Now few people remember that in the history of the Gorky Automobile Plant, the index "62" was assigned to three various models. But it just so happened that, despite their originality and successful technical solutions, they either did not reach the conveyor at all, or were in production for a very short time. A good reason to delve into the archives in order to still try to find out the reasons for the fatal bad luck of the developments bearing the index GAZ-62...
GAZ-62 1940
By purchasing American equipment for the production of equal joints angular velocities, on the eve of the Great Patriotic War, GAZ finally got the opportunity to produce all-wheel drive all-terrain vehicles. The designers enthusiastically set about developing multi-purpose vehicles with all-wheel drive, and soon, in 1940, the GAZ-62 truck appeared (the first of three in the history of the plant).
GAZ-62 1958 variant
The front axle of the car was connected through the original transfer case, the lever of which had four positions: 1 - only the rear axle is on, 2 - both axles are on, 3 - neutral (there is no power transmission to the wheels) and 4 - both drive axles are on through a demultiplier with a gear ratio of 1 .82:1.
To increase the cross-country ability, the GAZ-62 was equipped with the most powerful six-cylinder engine with a working volume of 3.48 liters, developing 76 hp. at 3400 rpm. The final drive ratio of both axles was also increased to 6.66:1, and the wheels were fitted with 34x7-inch tires with a special Ground-Prip tread pattern. But the gearbox was no different from those installed on the GAZ-MM lorry. The truck cab was also standard, however, the hood and radiator lining became more massive due to the installation of a 6-cylinder engine.
Tests of prototypes were carried out carefully. It turned out that with a load of two tons on asphalt, the GAZ-62 easily accelerated to a maximum speed of 85 km / h. Moreover, samples with engines on which an aluminum block head was installed instead of a cast-iron one (which increased power to 85 hp) developed a speed of up to 88 km / h.
During spring tests, loaded vehicles overcame ravines with water and thick mud up to 400 mm deep and climbed grassy slopes with a steepness of 20 degrees. As for the virgin snow, then bracelet chains on the rear dual wheels came to the aid of the tire lugs. With them, the car moved freely along the snow cover 600 m deep. The chains also helped out in the difficult conditions of spring thaw.
Gaz-62 on trials
Curious figures have also come down to us characterizing the efficiency of this machine. So, lowest flow gasoline - 16.2 l / 100 km - was achieved on asphalt at a speed of 35-45 km / h. At the same time, more advanced samples with an aluminum block head, despite more power, turned out to be more economical - 15.7 l / 100 km. However, these "ceremonial" data were practically unattainable in real operation. With difficulty, we found the meaning fuel consumption, which today would be called operational. On paved roads - up to 25 l, and off-road - up to 60 l / 100 km.
The beginning of the war interrupted all development work on, in general, a successful all-terrain vehicle, and all design forces were thrown into the creation of light army all-terrain vehicles GAZ-67 and armored cars based on them BA-64. As a result, the two-ton "GAZ" (together with their three-axle versions of the GAZ-33) sunk into oblivion, and after the war the "62" index was assigned to a completely different car.
GAZ-62 1958
In 1958, the two-axle all-terrain vehicle GAZ-62 was demonstrated in the Mechanical Engineering pavilion of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition. Dodge cars"three quarters".
version of the GAZ-62 with an extended platform and a horizontal spare wheel, 1958.
I must say, in life the car looked more solid than in the photographs. At overall dimensions 5000x2100x1800 mm and a wheelbase of 2850 mm, the second GA3-62 could carry 12 people or a payload weighing 1.2 tons. Max speed reached 85 km / h. Almost the same 6-cylinder 76-horsepower engine was used as a power unit, which was installed on prototypes of 1940.
Designed according to the requirements of the military, the GA3-62 sample was distinguished by the use of progressive technical solutions. So, to prevent water, dirt and sand from entering the brake mechanisms the machine was equipped with sealed drum wheel brakes. Maintenance of the car was supposed to facilitate the use of rubber pads in the seals of the springs. By the standards of that time, the car turned out to be quite comfortable: the body was equipped with a powerful blower heater windshield warm air rear springs had variable stiffness and provided a sufficiently high smoothness.
GAZ-62 1958 with folded canopy body and cab
The GAZ-62 of the 1958 model went through a full cycle of tests, but, despite the positive conclusions and the presence of very similar cars in design in the armies of many countries of the world, it did not go into production. And instead of it, the next, third GAZ-62 was developed at the plant, this time with a cab over the engine ...
GAZ-62 1959
A four-wheel drive cabover truck, also commissioned by the army, was developed in record time. It turned out to be more compact than the previous model (dimensions 4870x2100x2325 mm, base - 2700 mm) and was also designed to carry 12 people (two of them were in the cabin) or 1100 kg of cargo. To provide access to the power unit, a cabin with a forward-opening windshield and a removable awning (in this position, the car was located inside a transport helicopter or aircraft) could lean forward with the help of two springs.
cabover GAZ-62 version of 1959
On this machine, to increase power and reduce fuel consumption (for the first time in world practice), a gasoline engine was installed with a prechamber-torch ignition system created by Russian inventors (and then successfully repeated by some foreign firms as know-how). True, at its core, the 6-cylinder engine was again just a further development of the pre-war design and, in terms of output parameters, did not go very far from them: the volume was 3.48 liters and the same 85 liters. With. power.
And yet the third GAZ-62 was technically much more interesting than its predecessors. The car received cross-axle cam-type differentials, hypoid main gears, telescopic shock absorbers and tires with spacer rings. The latter allow the car to move with the air pressure in the tires reduced to 0.5 kg / cm2 when overcoming sandy and waterlogged soils.
so that the GAZ-62 could be transported in Mi-4 helicopters, its height was reduced by folding the cab awning and the body.
The maximum speed of a fully loaded all-terrain vehicle was 80 km / h. Fuel consumption was about 16 l / 100 km, which, with a gas tank capacity of 105 l, provided a cruising range of 650 km at one gas station. It was assumed that the GAZ-62 would tow a trailer (or gun) weighing up to 1200 kg. It was decided to install a winch on some of the machines (in this case, the model index was “62A”). The cross-country ability of a car with a curb weight of 2570 kg was rated very highly. GAZ-62 without a trailer overcame a rise of 32 degrees (with a trailer - 22 degrees), and the maximum fording depth reached 0.8 m.
GAZ-62 was tested together with GAZ-63 and UNIMOG
With a certain amount of irony, we can say that the third GAZ-62 was more fortunate than others. The car reached the assembly line and even began to enter the army. And in 1960 - 1961, the GAZ-62 even became a participant in street automobile expositions in the capital. In addition, the machine is of interest to geologists, rural workers and specialists associated with nature conservation. And yet... His lifeline ended very quickly. The main customer - the army - soon abandoned the rather good and interesting car. And the last surviving copy of the cabover GAZ-62 was cut into scrap metal in 1970 ...
Vyacheslav Mamedov
On Gorky Automobile Plant in the 1950s - 1960s, all work on the new army equipment conducted a secret design bureau of special vehicles, where all serial products underwent rigorous testing for the possibility of its use as a base for future military all-terrain vehicles.
The first mobile base of the new technology was a simple GAZ-69 army vehicle, on the basis of which a series of experimental wheeled and tracked vehicles with fundamentally new types of removable propulsion, often without foreign analogues. The simplest was the GAZ-69, put on four wheels with wide-profile arched tires. His version had only rear arched propellers and front skis.
Experienced all-terrain vehicle GAZ-69 on arched tires (from the archive of I. Paderin)
GAZ-69 with rear arched wheels and front skis (from the archive of I. Paderin)
The most original was the all-terrain vehicle with the so-called milling movers - metal wheels with sharp blades that cut narrow deep trenches in the snow or ice crust, reaching the frozen ground. In a simplified version, two cutters were hung on both sides of the body. GAZ-69 also mounted shortened caterpillar propellers with triangular outline rubber bands.
Snowmobile with milling propellers and supporting skis (from the archive of S. Vechkov)
All-terrain vehicle GAZ-69 with side leading cutters (from the archive of I. Paderin)
GAZ-69 car on four leading tracks (from the archive of S. Vechkov)
In NAMI, as part of secret work on highly elastic propulsion, experimental semi-tracked all-terrain vehicles with pneumatic tracks of two types were based on the modified GAZ-69. They attracted the military with high cross-country ability on sandy and swampy terrain, smooth and quiet running. The last sample of the S-3MU with elastic hingeless tracks and separate pneumatic tracks was considered the most perfect. All these machines never left the experimental stage and did not live up to the hopes of their creators.
All-terrain vehicle S-3MU with pneumatic tracks (from the archive of A. Karasev)
Second in chronology experimental base were multipurpose all-wheel drive vehicles GAZ-62 of the first series, on the units of which the first and only Soviet light four-axle army vehicle was created, both in land and floating versions.
GAZ-62B/GAZ-62P (1956 - 1957)
Main photographs from the archive of I. Paderin
In 1955, in the process of prospecting for the future four-axle armored personnel carrier BTR-60P, engineer V.N. Kuzovkin, under the guidance of the lead designer A.M. independent suspension and all single drive wheels.
In the spring of the following year, it was built as a workable prototype for testing a fundamentally new non-traditional drive system. The car received a 90-horsepower engine from passenger car GAZ-12, transfer case, pressurized brake system, front cladding and plumage from an experienced GAZ-62 all-terrain vehicle, as well as a new elongated all-metal body with a tailgate, longitudinal benches and a common awning with viewing windows.
Experienced 90-horsepower all-wheel drive car GAZ-62B. 1956
All-terrain vehicle GAZ-62B with four front steering wheels
The car used the original search transmission designed by engineer Boris Akimovich Dekhtyar with a transfer case of a central location and through-bevel main gears of both medium axles with limited-slip cam differentials, from which the torque was redistributed to the outer axles. All tires low pressure equipped with an air pressure control system. At gross weight more than 4 tons on the highway, the all-terrain vehicle developed a maximum speed of 80 km / h. The military evaluation tests conducted in August 1956 ended in complete failure for him.
Summer trials multipurpose machine GAZ-62B off-road
Winter trials 1.2-ton cargo-passenger all-terrain vehicle GAZ-62B
In the same year, on the GAZ-62B units, the Gorky shipbuilding plant No. 112 "Krasnoye Sormovo" developed and assembled two test model amphibians GAZ-62P with a power outlet to a water cannon and open displacement aluminum hulls without doors, manufactured at the aviation enterprise No. 21.
First, both cars went through a cycle of factory tests, and in November-December 1957, one of them was presented at test site NIIAP in Bronnitsy, where it was compared with larger prototypes of the Moscow Automobile Plant. The floating GAZ-62P turned out to be a low-powered and overweight vehicle with insufficient cross-country ability and maneuverability. It was not recommended for mass production, and its unique but overly complex transmission was no longer used.
Experienced amphibian GAZ-62P with an all-metal body. 1957
Ground tests of the GAZ-62P all-terrain vehicle (frame from NIIAP filming)
The cycle of searching for new efficient all-terrain propulsion vehicles did not bypass the well-known army two-ton truck GAZ-66. The experimental secret work of the GAZ Design Bureau in the early 1960s was carried out mainly on the basis of its various versions and was reduced to installing them on different types leading systems.
These included traditional half-track versions and machines with compact demountable caterpillar propellers, which were put on the car instead of the rear or all four drive wheels. Such all-terrain vehicles were created primarily for movement on virgin snow and therefore received a common informal labeling GAZ-66S - "snowmobile".
The most advanced then were considered prototypes of fully tracked vehicles with individual propellers designed by S. S. Nezhdanovsky with a triangular contour of four lightweight tracks. The first variant on the GAZ-66B chassis with an open cab was equipped with cable trackless tracks with top drive sprockets and two tension drums.
GAZ-66B with lightweight caterpillar propellers (from the archive of S. Vechkov)
Later, a reinforced rubber-metal mover with a peripheral frame and two large support wheels was tested on a GAZ-66 serial truck with an all-metal cab. In fact, such complex and bulky structures did not lead to a significant increase in the car's cross-country ability, and work on them was eventually closed.
GAZ-66S vehicle with reinforced caterpillar propellers (from the archive of S. Vechkov)
Four-track snowmobile on the GAZ-66 chassis (from the archive of I. Paderin)
One of the few special army vehicles, on which the signature stamp “top secret” lay for a long time, was the significantly modified and reinforced GAZ-66-32 chassis, produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant in 1972. Unlike all other versions of the 66th family, a 140-horsepower was mounted on it. carbureted engine V8 from the BRDM-2 combat vehicle. For him, the Bronnitsky 21 NII designed, and pilot plant No. 38 assembled a special sealed van body KPP-66 with increased resistance to the shock wave of weapons of mass destruction, which protected the crew from radioactive, chemical and bacteriological contamination. It had two front side doors and a rear double door with a folding ladder, its walls were made of multilayer synthetic panels with metal reinforcements and lead sheets.
KPP-66 car on the GAZ-66-32 chassis. 1973 (from the archive of I. Paderin)
Staff van KPP-66 at a military training ground (from the archive of 21 NIITs)
In such a van, it was planned to place top-level field headquarters and sanitary evacuation equipment. Testing of the car began in October 1973 and continued throughout the next year, but such an original and non-standard car was not put into production.
The second area of development activity of GAZ was the creation of models of all-wheel drive army trucks GAZ-34 and GAZ-44, as well as a dual-purpose road vehicle GAZ-33.
GAZ-34 (1964 - 1968)
Photos from the archive of 21 NIITs
With the serial production of two-axle GAZ-66 trucks, factory designers, imperceptibly to prying eyes, began to create a three-axle version of the GAZ-34. It was developed in accordance with terms of reference State Committee for Automotive and Agricultural Engineering, although it was a typical military tractor truck - a lightweight cabover alternative to the ZIL-131 bonneted car. The leading designer of the machine was Vasily Kuzovkin.
In the army, the GAZ-34 was planned to be used as a medium flatbed truck for the delivery of goods and military personnel, the installation of military equipment and the towing of light guns. A prototype sample was assembled in 1964, followed by two cars with cabs from the GAZ-66 in a pre-production version. In 1967, three more test trucks with serial cabs appeared.
Experienced three-ton truck GAZ-34 of the first series 1964 - 1965.
Externally three-ton GAZ-34 with gasoline engine at 115 l. With. resembled an elongated GAZ-66, to which a third bridge was added. For a number of units and assemblies, it was unified with the serial GAZ-66A, but from the very first samples it was equipped with a tire pressure control system. One of the few own nodes were an elongated frame and cargo platform with benches for 27 soldiers and an awning. A number of units were borrowed from ZIL tractors.
Tests of the GAZ-34 truck of the second series on spring off-road
GAZ-34 with a metal body for transporting military personnel
All machines were tested for five years in different regions from Moscow to Ashgabat and Ukhta, at training grounds and on the ground. They towed trailers, mortars, a 122mm M-30 howitzer and even an An-25 aircraft. According to the test results, the GAZ-34 was recommended for adoption, but with the organization of the serial production of the more powerful and reliable ZIL-131 truck, the military's interest in this vehicle melted.
Tests of the GAZ-34 car of the second series in Turkmenistan (movie frame)
Towing trailed mine spreader PMR-3
GAZ-62 - soviet truck with a 4x4 wheel formula, the development of which started before the start of the Second World War. Engineers offered several options, including bonneted and cabover layouts.
General information about the all-terrain vehicle GAZ-62
The 62nd model was positioned as a cross-country vehicle for transporting goods and people in difficult road conditions or off-road. Main structural features high ground clearance and self-locking cam differentials are considered.
On the ground or in wetlands, the truck could move with low tire pressure, which was considered a great achievement for the middle of the last century. The dimensions of the car and removable parts made it possible to carry out transportation by helicopter and disembarkation using a parachute. The power unit was located under the cab. To access the technician to it, the cab leaned forward with the help of springs.
The GAZ-62 power plant has 6 cylinders and is complemented by a prechamber-torch ignition system. Many of the developments made for this car were used in the future on other generations of trucks produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant.
The first sample of the GAZ-62 truck
Assembled in 1940. The enterprise was being prepared for the start of the war, experiments with 6x4 vehicles showed that such developments have low efficiency. Such a wheel formula was popular in the 30s, but by the beginning of the 40s it was obsolete. The army required a four-wheel drive vehicle to overcome any (possible on the road) obstacles.
A breakthrough in the production of four-wheel drive trucks occurred after the purchase of American equipment for the manufacture of ball joints of constant angular velocity. GAZ-62 became the first Gorky 4x4 car. It was based on a powerful GAZ-11 engine with six cylinders and a volume of 3.48 liters. It was developed on the basis of the Dodge D5. At 3.4 thousand revolutions, a power of 76 horsepower developed.
The transfer case lever was installed in one of four positions:
- 1 - rear axle is activated;
- 2 - hard inclusion of both bridges;
- 3 - neutral;
- 4 - activation of both bridges through a demultiplier with a gear ratio of 1.82:1.
The main gears had gear ratio 6.66:1. Largely due to this, a car with high cross-country ability was obtained. The tires received a special tread pattern called "Ground Flu".
The base of the cab was taken from the serial GAZ-MM. The dimensions of the hood are increased, as the engine of other dimensions was used. The design of the radiator grill was developed from scratch. During the modernization process, the cast iron used to produce the cylinder head was replaced with aluminum. Thanks to this, the power increased to 85 horsepower. The first tests were carried out with such a motor. The car passed all tests successfully: it showed the required dynamics and off-road patency.
The maximum speed with a full load (2 thousand kilograms) is 88 km / h. In 1941, the first off-road tests with a full load were carried out, which were also passed satisfactorily. For movement on snow, the wheels were equipped with lugs and bracelet chains (worn separately). Transport moved through snowdrifts up to 60 centimeters deep.
The minimum fuel consumption with a power unit with cast-iron heads was 16.2 liters per 100 kilometers with average speed 35-45 km/h. After replacing cast iron with aluminum, consumption dropped to 15.7 liters per 100 kilometers. Average consumption on asphalt surface was 25 liters, off-road - 60 liters.
Before the start of the war, the designers managed to develop a modification with a 6x6 wheel arrangement. The new car was given the index "33". He also satisfied the military leadership of the country in all respects. After the start of the war, the project was shelved. In the future, the developments of the GAZ-62 of the 1940 model formed the basis of the 63rd model.
It was possible to return to the development of "62" thanks to the presence of Dodge trucks. The USSR received them from American partners during the war as support. The military liked it for its simplicity of design and the possibility of prompt repairs in the field. High permeability achieved due to good weight distribution and large wheels.
The second generation appeared in 1952. Outwardly, it resembled a reduced GAZ-69, on the development of which the engineers worked simultaneously with this project. Dimensions second sample:
- Length - 5 meters;
- Width - 2.1 meters;
- Height - 1.8 meters;
- Wheelbase - 2.85 meters.
The maximum speed is 85 km/h. Transport could carry goods weighing up to 1.2 thousand kilograms. The capacity of the body was 11 people.
"Under the hood" worked the same motor. The design was carried out in strict accordance with the requirements of the army. Thanks to this, several innovative solutions appeared in the design. The seals of the springs received rubber cushions. The smoothness of movement was ensured by the presence of rear springs of variable stiffness. The cabin was located heating equipment.
For serial copies planned to use unique tires 10.00-16 (developed specifically for the 62nd model). Their main feature was a new tread pattern - "oblique dissected Christmas tree". While the new wheels were being developed, American tires 9.00-16 with a "forest" tread pattern were used for the first tests.
The first copy was collected on October 3, 1952. On October 22, he was sent for testing. For 53-54 years, four more cars were assembled. They received minor technical changes: brakes, differentials and tires.
Until the end of the winter of 1953, the car passed a route 15 thousand kilometers long. The performance was compared with Dodge. The results satisfied the army chiefs. In terms of dynamics, the Russian product was inferior due to less power and greater weight, but it was ahead in terms of carrying capacity, economy and cross-country ability.
After that, the GAZ-62 was sent for military testing. At the end of the transport received positive reviews. Experts identified several shortcomings that needed to be corrected during the subsequent modernization. The final stage was state testing, as a result of which the product received a recommendation for serial production.
In the process of working on the standard version, a cargo version was developed, which received the index "A". She received a body with an increased volume, and the spare wheel was placed in a horizontal position. The truck also received a mechanical winch.
When finalizing the design, they added sealed drum brakes. The mechanisms were not subject to wear due to water and dirt. As a result, braking efficiency has been improved. All parts of the brake mechanism were attached inside brake drum on the splines of the pins of the drive axle. This affected appearance: discless wheels are now flat. Only the hubs in the center and the studs with rim fastening nuts protruded.
Design brake system, which had many operational advantages, received a number of disadvantages. It took a long time to assemble, was not repaired in the field, and had a high cost. During the tests revealed main disadvantage: the dust accumulating inside wore out all the mechanisms, which led to an early breakdown. Engineers had to abandon this design solution.
Promising in all plans, the car never reached the assembly line. The exact reasons why the serial production was not organized are unknown.
The latest generation has become shorter, but taller. Specifications allowed to transport military personnel up to 12 people or cargo weighing no more than 1.1 thousand kilograms. The purpose remained the same, so many design solutions have been preserved from the previous prototype.
Friction was taken from the 63rd model mechanical clutch clutch and a four-speed manual transmission. The distribution was made from scratch. It was based on a two-stage gearbox with two gears: higher (direct) and lower.
The transmission was deprived of the center differential, so the drive front axle activated forcibly mechanically. The latches in the transfer case were responsible for downshifting after the front axle was activated. This is done to reduce the load on the transmission. To fasten the transfer case and gearbox to the frame crossbars, a short cardan shaft with needle bearings. Also included in the design were two more cardan shaft, which were responsible for the transmission of torque to the drive axles.
The basis of the steering mechanism is taken from the 51st model. It consisted of a globoid worm and a double roller. The kinematics of the steering linkage was retained. Behind the front axle was a transverse link.
The development of other models of the Gorky Automobile Plant also formed the basis of electrical equipment. Voltage - 12V. For a stable start in frosty conditions, a pre-start lamp thermosyphon engine heater was provided. For self-pulling, a winch was added, powered by a power take-off.
The power unit remained the same. Located under the cab. Two powerful springs were responsible for tilting the cab forward for access to power plant. Specifications (maximum speed, fuel consumption, etc.) have remained unchanged since the first sample, assembled in 1940.
After passing all the tests, in 1959 they collected 40 copies. The following year, another 21 trucks were produced. For 61-62 years, another 8 cars were assembled, after which serial production ceased. The military leadership abandoned reliable and powerful transport. The last copy, located in the armored museum near Moscow, was destroyed in the mid-70s.
GAZ-62B and P
The development of the version with the index "B" began in 1956. Main Feature became the wheel formula 8x8. A sample was collected for kinetic transmission testing. The standard four-speed gearbox was equipped with one transfer case. The main gears of the second and third bridges received ordinary conical pairs. After passing the first tests, such a design was recognized as unsuitable.
GAZ-62B was one of the first in the history of domestic engineering to receive an automatic tire pressure control system. The GAZ-11 engine was replaced with a GAZ-12, which developed 94.5 horsepower. With a weight of 4.2 tons and a full load of 1.2 thousand kilograms, the car developed a speed of 80 km / h.
On the basis of version "B" they built "P", which they taught to swim. To do this, it was equipped with a displacement body and a screw drive. The practical application of the modification in the army was not found, so the development process did not progress further than the prototype.
What can be the conclusion?
The GAZ-62 car is an interesting project of Soviet designers. Despite the successful design, all tests passed and good recommendations, 62nd model, like many other developments of the Gorky Automobile Plant, to a large-scale serial production didn't come. Many of the technical solutions of this project were used in subsequent products of the enterprise.
If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.
The legendary GAZ-66 (the so-called "Shishiga") had a very similar predecessor with its interesting history- GAZ-62. In general, index 62 on GAZ had a strange property - there were only three different prototypes with it - 1940, 1958 and 1959 - and all of them either were not released into the series at all, or were produced in extremely small batches.
GAZ-62 1940 became one of the first vehicles with a 4x4 wheel formula (at that time, most army trucks used the 6x4 formula, which did not meet the requirements of future military requests) and they put the most powerful at that time on it GAS engine- 76-horsepower 6-cylinder gasoline GAZ-11 (after the war it became known as GAZ-51) with a volume of 3.5 liters. In appearance, the GAZ-62 was similar to the GAZ-MM, which was mass-produced at that time (the cabin was completely borrowed from it). With an improved engine that produced 85 hp, the GAZ-62 in 1941 showed excellent cross-country ability, overcoming fully loaded (up to 2 tons) ravines up to 40 centimeters deep and snow up to 60 centimeters.
GAZ-62 (1940)
The outbreak of war suddenly put an end to all developments on this model, however, some developments were used in the GAZ-63. Not a single model went into production.
Almost immediately after the end of the war, in 1952, GAZ-e started designing the second GAZ-62, based on the Lend-Lease Dodge WC-52 (3/4), which proved to be excellent due to its simplicity and reliability in wartime.
Dodge WC-52 (3/4)
Externally new model resembled an enlarged GAZ-69, work on which was going on at the plant at about the same time. With dimensions of 5000 x 2100 x 1800 mm, the car was able to carry 12 fighters in full gear or 1200 kg of cargo. The engine for the new GAZ-62 was installed on the same GAZ-11 as on the first GAZ-62 car.
GAZ-62 (1952)
On the "second" GAZ-62, several novelties invented during the war were used - in particular, drum wheel brakes were sealed to prevent water and dirt from entering them. There were also amenities - a heater with blown windshield, rear springs had variable stiffness for a smoother ride on the road. The spare wheel arch was also originally solved. A little later it was developed cargo variant GAZ-62A with an enlarged body, in which the spare wheel was already located horizontally.
GAZ-62A (1958)
In 1956, a prototype prototype GAZ-62B with an 8x8 wheel formula was built at GAZ-e, the purpose of which was to find technical solutions for building a future 8x8 all-terrain vehicle. He turned the car due to the four wheels of the front bogie.
GAZ-62B 
At the same time, two floating copies of the GAZ-62P were built at the plant with a propeller drive and a displacement hull, but further development neither 62B, nor 62P received.
In 1958 GAZ-62 demonstrated at VDNKh as a new promising development GAS. However, due to some design difficulties, it never entered the series, while its prototype, the dodge WC-52, was produced until the end of the 80s.
Next prototype GAZ-62 was developed almost from scratch and in record time - almost a year. New realities dictated their requirements - the TOR for the development contained the following purposes for the future vehicle: towing battalion anti-tank guns with combat crew and portable ammunition in the back, transportation of small arms and mortar weapons with combat crew and ammunition, airborne landing by airborne forces (for this, the car had to fit into existing transport aircraft and parachute from the air, for which the dimensions had to be reduced - 4870 x 2100 x 2385 mm, make the top of the cabin tarpaulin, the windshield of the cabin - folding, and the sides of the doors with glass - removable), transportation of various means of communication, transportation of the wounded in the body in a lying and sitting position, a base for the installation of radio stations, power plants and other installations, off-road transport. The carrying capacity remained the same - 12 people or 1100 kilograms of cargo.
GAZ-62 (1959)
Access to the engine in this model was carried out by tilting the cab forward with the help of two springs. The engine itself was now a more economical version of the same 6-cylinder version, which produced the same 85 hp. and having a volume of 3.5 liters. Technically, the new GAZ-66 had a whole series of promising improvements - cam-type cross-axle differentials, main gears of axles with hypoid gearing, telescopic shock absorbers, tires with spacer rings and many other smaller innovations that affected the dynamics and cross-country ability of the car - in particular, when overcoming swamps and sands GAZ-62 could move with a tire pressure of 0.5 kgf / cm2, which was a great achievement for that time.
GAZ-62 could reach a maximum speed of 80 km / h on asphalt with a fuel consumption of 16 l / 100 km. Having two gas tanks with a capacity of 105 liters, the car received a power reserve of about 600 kilometers. GAZ-62 also showed remarkable cross-country ability in tests - it overcame fords up to 80 centimeters deep and climbs up to 30 degrees. Also produced a variant with a winch - GAZ-62A.
Since 1959, the GAZ-62 began to be supplied to the army. However, in four years (from the 59th to the 62nd), only 69 cars were manufactured. Testing the car in real army conditions showed some shortcomings, and in 1964 the successor to the GAZ-62, the GAZ-66, saw the light of the day and conquered the light niche. army truck for 30 years, having more than 35 various modifications.
Line of lungs GAZ trucks since 1947.
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During the war, large volumes were supplied to the USSR american cars off-road Dodge-WC51 (3/4). The overseas off-road vehicle really fell in love with the Soviet military: Lend-Lease Dodges were easy to maintain, easily and inexpensively repaired (while rarely breaking down) and had excellent cross-country ability. That is why the Dodge 3/4, after many upgrades, was in service with the American armed forces until the early nineties and gave way only to the Hammer. At the end of the war, it was decided to create domestic analogue American SUV, and in 1962 the first experimental GAZ-62 model appeared.
The engine for the Soviet Dodge was borrowed from the GAZ-51 mass truck. It was a 6-cylinder engine with a capacity of 76 horsepower, and it was paired with a four-speed mechanical box gears. Four-wheel drive connected via a two-stage transfer case with demultiplier. The maximum speed of the GAZ-62 was 85 kilometers per hour, and the carrying capacity reached 1000 kilograms (with a mass of 2570 kilograms). The interior of the car, at that time, was also on the level: the interior was equipped with a powerful blower heater windshield, and the rear springs could change their stiffness, which ensured an unprecedented smooth ride for a Soviet SUV.
A couple of weeks after the appearance of the first prototype in the fall of 1952, the first tests of the GAZ-62 began. In tests, the Soviet car was compared with German Mercedes Unimog like with the nearest foreign analogue, and the GAZ-62 was in no way inferior to the German. The car overcame a ford up to 0.8 meters deep and could master climbs of 32 degrees without a trailer and 22 degrees with a trailer. The length of factory tests was 15 thousand kilometers, and the resulting Gorky all-terrain vehicle was rated "excellent". But, no matter how hard they tried at GAZ, it was not possible to surpass Dodge in all respects. Although the Soviet car was somewhat more economical, passable, and payload exceeded the “Dodge” by 250 kilograms, the American engine was more powerful by 16 horsepower (in terms of mass, Dodge exceeded GAZ by only 30 kilograms), and therefore Dodge could tow a trailer weighing up to two tons - twice as much as GAZ.
During the tests, the model was constantly refined, and new prototypes were added to existing prototypes - with other body parts, differentials and brakes. Sealed drum brakes, first used on the GAZ-62, were an innovation for the Soviet automotive industry. New design was supposed to reduce wear and increase the efficiency of the brakes. And although sealed brakes were indeed effective, production proved to be too laborious and operation unreasonably expensive, especially for a conventional army SUV. As a result, the technology was abandoned on the GAZ-62, but later the idea was successfully applied to the floating BRDM, BTR-70 and other army vehicles.
By 1958, the GAZ-62 had successfully passed all the tests. In the army, the SUV proved to be an excellent tug for anti-tank guns, and after interdepartmental tests, the commission issued a conclusion on the feasibility of serial production of the model. But for unknown reasons, the GAZ-62 did not go into the series - only 70 copies of the model were produced. However, many of the technologies tested on the GAZ-62 migrated to the same "Goat", the GAZ-69, the development of which was carried out in parallel with the tests of the "sixty-second".
