It was maximally unified with the six-cylinder version, which allows us to still not experience serious difficulties with spare parts for these engines.
What is the Pobedovsky engine?
This is a four-cylinder, lower valve carbureted engine internal combustion. Very low speed - idle at Pobeda - 400-450 rpm. on a broken engine. Working revolutions - 1500-2500. Limit - 3600. The engine is fantastically reliable. Working volume 2.12 l. The compression ratio is 6.2, designed for the 66th gasoline, but it is also allowed to fill in the 56th (with correction of the ignition setting).
The graph on the left shows the speed characteristics of the engine. It is easy to see how flexible the engine turned out. Over the entire speed range, the torque changes very slightly, within 10-12 kg / m. In other words, the engine adapts remarkably to loads, combining high torque at the bottom and the ability to spin up to high (by the standards of those times) revolutions.
Of the features of the Pobedov engine is a rather low oil pressure. At idle after warming up, 0 is a common occurrence for most Victories.
The machine has 2 oil filters - fine and coarse cleaning. Coarse filter - lamellar design, connected in series. It is full-flow, when changing the oil, the sediment is drained, the filter is removed and washed. During engine operation, the plates are regularly self-cleaned, because. the cleaning mechanism is connected by a link to the starter pedal - each engine start rotates the cleaning mechanism 1/8 of a turn. You can rotate the cleaning mechanism manually.
Filter fine cleaning
connected to the line in parallel. The filter housing has a replaceable disposable cardboard filter element. On machines of early production, the filter was installed on the engine, on a special bracket, connected to the oil system with copper pipes. The oil was taken from the coarse filter, the filtered oil was returned to the oil filler pipe. Later, the filter began to be installed on the wall of the engine compartment, connected to the oil system with rubber hoses in armored casings, oil was taken from the oil pump, and returned directly to the engine sump.
The entire design of two filters is now often replaced with one modern filter installed through a special adapter.
In the oil system there is another element characteristic of all GAZ products: the crankshaft rear oil seal is not made in the form of a real oil seal with a spring, as on most other cars, but is a kind of cord that wraps around the crankshaft. Naturally, this seal often leaks. The process usually looks like a drop of oil hanging from the drain hole of the clutch crater pan. It is observed, alas, in almost all Victories. By the way, a similar design was preserved on the Volg engines. In case of leakage, a rather laborious procedure for changing the gland packing is shown. Sometimes cleaning the crankcase ventilation (maintaining a slight vacuum in the crankcase cavity while the engine is running) and using a thicker oil sometimes helps.
Gasoline pump similar to the modern Volgovsky, but a little smaller. But with built-in fuel filter and glass lid. Through it, you can clearly see whether the pump is filled with gasoline and the degree of contamination of the filter sump. Comfortable. Diaphragms from the Volgovsky do not fit him, and his relatives have not been found for a long time. But it does not matter, breaking new holes in the Volgovskaya and cutting off the excess from it, you can install it without any problems. you can also put a modern pump - some of the modern ones fit without alterations, some differ in flange (asymmetrical for Pobeda, symmetrical for the 21st Volga and UAZ).
Carburetor on Pobeda K-22 of various modifications. Naturally, single-chamber. Pretty exotic in design. It has a variable cross-section diffuser - with an increase in flow, the lamellar curtains are bent, opening additional windows for the passage of air. The main dosing system is equipped with an adjusting needle, the change of the position of which allows you to adjust the dynamics / economy ratio in a fairly wide range. But in transient conditions, the carburetor plays tricks, and it is often replaced with more modern ones - usually K-124 or K-129. They have already applied a scheme with pneumatic braking of fuel, transient modes are more stable. And there is a window for controlling the level of gasoline, which is very convenient. Simple and reliable carburetor. with him a little more power slightly less consumption. Although, of course, think about the expense - do not ride Pobeda. According to science - 11 - nominal, 13.2 - operational. In reality, in the summer the city goes around 15-17, in winter up to 24. The fact is that 11 l / 100 km. - this is with a flat highway, calm weather, a new engine that has just been run in and uniform movement from the very economic speed- 35 km/h. Sometimes they put two-chamber carburetors. Most often K-126, from the Volga. They say that the consumption is still slightly reduced, and the power is still slightly increased. It is noticed that the overall picture in this case is greatly spoiled by the adapter from a single-chamber to a two-chamber carburetor.
Inlet pipeline heated by gases from the exhaust manifold, heating can be controlled by moving a special damper. On engines of early production, the damper was moved manually, later they made automatic control of a bimetallic spring. The fastening of the inlet pipeline and the exhaust manifold to the engine block must be very tight, otherwise air can be sucked through the slots, which will make it impossible for the engine to operate steadily at low and medium speeds.
Candles non-standard, (or rather the American standard) thread is not 14x1, but 18x1.5. The length of the threaded part should not be more than 12mm, otherwise the valves will hit the candles. Such candles were still placed on the GAZ-51, GAZ-63, GAZ-69, GAZ-12. Now candles are produced by some Western firms. Recently I saw in the Bosh catalog, the size is what you need, but I’m not sure about the glow number, the scale is different there. Since 1955, candle wires have been equipped with tips with built-in noise suppression resistances (pictured right). The Pobeda engine is quite sensitive to the ignition setting. Not because of detonation, it is very difficult to achieve it on the 76th gasoline, but because increased consumption fuel and reduced power. Setting the ignition on the mark does not make sense - more can be achieved on the 76th gasoline from the engine. With some skill, adjustment is carried out by sound and throttle response. It is also useful to monitor the ignition timing devices in the distributor. The tightness of the vacuum corrector reduces fuel consumption by 10 percent.
Air filter - oil type. It does not need to change the dry filter element, as in modern machines. In theory, when driving on dusty roads, you need to pull the mesh out of it, wash it in gasoline, dip it in oil and put it back. The filter is of two types - with a separate intake silencer, while the filter itself was mounted on a bracket on the engine, as shown in the figure on the right, and without it, placed directly on the carburetor.
Cylinder block cast iron. From this, and also from the fact that the engine is lower-valve, the entire engine assembly weighs 195 kg. Although the cast-iron crankcase walls are not so thick - the average thickness of the cylinder walls is 6 mm, the water jacket is 5 mm. To protect against freezing, there are several large plugs (~ 7 cm in diameter) on the left side of the block. When the cooling system freezes, the block does not crack, but simply squeezes out these plugs. Then a couple of blows with a sledgehammer, and you can go. At first, sleeves made of a wear-resistant alloy were pressed into the cylinders, almost the length of the entire cylinder mirror - 143.5 mm. But they soon decided that short sleeves for the upper 50 mm were quite enough. piston stroke. Bore diameter for sleeves - 86 mm. The relatively thick cylinder walls made it possible later to use the Pobedov block for the "advanced" version of the engine, which was installed on the first series of the 21st Volga. There, the cylinders were bored out to 88 mm, which increased the working volume to 2432 cm3. Together with an increase in the compression ratio to 7, this raised the power to 65 hp. at 3000 rpm and torque up to 15.8 kg/m at 2000 rpm. Probably, this should be considered the limit for forcing the Pobedov engine, of course, if we do not take into account sports developments.
Serial production of Pobeda cars began on June 28, 1946 and continued until May 31, 1958. During this time, 241,497 cars were produced, including 14,222 convertibles and 37,492 taxis.
GAZ Pobeda - the first Soviet a car, which had a load-bearing body of a completely pontoon type, i.e. without protruding footpegs, headlights, fenders and their rudiments.
The model received the factory index M-20. It was produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant, serially in 1946-1958.
How GAZ M20 was created
The level of development of the Soviet automotive industry by the end of the thirties made it possible to move from production foreign models to in-house development of original designs.
By that time, GAZ already had a full-fledged engineering school, and the design school used in its work modern methods for designing the appearance of a car, using artistic layout and using a graphic-plastic method for constructing complex surfaces of body panels.
The designers of the plant have accumulated a lot of experience when working on adaptation to domestic conditions foreign models, as well as their modernization.
The production base also began to take shape, experiments were successfully carried out at the car plant on the manufacture of stamping and pressing equipment for the production of bodies.
In accordance with the plan for the III-IV five-year plans, in 1938 AvtoGAZ began the formation of a promising type of its products.
The following were planned for development: a GAZ-11-51 truck and a middle-class passenger car with a GAZ-11 six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 78 hp. With.
To obtain information about the latest trends in the global automotive industry, a whole line foreign passenger cars of the middle class, with which comparative tests were carried out, which made it possible to form the basic requirements for the shape of the body and the dynamic performance of our own promising "passenger car".
Based on the data obtained, the designers decided on the main structural elements of the future car, which included:
- load-bearing body;
- hydraulic brakes;
- independent front suspension.
The history of the GAZ M20 Pobeda began in 1938, after the factory designer Valentin Brodsky made the first sketches of a passenger car with a streamlined teardrop-shaped body and a flat sidewall without protruding wings.
This body shape allowed without changing external dimensions car, increase its streamlining and the width of the passenger compartment.
Foreign manufacturers, fearing to scare off buyers with too radical a change in the appearance of the car, moved in this direction very reluctantly, so very few cars with such bodies were produced in the pre-war years, only a few experimental or small-scale models.
At GAZ, working on a car that was created for a more or less distant future, they believed that the use of an advanced body shape would give it a greater “margin of safety” from moral obsolescence - which was later brilliantly confirmed.
Working on improving visibility from the driver's seat and at the same time giving the car a more streamlined shape, Brodsky in his project provided for the use of a panoramic windshield, but in those years there were no technologies that would allow the production of large curved glass with high optical qualities.
In this regard, instead of one curved glass, four flat ones had to be used - two large medium ones, installed in the form of the letter V, and two small ones were located on the sides of them.
The headlights turned out to be completely drowned in the wings, while retaining the semicircular radiator mask as an independent element of the architecture of the front of the car.
Moscow, a young artist Vladimir Aryamov in 1940 presented his version promising car Gorky plant.
His two-door fastback sedan, designated GAZ-11-80, also had a very advanced body shape, with a flat sidewall and no protruding wings, with a flat front end without a protruding grille.
At that time, the design of a passenger car was of less economic importance, and besides, it was more complex than the priority truck GAZ-11-51, so work on the creation of a new passenger car was delayed. This was also affected by the call in 1940 to the war with Finland by V. Brodsky, and of course the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
After the Battle of Stalingrad, the plant had a full-fledged opportunity to work on cars.
On February 3, 1943, at a meeting of the People's Commissariat of Medium Industry, a promising type of the post-war model range presented by the plant was approved.
As a result of the meeting, the plant received a government assignment, which was essentially a formality and repeated its own proposals.
The main work on the design of the car was entrusted to the chief designer of the plant A. A. Lipgart. The development of the chassis to A. M. Krieger, the body - to A. N. Kirillov.
The car was originally designed in two versions: M-25, fully consistent with the assignment and had a 2.7-liter six-cylinder engine, and a 2.1-liter four-cylinder, created on the initiative of Lipgart M-20.
The numbers "25" and "20" in the designations of the cars spoke of their belonging to a new line of GAZ models, with engines that had a working volume reduced compared to pre-war models - later the GAZ-21 and GAZ-24 became the successors of the model.
The designations of multi-displacement passenger models began with a unit - GAZ-11, ZIM (GAZ-12), GAZ-13 and GAZ-14 Chaika.
In terms of dynamic qualities, the Pobeda with a four-cylinder engine approximately corresponded to the Emka M-1, the replacement of which in the national economy was the main task of the new model.
Having a more advanced engine design, which made it possible to reduce its working volume from 3.5 to 2.1 liters without loss of power, the GAZ 20 Pobeda car was noticeably more economical.
GAZ M25 with a six-cylinder engine had dynamics corresponding to similar European models of that time, as well as the six-cylinder GAZ-11-73, but had a relatively lower efficiency. Subsequently, work on the six-cylinder version of the "Victory" was curtailed for a number of reasons.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union gained extensive experience in the operation and maintenance of a variety of foreign automotive technology, both captured German and American lend-lease - in those years, Germany and the United States were recognized leaders in the design and production of cars.
What allowed the Soviet automobile designers "on full-scale specimens" to study recent achievements world automotive industry.
Also during the war years, the Gorky Automobile Plant assembled Chevrolet cars.
The long-term operation of foreign car models made it possible to highlight constructive solutions, which were most suitable for specific climatic, road and operating conditions THE USSR.
Given this valuable experience, technical specifications were drawn up and the first passenger cars were designed.
To compensate for the time lost due to the war and the general lack of experience in the design of modern cars, the designers of the Gorky Automobile Plant used the information received at the same time - in particular, they borrowed the general plan for the design of the front suspension, many elements of the sub-frame and power elements of the bottom, from the German Opel model Kapitan model of 1938, which had a modern load-bearing body and mass-dimensional characteristics close to the car designed at AvtoGAZ.
But otherwise, the body of the Soviet car was quite original in design and technological design, and due to the non-standard design for its time, a number of unique solutions that are not found anywhere else.
Yuri Dolmatovsky, an employee of the People's Commissariat of Medium Machine Building, who worked on the design of a promising model, took Brodsky's pre-war developments as a basis, but made his own changes, removed additional sections of the windshield, changed the radiator mask from convex to flat, which continued the surface of the front wings, with placed in them headlights.
The final look of the future GAZ M20 "Pobeda" was made by designer Veniamin Samoilov - it was he who, in his sketches, made the original design of the front end with widely spaced headlights and a characteristic horizontal-striped "three-story" front end lining that goes onto the front fenders.
By the beginning of the summer of 1944, the preparation of the blueprint drawings was completed, a master model for the manufacture of the body was made (from hard wood, a blank was made that exactly repeated the shape of the surface of the body, subsequently templates for making stamps were removed from it) and a demonstration model of the car was made from tree.
In the same year, on November 6, they tested the first running sample car in a six-cylinder version (M-25), with two-tone, black and gray, coloring.
With rear doors hung on the rear hinges and opening forward, like the later model ZIM GAZ-12, with a sidewall decorated with chrome molding, subsequently, on serial cars mobiles, both of these solutions were abandoned.
Four-cylinder prototype M-20, beige colour, was ready only by the beginning of 1945 and had the design of doorways already like that stock car.
Both running layouts had common features differences from the production cars that followed them:
- "Three-story" radiator grille, which has two moldings of the first "floor", which went under the sidelights (there is evidence that it was preserved on the very first production cars); a more complex shape of the sidelights themselves;
- two-piece front fenders - the fender itself and a spacer between it and the front door;
- wheels from Emka, which are given a characteristic disk shape, with imitation of individual spokes.
The slowest work was carried out on the decoration of the interior of the car. On the first running layouts, in order to speed up work, they installed finished appliances and interior trim parts of foreign production, which came to the USSR under Lend-Lease and were available in factory warehouses (during the war years, GAZ assembled Chevrolet cars).
And only in the first quarter of 1945, the Laboratory for External and interior decoration, which was engaged in the development of original interior design, nameplates, emblems and other small details, the selection of plastics, fabrics and other materials.
During the creation of the GAZ M-20 Pobeda car, Soviet car factories did not yet have established emblems, and therefore their own original nameplates were created for almost every model.
The pedestal of the "Victory" had the letter "M", which at the same time alluded to the prong of the wall of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin and the symbol of the Volga - a soaring seagull.
In fact, the letter spoke of the name "Molotovets" (from the beginning of the 1930s until the end of the 1950s, the plant was named after People's Commissar V. M. Molotov).
Officially, the car was recorded as M-20 - “Molotovets, twentieth model” (the factory designation was written on the nameplate: Car GAZ-20).
The emblem, of course, was red - the color of the banner of the USSR.
After the war, the plant resumed production of the last pre-war serial model - GAZ-11-73, and along with this, they began active preparations for the serial production of a fundamentally new car.
The demonstration to the highest state and party leadership, headed by I. Stalin, of pre-production copies of the "Victory", took place after the completion of state acceptance tests, on June 19, 1945 in Moscow.
It was decided to launch the four-cylinder version into serial production, as it was cheaper and more economical, and the final designation of the model became M-20 Pobeda.
It should be noted that a six-cylinder car based on the M-20 went into a small series, but later, and had the designation M-20G / M-26, though with a different engine - 90-horsepower from ZIM (GAZ-12), with an increased compared to with prototypes of "Victory" with a working volume of 3.5 liters instead of 2.7.
There is such a version that at first they wanted to call the car "Rodina", but when Stalin, in June 1944, was shown a sample of the future production car, he asked: "And how much will we have the Motherland?"
After that, Stalin was offered a second version of the name, which was approved. But really it's just beautiful myth, because the official name "Victory" was included in it from the very beginning of the design of the car, in honor of the imminent Victory over Nazi Germany.
The name "Motherland", according to I. Paderin, was proposed for next model, M-21, and never went beyond the walls of the plant.
Decree of the State Defense Committee "On the restoration and development automotive industry”, published on August 26, 1945, prescribed from June 28, 1946 to master the production of a new model of a middle-class passenger car.
During the post-war devastation and lack of raw materials, the development of the car was associated with the development of a large number of new and complex products for the Soviet industry.
The body of the Pobeda GAZ M20 is the first fully designed and prepared for mass production in the USSR. Until that time, even for relatively independently developed models (KIM-10), production tooling was ordered from foreign, more often American firms.
So the tooling for the ZIS-110 model was made in the USSR, but it was not suitable for mass production, because the stamps cast from zinc-aluminum alloy withstood only a limited number of work cycles. The political pressure exerted at the same time forced the factory workers to rush to launch a new model in a series.
The result was that the first conditionally serial cars of the Pobeda brand, produced in 1946, from June 28 (and as some sources say, there was a release ahead of schedule, from June 21), were made using bypass technology, manually. The production of such cars in 1946 amounted to only 23 cars.
In 1947, on April 28, the start of large-scale production was announced. Stalin, in the same month, was shown a conveyor assembly machine, but the car was still very “raw”, with an undeveloped technology for its production.
In February 1948, the thousandth car rolled off the assembly line of the plant. The factory photographer immortalized this event, thanks to him we have the opportunity to see the details of the finish of the cars produced during this period.
The photo shows the car - already with a "double-deck" radiator grille, but still with headlight bezels that are painted to match the body color, rather than chrome, as on cars of a later production second production series.
During the release of the first production series until August (according to some sources - October) 1948, 1700 cars were assembled, which were Low quality assembly and had manufacturing defects, which caused a huge number of complaints from consumers, most of whom were responsible employees, as well as state and public institutions of a fairly high rank.
In October 1948, based on the complaints received, they decided to stop the conveyor to eliminate the identified shortcomings.
Ivan Kuzmich Loskutov, was relieved of his post as director of GAZ, despite previous merits, and the chief designer of the plant, Lipgart, managed to keep his place only because of his participation in the development of the next model of the ZIM GAZ-12 passenger car.
Hurrying to launch the car in a series, the tests of the "Victory" were carried out according to an accelerated program, which did not allow to identify all the defects in its design.
The forced pause in production made it possible to conduct full-fledged tests of the car. NAMI carried out studies of cross-country ability and dynamic qualities, measurement of body rigidity, its fatigue strength on a vibration stand. As a result, all the necessary changes were made to the design of the car.
After the forced stop of the conveyor, a number of works were carried out, as a result of which 346 parts were changed and more than 2000 tools and devices involved in production, which included the stamps used to make the body, all the design documentation for the car was completely reissued.
The design and manufacturing technology of many components have been revised, in most cases, while relying on modern, highly efficient production methods. As a result, the plant has mastered spot electric welding, high-speed metal cutting, hardening with high-frequency currents.
The workshops of the former 446th aircraft plant, which had more advanced conductor-type conveyors rather than belt-type conveyors, were transferred to GAZ, where they mounted a new production line for assembling a modernized car. As a result, it was possible to sharply raise the level of production culture.
Thus, in fact, a completely new, much more perfect technological process for an existing industrial design.
The conveyor of the plant, from 1948-1949, began to produce "Victory" of the second production series. From November 1, 1949, the machines were produced in modernly equipped, new buildings. As a result, the scale of production has sharply increased, and the machines that were produced before that with detected defects returned to the plant to eliminate them.
In 1949, the M-20 car and its creators were awarded the Stalin Prize. At the same time, they mastered the production of a modification with an open body M-20B.
Since October 1950, they began to install new box gears (based on the ZIM GAZ-12 unit) with a control lever mounted on the side of the steering shaft and synchronized top gears.
In 1955, the production of the modernized Pobeda, the third production series, began, which received its own designation M-20V.
The main modifications of the GAZ M - 20
M-20 Pobeda
Produced from 1946 to 1955
First series (from 1946 to 1948).
Second series:
- from November 1, 1948, a heater and airflow were added windshield;
- since October 1948 new parabolic springs have been added;
- since October 1949 a new thermostat has been installed;
- since 1950, new, more reliable clocks have been installed;
- on November 1, 1949, assembly began on a new conveyor;
- since October 1950, it was equipped with a new gearbox from ZIM with a lever on the steering wheel and around the same time - a new water pump - a fastback sedan body, a 4-cylinder engine, power 50 hp. With.;
- since 1955 - 52 years old With. (M-20), mass series (184,285 copies, including GAZ M20V Pobeda and about 160 thousand of all modifications up to M-20V).
M-20V
Produced from 1955 to 1958
The third series of the modernized "Victory", with a 52 hp engine. p., radio, new design of the radiator lining.
M-20A Pobeda
Produced from 1949 to 1958
Fastback sedan body, four-cylinder engine, 52 hp With. (M-20), modification of the GAZ M20 taxi, mass production (37,492 copies).
"Victory" - convertible
There is a version that this modification had its own index "M-20B".
Produced from 1949 to 1953
Body sedan - (with rigid safety arcs) four-cylinder engine, 52 hp. With. (GAZ-M-20), modification with open top, mass series (14,222 copies).
Small-scale and experimental modifications
M-20D
Produced from 1956 to 1958
It had a forced engine with a capacity of 57-62 liters. With. by increasing the piston diameter to 88 mm.
M-20G or GAZ-M26
Produced from 1956 to 1958
High-speed version for MGB/KGB, which had a 90-horsepower six-cylinder engine from ZIM.
M-20E
Produced in 1956
For life tests of the GAZ-21 engine.
Van
The project, the body after the B-pillar was bakelitized plywood with a wooden frame.
GAZ M20 pickup
GAZ Pobeda pickup was built at repair plants from sedans.
Sedan "Pobeda-NAMI"
Produced in 1948
Released two prototypes.
Stretch
An insert is welded into the body - the carrier of the units, was used in the development of ZIM.
Four-door parade convertible
Small-scale production of GAZ PAMS for the Ministry of War (front doors, with a welded left rear door, an X-shaped amplifier on the bottom and missing door frames).
Sports modification
It is also - GAZ-Torpedo, Pobeda-Sport - a sports factory alteration with a forced engine, fairings and a two-door body.
Specifications
Total information
- Manufacturer: GAZ
- Production years: 1946-1958
- Assembly: USSR
- Class: middle group I
Body
- 4 doors fastback (5 seats)
- 4 doors convertible (5 seats)
- Layout: front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engines
- Manufacturer: GAZ
- Brand: M-20
- Type: carbureted
- Volume: 2 112 cm3
- Maximum power: 52 HP s., at 3600 rpm
- Maximum torque: 125 Nm, at 2000-2200 rpm
- Configuration: in-line, 4-cylinder.
- Cylinders: 4
- Valves: 8
- Max. speed: 105 km/h
- Acceleration to 100 km / h: 46 s
Combined fuel consumption:
- 11 l. (control);
- 13.5 l. (operational) l/100 km
- Cylinder diameter: 82mm
- Stroke: 100mm
- Compression ratio: 6.2
Supply system:
carburetor K-22E (until the middle of 1955 - K22A)
- Cooling: liquid
- Valvetrain: SV
- Cylinder block material: cast iron
- Cylinder head material: aluminum
- Cycle (number of cycles): 4
- Cylinder firing order: 1-2-4-3
Transmission
- Switching: lever in the floor
- Synchronizers: no ("easy engagement clutches")
- Reverse gear: 3.383
- Gear ratios:
1 gear: 2,820
2nd gear: 1.604
3rd gear: 1.00 - Number of steps: 3
- Type: mechanical
- Model: with shafts from M-1 (until 1951)
- Manufacturer: GAZ
- mechanical 3-speed
- mechanical 3-speed
- Manufacturer: GAZ
- Model: with sync. (since 1951), similar to the GAZ-21 and ZIM checkpoints
- Type: mechanical
- Number of steps: 3
- Gear ratios:
1 gear: 3.115
2nd gear: 1.772
3rd gear: 1.00
Reverse gear: 3.738 - Synchronizers: on II- III gears
- Switching: lever on the steering wheel
Characteristics
- Length: 4665 mm
- Width: 1695 mm
- Height: 1590-1640 mm
- Ground clearance: 200 mm
- Wheelbase: 2700 mm
- Rear track: 1362 mm
- Front track: 1364 mm
- Weight:
1460kg sedan
1490 kg convertible - Tank volume: 55 l
More detailed technical specifications of the GAZ M20 Pobeda
Technical features of Victory
The body of the “Victory”, in addition to the original “wingless” form, was distinguished by a height reduced to 1600 mm (against 1750-1800 for most mass models of that time close in class), as well as the lower location of the floor line, belt line and pillow level associated with this seats.
This markedly changed the location of the center of gravity and the distribution of masses, and also made it possible to abandon the landing steps.
The engine moved forward, into the space above the independent front suspension beam, made it possible to make the hood and the car as a whole lower.
At the beginning of the release of "Victory" (1946), this layout was considered advanced. There was an opportunity for a more rational arrangement of passengers in the body, improving the stability and controllability of the car by lowering the center of gravity, significantly reducing aerodynamic air resistance due to the smaller area of the midsection of the body, reducing shaking in the cabin when driving on bad roads, by reducing the height of the pillows seats relative to the road.
"Victory" at the time of the start of its production, according to these indicators was on par with the latest foreign models - Kaiser-Frazer model 1946 and Studebaker model 1947, and it overtook the bulk of the first post-war cars for several years.
Many foreign firms came to similar stylistic and layout decisions on mass models later, for example, the American Hudson and Packard, the English Standard - in 1948 model year, Chevrolet and Ford - in 1949, while such a transition in those years was considered revolutionary and was accompanied by a powerful advertising campaign.
Having the same engine power as the four-cylinder GAZ-M1 (50 hp), the maximum speed developed by Pobeda was the same as that of the six-cylinder, 76-horsepower GAZ-11, and with uniform movement, fuel consumption was only 10-11 liters per 100 km of track - instead of 15 for GAZ-11 and 13 for M-1. This became possible due to the body, which received a more aerodynamic shape and a reduced frontal area.
"Victory" was much more comfortable than its predecessor, due to the use of soft spring independent suspension in front, which was more than three times softer, and the passenger compartment advanced forward, located low between the axles - in the zone of greatest comfort.
And of course, a significant improvement in handling became possible due to the low center of gravity and independent front suspension, which were combined with an almost ideal distribution of the vehicle's weight along the axles (49% front, 51% rear).
By arranging passengers and cargo more rationally, the designers received an increase in cabin volume from 2.84 to 3.38 cubic meters. m, while reducing the overall dimensions of width and height in comparison with the Emka, and for the first time to make a trunk, however, it was not very large in volume and most of it was occupied by a spare wheel and a driver's tool.
power unit
When designing the car, two engine options were provided - six- and four-cylinder.
Both engines are modifications of the 3.5-liter six-cylinder GAZ-11 engine, which was an analogue of the American Dodge D5, the plant acquired production documentation for it back in 1937.
The inline six had a working volume of 2.7 liters and a power of 62 hp. With., four-cylinder engine- 2.1 liters and 50 liters. With..
The engines were variants of the same design, and similar in their characteristics - the difference in power did not exceed 12 hp.
The only advantage of a six-cylinder engine compared to a four-cylinder is smooth operation. But all the details piston-cylinder group the four-cylinder engine was completely unified with the GAZ-11, and the six-cylinder engine had a reduced cylinder diameter compared to it, so its production would require the production of a whole range of unique, only for this engine, parts - pistons, "dry" cylinder liners, complete set of piston rings, etc.
The only advantage of a six-cylinder engine compared to a four-cylinder is smooth operation. But the details of the four-cylinder engine were completely unified with the GAZ-11, while the six-cylinder engine had a reduced cylinder diameter compared to it, so its release would require the production of a whole range of unique parts used only in this engine - "dry" cylinder liners, pistons, a complete set of piston rings, and so on.
Increased efficiency and a greater degree of unification with the GAZ-11 engine, which was planned for use on promising GAZ trucks, a four-cylinder was chosen for mass production power unit.
The motor was lower-valve and unified in many details with the GAZ-51 and ZIM, it was installed on the GAZ-69 jeep; also, about two thousand first cars of the Volga 21B and GAZ-21G models had this engine, which was boosted to 65 hp. With. boring cylinders with an increase in diameter from 82 to 88 mm - this version of the GAZ-21 (“with a star and with a lower valve”) is currently one of the rarest and most desirable for a collector.
The engine had a displacement of 2112 cubic meters. cm, and the maximum power (depending on the modification) of 50-52 liters. with., which was achieved at only 3600 rpm.
The Pobeda engine had such a compression ratio that it could run on 66th gasoline, at that time it was the lowest-grade gasoline.
"Victory" had good dynamic qualities, by the standards of that time, although the car accelerated to 100 km / h in 46 seconds, it had good throttle response at speeds up to 50-60 km / h, this made it possible for confident movement in the then city traffic ; the car reached a speed of 50 km / h in 12 seconds, which was twice as fast as the subcompact Moskvich.
In those years, the congestion of suburban highways was not great, so the ability to quickly overtake and change lanes while driving along the highway was not paid much attention.
And yet, if we evaluate the engine as a whole, then it was the weak point of the "Victory" with its reliability and durability.
For a heavy car, it was rather weak, as a result of which, even by the standards of those years, the dynamics of the GAZ M20 Pobeda was insufficient.
The reason for choosing the engine was the difficult situation with fuel in a country that had just survived the Great Patriotic War.
power transmission
The Pobeda gearbox was a three-speed one, based on the Emka gearbox, which did not have synchronizers (partially their functions were performed by the so-called “easy-on clutches”), with a floor-mounted lever.
Gearbox GAZ M20 Pobeda
Subsequently, in the early 1950s, they began to produce and install a gearbox from ZIM with synchronizers in II and III gears and a steering column lever.
The rear axle was developed specifically for Pobeda and was installed only on this machine.
Its design features were spiral bevel gears of the final drive and loaded axle shafts. It was possible to remove the axle shafts only after complete disassembly main gear case. Hubs were mounted on the conical neck of the axle shaft, which were fixed with a key from turning and attracted with a nut.
Chassis
According to the general design plan, the front suspension repeated the corresponding unit of the Opel Kapiten model.
Threaded bushings, shock absorbers with top levers and some other suspension parts are interchangeable, but the design of the pivot assembly and the rack is very different.
The steering, which had a front steering trapezoid instead of a rear one, was completely different in design.
The rear suspension was made according to the Hotchkiss type scheme, which at that time became almost standard on new models - with a rigid axle beam and longitudinal springs, in contrast to the outdated Torque tube rear axle with a jet pipe, which rested against a bronze ball on the gearbox and further, through it, transmitted longitudinal forces from the rear axle to the power unit, such a scheme was typical for the first post-war Fords (until 1948 inclusive) and Emkas. Shock absorbers were lever hydraulic, as in the front.
The wheels had an unusually large width for those years and stamped discs without holes, the wheels were fastened with five nuts on studs with a bolt pattern of 5 × 5 1/2 ″, that is, 5 × 139.7 mm (an American system originating from from the first GAZ cars). Car tire size 6.00-16.
For the first time in Soviet practice brake system on the mass model it was made hydraulic, without circuit separators and servos.
Drum brake mechanisms were used, having one hydraulic cylinder in each brake drum, which acted immediately on both brake shoes.
Body and its equipment
Pobeda has an all-metal, fastback or convertible body. It is made of a framework, amplifiers and hinged panels. As a material for the body, steel grade 08 was used with a thickness of 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm (on spars and amplifiers more than 2.0 mm). A short spar frame (subframe) is bolted to the body, in front, on which are installed: the power unit, steering and front suspension.
GAZ M20 salon
The body of the Pobeda, for its time, had excellent finishes and equipment, which was repeatedly noted by foreign experts who studied the car.
In Pobeda, many elements of standard equipment were not used before, not only on mass Soviet car models, but also on many analogues of foreign manufacturers, or were installed as an option, for an additional fee.
According to the tradition of those years, soft, pastel colors were used for interior decoration. The color palette included gray, beige, brown.
Artificial materials prevailed, with a minimum of chrome parts.
The use of a wingless body shape made it possible to maximize the internal space, create a more comfortable cabin, with a freer arrangement of passengers.
To make the car more comfortable, compared with pre-war counterparts, allowed a moderate height of the body and center of gravity, independent suspension front and effective hydraulic shock absorbers double action. Especially the comfort of the car was felt when driving on bad roads.
However, the use of a specific profile of the roof of the car made less clearance over the rear seat cushion, this was very noticeable on cars of the first industrial series.
From the second series (1949), the height of the rear sofa cushion was reduced, which added comfort to the ride for passengers sitting in the back, especially if they were wearing a headdress.
One of the features of the interior was the widespread use of plastic for finishing the instrument panel. The installation of massive plastic overlays gave the panel a neat and modern appearance.
Used plastic gray, brown or ivory. The same plastic was used for the steering wheel, various handles and buttons.
The panel was stamped from steel sheet and painted to match the body color. A complete set of instruments was installed: a gasoline level indicator, an ammeter, an oil pressure gauge, a thermometer, a speedometer, a self-winding watch and separate (left and right) control lamps for direction indicators.
The door panels were covered with leatherette, most often brown-beige (under natural tanned leather) or gray color, and were crossed out by three shiny horizontal moldings (two just below the window and one at the bottom).
Inside the car, two sofas with springs and soft stuffing were installed, which were fitted with high-quality woolen fabrics.
The front sofa had the ability to move in the longitudinal direction and secure in a position convenient for the driver, depending on his height. Taxi cars had sofas with hygienic, washable leatherette upholstery.
All glasses had internal edging finished according to the original technology, at GAZ they invented a special method of painting metal, which created a surface that was practically indistinguishable in appearance from Karelian birch, a valuable species of wood.
Another advantageous difference between the car, from previous Soviet ones, and from most foreign models of those years, is a trunk separate from the passenger compartment, which was accessed from the outside, through a lifting cover. Its purpose was mainly for storing driver's tools and a spare wheel, and only the top shelf of a small size was allocated for the luggage itself.
The interior equipment consisted of two sun visors, two ashtrays, a cigarette lighter, a ceiling lamp with automatic switching on, engine compartment lamp, portable lamp, trunk lamp with automatic switch-on, rear-view mirror, two-tone electric signal.
From the second series, they began to regularly install a heater with a windshield defroster, and from the third series, a regular radio with an antenna was added, which was located above the windshield.
Electrical equipment GAZ M20 Pobeda
Although in those years most cars used very capricious and unreliable 6-volt wiring, the Pobeda's electrical equipment was made 12-volt.
Significantly, compared with previous GAZ models, the range of electrical equipment has expanded. A sufficiently powerful generator was installed on Pobeda, which could charge the battery even if many electrical appliances were turned on (at that time, the power of the generators of most cars did not exceed 100 watts, which greatly complicated operation in winter and at night).
On a Soviet car of this class, for the first time, a cabin heater was provided as standard equipment (it was installed from the second production series), combined with windshield blowing. In the heater, the fan supplied air only to the windshield, and the interior was supplied by gravity, which greatly reduced the heating efficiency when parked and at low speeds.
All "Victory" taillights differed from the usual ones: two marker lights combined with direction indicators (two-filament lamps) were located on the wings of the car, and the only brake light was installed in the middle of the trunk lid, in a block with a license plate light.
This was the difference between Pobeda and the mass Soviet cars of those years (Moskvich-400, ZIS-5, GAZ-AA, etc.), which had only one left lamp, and from the ZIS-110, equipped with two full-fledged rear lights.
This arrangement of lighting devices was later repeated on a ZIM car.
The first batches of "Victory" did not have an interrupter relay, so when the direction indicators were turned on for such cars, they burned constantly.
It was interesting to turn on the front position lights, at Pobeda, they burned only in the middle position of the central light switch, and when the headlights turned on, the dimensions went out. This was most likely done to make it easier to distinguish between non-flashing front direction indicators, which were combined with side lights, in which case their light is not so lost against the background of bright headlights.
Of the devices GAZ-M20 had:
- speedometer with odometer and control lamp high beam;
- fuel gauge;
- ammeter;
- coolant thermometer (for this device, the arrow deviated to the left when the temperature increased);
- oil pressure gauge;
- direction indicator lamps,
- an overheating control lamp (it could be connected to a relay-regulator, in which case, in addition to overheating, it also showed the absence of a charge).
Modernization projects
Since the beginning of the release of Pobeda, she had modern design and advanced design, but by the beginning of the 1950s it became clear a large number of design flaws of the car, the body had a too low ceiling height above the rear seat, there was almost no rear view, too little trunk volume, and besides, there was not a good aerodynamic effect - the occurrence of lift when driving on high speed, the strong susceptibility of the car to crosswind drift (due to these design flaws, the "fastback" body has not taken root anywhere in the world on "general purpose" cars).
The aggregate part by the mid-50s also did not correspond to the world level, first of all it concerned the lower valve engine, most American and many new European models from 1952-1954 were equipped with overhead valve engines, hypoid rear axles, curved windows, etc.
"Victory-NAMI"
During a temporary stop of the GAZ conveyor, in 1948, NAMI specialists L. Terentyev Yu. and Dolmatovsky proposed an alternative version of the modernization of Pobeda.
In this project, a large number of changes were proposed, first of all, this is the “sedan” body, which has clearly defined three volumes (instead of two for a fastback sedan), changed external design and salon.
The interior of the project received an improved finish. Instead of the front sofa, it was supposed to install two separate bucket seats with thin backs, which would increase the useful space of the cabin.
In addition, the project "Victory-NAMI" had several design options for the front end, which was carried out by designer Vladimir Ivanovich Aryamov and included the traditional symbol of the city of Gorky ( Nizhny Novgorod) - the motif of the head and antlers of a deer.
Also, for the future, it was planned to create a number of prototypes of hydromechanical automatic transmission for "Victory" (NAMI D2).
Several samples were built, which had some differences in design, one of them had a two-tone color.
The modernization project, in general, was quite consistent with the level of its time, and outwardly resembled the most advanced models of those years, mass-produced, such as the Kaiser (USA) of 1948 and other three-volume sedans with a pronounced pontoon and a clear separation of volumes, while it successfully corrected some of the shortcomings that Pobeda had.
However, the complexity of reconfiguring production and other problems (there were many difficulties with the development of the existing model, which did not go as smoothly as it should), this proposal was not accepted.
The sedan based on the Pobeda was subsequently produced in Poland, but already under the designation Warsaw (a later modification). This machine was developed independently of Pobeda-NAMI and had a different external design.
Project "Victory" GAZ M20 second generation
A group of designers from the GAZ automobile plant, since 1951, has been working on a project called the M-21 Pobeda.
The works by NAMI mentioned above were the basis terms of reference, and developed by L. Eremeev, appearance cars, very much resembled his own ZIM, only in a reduced form. But the design of ZIM itself, by that time, had already begun to become obsolete, and therefore the matter did not go further than a plaster model.
GAZ cars of the next generation of the middle class, which began to be developed in 1952-1953, no longer had the name "Victory": their development was carried out under the mottos "Star" and "Volga". But, in the design of the "Volga", nevertheless, a lot of developments were implemented on the project "Victory" of the second generation.
Currently retro car GAZ M20 Pobeda is very popular with collectors.
The image of "Victory" in the minds of the layman is made up of stereotypes: they say, it is unique, it is specially for "our life", and in general, "they don't make them like that now." Having driven a restyled car of the 1955 model (GAZ M-20V) through the streets and streets of a big city, we understood it main point: reliable and durable, but leisurely transport for all occasions.
And carry officials as a "personal car", and ordinary workers as a taxi, and stay in personal use for very wealthy "private" citizens. And all this under a savory sauce of solidity and healthy conservatism, characteristic of products under the brand name "Made in the USSR". But it's us - auto journalists, experts, professionals, and so on, and popular rumor has its own criteria ...
Myth #1. Large and roomy
Certainly not small. With a length of 4,665 mm, which is not the most modest in modern times, Pobeda was officially considered a five-seater (including the driver). However, the width of the body (1,695 mm) and a solid front sofa allowed us to easily accommodate six of us during the test. Of course, the third person pushed the driver under the elbow all the time, but it didn’t interfere with shifting gears with the steering column lever, as well as using the “handbrake” located under the dashboard on the left. There is not enough legroom and headroom for those sitting in the back, but there is plenty of space in front in these directions.
It is important that the "Victory" has a trunk, albeit a small (350 l), but! An innovation in the automotive industry, the luggage compartment is largely occupied by a spare wheel, but unlike classmates of previous generations, it has access through a separate hatch, and not through the interior and back of the rear seat.
Myth #2. Spartan and unpretentious
In our test machine the 1957 release has everything that the manufacturer of that time could offer to a middle-class car: a heater, sliding windows of all doors plus rotary windows also on all doors, a radio, a clock that does not require winding, five control devices, three signal lamps, sun visors, electric windshield wipers, ashtrays, cigarette lighter.
Widely used in interior decoration plastic parts, solid artificial leather, high-quality woolen fabrics, on the ceiling - a lighting cover that automatically turns on when you open the doors (albeit only two), under the hood - a socket and a backlight in case of repair. We especially note that on foreign cars, many of the above positions were offered as an option for an extra charge, and on the M20 all this luxury, without exaggeration, was in the "base" - there was only one package, without options. With the exception of the version of the taxi, devoid of a radio (by the way, quite advanced), but with a taximeter and with seats trimmed with wear-resistant vinyl instead of fabric.
As for unpretentiousness: from the very beginning, the car was designed as the main passenger car for the national economy of a huge country, the post-war economy of which did not have high-quality roads and a service network. The low-powered engine (compression ratio 6.2) was intended for low-grade oil and low-octane A-66 gasoline. Highly qualified auto mechanics and special equipment, and all current repairs can be performed by the forces of the driver. In a word: unpretentious - yes, Spartan - no.
Myth number 3. Comfortable
By the standards of its time, definitely yes. The above equipment options are not all that the designers have done to increase the comfort of the car. great attention was given to reducing the impact on the comfort of road bumps, which differed Soviet roads post-war period. Since the roads have not improved radically since then, it was easy for us to check this. The smooth running of the M20 is facilitated by four double-acting hydraulic shock absorbers in the suspension, which effectively absorb shocks on potholes. An independent front suspension with soft springs and a stabilizer contributes to reducing uncomfortable body vibrations. roll stability. The rational layout of the car as a whole also does its job - the habitable part of the cabin is located low and within the wheelbase, in the area least prone to rolling.
Myth number 4. Strong as a tank
Not like a tank, but there is a certain monumentality in the behavior of the car. On bumps, even when we drove them without slowing down, the car does not shudder "with the whole body", but remains completely stable (although smaller sound and vibrations are transmitted to the cabin). This is the merit of the chassis, designed for operation on a variety of roads. The margin of safety in suspension parts is combined with the high rigidity of the load-bearing body, which is due, among other things, to the relatively small area of window and door openings and its shape with many biconvex panels. By the way, no matter what evil tongues say, the car is by no means heavy, “like a tank”, the curb weight is 1,460 kg. Modern ones weigh about the same, if not more.
Myth number 5. Thick metal
Not true. The iron from which our "Victory" was "forged" is no thicker than that of other classmates, for example, the Volga. When stamping parts of the "Victory", a steel sheet 0.8-2.0 mm thick was used. Certainly, today's cars they are made from something thinner, but at one time the M-20 did not stand out in this regard. Legends about the high strength of the Pobedovsky body owe their birth to its design, and not to the thickness of the sheet. Well, when you slam the doors or, say, the hood, the sound is impressive - deaf, heavy; probably, this also helped the birth of the legend of thick metal.
Myth number 6. Tinned body
Again not true. Anti-corrosion protection in the form of the Soviet automobile industry was not used. Although there was tin on the bodies, including Pobeda. At the then level of technology, most of the bodies on the conveyor had to be finalized manually. In a special area, the craftsmen straightened out stamping defects, adjusted joints body parts and so on.
Since quick-drying putties did not exist then, the factory technology provided for the use of lead-tin solder to level the surface. Modern restorers say that they met layers of solder up to 1.5 cm thick on Pobeda, and the mass of tin used per body can exceed 15 kg! It is interesting that some modern masters master the tinning technique of half a century ago, and our copy was restored in this way. Therefore, we slammed the doors and hoods of the newly restored car without fear, knowing that the putty layer would not fall off due to vibrations.
Myth number 7. For war
Allegedly, "Victory" was created with an eye on participation in a new war, and in the trunk of each instance there are nodes for attaching a machine gun. Of course not. In February 1943, when the Government assignment for a new model of the Gorky Automobile Plant (which was supposed to be Pobeda) was approved, the military already understood that it was more expensive to fight in adapted cars.
The new GAZ was planned exclusively as a civilian passenger car, although not without the opportunity to ride in the cabin of military ranks. And we easily found the grounds for such a legend - it was enough to open the trunk and look deeper. Firstly, two long "skis" for placing a spare wheel on the floor seem to hint at the possibility of attaching bipods of a light machine gun to them - for whatever reason, a machine-gun "cart" of a new generation ... And secondly, with the rear sofa dismantled suddenly a free opening with a flat floor opens up between the passenger compartment and the trunk right up to the dashboard - as if specially for Anka the machine gunner! But no, this feature of the body was used only on the sanitary version of Pobeda to put a stretcher with a patient along the body.
Myth No. 8. She was copied by others.
Perhaps, but there is no direct evidence, of course. In any case, in 1944, when the pilot sample of Pobeda was ready, it was the world's first car for the mass consumer with a pontoon body, that is, smooth sidewalls without wings and steps. In addition, the silhouette of the rear part of the fastback type came out characteristic. After the war, several car models appeared that were specifically similar to our Pobeda: the English Standard Vanguard (1948), the German Borgward Hansa 2400 (1952), etc.
Pobeda is a Soviet passenger car mass-produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant in 1946-1958. The factory index of the model is M-20.
On June 28, 1946, the serial production of Pobeda cars began. In total, up to May 31, 1958, 241,497 cars were produced, including 14,222 convertibles and 37,492 taxis.
GAZ M-20V 
Main modifications:
M-20 "Victory" (1946-1955):
- the first series (1946-1948) and
- the second series (1948-1955) (from November 1, 1948 received a heater and windshield blower, to improve dynamic characteristics the gear ratio of the main gear was changed from 4.7 to 5.125; from October 1948, new parabolic springs; from October 1949 new thermostat; since 1950 new more reliable watches; from November 1, 1949, it was assembled on a new conveyor; since October 1950, she received a new gearbox from ZIM with a lever on the steering wheel and at about the same time - a new water pump) - fastback sedan body, 4-cyl. engine, 50 hp. s., since 1955 - 52 liters. With. (M-20), mass series (184,285 copies, including M-20V and about 160 thousand of all modifications up to M-20V).
M-20V (1955-1958) - modernized Pobeda, third series, 52 hp engine. s., new design of the radiator lining, the jumper between the fangs of the bumper was excluded, the radio as standard equipment, the antenna on the rotary base, the new design of the front axle beam, the upgraded carburetor "K-22 E", the new air filter, the new steering wheel with a ring signal button, the bright red color of instrument and clock scales has been changed to brown.
M-20A Pobeda (1949-1958) - fastback sedan body, 4-cyl. engine, 52 hp With. (M-20), modification for a taxi, mass production (37,492 copies).
"Victory" - convertible
(there is a version that this modification had its own index "M-20B") (1949-1953) - sedan-cabriolet body (with rigid safety arcs) 4-cyl., 52 hp engine. With. (GAZ-M-20), open-top modification, mass production (14,222 copies).Report by Ralph Mors (Life magazine) from the testing of the Soviet car by the Americans.
In the course of the last modernization in 1955, Pobeda received a new radiator lining, more attractive upholstery, new steering wheel with ring horn button, A-8 radio and a new emblem on the radiator grille.
Quickly gaining recognition at home, the GAZ M-20 paved the way for the Soviet auto industry to the world market. The car was willingly bought in the Scandinavian countries, in Belgium, in a number of Western European countries, where the first sales representatives of the Gorky brand appeared.
In post-war Europe, there was a shortage of relatively inexpensive, comfortable cars, and Pobeda quickly found a steady market in many countries.
Even Western specialized publications spoke flatteringly about Pobeda, who were amazed at the endurance of the car and found only two serious drawbacks in it: insufficient dynamics (payment for efficiency and adaptability to bad gasoline) and poor visibility back.
Assessing the Russian Victory, the American journal Science and Mechanics wrote in 1957:
Quiet on potholes, cornering and acceleration. Good on difficult roads if you're not in a hurry. Holds up great on the road. For its size it is very stable - apparently because of the weight and powerful springs.
And Auto Age magazine for 1953 reported that American engineers carefully examined the Pobeda and found the workmanship to be excellent in many respects. On body elements many signs of manual labor. In some places you can see traces of a file, but, in general, the quality of the body is very good.
The British authoritative magazine The Motor, after conducting comprehensive tests of the Russian Victory, noted:
The design of Pobeda provides, first of all, reliability and the ability to drive long distances in a country where roads are bad, and service points are few and far from each other.
The beauty of lines and high performance are sacrificed for practicality and utilitarian purposes. However, despite this, the fact that attention is paid to such details as the arrangement of cigarette lighters, heaters and other interior amenities indicates that such equipment is valued in Russia as well as elsewhere.
Happy owners of "Victory"
in the presented report, some American novelty is constantly adjacent to Pobeda for comparison.
Trunk capacity comparison.
Curious Americans:
Active Interest:
Today we will talk about a truly iconic car, whose fate is closely intertwined with the history of the Soviet Union, about the GAZ M20 Pobeda car. In the Soviet Union, as you know, all the most significant was done on the instructions of the party. At the end of the war in 1945, the design bureau received a government order to create a civilian vehicle.
All the plants of the Soviet automobile industry and the entire industry as a whole were focused on the production of military equipment, and the wise party leadership was already looking far ahead. Those Hard times it was difficult to imagine the full scale of the work to fulfill the conditions of the order. It was supposed to be an affordable, reliable car that a well-to-do Soviet citizen could afford. As a result, the car became the car of the creative intelligentsia, military officials, and other honored persons of the Soviet Union.
The outstanding designer Andrey Alexandrovich Lipgart took up the design of the car. At one time, he was an intern at the Ford plant in Detroit. But the design of the GAZ M20 Pobeda is in no way connected with his past "American" experience. This is a completely original model designed by Andrey Lipgart. After the end of the Great Patriotic War in the city of Gorky, the construction of a new automobile plant "GAZ" began. Andrey Lipgart, who was directly involved in the construction of the plant, subsequently headed its design bureau for the design of cars.
The car created under his leadership was truly unique. It was the first "pontoon-type" model produced in the Soviet Union. From the point of view of aerodynamics, the body has been so well thought out that even by today's standards it deserves high praise.
A column of several cars from Gorky to Moscow went to the court of the state commission. But at the first meeting, the commission rejected the car. The party leadership and the generals considered the design of the GAZ 20 Pobeda car not successful (when landing in the cabin, the hat flew off the heads of the generals) and “raw”, and they gave it another year for revision.
During this time, a number of changes have been made. In particular, the rear sofa was lowered as low as possible. Other design solutions were innovative, namely, this is the first soviet car, in which a stove appeared, and now a Soviet citizen could afford the luxury of driving without a sheepskin coat and boots. It also featured a radio for the first time. Plus the body shape itself, at that time it was a real breakthrough. Streamlined, graceful and even somewhat feminine, it was in line with the trends of the then automotive fashion.
Initially, they wanted to call the car "Motherland", and, in principle, this name suited the commission. But Comrade Stalin asked the question: “What are we going to sell Motherland for?” The question baffled many, and then the name "Victory" was chosen, symbolizing the Great Victory of the Soviet people over Nazi Germany.
In total, about 236 thousand GAZ M20 Pobedy were produced, and many of them happened to survive to this day due to the fact that Lipgart managed to create a structure that was very reliable and durable on the one hand, and simple and, most importantly, maintainable on the other. The components and assemblies of the GAZ M20 Pobeda were so successfully combined with the components and assemblies of other models that Russian ingenuity, a “hammer with a chisel”, and “a couple of hot words” were required to repair it. There are cases when the car rolled over several times, got up on wheels and, as if nothing had happened, continued on its way. This is a clear indication of the great strength of the body.
During its existence, Pobeda changed its face several times, underwent so-called "restylings" that corresponded to the spirit of the times. In addition, the car had various modifications. In addition to the usual "sedans" was produced in the same way (unheard of luxury for Soviet citizens) - a car designed for comfortable rest. There was also an order to make a car for the village on the GAZ M20 Pobeda platform, and the Gaz workers managed to create an all-wheel drive car. The chairmen of wealthy collective farms and state farms drove around their fields with pride without fear of stalling somewhere in the middle of the field. They also tried to make an ambulance out of Pobeda, however, the attempts were unsuccessful due to the short body.
But what she really took place in, gaining fame, was as a Moscow taxi. And, by the way, it was on it that the famous green light in the upper corner of the glass first lit up, saying that the taxi was free.
Each car has its own flaws, including Pobeda. Its biggest drawback was the engine. The car turned out to be large and heavy, but the domestic industry of that time could not offer an engine that met its criteria. It was equipped with a 2-liter engine with a capacity of only 52 hp. s., although under the hood of the GAZ M20 "Victory" there are a lot of free space, and a significantly larger engine could fit there.
The interior of this car was quite spacious and roomy. The driver in his place was comfortable and even comfortable. Perhaps the idea of the front sofa was inspired by the designer during his American adventures, but it was possible to comfortably stretch out at full length for rest in between work, or even to spend the night if you have to travel.
The steering wheel, by our standards, is not comfortable, quite thin and huge in size, consistent with the fashion of that time. The GAZ M20 Pobeda gearbox is also made in the American style - mechanical with a control lever located under the steering wheel. There were wipers and two switches for them (depending on the strength of the rain). More informative devices were installed on the front panel, the clock was conveniently placed. All arrangement of devices on the panel is symmetrical. This is still the same tribute to the fashion of those years.
The interior trim was made of plastic, imitating wooden stains, the seats were sheathed with leatherette, sometimes with velor. The visibility of the car was poor, but at that time there were not so many cars on the roads, so a rear-view mirror was enough. Windows appeared on the doors of the car (windows), the windows were raised and lowered manually and were enclosed in tight frames so as not to rattle.
As mentioned above, the GAZ M20 Pobeda car has successfully established itself as a taxi. An interesting fact: in Amsterdam (Holland) at one time our "Victory" worked as a city taxi. The rear sofa is spacious enough for a person of any build. For smokers, an ashtray is mounted in the back of the front sofa (they did not fight against smoking then). For interior ventilation, the rear doors also had vents.
The trunk of this car was no different large capacity, most of it was occupied by a spare wheel and a toolbox. True, a few suitcases could still be placed here. Craftsmen managed to attach to the body upper trunk, on which shovels, rakes, seedlings and other garden tools were taken to the dacha. And young people on these machines in full gear traveled south. These were joint tours consisting of several cars moving in a column to the Black Sea.
Not all citizens could afford to buy the GAZ M20 Pobeda, but, nevertheless, the first store selling these cars was located in Moscow in the Baumanskaya district. A queue formed for its purchase, even despite its high price. There were not enough cars for everyone, and Pobeda became a kind of bargaining chip as an encouragement and reward for outstanding people: artists, professors, academicians, military pilots.
Now the Pobeda car has become a retro car, and quite affordable. For relatively little money, you can buy a very decent technical condition typewriter. Plus, because of its maintainability, many parts from other cars are suitable for it. For example, the engine from the GAZ M20 Pobeda will stand up like a native. This, if you like, is “a constructor for an uncle who is drawn to dig into the hardware.”
At the very first exhibition where the Soviet Union presented its model, the GAZ M20 Pobeda caused a sensation. The grandson of Henry Ford, from whom Lipgart once studied, having evaluated the car, frankly admitted that in this case the student surpassed the teacher - he liked her so much. When she won international success, they began to shamelessly copy her, including in England. There it was produced under the Longard Standard brand, and was very similar to the GAZ M20 Pobeda with all its technical solutions. When Pobeda was taken out of production at the Gorky Automobile Plant, the patent for its production was sold to the Poles, who for another 20 years produced domestic cars under the brand name "Warsaw".
Years passed, the global auto industry began to march with huge steps forward, and our Pobeda soon became obsolete. The inertia of the Soviet automotive industry did not allow further development of this model. On the assembly line, it was replaced by the GAZ-21 Volga and the GAZ M20 Pobeda went to another plan. Designers (honor and praise to them) had promising developments, ideas, innovations, but all this was dissolved in the offices of officials. If not for these obstacles, now we could have a completely different higher-level auto industry.
But today all over the world, and in particular in Russia, there are many fans of this legendary brand. There are special clubs even in Germany, in Eastern Europe, where enthusiasts and admirers of this car gather. And in Russia there are clubs of Pobeda fans who unite, leaving for the annual routes on April 12 and May 9. The victorious, as they call themselves, arrange runs through the streets of Moscow, evoking positive emotions among Muscovites and admiration among the guests of the capital.
Here is a GAZ M20 Pobeda car - reliable and not expensive, beautiful and sincere, famous all over the world. We have something to be proud of!
