-W and HD-10-W from the American company Allis-Chalmers began to arrive under Lend-Lease (over 2.5 thousand units were delivered). The first model could tow artillery systems weighing up to 8 tons, the second - up to 14 tons. These were also agricultural vehicles, but the key difference between them and ZIS ATs was the presence of two-stroke diesel engines from GM - a 3-cylinder 3.5-liter on the “seven” and a 4-cylinder 4.7-liter on the “ten”. Another important advantage was the presence of a winch with a traction force of up to 21 tons - the AT-8 and AT-14 did not have it.

For use in military conditions, both of these tractors had additional protection, but not from bullets and shrapnel, but from collisions with obstacles. American tractors performed relatively well, although some of the disadvantages include an open cabin and demanding fuel quality. The average speeds of these machines ranged from 5 to 10 km/h, that is, they were approximately 2 times higher than those of the Stalinets tractors. At the same time, the maximum towing speed of the 122 mm cannon of the 1931/37 model and the 152 mm howitzer-gun of the 1937 model of the AT-14 reached 25 km/h.

It was not only Lend-Lease deliveries that prevented the adoption of ZIS tractors. Since 1943, YAZ began producing the YA-12 tracked tractor, capable of transporting 8-ton trailers. The Yaroslavl car was also diesel, with the same engine as the Allis-Chalmers HD-7-W. In addition to these three vehicles, a dozen different models of American tractors were supplied from Caterpillar, International and the same Allis-Chalmers, but all of them were not so widely used in the artillery units of the Red Army.

Considering this generally successful experience and the fact that the war was nearing its end, they did not invest in the production of a twin-engine tractor from the ZIS. The matter never came to the combat use of the AT-8 and AT-14.

American tractor Allis-Chalmers HD-10-W, which, together with the HD-7-W, played a fatal role in the fate of the ZIS tractor

At this point, it would seem, the topic of twin-engine cars with an onboard non-differential type of transmission has been exhausted.
But no. According to the same scheme, in the 1950-1960s, several promising off-road vehicles were created at ZIL at SKB V. A. Grachev, some of which were produced at the Bryansk Automobile Plant for quite a long time. So the seemingly dead-end idea received its creative development. The twin-engine ZIL (BAZ)-135LM with an onboard differential-free transmission is still in service with the Russian army

GAZ-AA - “Lorry”

“Lorry” is a legendary car of the Gorky Automobile Plant. The first GAZ-AA was built on the basis of the American Ford Model AA of the 1930 model. But after a number of upgrades, the truck actually became an independent domestic vehicle. Before launching into production, engineers prepared their own technical documentation and redesigned some components. The first serial NAZ-AA left the assembly line of the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant (NAZ) on January 29, 1932. The first lorries had the abbreviation NAZ-AA; the abbreviation GAZ appeared later.

The car received the nickname “Lorry” because of its carrying capacity of 1.5 tons. The car was equipped with a 3.2 liter engine with a power of 42 hp. Fuel consumption is 20 liters per 100 km, maximum speed is 70 km/h. The truck showed its best qualities - simplicity, reliability and unpretentiousness - during the Great Patriotic War. By the way, then the cars underwent major changes - the model was simplified in order to increase the number of cars produced. The right headlight, rear-view mirrors, bumper, muffler, and front brakes were removed from the car. The cabin began to be made of boards and plywood, the complex-shaped front fenders were replaced with simple ones, and a “bench” made of wood appeared instead of the driver’s seat. Some models had pieces of tarpaulin instead of doors. This vehicle was called GAZ-MM-V (military modification).

GAZ-AA was produced from 1932 to 1950 and eventually became one of the most popular trucks in the history of the USSR - almost 1 million vehicles rolled off the assembly line.

Copied, but Soviet: the rarest military vehicles of AMO

The first Soviet truck AMO-F-15 model 1924

AMO-F-15 (1924–1931)

In the previous article , we mentioned that in the first years after the October Revolution, the AMO plant assembled 1.5-ton FIAT-15 Ter trucks from assembly kits brought from Italy, but their reserves quickly dried up. Having mastered its own production of most units, at the end of 1924 the plant introduced the first Soviet AMO-F-15 trucks with right-hand controls. It was officially reported that they were entirely assembled from domestic components, and therefore their release was considered the most important victory of the young Republic of Soviets in creating a domestic automobile industry. In fact, only a rounded hood, an enlarged radiator, an open cockpit with a solid windshield and a foreign carburetor could be attributed to Soviet details.

A late version of the AMO-F-15 car with a hard top cab. 1928

Serial production of the AMO-F-15 began in March 1925, and then the vehicles went through several stages of modernization. By the end of the year, the hood became lower and flatter, followed by an enclosed hardtop cab and simplified wood body, electric start, and the steering wheel moved to the left side. Until 1931, about seven thousand cars were assembled.

AMO-F-15 trucks of different years of production at military maneuvers. 1928

Variants and military versions of AMO-F-15

In the first year of production, the 1.5-ton AMO-F-15 was adopted by the Red Army and immediately became the main domestic light multi-purpose military truck. It performed almost all functions from carrying personnel, ammunition, food, mortars and light guns in the back of 12 people to working as headquarters vehicles, a light artillery tractor or a chassis for special bodies, superstructures and weapons.


Airborne AMO-F-15 when transporting personnel (film shot)	AMO-F-15 vehicles at a military parade on Red Square (film still)

The AMO-F-15 was responsible for the creation of almost all fundamentally new types of special military vehicles, which did not exist in the armed forces of the USSR until then.

One of the first special army vehicles in 1926 was the AMO-F-15SH staff car with an open four-door body with a rear trunk and a solid canvas awning with celluloid windows. Its body contained a folding table and pockets for maps, and two additional small ones were installed under the main electric headlights. The speed of the vehicle when loaded did not exceed 42 km/h.

Six-seater headquarters AMO-F-15SH with rear dual-slope wheels

On the standard AMO-F-15 chassis, various enterprises in small batches produced the first Soviet ambulances, which were supplied for trial operation to the medical units of the Red Army. They turned out to be too inconvenient, and the rigid suspension of a regular truck did not at all meet the requirements for transporting the sick and wounded.

Automobile plant No. 6 of Avtopromtorg, known as the Miussky fire engine plant, since 1927, on the basis of the AMO-F-15, assembled simple fire lines with water pumps, ladders and hose reels, which served in the paramilitary fire fighting teams of large objects and cities of the USSR. Similar cars were assembled by Leningrad.

Line on the AMO-F-15 chassis for paramilitary fire brigades

The AMO-F-15 vehicles carried airfield starters, lighting and radio broadcasting installations. The equipment of the first Soviet field workshops for minor repairs of armored vehicles, field radio stations, generator sets, and kitchen kitchens was installed in special vans. Buses on this chassis were used to transport military personnel and convert the interior to a mobile radio station.

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At the parades of 1928–1930, AMO-F-15 trucks with single and twin Maxim machine gun mounts, mortars and anti-aircraft searchlights were presented for the first time.

AMO-F-15 with machine gun systems at a parade in Moscow. 1929

Twin anti-aircraft machine gun mount in the back of an AMO-F-15 (film frame)

In 1929, the first experimental sound-collecting installations with four horns appeared on Red Square, which made it possible to detect enemy aircraft at a distance of up to 25 kilometers, but were not yet capable of determining the direction of their movement.

Sound stations for detecting enemy aircraft

In 1928, the first Soviet light armored vehicles BA-27, created on a special reinforced and modified AMO-F-15SP chassis, began to arrive in the Red Army, replacing the wheeled armored vehicles of foreign and pre-revolutionary production that had previously been in service with the Red Army.

Prototype of the BA-27 armored car on a special AMO-F-15SP chassis

The serial BA-27 was equipped with a riveted armored hull from the Izhora plant with a hexagonal turret and a rapid-fire cannon from the MS-1 light tank and a 7.62-mm machine gun designed by V. A. Degtyarev. The first batches were supplied with a second control post. The combat weight of the armored car was 4.4 tons, the maximum speed on a flat road was 45 km/h. 215 of these armored cars were assembled.

The first Soviet turret armored vehicle BA-27 with a 37 mm cannon

OGPU special forces troops on BA-27 armored vehicles

These armored vehicles played an important role in equipping the Red Army with new armored vehicles, participated in battles with the Basmachi in Central Asia, and took part in resolving the military conflict on the Chinese Eastern Railway in China.

By the mid-1920s, it became clear that the outdated “Soviet FIAT” would not be able to solve all the transport and military problems of the USSR. To search for a prototype of a new, more respectable truck, in the summer of 1928, a Soviet delegation went to the United States and chose a simple and reliable 2.5-ton Autocar SA vehicle with a 60-horsepower Hercules engine, assembled from components and parts produced by various American companies. One of its competitors was the German Mercedes-Benz. And if they had chosen him, then the whole history of the Soviet truck industry would have gone differently...

The beginning of the 1930s saw vigorous activity to introduce at the AMO plant not the best, but a cheap American truck. Its first and direct successor was the AMO-2 . Despite the short assembly period, it served as the base for various tank trucks, a filling station for chemical cleaning of weapons and military equipment, fire engines and the first domestic anti-aircraft searchlights.

The first floodlight station on the long-wheelbase AMO-2 chassis

Soon it was replaced by the “entirely and completely Soviet” version of the AMO-3, assembled from components and parts of domestic production and subsequently becoming the prototype of the legendary three-ton ZIS-5.

AMO-3 (1931–1934)

The new 2.5-ton AMO-3 truck received a Soviet six-cylinder engine with 60 horsepower, a dry double-disc clutch, a four-speed gearbox, a wooden cabin with metal lining, and even a compressor for inflating tires. Its production continued for four years, during which dozens of new types of special military equipment were created on its chassis.

Variants and military versions of AMO-3

The standard AMO-3 flatbed vehicle was adopted by the Red Army in 1932 and for a short time became the main medium truck of the USSR armed forces.

AMO-3 trucks at a military parade on Red Square. 1933 (film still)

It served as the basis for simple field workshops, engineering vehicles and fuel tankers with manual transfer pumps for refueling armored vehicles in the field. On the basis of AMO-3, modernized auto-filling stations, a hot air auto-degasser for thermal cleaning of uniforms and equipment, the first Soviet shower installations, water-heating boilers, as well as a prototype of a chemical combat vehicle for contamination and decontamination of the area were created.

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The AMO-3 flatbed truck contains an original mechanical layer of a double-track wood-metal road surface for overcoming difficult terrain with conventional vehicles. To install it, a spatial tubular structure with rollers was mounted in the front part of the machine and above the cabin, along which the road belt, when the paver slowly moved forward, moved from the body under its wheels and was laid on a sandy or swampy surface.

Mechanical road tape layer on an AMO-3 truck

In 1932, at the Military Transport Academy of the Red Army on AMO-3, the first Soviet army full-rotating truck crane with a spatial lattice boom was developed. It was equipped with the most advanced electric drive of working parts for its time from its own electric generator driven from the vehicle's transmission, an open control post and four folding supports.

Experienced 2.5-ton army truck crane based on AMO-3. 1933

Also in 1932, production began on the long-wheelbase AMO-4 , which was useful in the Red Army for transporting and mounting large-sized military equipment or weapons. For this purpose, special low-sided wooden bodies were used, which housed field workshops, filling stations, experimental twin 25-mm anti-aircraft guns and the first samples of sound detectors and anti-aircraft searchlights.

Searchlight installations Z-5-14 at a parade in the Mongolian steppes. 1933

The same chassis served as the basis for the open dual-purpose “Fire Avtodorovets” lines, which became the predecessors of the famous PMZ-1 fire truck. They were equipped with longitudinal benches for 12 people, a centrifugal pump, a tank for 360 liters of water, rear and side hose reels.

Restored fire truck on an extended AMO-4 chassis (photo by the author)

In 1933, as part of the project for a heavy four-ton vehicle based on the serial AMO-3 truck, two experimental three-axle AMO-6 with different drive systems for two rear drive axles. A cannon armored car was developed especially for them, but the embodiment of this idea in metal took place when the AMO-6 turned into the famous three-axle ZIS-6.

Experimental three-axle truck AMO-6 with worm final drives (from the NAMI archive)

One of the most unusual vehicles on the AMO chassis was the prototype of one of the first Soviet half-track military tractors, which embodied advanced foreign achievements. To do this, in 1930, two artillery tractors from the SOMUA company were purchased in France (in the USSR they were called “Somua”) with a front drive sprocket of a caterpillar drive. One of them, turned backwards, was installed on a shortened AMO-2 chassis, creating a domestic version of the AMO-Somua with rear drive gears.

Testing of the half-track artillery tractor "AMO-Somua"

Both cars, French and Soviet, passed comparative tests. The foreign version turned out to be the best, and our tractor was declared unsuitable for combat use. After some time, its modified version received the designation “ZIS-Somua”.

The title photo shows AMO-3 trucks at a parade of Soviet troops in Mongolia in 1933. The article uses only authentic illustrations

ZiS-5 - “Trekhtonka”

The ZIS-5 truck (aka AMO-5) received the nickname “Three-Tonka” for its carrying capacity of 3 tons. The model was produced from 1933 to 1958 at the Plant named after I.V. Stalin (ZIS). It is considered the second most common truck in the 1930s and 40s and one of the main trucks of our troops during the Great Patriotic War.

During the war, its simplified modification was produced by the ZIS, UlZIS and UralZIS factories. These cars, like the lorry, had a wooden cabin, one headlight and no front brakes. The car was equipped with a 5.5-liter in-line six-cylinder gasoline engine with a power of 73 horsepower and a four-speed gearbox.

ZIS-5 became the first Soviet-made truck to be exported. So, in 1934, a batch of 100 cars was sold to Turkey.

After the war, production of the ZIS-50 model began. The car was equipped with a new, more powerful 80 hp engine. The ZIS-50 consumed about 30 liters of gasoline per 100 km.

Over the entire period of its existence, the ZIS-5 produced 25 modifications for various needs. But in 1958 the model was discontinued.

The first Soviet "sedelniks"

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Unrealized and little-known civil ground vehicle projects

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By the beginning of the restructuring of automobile factories to a higher level of production in 1930-1931, it became obvious that the country did not have enough one-and-a-half-ton, three- and even five-ton trucks. The increase in capacity at the AMO, NAZ and YAGAZ plants, although significant in percentage terms, was small in quantity. Even a 5-10-fold increase in the production of trucks compared to 1929 was a drop in the bucket for a giant country. In this regard, in administrative circles, a decision was made, enshrined in the plans for future five-year plans, to develop and produce cargo truck tractors with semi-trailers and road trains consisting of one-and-a-half and three-ton trucks with trailers. By 1938, the planned number of truck tractors was to be at least a fifth of the total production of trucks. This would solve the problem of increasing the average load capacity in the industry with the same production of cars. In general, a completely logical decision, especially since with the development of heavy industry, ordinary trucks could no longer cope with the transportation of some units and structures - after all, the standard body of a production car had limited dimensions.

It must be said that by this time the USSR had already accumulated some experience in operating foreign tractors with trailers - they were imported in small quantities from 1921 to 1932. Since 1932, the Soviet Union sharply reduced imports, and now only single copies were imported - on average no more than 100 trucks per year.

Almost only a few lines are devoted to the first Soviet truck tractor AMO-7 in the literature:

“In the winter of 1932, according to the NATI project, several AMO-3s were converted into experimental AMO-7 truck tractors with the rear axle ratio increased to 8.00:1 and a shortened wheelbase to 2920 mm. The A-7 was designed to tow a 5-ton trailer.”

Indeed, two experimental copies of the AMO-7 were built in July 1932, immediately following the experimental AMO-5 and AMO-6. The base chassis was not AMO-3, but an older one - AMO-2. The fact is that in the USSR, experimental cars that were not being prepared for production were tried to be made on old chassis. The technical design of the tractor was developed at NATI. It must be said that all projects of truck tractors in the USSR until 1945 were developed only by the NATI Design Bureau. The institute itself tested its own designs. The experimental design plant at NATI began to function only in mid-1932, so the AMO-7 was assembled directly at the AMO plant.

So, briefly about the tractor itself. In addition to the base being shortened to 2920 mm and the “saddle” installed on it, the windshield was also replaced. Previously, AMO cars used two viewing glasses with a partition, but in the AMO-7 design the windshield was made one piece. At the same time, there were still no side windows: the window openings in the cabin doors were covered with canvas curtains with celluloid windows.

Since the standard engine installed on the car developed only 60 hp, the gearbox had to be used with a reduction ratio. It was not yet a range-multiplier, but only a gearbox that allowed for an engine power of 60 hp. increase the rated power of the car. The reverse gear ratio was lowered from 5.35:1 to 8.00:1. The car was initially experimental - there was no talk of its small-scale production. The semi-trailer for the tractor was assembled at AMO itself. It wasn’t even a semi-trailer, but a cart with a frame on which weights were placed. The design of the coupling mechanism was very primitive; the tray for receiving the connecting device was awkwardly designed, not parallel to the chassis, which is why the semi-trailer frame had to be curved upward. This is clearly visible in the photograph. It is unclear how it was possible to build a full-fledged semi-trailer with such a design.

All information about the test results of the first tractor is contained in one phrase: “The vehicles showed good results in the tests.” Nevertheless, AMO (in 1933 renamed the Stalin Plant) did not develop this topic for three years. The experienced tractors themselves continued to work for some time on (slang for vehicles for intra-factory transportation). However, the history of the “saddlers” in the USSR did not end there. In 1930, NATI received the task to develop a family of heavy-duty vehicles for introduction into production at the Yaroslavl and future Samara automobile plants. The family included various trucks, tractors and buses, and they were all unified with each other. Of the ten vehicles planned by the project, only five were made, and one of them was the Ya-12D truck tractor.

If everything is clear with the AMO-7 (it was the seventh model of the plant according to the factory continuous numbering), then understanding the Y-12D index is not so easy. In 1932, YAGAZ began to use two designations for its products. The first letters in the new designation of models - “YAG”, “YA” and subsequently “YAS” - indicated the type of vehicle (for example, “YAG” - “Yaroslavl cargo”, “A” and “C”, respectively, bus and dump truck). The “I” index, which was used at the plant until 1932, remained, but it began to be used only for models developed by the NATI Design Bureau. The tractor was indeed already the 12th model in a row, starting with the Y-3. The YA-NATI family included the YA-7, YA-8, YA-9, YA-10, YA-11, YA-12 trucks. The YA-12D index can be deciphered as a truck designed by NATI, model 12 with a range of multipliers.

So, in mid-1933, after the two cars Ya-7 and Ya-7D, the Yaroslavl Automobile Plant made a complex car, the Ya-12D. Of the entire YA-NATI family, the main efforts of the plant were devoted to its creation. The semi-trailer for the Ya-12D was taken from an American one - Lapeer-Houlmore. The tractor was equipped with a multiplier (additional gearbox) developed at NATI itself, as well as a brand new Hercules YXC-3 engine, which produced as much as two horsepower more than the YXC-2, which was installed on previous YA-YAG models. The car was based on the chassis and elements of the Y-5, but most of the systems (gearbox, clutch, lubrication and cooling systems, carburetor) were still of foreign production. It is curious that, for example, the springs made at NATI (i.e., by definition, more advanced) could not withstand the load immediately, and they had to be taken from the three-axle YAG-10. The car was subjected to serious tests, and Moscow roads were used as a testing ground for “winding up” kilometers.

The conclusions made by the commission after testing the tractor were quite satisfactory. The vehicle fulfilled all the assigned tasks, in many ways even exceeding the performance of tractors of foreign brands. The car was recommended for mass production after minor modifications and additions were made - but no production followed... There were many reasons. Firstly, the plant could not produce such cars - it was simply not technically equipped for this, since the Ya-12D was too complex at that time. Secondly, the lack of powerful Hercules engines did not make it possible to do even small-scale assembly. All engines went to the YAG-10 three-axle, and the plant did not purchase more engines because of their high cost. Thirdly, the country did not have the necessary infrastructure; Even semi-trailers were not mass-produced by any plant at that time, and YAGAZ was not able to build them on its own: the help of subcontractors was needed. By the way, in the literature of those years these factors were never mentioned anywhere. In all the documents that I came across, the disruption in the production of tractors was explained exclusively by political reasons: lack of a common opinion among the management, sabotage in factories, machinations of enemies, etc.

Unfortunately, the detailed report on the Ya-12D tests does not indicate the amounts spent on the production of this copy. But I am sure that the tractor and semi-trailer was very expensive, and even if mass produced it would cost too much. It was cheaper to produce, instead of one Ya-12D, two five-ton YaG-3 trucks, which were not more expensive among production vehicles in the USSR by 1933. As for the Ya-12D tractor itself, after testing it worked for the whole year in difficult operating conditions - in the capital's Metrostroy, and then its fate is unknown.

An interesting story happened with a tractor based on GAZ-AA. By order of the Moscow Union of Consumer Societies, by the beginning of 1933, the workshops of the Transport Reconstruction Plant in Moscow (KRT) had converted a GAZ-AA semi-truck into a truck tractor for their own needs. And the story is interesting because after a successful modification, GAZ became interested in this design. Later, the drawings were transferred to the Gorky plant, where several more tractors were assembled for the same MSPO. These tractors were assembled in 1934 in the experimental department of experimental workshops under the leadership of Comrade Solovyov.

The tractor was 95% made from GAZ-AA parts. The car could work both with a fifth wheel and as a timber carrier. The base was traditionally shortened (up to 2.6 m), as a result of which the long frame spars, the driveshaft pipe and the rear axle brace rods had to be cut. The rear axle itself was assembled from defective parts of the GAZ-AA car. The rear cantilever springs have been replaced with semi-elliptical ones. The design of the coupling was quite simple, but at the same time more practical than on the “advanced” Ya-12D. The driver just had to drive up behind the semi-trailer and, with a sharp movement of inertia, launch it onto the tray in front of the semi-trailer, and then lift the ball end of the lever to secure the hitch. The whole procedure took no more than a minute; I will tell you below what difficulties awaited the driver when coupling the ZIS-10 tractor with a semi-trailer. The maximum load was small. The semi-trailer was also used by a foreign company, and its maximum weight was limited to 2.5 tons, since the GAZ-AA engine was weak. Thus, the load capacity of a truck tractor increased by only 40% compared to a truck.

Although GAZ was interested in the new product, it seems they did not start making their own truck tractors. The plant reported the production of almost eight hundred tractors, however, most likely, all of them were timber trucks without a fifth wheel, since this program was considered a priority back in 1934. The three GAZ-AA truck tractors that were built worked at MSPO until the end of their days.

Automobile plant named after Stalin again returned to the production of truck tractors in 1935, and again HATI became the developer of the car. According to some reports, the very first copy was built at the institute itself. One way or another, in 1935, four copies of the new tractor, designated ZIS-10, were released. With a maximum load capacity of 6 tons, or even less (depending on the type of roads), the curb weight of the vehicle was 27.8 tons. This weight was the maximum for tires of size 34_7, produced at that time for the ZIS.

Interestingly, the ZIS-10 is the only tractor that did not have the standard base reduced and the chassis shortened, as was done with its predecessors. In order to deploy such a road train, a minimum of 9 meters of road width was required. Manufacturers did not provide drivers with clear recommendations for driving tractor-trailers when driving in reverse. It was simply recommended that the driver be very experienced and that when reversing he should move extremely slowly and carefully, since visibility when reversing was almost zero.

The final drive ratio was traditionally increased from 6.41 to 8.42. At the same time, the speed of the car, of course, decreased. The ZIS-5 engine, with its 73 horsepower with a new main gear, did not even accelerate the car to 50 km/h. Such a tractor definitely needed a different engine or a diesel engine with at least 100 hp. A range-multiplier was not provided on this model.

I will give an example from a manual for drivers on coupling and disconnecting a fifth wheel using the example of a ZIS-10:

braking the semi-trailer with a hand brake;
lowering the locking pawl on the tractor;
hitch (with automatic locking of the closed jaws of the hitch);
connecting the brake system vacuum hose and electrical wiring;
lifting the support frame;
releasing the semi-trailer brakes.

To disconnect the trailer, it was necessary to do the same operations in reverse order. On many roads in winter, coupling was generally a very difficult task: the brake was weak, the semi-trailer tried to roll back, and the wheels of the tractor were slipping; It was completely impossible to lift and grab the front of a loaded semi-trailer. In such conditions, the coupling had to be done strictly in a straight line with slight acceleration.

Yes... It was not easy for the driver of the thirties - and his car also did not have power steering...

Let me remind the reader once again that the difficulties that arose during the production of truck tractors were largely due to the lack of semi-trailers. For the ZIS-10, designer NATI A.N. Ostrovtsev specially developed a new flatbed semi-trailer NATI-PDD. As mentioned above, there was no mass production of semi-trailers in the USSR at all, and only in 1937 their serial production was launched. This Gulag factory only built on-board PPD/KP. He could not make covered bodies, so in the same 1937 the body plant of Narkompishprom produced the first experimental 5-ton semi-trailer with a “van” body for the same ZIS-10 tractor. This van was never put into mass production, and the ZIS-10 in 1938-1941 was produced only with a flatbed semi-trailer. Despite the fairly large number of tractors produced, photographs of them have not yet been found. Most likely, the lion's share of the vehicles went to the army (ZIS saddle bars were used to transport long items in pontoon parks), and a small part was purchased by large factories of the USSR.

It is worth mentioning another interesting tractor design, created in the pre-war years. In 1939, NATI began to develop a new type of road train. The vehicle, built according to the “tractor + semi-trailer + trailer” scheme, was supposed to transport six GAZ-AAs. In fact, it was the first domestic car carrier, created to save fuel and drivers’ salaries when transporting cars. Delivering six cars by tractor would cost 3-4 times less than hauling them under your own power. Tests of the first car of the "BA" series (not to be confused with the "BA" armored cars) took place in 1940: an attempt was made to transport from Gorky to Moscow on a ZIS-10 tractor equipped with a ZIS-16 engine, six GAZ-AA vehicles that were on flatbed semi-trailer and an additional flatbed trailer. The tractor, consuming 64 liters of fuel per 100 km, with great difficulty finally reached Moscow in 40 hours. After this run, it was decided that the design of the ZIS-10 was not designed to pull such a weight (equivalent to 10.5 tons) with the efficiency that was assumed when designing this road train. In the same year, a more successful design was built based on the American GMC. The weight of the loaded road train was 17.5 tons with a total length of 26.7 meters. However, he did not go into production either: the war began.

In 1940, Soviet magazines published calls for trusts and motor depots to build tractors and semi-trailers for them on the ZIS-5 chassis. It was proposed to make semi-trailers from old frames from trucks, and fifth wheels - in our own metalwork shops. Magazines published diagrams and drawings for the construction of such road trains. This indicates that the demand for truck tractors in the national economy was significant, but it was not possible to satisfy it with the help of factories.

In 1950, the first post-war Soviet truck tractor appeared - the YaAZ-200V. They also built very few of these machines - only 54 units, and then transferred their production to Minsk. The MAZ-200V, produced there since 1951, became the first truly large-scale truck tractor in the USSR. This is how difficult the history of this type of truck in our country has been.

source: Dmitry DASHKO “The first Soviet “sedelniks”” M-Hobbi 4/2010

GAZ-51 - rural worker

A prototype of this machine was created during the war. The first mass production began in 1946. Ten years later, in 1955, they began producing a modernized version of the GAZ-51A, which was produced until 1975. In total, almost 3.5 million trucks of all modifications rolled off the assembly line.

GAZ-51 was produced under Soviet license:

- in Poland at the FSC plant - the model was called “Lublin-51” (GAZ Lublin-51); - in North Korea, as Seungri-58 (Sungri-58); - in China, as Yuejin NJ130.

GAZ designers managed to create a worthy replacement for the lorry. The load capacity was increased by one and a half times - up to 2500 tons, and the service mileage doubled. All components and assemblies had a decent margin of safety and could withstand serious overloads.

The car was equipped with a six-cylinder engine of the same name with a volume of 3.5 liters and a power of 70 hp. Maximum speed is 70 km/h.

MAZ-5429

The creation of the Minsk Automobile Plant, which was released in 1977. Cars of this model were produced until 1990. At least six modifications to the tractor were made. Despite its advanced age, this “workhorse” can still be found in the vast expanses of the former USSR. Modern drivers will probably be shocked by the not-so-comfortable cabin (by today's standards), but once upon a time they traveled many thousands of kilometers in it.

ZIS-150 - workhorse

The ZIS-5 was replaced by the 150th, with a load capacity of 4 tons. It was produced from 1947 to 1957. Externally, the truck is often compared to the American International Harvester K-7, but only the cabin was taken from its Western “brother,” since back in wartime they agreed with the United States on the supply of body stamping presses, which were used to produce the 150. A total of 771,883 copies of the ZIS-150 of all modifications were produced.

The car was produced not only by ZIS (later ZIL), but also in Georgia (under the KAZ-150 brand), as well as in Romania (SR-101) and in China CA-10 “Jiefan”. Moreover, the Celestial Empire loved the car so much that it was produced until 1986. Her image was even placed on banknotes of the People's Republic of China.

The car was equipped with a ZiS-120 engine with a power of 90 hp. and a volume of 5.5 liters. Maximum speed is 65 km/h. Fuel consumption is 29 liters per 100 km. The gearbox is five-speed.

Despite the huge volumes of transportation of super-heavy cargo in the USSR, special attention was not paid to motor transport for them. The vast majority of tractors for them were military vehicles in origin, diluted with a few imports. And there were very few of them.
01

.
the YaAZ-210G
which appeared in 1949 , very similar to the Diamond T-981 of the war years.
It is interesting that at first the engine power of YaAZ was 200 hp, and the trailer’s carrying capacity was 40 tons. And in later vehicles, the power decreased by 35 “horses” and the load capacity decreased by 10 tons. How so? And it’s very simple - at first the tractors were equipped with American GMC 6-71 diesel engines, and with the beginning of the Cold War - with the new domestic YaAZ-206. Of course, it was created by order of the military, but it was also widely used for transporting heavy loads in civilian life (although a little more than 2,000 units were produced in total). MAZ-5203
tank trailer .

.
In the 1960s, the main tractor was the MAZ-537
, also of military origin. Its engine is a 38.8-liter D12A with a power of 525 hp, dating back to the V-2 tank of the 1931 model. As a result, consumption of up to 140 liters of diesel fuel per “hundred”. For the first time - a hydromechanical three-speed gearbox and power steering. The weight of the towed semi-trailer is 65 tons, and its own weight is 22.3 tons. There were also ballast tractors, mainly found in the role of airfield tractors. This one was converted from a saddle into a ballast in a simple old-fashioned way.

.
Its further development was the “grown up” MAZ-543
.
A civilian modification also appeared for the first time, the MAZ-7310,
nicknamed “
Hurricane
”.
It was distinguished by its on-board platform and the absence of military gadgets. Widely used for heavy duty transport. In the photo he is transporting a turbine wheel for the Toktogul hydroelectric station in 1986. The second tractor is its analogue and brother, the then experienced KZKT-7428 “Rusich”
. It has a large towed trailer weight - up to 75 tons.

.
Of course, there was an acute shortage of demobilized heavy trucks, and they were not very suitable - the “living” conditions were too different. Therefore, it was impossible to do without imports. The choice fell on the reputable brand Faun
from Germany.
For the first time, tractors of this brand were brought to the USSR by East Germans who participated in the construction of the Druzhba gas pipeline. HZ
series truck tractors . The machines proved to be excellent, and the USSR began to purchase them in large quantities, both in the form of truck and ballast tractors. They were equipped with 12-cylinder Deutz air engines (up to 525 hp), ZF gearboxes, and their own axles. The total weight of the road train reached 280 tons.

.
A less powerful and expensive imported tractor, and one more often seen on the roads, was this Tatra T815TR
. Specially designed as a ballast tractor, with two closely spaced front axles, a huge 8-seater cabin and its own 12-cylinder TZ-930-53 engine, it reached a weight of 120 tons as part of a road train.

.
With perestroika, our industry began to reluctantly, creakingly turn to face clients - state planning was dying. In 1988, a heavy tractor, originally designed for civilian use, appeared for the first time. It was MAZ-7414
- the brainchild of the future MZKT. An attempt to “cross” a military chassis with an angular cabin did not bring success - only a few vehicles were produced.

. A typical picture of heavy transport during the collapse of the empire. Military tractors no longer met the requirements; there was no money for new imports. Everything that was available was used - tractors from Soviet fleets, a European used car, a heavy dump truck and even a Kirovets tractor.

.
The main manufacturer of ballast tractors was the Belarusian MZKT
, a long-time creator of rocket carriers.
By the beginning of the new century, his program included more than a dozen such machines for different conditions, including model 74132
with a 26-liter diesel engine producing 650 hp. and its own hydromechanical gearbox. The total weight of the road train is up to 400 tons.

.
KAMAZ,
also tried its hand in this segment .
Its model 65226
with a Cummins ISX15 engine was technically designed for a road train with a gross weight of 98,700 kg. But the weak frame combined with the ancient, high-mounted cabin did not ensure success in the market.

.
So in this niche of domestic manufacturers there remains the lone MZKT
.
Its new model 750440
(and when will it finally occur to them to replace the hair-raising ciphers with proper names?) is very modern both in its components (Paccar MX Euro-5 engine) and in appearance.

.
But the most reputable carriers naturally follow the global “trend”. Their fleets are replenished with the most modern European heavy trucks of famous brands, like this all-wheel drive German Titan
. But that is another story…

ZIL-130 - the main truck of Soviet roads

The legendary 130 can still be found on our roads. ZIL-130 became one of the most popular Soviet trucks. Due to its versatility, it was used both in the national economy and in the army. At its base, dump trucks, tractors, fire trucks, snow removal vehicles, garbage trucks and many other modifications were produced. The vehicle with a payload capacity of 5–6 tons occupied a niche between the light GAZ-53 trucks and the heavier MAZ-500.

The car project was first shown in 1956, but the first production car rolled off the assembly line in 1962, and already in 1974 the millionth truck was produced. In 1982, the two millionth ZIL-130 rolled off the assembly line. The car was officially discontinued in 1994, by which time the ZIL automobile plant had produced 3,366,503 cars. But they didn’t forget about the legendary 130th - from 1995 to 2014, the Ural Automotive Plant (UAMZ) produced its latest modification (ZIL-131N), including for military needs, under the name UAMZ-43140 or AMUR-43140.

An 8-cylinder carburetor engine with a power of 150 hp was installed on the car. volume 6 liters. Maximum speed is 75 km/h. Fuel consumption is 35 liters per 100 km.

Tractors and tractors | USSR

Tractor "Kommunar"

The tractor was created on the basis of the German tractor “VD-50 Hanomag” and was produced in 1924-1931. in three versions - with a 50 hp kerosene engine. (G-50), on gasoline with a power of 75 hp. (G-75) and 90 hp. (Z-90). In total, about 2 thousand tractors were produced. During the war, the tractor was “mobilized” for the needs of the front. Tractor performance characteristics: length – 5.2 m; width – 2.1 m; height – 2.5 m; weight – 8.5 t; engine power – 50-90 hp; speed on the highway – 15 km/h; load capacity – 2 t; weight of towed cargo – 6 tons; crew – 1 person.

Medium artillery tractor "Comintern"

The tractor was developed using the chassis and some components of the T-24 tank. It was produced by the Kharkov Locomotive Plant since 1934. A total of 1,798 vehicles were manufactured. The tractor was used to transport field and howitzer artillery. It had a winch. The wooden cabin with metal cladding with minor modifications was borrowed from the ZIS-5 truck. Performance characteristics of the tractor: length – 5.8 m; width – 2.2 m; height – 2.5 m; weight – 10.5 t; ground clearance - 400 mm; engine type – 4-cylinder, liquid-cooled diesel KIN; engine power – 131 hp; speed on the highway – 30 km/h; Power reserve – 220 km; load capacity – 2 t; weight of towed cargo – 12 tons; crew – 2 people.

Heavy artillery tractor "Voroshilovets"

The tractor was produced by the Kharkov Locomotive Plant since 1939. The cabin was used from the ZIS-5 truck, having previously been converted and expanded. A removable canvas awning was installed on the body. The fuel could be: diesel fuel, gas oil or a mixture of motor oil and kerosene. The tractors captured by the Wehrmacht were used under the designation "Gepanzerter Artillerie Schlepper 607(R)". A total of 1,123 vehicles were produced. Performance characteristics of the tractor: length – 6.2 m; width – 2.9 m; height – 2.7 m; weight – 15.5 t; ground clearance - 462 mm; load capacity – 3 t; towed cargo weight – 22 tons; engine type – 12-cylinder V-2V; engine power – 375 hp; speed on the highway – 42 km/h; Power reserve – 270 km; crew – 3 people; number of seats for people – 19.

Medium artillery tractor "Stalinets-2"

The tractor has been produced by ChTZ since 1939. The cabin from the ZIS-5 car was expanded and retrofitted. The cargo platform with two folding seats on the sides could be covered with an awning. A total of 1,275 vehicles were produced. Performance characteristics of the tractor: length – 4.7 m; width – 2.4 m; height – 2.8 m; weight – 12 t; ground clearance - 462 mm; load capacity – 1.5 t; towed cargo weight – 10 t: engine type – 4-cylinder diesel M-17; engine power – 113 hp; specific engine power – 9.6 hp/t; speed on the highway – 25 km/h; Power reserve – 160 km; crew – 2 people; number of seats for transporting people – 10.

Artillery tractor T-20 "Komsomolets"

The tractor was developed in 1936 on the basis of the T-38 tank and the GAZ-AA truck and was intended for towing 45 mm anti-tank and 76 mm regimental guns. The tractor was produced in three series, which differed in the design of the cargo platform, seats, viewing devices and devices related to ensuring the temperature conditions of the engine and improving the chassis. To protect from bad weather, a canvas awning was provided for the body. Sometimes the tractor was used as a wedge. Captured tractors were used in Germany, Romania and Finland. Based on the T-20, the light anti-tank self-propelled gun ZiS-30 was produced. A total of 7,780 vehicles were produced. Performance characteristics of the tractor: length – 3.5 m; width – 1.9 m; height – 1.6 m; ground clearance - 300 mm; weight 3.5 t; weight of towed cargo – 1.5 tons; load capacity – 0.5 t; armor – 7-10 mm; engine type - 4 cylinder carburetor GAZ-MM:; engine power – 50 hp; specific power – 14 hp/t; speed on the highway – 50 km/h; Power reserve – 250 km; armament - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; crew – 2 people.

Medium artillery tractor YA-12

The tractor was developed in 1943 at the Yaroslavl Automobile Plant on the basis of the experimental Ya-11 tractor. The difference between the Ya-12 and its predecessor was the installation of the American GMC-4-71 diesel engine, which was supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease.

Known modifications are “Ya-13” with a four-stroke carburetor engine “ZIS-5M” and “Ya-13F” with a forced four-stroke carburetor engine “ZIS-MF”. "Ya-12" towed 122 mm hull guns, 152 mm gun howitzers and even 203 mm heavy howitzers. A total of 2,296 vehicles were produced. Performance characteristics of the tractor: length – 4.9 m; width – 2.4 m; height – 2.2 m; weight – 6.6 t; ground clearance - 305 mm; load capacity - 2 t; weight of towed cargo – 8 tons; engine type engine power – 110 hp; speed on the highway – 38 km/h; Power reserve – 290 km; crew – 3 people; number of seats for transporting people – 11.

Crawler tractor "Stalinets-60" (S-60)

The tractor was a copy of the Caterpillar-60 tractor and was produced by the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant in 1933-1937. A total of 69 thousand cars were produced. In the Red Army it was used as an artillery tractor. Tractor performance characteristics: length – 4 m; width – 2.4 m; height – 2.8 m; weight – 10 t; engine type - gasoline; engine power – 60 hp; speed on the highway – 6 km/h; crew – 1 person.

Crawler tractor "Stalinets-65" (S-65)

The tractor was a diesel version of the S-60 and was produced by the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant in 1937-1941. The engine could also run on a mixture of autol and kerosene. With the beginning of the war, due to the losses of the first period, most tractors were withdrawn from agriculture. They were used to tow high-power guns. Captured tractors were also used by the Wehrmacht. A total of 37.6 thousand cars were produced. Tractor performance characteristics: length - 4.1 m; width – 2.4 m; height - 2.8 m; weight – 10.8 t; engine type – M-17; engine power – 65 hp; speed on the highway – 7 km/h; crew – 1 person.

Tracked artillery tractor STZ-5-NATI

The tractor was developed on the basis of the SHTZ-NATI tractor and was produced by the Stalingrad Tractor Plant since 1937. The vehicle had a closed wood-metal cabin installed above the engine. In this case, the engine is located inside the cabin between the seats of the gun crew commander and the driver. A BM-13-16 rocket launcher was mounted on the tractor chassis. In the Wehrmacht, the STZ-5 received the designation Gepanzerter Artillerie Schlepper 601(r). A total of 9944 cars were produced. Performance characteristics of the tractor: length – 4.2 m; width – 1.9 m; height – 2.4 m; weight – 5.8 t; ground clearance - 288 mm; engine type – 4-cylinder multi-fuel “1MA”; engine power – 52-54 hp; load capacity – 1.5 t; weight of towed cargo – 4.5 tons; speed on the highway – 22 km/h; Power reserve – 145 km; crew – 2 people; number of seats for transporting people – 10.

Artillery tractor T-26T

Tractor with armored top

T-26T tractor with canvas top

The vehicle was a T-26 tank chassis. To tow various trailers, a special towing device was mounted on the stern. The vehicle had no weapons. The tractor was produced since 1934 in two modifications with an armored roof and with a canvas awning with celluloid windows. A total of 213 vehicles were produced, including 10 vehicles with an armored body (6-15 mm). Performance characteristics of the tractor: length – 4.6 m with an armored body, 3.7 m with a tarpaulin awning; weight – 8.1 (7.7) t; engine type – 4-cylinder; engine power – 90 hp; speed on the highway – 28 km/h; Power reserve – 120 km; crew – 5 people.

Tank tractor T-34T

The tractor was created on the basis of the T-34 tank, mainly by military workshops, from linear tanks with faulty weapons. The turret was removed from them, the turret shoulder strap was welded with an armor plate, in which an entrance hatch was equipped. The tractor was intended to evacuate light and medium tanks from the battlefield and tow them to a repair site, as well as to pull out stuck tanks. Performance characteristics of the tractor: weight - 22 tons; crew - 2 - 3 people; armament - 7.62 mm; DT machine gun; armor - anti-ballistic; engine power - 500 hp; speed on the highway without load is 55 km/h, towing speed is 3–6 km/h.

Tank tractor based on the KV-1S tank

A tractor based on the KB tank was created in military repair units as a result of the conversion of serial KV-1 (KV-1S) tanks with faulty main weapons. Tractors were used to evacuate and tow tanks and self-propelled guns of all types. When towing a heavy tank with one tractor, the speed was 2 km/h, a medium tank — 3 km/h, and a light tank — 8 km/h. Performance characteristics of the tractor: weight - 34 tons; crew - 2 - 3 people; armament - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; armor - anti-ballistic; engine power - 600 hp; speed on the highway without load is 43 km/h, towing speed is 3–8 km/h.

Tank tractor IS-2T

Since 1944, repair plants have organized the production of tractors based on IS-1 (IS-2) tanks. The tractors differed from production vehicles by the absence of a turret. The hole for installing the turret in the tank's hull was closed with a welded armor plate, in which a commander's cupola with a double-leaf entrance hatch and an MK-4 periscope viewing device was installed. To evacuate damaged tanks, additional towing cables, blocks of pulleys and, if necessary, spare parts were placed on the fenders and the roof of the vehicle's fighting compartment, which were used to carry out routine repairs and ensure the possibility of evacuating the vehicles. In addition, manual tractor or automobile winches could be stowed and transported on the vehicles. Performance characteristics of the tractor: weight - 35 tons; crew - 2 - 3 people; armament - 7.62 mm DT machine gun; armor - anti-ballistic; engine power - 520 hp; travel speed on the highway without load is 35 km/h, towing speed is 3–8 km/h.

Truck tractor ZIS-10

The tractor was produced in 1937-1939.
with a dual-slope rear axle. A single-axle 6-ton flatbed semi-trailer (1-PP-6) with a loading platform length of 5 m was developed especially for the tractor. The trailer was used for transporting large property of pontoon parks. A total of 766 vehicles were produced. Performance characteristics of the tractor: length – 5.4 m; width – 2.1 m; height – 2.2 m; ground clearance – 250 mm; curb weight – 2.8 t, gross – 6.3 t; load capacity – 3.5 t; engine type - carburetor 6-cylinder; engine power – 73 hp; tank volume – 65 l; maximum speed – 48 km/h; fuel consumption – 38 l/100 km; Power reserve – 170 km; number of seats in the cabin – 2. Share in:

GAZ-66 - "Shishiga"

This truck with a payload capacity of 2 tons was specially created to drive where no other vehicle can go. All-wheel drive and excellent cross-country ability made this truck practically the main transport of the Soviet Army. A distinctive feature of the “shishiga” is the balanced location of the center of gravity, which gave an almost equal distribution of load between the front and rear axles. The car was popular among the airborne troops - when landing with a parachute, the car descends without blocking the cabin and lands on all wheels at once. True, the truck also had significant shortcomings. The size and location of the cabin turned out to be dangerous for the crew of the vehicle in the event of a mine explosion. For this reason, the GAZ-66, starting in the 1980s, was withdrawn from combat units in Afghanistan.

The first production car was produced in 1964, although prototypes of the GAZ-66 were ready back in 1957, but due to the lack of an engine suitable for power, production had to be postponed. The last car left the assembly shop on July 1, 1999, and was replaced by the GAZ-3308 Sadko. In total, during the production of GAZ-66, 965,941 cars were produced.

The GAZ-66 was equipped with a V-shaped carburetor engine ZMZ-513 with a volume of 4.3 liters and a power of 125 hp. The maximum speed of the truck is 70 km/h, fuel consumption is 18 liters per 100 km.

Engine AMO-F15

The power plant was a single-row four-cylinder F-15 carburetor engine with a vertical cylinder arrangement and a lower valve arrangement. With a 100 mm cylinder diameter and a 140 mm piston stroke, the engine displacement was 4398 cc. At 1400 rpm, the engine, which had a fourfold compression ratio, developed a power of 35 horsepower. The maximum speed of the car was 50 km/h, the average speed on crushed stone highways was 30 km/h, and on dirt roads 15 km/h. Starting the engine

was carried out using a “crooked starter” - a crank. Instead of a generator, the ignition spark was produced by a magneto, and a six-volt battery served only to power the headlights. The energy of this battery was not enough even for a sound signal, and therefore the AMO-F-15 was equipped with an enema-like manual horn. The engine was supplied with fuel from a 70-liter gas tank located under the hood to the engine carburetor by gravity. The engine was cooled by air. To create a flow of cooling air, instead of a fan, an engine flywheel was used, to which fan blades were attached.

photo of AMO-F15 ambulance

Ural-375 - all-terrain vehicle "Glutton"

The designers of the 375th were tasked with making a new 5-ton off-road truck for the needs of the Soviet Army and the national economy. The car was assembled at the automobile plant in Miass. The first production truck, the Ural-375, led a festive convoy of automakers at a demonstration on November 7, 1960.

The first models had a folding tent roof and a flat windshield that folded down onto the hood. Later the car received an all-metal cabin. The model was constantly modernized and improved. In 1964, the car received the Ural-375D index. Thanks to its technical characteristics, especially high cross-country ability, the truck became the best in its class among vehicles of that time. In 1972, the car was awarded the highest quality category. A year later, Ural -375D received the state “USSR Quality Mark”, a symbol of the highest technical excellence.

The truck was used as a basis for the installation of military equipment, for example, the Grad and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems. The car was also appreciated in civilian life: the 375 became an indispensable assistant for oil workers and geologists.

The car was equipped with an eight-cylinder ZIL-375 engine with a volume of 7 liters and a power of 180 hp. Maximum speed is 75 km/h. Load capacity - 4500 kg. The car received the nickname “Glutton”, since in the first versions of the 375 fuel consumption was 65–70 l/100 km, in later versions it dropped to 48–50 l/100 km. Production of the Ural-375D ended in 1992.

Holiday trucks from the last decades of the Soviet era

Holiday Trucks (Part 3)

Mikhail Sokolov Photos from the funds of local history museums. Artemovsky, Belebey, Berezniki, Buguruslan, Volzhsky, Gornozavodsk, Dalmatov, Dobryanka, Zvenigova, Zhitikara, Kataysk, Kopeisk, Kungur, Nizhny Tagil, Nyurba, Orsk, Ukhta, Cherepovets, Shadrinsk, Yaroslavl and the author’s archive

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In the USSR, trucks were used not only for their intended purpose, but also for festive demonstrations. Not only all mass-produced domestic trucks, but also vans, dump trucks, tractors, minibuses, buses, as well as foreign-made car models that came into the country, did not escape this honorable mass and literally universal use. Today the story will be about the last decades of the Soviet era.

The new period in the history of our country, which began in the late 1950s, which is now called the “thaw,” in addition to global changes in the political and social life of the country, was also marked by the rapid development of domestic technology, in particular the automotive industry. In the previously rather meager model range of Soviet cars, numerous new, hitherto unknown niches appeared: light-duty trucks (800 kg), similar vans, minibuses, trucks with a cab over the engine, all-wheel drive cabover trucks, powerful scrapers, multi-axle super-heavy tractors, etc. , and so on... And the design of the main basic cars is undergoing significant changes: following the American automobile fashion of the 1950s, the hypertrophied front wings and the radiator lining that has expanded in width seem to attract each other, forming a certain single volume; the hood sides disappear, and the hood turns into a fairly flat lid of the same volume. The dominance of dark green in the color of trucks is being reversed; brighter and more varied colors are coming into use: sand, blue and white, orange and white, etc. Naturally, all these models are new, at the turn of the 1950s–1960s years, actively introduced into industrial production, soon appear in everyday use, and, therefore, almost immediately with the onset of the next date, May 1 or November 7, they become at the head of the festive columns, showing with all their appearance the triumph of socialism and demonstrating the latest achievements of Soviet science and technology.

One of the striking examples of new types of cars for the USSR was the UAZ-450 family produced by the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant. The UAZ-450 cabover minibuses and the 0.8-ton UAZ-450D flatbed trucks, created using the components and assemblies of the GAZ-69 jeep, seemed at first glance very strange and unusual. However, the all-wheel drive of most of their versions and fairly good driving characteristics played a role, shortening the period of “addiction” and pushing these models into the category of popular and sought-after domestic cars, used as medical and staff vehicles, delivery vans, laboratories, etc. Moreover, over time, in the minds of drivers, these “UAZs” became nothing more than “loaves” and “tadpoles”, and, as you know, nicknames appear only for successful, well-deserved designs. In addition, these “loaves” are still produced in several versions, and today they are the absolute longest-lived conveyor among all domestic machines.

Another example is the Riga RAF minibuses, produced on the Volga GAZ-21 components and assemblies. Of course, they could not compete with UAZs in terms of reliability and cross-country ability, but in city driving conditions they had much greater comfort and convenience for passengers, and their appearance was more “passenger-like,” swift and expressive. History has brought to us the participation of one of the early serial RAFs (state number 70-32 gob) of white and blue color, which once belonged to the Scientific Research Radiophysical Institute (NIRFI) in Gorky, in a festive May Day demonstration in the first half of the 1960s . Interestingly, the front lining had been slightly altered at the time of filming.

An even rarer domestic production car can be considered the Start minibus, created in 1963 by the Severodonetsk Auto Repair Base and the Severodonetsk Stekloplastik Production Association using components from the GAZ-21. The body, mounted on a frame chassis, had a working fiberglass skin, which was glued inside a special matrix manually using contact molding, after which wooden reinforcements for the sidewalls, roof, window and door openings were glued into it. The result was a fairly strong, although not very durable, structure. In total, about 150 such cars were manufactured before 1970 (and about 30 more of their Lugansk and Donetsk modifications), so in the 1970s they could be found (rarely!) only in the east of Ukraine, in Crimea or Moscow. All the more interesting is the fact that in Nizhny Tagil (Sverdlovsk region), which is very remote from the places mentioned, there was a copy of “Start” and even participated in holiday demonstrations. Its appearance here, apparently, was due to the cooperation of the local plastics plant (to which this minibus belonged) and the Stekloplastik Production Association. Unfortunately, the further fate of this interesting car that ended up in the Urals remains unknown.

But let's get back to the trucks. The first of the models with the above-described fundamentally new appearance in 1962, the GAZ-53F appeared in operation and at festive events - a compromise car that arose due to the fact that GAZ was already ready to produce a more powerful base model of the new generation, but the production of an engine for it was very late. As a result, under the new shell there was essentially the same GAZ-51A, with a longer wheelbase and boosted to 82 hp. motor. Increasing the power of an engine that did not have a safety margin backfired: without having worked out even half of its service life, these engines turned out to be simply unusable and could not be repaired. Vehicle fleets solved the problem either by installing existing engines on the vehicle (as a rule, the standard GAZ-51 or the more powerful Ural-353), or simply by writing off the vehicle. It is clear that this “hurry up and make people laugh” truck did not leave any special trace in history, and was remembered only for its original front cladding with overhead headlights.

The complete opposite of it was the subsequent Gorky models - GAZ-53A (since 1965) and GAZ-52 (since 1967). Although the GAZ-53A was also far from ideal in terms of engine (having received a “passenger car”, in essence, ZMZ-53A), torque, cross-country ability, reliability, etc. (in relation to the conditions for which it was intended), but produced en masse until 1994, it turned out to be replicated in the order of four million copies (!) and literally filled the entire space of the USSR, in the 1970–1980s being the most common domestic medium-sized truck tonnage The quantitative indicator of the GAZ-52 produced by inertia until 1990 (essentially the same GAZ-51A with the “53rd” cabin) turned out to be more modest, but it also crossed the threshold of a million copies. Another significant novelty of GAZ was the all-wheel drive cabover GAZ-66 (since 1964), the designers of which, despite the similar ZMZ-66 engine with a typical “passenger” characteristic, managed to achieve significant off-road performance. The very popular “shishiga” also received the status of a long-liver, lasting on the assembly line until 1995, and the circulation approached a million copies.

The capital's Likhachev Automobile Plant also kept up with GAZ and in 1964 mastered mass production of the new five-ton base model ZIL-130. Having overcome a number of “childhood diseases” by the end of the 1960s, the vehicle was repeatedly modernized (variants 130-66, 130-76, 130-80) and, over time, moving into the six-ton category, it became the second most common truck in the USSR in 1970–1980 years, reaching 3,383,000 copies by the end of production. In addition, this truck, unlike Gorky’s, managed to win much greater authority and love of millions of drivers throughout the Soviet Union, which in itself was worth a lot, since the ZIS-ZIL always secretly competed with GAZ, and if before the war it was the ZIS-5 that occupied the main leading positions, the post-war ZIS-150 managed to lose almost all of them, losing to Gorky’s “51st”, and only with the advent of the “130th” ZIL regained the leadership.

In addition, the Likhachev plant, like GAZ, continued to develop the direction of all-wheel drive army trucks, specializing in 6x6 vehicles. As a result of a deep and radical modernization of the ZIS-151 in 1958, the ZIL-157 appeared on the assembly line on 12.00-18 tires with single-pitch tires on all axles, and in 1961 another deep modernization followed, the result of which was the ZIL-157K with a changed distribution axle loads, a new gearbox, single-plate clutch and telescopic shock absorbers instead of lever shock absorbers, but still with separate drive to the rear bogie axles. Despite the fact that in 1967, ZIL launched a new similar army truck, the ZIL-131, with a single drive to the rear bogie axles, the production of the “157th” (a truck of the previous generation) continued in parallel with it until 1978, i.e. before the transfer of production of ZIL-157K to a ZIL branch - the Ural Automotive Plant, where it continued to be assembled for more than 15 years, so that the last ZIL-157KD left the gates of UAMZ in 1994. The total number of “157s” was 797,834 copies. As for the ZIL-131, it was produced in Moscow until 1994 (a total of 998,429 copies were produced), and then it was also transferred to UAMZ, so that the number of “131st” exceeded well over a million units. Since the basic ZIL-131 was a purely military vehicle, at first only its slightly simplified civilian modification “131A” was shown at demonstrations. The same is true for the more modestly numbered family of three-axle Urals, the production of which began in Miass in 1961. If all-wheel drive (6x6) 5-ton "Urals" models "375" and "375D" from the beginning only entered the army, then the 7.5-ton "Ural-377" (6x4) since 1966 went mainly to the national economy, where he almost immediately became a participant in festive demonstrations.

As already mentioned, by the early 1960s, cabover trucks had become fashionable in the USSR. In addition to the light 0.8–2.5-ton models produced in orientation, heavier designs with a cab over the engine appeared in Kutaisi (based on the ZIS-ZIL) and in Minsk. The KAZ-606 cabover tractors, produced since 1961 to work with 10.5-ton semi-trailers, had both advantages and serious flaws, but they turned out to be quite in demand in the national economy, and with their original appearance they added another shade to the palette of diversity of domestic trucks, including at holiday demonstrations.

Another milestone in the same fashion was the 7.5-ton MAZ-500 in March 1965. The Minsk residents, to a much greater extent than the designers from Kutaisi, managed to create an original and sought-after basic heavy-duty truck, which has gained well-deserved prestige among drivers and operators. Moreover, it was this brand that most often represented our country abroad, and mostly not at exhibitions, but (which is much more valuable) on the roads of Europe and other countries of the world. Constantly modernized (MAZ-500A, MAZ-5335) and “overgrown” with various modifications, this machine was produced until 1990.

As for the ancestor of MAZ - the Yaroslavl car, it reached the motor level, the heavy-duty models YaAZ-214 (6x6), YaAZ-219, -221 and -222 (6x4) produced there were transferred for further production to Kremenchug, where they basically continued to grow in quantity, slightly improving and constructive. The base in the all-wheel drive family was the most popular and widespread of them, the “222” dump truck, which during further modernization received the indices KrAZ-256, -256B and -256B1 and remained on the assembly line until 1994. Despite the mentioned predominantly quarry rather than street specificity of their works, some copies of the “256s” also became participants in festive demonstrations.

And, indeed, at holidays and parades one could, without exaggeration, see any equipment that was then produced in the USSR - from the mighty multi-axle MAZs to the nimble half-ton “hairpieces” or “heels” IZH-2715 and the IZH-27151 pickup trucks that appeared in 1972–1974 years and revived the branch of domestic “official” pickups that had been interrupted during the war years, the shortage of which in the entire subsequent period was compensated only by alterations from local car repair plants. But Izhevsk vans and pickups, like pies (which they often transported), were sold throughout the country in huge numbers; they continued to be produced for many years after the collapse of the USSR, so that their total number reached 2.3 million copies.

By the way, in some places, in addition to trucks, buses, mostly of small capacity, now mostly cabover, also appeared at demonstrations on the occasion of significant dates. The undoubted leaders among them were the 23-seater PAZ-672 buses of the Pavlovsk Bus Plant, which appeared in 1968, intended for regional and suburban routes or city routes with low passenger traffic, and also used as service buses and hearses. Being modernized, the 672s remained on the assembly line until 1990, and the total number of all their modifications was 288,688 units. Less common, but also clearly visible, were versions of the Kuban bus produced by the Krasnodar Mechanical Plant of the USSR Ministry of Culture, which were used primarily as service ones. Their rarer counterparts “Uralets”, “Chernigov”, “TA”, “Tashkent”, “KAG”, etc. were also seen at demonstrations.

It is interesting that among trucks the ubiquitous GAZ-51A still did not give up their positions. The 2.5-ton truck, which was quite good for the 1940s and 1950s, continued to be replicated in huge quantities without noticeable innovations until 1975 inclusive, and in parallel with the release of the GAZ-52 of the same class and purpose. This was explained by the greater cheapness of the “51st” compared to the “52nd”, which was important for the main consumers - collective and state farms, whose suppliers were in no hurry to pay extra for the new appearance of the “52nd” with absolutely equal performance indicators. But it should be noted that they made a natural choice between two evils, since in general both the GAZ-51A and GAZ-52 were largely outdated by the 1970s and largely did not meet the requirements for them, both in terms of driving performance and in terms of efficiency. The fashion for almost free gasoline and the bad habit of transporting 200–300 kg on 2.5–4-ton trucks nationwide would come back to haunt us later, by the early 1990s, aggravating the country’s economic crisis...

Moreover, after 1965, all subsequent production of the GAZ-51A and GAZ-52, in fact, was a violation of the well-known resolution of the Ministry of Automotive Industry to cease the production of cars with in-line engines. If ZIL (with the exception of ZIL-157K for the army), UralAZ and YaMZ promptly obeyed this order, then GAZ managed to ignore it for a quarter of a century (!). But maybe the 51st engine was worth it? Not at all... The pre-war engine was not distinguished by torque, power, or efficiency, and there was no need to talk about endurance and durability. Now, decades later, one can only wonder how the Gorky Automobile Plant managed to produce a frankly outdated, weak and low-torque engine for more than 40 years, which was afraid of overloads like fire and had a short resource. It must be said that operators always preferred the similar ZIS-5 engine (albeit no less ancient) to the Gorky standard “six”, and then its modernized versions 355, 353A and 353, which, on the contrary, were distinguished by enviable torque, power and very decent reliability indicators and durability. These engines, manufactured back in the 1960s for spare parts, were, as they say, in great demand then and even later. They were massively installed on GAZ-51A, GAZ-63, GAZ-53F, GAZ-52, and sometimes on ZIL-164 and even GAZ-53A. But these local measures, of course, could not compensate for the too long general stagnation of the Soviet automobile industry in terms of medium-duty trucks.

Against this background, the trucks of the Likhachev plant looked more preferable, the load capacity of which was increased to 6 tons, while constantly working to improve their efficiency, reliability and durability. As their drivers said, ZILs had no equal on paved roads at that time. In the second half of the 1970s, another branch was added to the ZIL-130 family and the all-wheel drive ZIL-131 - the three-axle utility trucks ZIL-133. It is interesting that the standard and short-wheelbase versions of this vehicle turned out to be unclaimed and were not mass-produced, but the long-wheelbase ZIL-133G1 went through several stages in its development as production progressed; the 8-ton 133G1 with early trim was produced for only 3 years, from 1975 to 1977. The 10-ton 133G2, which replaced it with a new lining, lasted longer, from 1977 to 1983. And the most common was the diesel 10-ton version 133GYA with a KamAZ-740 engine and a significantly advanced modified lining, which had a shortened version of the 133VYA chassis for installing special equipment (primarily crane units). Diesel versions of the ZIL-133 were in production from 1979 to 1992.

However, in 1977, ZILs had a much stronger competitor, oddly enough, and ZIL himself in the past. We are, of course, talking about a family of three-axle cabover KamAZ trucks, the design of which was originally developed at ZIL under the designation ZIL-170. The very first to go into mass production were the basic 8-ton flatbed truck 5320 and the 5410 truck tractor, a little later they were added to the 10-ton dump truck 5511, and then an extended flatbed version, a chassis for special equipment, and even later several two-axle versions. After the MAZ-500, this was the second successful attempt in the USSR to create a whole family of heavy-duty vehicles with a cab over the engine. Although KamAZ trucks were still quantitatively inferior to ZILs, being more capable of lifting loads, having a significantly greater overall height, a more voluminous and wider cabin, at that time they looked extremely modern, impressive and solid, and it was considered more prestigious to work on them. This new and very widespread brand, having successfully started in the Soviet Union, survived that era for a long time, and its production continues to this day - in another country and in the next century.

It is impossible not to mention that, along with all domestic trucks, imported models, which in those years were imported into our country mainly from the countries of the socialist camp, regularly took part in the festive demonstrations. Czechoslovakian Tatras, Skodas, and Avias often moved in smart columns; dump trucks and flatbed IFA and Robur vans from the GDR; Polish “Nysy” and “Zhuki”; Hungarian "Csepel" and "Ikarus". All of them, as a rule, were distinguished by a well-developed design, interesting engineering and technical solutions and build quality, and introduced a lot of diversity into the domestic vehicle fleet of the era of developed socialism. And sometimes during the holidays, various automotive “extremes” surfaced, generally not typical for participation in demonstrations, ranging from in-shop electric cars to huge self-propelled monsters, as the multi-axle army wheeled tractors ZIL-135, MAZ-535, MAZ- seemed to be on the city streets. 537, MoAZ scrapers, BelAZ quarry trucks...

Over the years, these “red days of the calendar” are moving further and further away from us - with the routine officialdom of the authorities, which continued to fill them with ideological content (however, with less and less success), with the joy and fun of ordinary citizens, who have long and thoroughly adapted Soviet holidays for your own purposes. These processions were rather a form of communication with colleagues, friends, relatives, neighbors... Moreover, those walks around the city, as a rule, developed into family or joint celebrations and feasts, sometimes even with songs and dances... These days remained “red”, in fact, it’s only in the name. And what is valuable for us is that they reflect for a moment, as if in a mirror, the entire rich history of domestic motor transport.

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KrAZ-255 - “Laptezhnik”

A heavy all-terrain truck with a 6 x 6 wheel arrangement is designed to transport goods and people along roads and destinations. Production of the truck began in 1967 at the Kremenchug Automobile Plant. Until 1993, 160,732 cars were produced. For its excellent technical qualities, in 1975 the KrAZ-255B was awarded the state “USSR Quality Mark”.

The main civilian use of the Ural-373 was as a timber carrier, a tractor in vehicle depots and at airfields, as well as in the oil and gas industry. The vehicle was equipped with a V-shaped four-stroke eight-cylinder diesel engine YaMZ-238 with a volume of 15 liters and a power of 240 hp. The maximum speed is 70 km/h, and fuel consumption is 70 liters per 100 km. The vehicle could easily overcome fords up to 1 meter deep. It got its nickname “Laptezhnik” because of the VI-3 wide-profile tires installed on it.

Information and analytical publication TECHNOmagazine

The opening of the anniversary exhibition “Avtoprom-84” did not take place on the announced day: the Minister of Automotive Industry, having examined the exhibition, was dissatisfied with something. The ceremony was postponed to correct the comments, and the wait was clearly lengthening. My student holidays were over, it was time to leave Moscow. Will I really never be able to get inside the treasured pavilion, the pediment of which was decorated with VAZ’s novelty - the “eight”, which stood on the podium inside a large gear? And how many “tasty” exhibits were located in the open (but not yet accessible) area! But most of all I dreamed of seeing the hero of the occasion - the first Soviet truck AMO-F15, which marked the beginning of the automotive industry in the USSR

Colleagues from the auto department of the Polytechnic Museum (its exhibits were also at the exhibition) came to the rescue - they gave me an official pass. Then - 25 years ago - car factories from all over the Union presented their products at VDNKh for this significant date - there was something to see.

And here he is - AMO - in a place of honor: bright red in the light of bench spotlights, standing on a platform that imitates the paving stones of the main square of the country. On high and unusually narrow wheels with solid discs and herringbone tread. With a wooden cabin without side windows, with only one left door and a spare wheel in place of the right one. On the side of the body there is an inscription in white paint, as in the 24th: “1st AMO 1st”. Well, it’s true that the guys from ZIL went a little overboard in their desire to give their exhibit more symbolic meaning and anniversary pomp. The real first AMO with a canvas top cabin and an old-fashioned “house” of a radiator mask, alas, has not survived to this day. A copy of the second series AMO produced in 1927 has been preserved in the ZiL factory collection; this is what the visitors of Avtoprom-84 saw.

Ten years later - in 1994 - the 70th anniversary of the “first Soviet truck” was no longer celebrated with the former pomp. But, as the famous automotive historian and journalist Lev Shugurov rightly wrote then, the anniversary itself has not gone away: “We still celebrate such a memorable date as the day of construction of the first truck of the AMO - ZIS - ZIL dynasty, we see in this plant the elder of the domestic automotive industry.” .

This year Zilov’s first-born will be 85. There is a reason to remember how it all began.

The experience of the First World War clearly showed how little attention the tsarist government paid to the development of the domestic automobile industry: only the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works (RBVZ) was a full-fledged supplier of vehicles for the army. Several hundred vehicles a year could not be enough for the front; what was missing was purchased from the allies. When the Germans approached Riga in 1915, the RBVZ auto department had to be evacuated to Petrograd. Production dropped to 25 cars per month (new and refurbished). In order to radically solve the problem of motorization of the army, the Main Military-Technical Directorate in February - May 1916 signed contracts with groups of industrialists for the construction of six automobile factories with a total capacity of 7,500 vehicles per year.

One of the leading participants in this project, which most actively began to implement it, was the joint-stock Automobile Moscow Society. So the AMO plant was a new enterprise: by October 1917, its construction was 75 percent completed. He has already begun assembling Fiat trucks of the 1915 model - entirely from kits of parts purchased in Italy on the eve of the revolution. Until 1919, according to L. Shugurov, they assembled quite a lot for those times - 1319 cars. Then, when the components ran out, AMO switched to repairing imported trucks in order to keep the variegated and war-torn fleet moving. He specialized in American Whites and was so successful that in 1923 he was already making almost half of them himself. These cars were called “White-AMO”.

Preparations for our own truck production began in January 1924. The factory preserved two reference Fiat 15 ter and a set of Italian drawings. Imported cars and blueprints were carefully studied, the documentation was clarified and revised taking into account our conditions and technological capabilities. Engineer V. Tsipulin supervised this work and preparation of production. Even before the revolution, Vladimir Ivanovich trained as a car driver in Germany. In civilian life, he served in automobile parts, where he gained extensive practical experience in repairing and operating equipment. (Alas, in the late 30s this prominent specialist was repressed, sharing the fate of many...)

The first AMO-F15 was assembled by Nikolai Korolev’s team of mechanics on the night of November 1, 1924. Tsipulin himself tested the car. It’s not hard to imagine the joy of these people when the fruit of their hard work, the engine roaring, went on its first test ride...

The firstborns were made almost “on the knee.” The front axle beams and frame longitudinal beams were forged with hand hammers. The crankshaft blanks were drilled along the contour of the markings from a steel plate and then the excess pieces of metal were beaten off with a sledgehammer, and then processed on a lathe and manually polished. They also manually knocked out the cabin lining, hood, wings... They assembled the car on a slipway, installing the frame on trestles. Places for attaching parts and assemblies were marked with a scriber or chalk; if they did not fit, they were adjusted and filed.

The slipway assembly of trucks itself was also available abroad at that time. And the first conveyor belt in Europe for the production of trucks was launched in 1931 at AMO, which after a major reconstruction was renamed ZiS...

But let's go back to the year 24. On November 6, we finished assembling the first batch of 10 vehicles. The fresh paint on them had not yet dried when the “ten red AMOs” marched on November 7 at a demonstration along Red Square ahead of a column of car manufacturers. The head AMO-F15 was decorated with the slogan “The worker-owner is building an automobile industry that the capitalist owner did not have.” V. Tsipulin himself was driving this truck. The second was managed by N. Korolev.

There was something to be proud of, because unlike “Fiats” (as they would now say - a screwdriver assembly) and restored “Whites”, these trucks were entirely made in our country from domestic materials, by the hands of our workers and engineers. True, AMO still relied on the experience of its pre-revolutionary predecessor, some of whose specialists moved to Moscow...

The first trucks were greeted with enthusiasm. Yes, their release, without any exaggeration or ideological background, was a great achievement for our young automotive industry.

Three AMO F15s from the top ten went on their first test run on November 24 and successfully covered 2,000 km without breakdowns. In the summer of 1925, two AMOs (together with cars from foreign companies) participated in the all-Union race along the route Leningrad - Moscow - Kursk - Moscow. Moreover, one of the cars was driven by chief designer V. Tsipulin. Russian AMOs turned out to be worthy rivals to foreign trucks and demonstrated reliability and structural strength.

The AMO plant increased its production of trucks. If in 1925 he made 113 cars, then in 26 there were already 342. At that time, the company employed 1,507 people.

The serial AMO F15 was modernized twice. It is curious, for example, that an electric starter, lighting and signal appeared on it only in 1928. Before that, they were replaced by a crank, acetylene headlights and a horn with a bulb. The work on modernizing the machine was accelerated by the appointment of a new director to the AMO - Ivan Alekseevich Likhachev. The plant itself produced a number of special vehicles based on the F-15 model, and also supplied chassis for them to other enterprises. These include ambulances, fire trucks, 14-seater passenger and postal buses, and even... an 8-seater staff car with a phaeton body.

The BA-27 armored car was produced on the F-15 chassis for the Red Army. There is information that even a special cash-in-transit armored car was made on the basis of AMO for transporting money. Then, especially under the conditions of the New Economic Policy, this problem was as relevant as it is now.

Already in 1930, AMO surpassed the Italian Fiat in the number of cars produced - 3227. In total, over 6 thousand AMO-F15s were made.

Cars with the AMO brand took part in the construction of ChTZ and Magnitogorsk. The last model, AMO-3, was produced until 1934. It was no longer a Fiat, but a copy of the American Avtokar truck, modernized and strengthened for our roads. The result of the next modernization was the ZiS-5 - the legendary “Zakhar”. These cars have been preserved in museums and antique motor clubs, including in Chelyabinsk, and are featured in films about the war and the 30s and 40s. But as for our hero, the AMO F15, today only four “living” examples of trucks of this model are known. Including two firefighters - one in a museum exhibition in St. Petersburg, the other in the Moscow Polytechnic Museum.

For collectors of scale models, Kazan, known for its KamAZ and Urals, produced a copy of the first-born, and the ZiL branch in Roslavl made the 1927 AMO model. Both are in 1:43 scale.

The descendant of the hero of the day, ZIL, which experienced considerable difficulties in the 90s, unlike its “countryman” AZLK, stayed afloat and still remains the oldest enterprise in the automotive industry in the country. As for the AMO brand, it is no longer just part of history. In 1992, this abbreviation reappeared in the name of the enterprise, which became a joint-stock company.

Author: Vsevolod Smirnov
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KamAZ is the king of the roads

This car can rightfully be called the king of Russian roads. KamAZ-5320 is the main Soviet tractor-trailer designed for civil transport. The model first rolled off the assembly line of the Kama Automobile Plant in 1976 and became the first model produced under the KamAZ brand.

The prototype for the future 5320 was the ZIL-170. Based on KamAZ-5320 they produced:

— truck tractor — KamAZ-5410; — dump truck — KamAZ-5511; — extended flatbed truck — KamAZ-53212; — KamAZ-53213 chassis; — as well as a family of biaxial analogues.

The vehicle was equipped with a V-shaped eight-cylinder diesel engine from the Yaroslavl Motor Plant with a volume of 11 liters and a power of 210 or 180 hp. The maximum speed is 85 km/h, and fuel consumption is 35 liters per 100 km.

Photos from Internet resources

KamAZ-5320

This beauty has been produced since 1976. The truck is noteworthy primarily because during its creation, a broad analysis of foreign experience in the field of creating such vehicles was carried out. The design of the machine turned out to be so successful that manufacturers produced the 5320th until 2001. It is one of the few cars that are suitable for constant work with a trailer as a road train.

You can also read about how the Ural T25.422 truck tractor received an advanced road version , which pleasantly surprised drivers.