The history of the open joint stock company "GAZ" (formerly "Gorky Automobile Plant") dates back to 1929. March 4, 1929 A decision was made by the Supreme Council of National Economy of the USSR and an order was signed on the construction of an automobile plant. April 6, 1929 a decision was approved on the choice of the area for the construction of the future car plant - near the city of Nizhny Novgorod.

What cars were produced by the GAZ plant?

GAZ-A

GAZ-A - a car middle class with an open 5-seater 4-door chaise-type body. Licensed copy car Ford-A, equipment and documentation for the production of which were purchased Soviet government in the USA in 1929 at Ford motor company.

The first Soviet passenger car of mass conveyor assembly. Produced from 1932 to 1936 at the Gorky Automobile Plant and from 1933 to 1935 at the Moscow KIM plant. The first two cars were assembled on December 8, 1932. A total of 41,917 cars were produced

M-1 ("Emka") - a Soviet passenger car, mass-produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1936 to 1943.

During the Great Patriotic War, individual copies were assembled at the plant from the available parts.

The car became one of the symbols of its era, played a significant role in the war years, as it was one of the most common car models in the country and was used very widely.

A total of 62,888 copies were made.

"Victory" - a cult Soviet passenger car, mass-produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant in 1946-1958. The factory index of the model is M-20.

The first Soviet passenger car with load-bearing body and one of the first large-scale production in the world with a fully pontoon-type body - without protruding wings and their rudiments, steps and headlights.

On June 28, 1946, the serial production of Pobeda cars began. A total of 235,999 cars were produced, including 14,222 convertibles and 37,492 taxis.

ZIM (until 1957), GAZ-12 - Soviet six-seater six-window long wheelbase big sedan, mass-produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant (Molotov Plant) from 1949 to 1959 (some modifications - until 1960.)

ZIM is the first representative model of the Gorky Automobile Plant. The predecessor of the "Seagull" GAZ-13. It was mainly used as company car(“personalka”), intended for the Soviet, party and government nomenklatura - at the level of minister, secretary of the regional committee and chairman of the regional executive committee and above, in some cases it was also sold for personal use.

In total, from 1949 to 1959, 21,527 copies of the ZIM / GAZ-12 of all modifications were produced.

GAZ-21 "Volga" - a Soviet middle-class passenger car, mass-produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1956 (1957) to 1970. The factory model index is originally GAZ-M-21, later (since 1965) - GAZ-21. A total of 639478 copies of all modifications were produced.

GAZ-13 "Chaika" - Soviet representative (executive) passenger car big class, produced in a small series at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1959 to 1981.

A total of 3,189 cars of this model were manufactured.

GAZ-14

GAZ-14 "Chaika" - a Soviet representative passenger car of a large class, hand-assembled at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1977 to 1988.

In total, about 1120 cars of this model were manufactured.

GAZ-22

GAZ-22 "Volga" is a Soviet passenger car of the middle class with a station wagon-type passenger-and-freight body. Serially produced from 1962 to 1970 at the GAZ plant in the city of Gorky. It was equipped with a five-door monocoque body with a 5-7-seat convertible interior. base car- GAZ-21R sedan of the third series. GAZ-22 (early releases - GAZ-M-22) was designated as a cargo-passenger separate model (thus, the "GAZ-21 station wagon" did not exist). GAZ-22 had various modifications, also based on it, the GAZ-22B ambulance and (by other factories and workshops) the GAZ-22A van were produced.

GAZ-22 is one of the first crossovers in the world.

GAZ-24 "Volga" - a Soviet middle-class car, mass-produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1970 to 1985

GAZ-24-10 "Volga" - a passenger car of the middle class, manufactured by the Gorky Automobile Plant. In essence, the GAZ-24-10 is a palliative version of the GAZ-24 modernization based on a more deep modernization GAZ-3102, the deployment of large-scale production of which was artificially blocked at the level of the sectoral ministry. It was produced from the end of 1985 until the spring of 1992, when it was replaced by the GAZ-31029 model, which was a variant of the GAZ-3102 adapted for mass production.

Since the release of the car coincided with many transformations in the country (the era of perestroika), it went down in history as the first Volga available to a wider range of people, including for private purchase (unlike GAZ-24 and even more so GAZ-3102) . But at the same time, it retained a relatively high build quality (when compared with the successors of the GAZ-31029 and even the GAZ-3110).

GAZ-3102 "Volga" - a Soviet passenger car of a large class, mass-produced from April 1982 to 2008 by the Gorky Automobile Plant. Developed on the basis of the GAZ-24 Volga car, the GAZ-3102 was supposed to be its successor.

However, for a number of political and economic reasons, this project was produced in small batches (about three thousand cars a year), instead of mass production, exclusively as an official car by the Soviet mid-level nomenclature. These were positions that had not yet been assigned exclusive limousine GAZ-14 "Seagull", but the status required separation from the general flow. These were deputy ministers, directors of large trusts and enterprises, heads of famous theaters, generals, prominent academic laureates, editors of publications, directors, etc.

GAZ-31105 "Volga" - Russian passenger car, mass-produced on the assembly line from 2004 to 2009 at the Gorky Automobile Plant.

In fact, the "105th" is an improved version of the GAZ-3110. Among the improvements: pivotless front wheel suspension, stabilizer roll stability pendants rear wheels, as well as an improved gearbox. The appearance of the car has also been modernized: instead of angular headlights, drop-shaped headlights have been installed, the radiator grille, front fenders, hood and front bumper have been replaced.

In 2005-2007 under the order, a version of the "business class" GAZ-311055 was produced with a wheelbase extended by 300 mm and doors extended by 150 mm.

GAZ-3105 "Volga" - a passenger car of a large (E) class with increased level comfort, produced from 1992 to 1996 at the facilities of the Gorky Automobile Plant.

Volga Siber (Volga Siber) is a Russian mid-size sedan produced from 2008 to 2010.

Introduced Russian company GAZ Group at the Interauto-2007 exhibition in Moscow on August 29, 2007 as GAZ Siber. Further tradename model was changed to Volga Siber.

This year marked the 80th anniversary of GAZ. Gorky Automobile Plant in the past, the flagship of the Soviet industry, the firstborn of the first five-year plans. Now it is the last independent Russian automaker.

To describe the whole history of the legendary automobile plant is an occupation that does not make sense. There are kilometers of articles on this topic, a lot of books. The most detailed - GAZ cars 1932 - 1982 of Mr. Ivan Paderin. This Talmud will be curious to all lovers automotive history, but not only. The book will be of interest to fans of the history of the USSR.

I want to briefly dwell on some moments of the little-known pages of the history of GAZ, without trying to embrace the immensity.

The history of the plant began in 1929 after the signing of an agreement on technical cooperation between the Supreme Economic Council of the USSR and Ford motor company. Actually, the USSR from Ford needed technologies for the mass production of cars. The car itself didn't really matter. His Soviet specialists could copy without straining too much. Technology was more difficult. Buy technology conveyor production it was possible only with Ford. GM had similar technologies, but the corporation was on the rise and did not want to share for cheap. For Ford, on the contrary, things were not going well. The new Ford A model did not become a bestseller in the US market, the demand was purely replacement. Ford owners T changed it to Ford A. Therefore, Henry Ford was in desperate need of funds. Old Ford had a more distant calculation. He believed that Soviet power in Russia would not last longer than the forties. And after the fall of the regime with the new authorities, he will somehow agree and the company will fall into the hands of a ready-made plant working according to Ford standards.

But the USSR bought not only Ford technology but also the ideology of Fordism. This ideology ideally met in the socialist model of the economy. And it seems - where is Ford, and where is socialism. Two worlds, two Shapirs. But a rare change of models, minimal consumer qualities, a constant struggle with costs, sometimes to the detriment of quality - all this was inherited by the Soviet auto industry from Ford's ideology. Says that it's bad or good - stupid. The USSR had no other options at the beginning of the thirties.

The plant went into operation on January 1, 1932. The first 1.5-ton trucks NAZ-A were assembled from American spare parts. At that time, Nizhny Novgorod had not yet been renamed Gorky and the plant was called Nizhny Novgorod Automobile.

The main goal of the new plant was to saturate the Red Army with automotive equipment. Therefore, priority was given to the production of trucks and chassis for armored cars. Cars were the one hundred and twenty-fifth business.

But as it is not surprising, the only new model mastered by the plant before the war was the GAZ-M -1. Under an agreement with Ford, the company provided the Soviet side with documentation for the release of another new car model, instead of GAZ-A. Thus, the documentation for the Ford B was obtained. But Emka did not become just a copy of the American model. Soviet designers significantly reworked the chassis.

Emka prototype.

And this is a classic Emka.

A replacement was also being prepared for the Lorry, but due to various circumstances mass production GAZ-11-51 failed to deploy before the war.

In the pre-war period, the plant's designers paid much attention to increasing the all-terrain capabilities of cars. By the end of the thirties, it became clear that neither half-track nor three-axle cars could be full-fledged SUVs. We need all-wheel drive vehicles. The work unfolded in this direction led to the appearance of the GAZ-64/67. GAZ all-wheel drive trucks were less fortunate; they never made it to the conveyor, the war prevented.

During the Great domestic factory produced light tanks and trucks, plus all-terrain vehicles GAZ-64/67.

The shortage of all-wheel drive vehicles in the Red Army was covered by supplies american trucks. But it was impossible to put up with such a situation. Already in 1943, the development of new GAZ-63 trucks and its non-all-wheel drive version of the GAZ-51 began. By design, the new trucks were very reminiscent of American technology. The cabin for the GAZ-51/63 was generally borrowed from the Studebaker US6. What the military liked this cabin is unknown. It is also unknown why ZiS copied the cockpit from Inter. And why was there a garden to fence, although it was possible to limit one type of cabin for both plants.

The end of the forties - the fifties is the time of the rise of the Soviet automobile industry. For GAZ, these are Pobeda, ZiM, GAZ-69, GAZ-21 Volga. A lot has been written and said about these cars.

During this period, two curious families of cars were developed, which did not reach mass production.

GAZ-56 should have noticed the legendary Lorry. Since after the GAZ-MM was discontinued, a gap appeared in the type range of Soviet cars, there was no truck with a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons, it was decided at GAZ to develop a successor to the Lorry. Due to various economic reasons, the GAZ-56 did not go into the series. Unification with the future GAZ-52 in the cockpit did not help either.

To some extent, this was due to increased traffic volumes. The number of trucks grew, and so did the number of drivers. The logical solution was to increase the carrying capacity of vehicles so that one truck and one driver transported as much as possible more cargo. Another solution to the problem was the increase in tractors with semi-trailers. At GAZ, a tractor based on the GAZ-51 was developed, which worked with a semi-trailer weighing 6 tons.

The GAZ-51P tractor did not become a mass phenomenon. The deficit of semi-trailers, observed in the USSR until the eighties, affected. And it’s not that there weren’t factories in the Union that produced such equipment. But these factories were busy producing slightly different products, which could be seen periodically at parades.

The fate of the GAZ-62 is similar to the history of the GAZ-56. Just a car almost ready for production remained only in the photo. GAZ-62 was conceived as an intermediate link between GAZ-69 and GAZ-63. The car was unified in some units and components with these cars.

But soon after the full test cycle, the army lost all interest in this car, considering its carrying capacity insufficient. The situation was supposed to be corrected by a cabover version. But the military had little interest in this car either. The army desired trucks with a large payload.

But every cloud has a silver lining, the experience of developing a cabover GAZ-62 came in handy when creating the GAZ-66. Shishiga was supposed to replace the GAZ-63, which disappointed the military in terms of cross-country ability.

GAZ-66 turned out to be a rare long-liver and lasted on the assembly line from 1964 to 1999. Kind of a record. Moreover, in 1999, Shishiga did not completely disappear. She served as a donor for many details of the new four-wheel drive truck Sadko.

In the early sixties, a real race began in the USSR to increase the carrying capacity of commercial vehicles. One of the consequences of this movement is the development of a three-axle version of the GAZ-66, the GAZ-34.

The car turned out to be successful, but in terms of carrying capacity it was closely matched to ZiL products, and the competition between Soviet factories shouldn't have been. Therefore, the project was shelved.

But GAZ civilian trucks stubbornly strove to compete in terms of carrying capacity with ZiLs. If the GAZ-51 had a carrying capacity of 2.5 tons, then the GAZ-53, which went into serial production in 1961, already had a carrying capacity of 3 tons, thereby catching up with the ZIL-130.

The last modification of 53 was the GAZ-3307 and its derivatives. With all the antiquity of the design, this truck was produced until recently, and was in limited demand due to its extreme cheapness.

While GAZ trucks were increasing their carrying capacity, cars were becoming more and more luxurious. ZiM replaced the GAZ-13 Chaika, the 21st Volga was replaced by the 24th. In the seventies, an attempt was made at GAZ to create an intermediate car between Chaika and Volga. From the Volga, the future car was supposed to get a body, and from Chaika an eight-cylinder engine. The prototypes looked like this.

The car reached mass production in a greatly truncated version. Without the eight-cylinder engine and with a modified appearance. But even in this form, the GAZ-3102 was very loved by the plant directors.

GAZ-3111 became the last passenger car of GAZ, which was mass-produced. The car did not go further than small-scale production. And then of course purely marketing problems. In the mind of the buyer, the Volga is a premium brand, and buying such a car in a car dealership with trucks is somehow strange. It is not profitable to create a special network of salons for only one model.

The main lifesaver of the plant was the Gazelle. Without this truck, GAZ would have died long ago.

The shortcomings of this apparatus are well known to all. I will only say one thing in defense of the Gazelle - she feeds. Many started their business with this truck. And on the way a new family of this car - Gazelle Next. It is hoped that there will be fewer shortcomings.

In general, the news coming from GAZ is encouraging. A very positive step is the invitation of Bo Anderson, a former vice president of GM. Development in progress new technology. And all this despite the authorities' lack of love for GAZ. The Kremlin now has other favorites.

”is the largest enterprise in the Russian automotive industry, which occupies a leading position in the domestic commercial vehicle market.

History of the GAZ Nizhny Novgorod plant

On March 4, 1929, a decision was made by the Supreme Economic Council of the USSR and an order was signed on the construction of an automobile plant. On May 31, 1929, the Supreme Economic Council of the USSR and the American firm Ford Motor Company entered into an agreement on technical assistance organization and establishment of mass production of cars and trucks. The basis of the production program were chosen Ford models-A and Ford-AA. The plant was founded in 1932 as the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant named after V. M. Molotov. In the same year, the first 1.5-ton NAZ-AA truck rolled off its assembly line. The first GAZ-AA cars were made according to the drawings of the Ford company. However, Soviet designers took a critical approach to the Ford documentation. I had to strengthen the clutch housing, steering gear, install air filter etc.

GAZ-AA cars served as the basis for the creation of a whole family of vehicles for various purposes.

The main modifications of the GAZ-AA truck:

• GAZ-410 - dump truck (1936-46)
• GAZ-42 - gas generator version of the truck (1939-46).
• GAZ-44 - gas cylinder GAZ-AA (1939).
• GAZ-55 - military ambulance(1938-45).
• GAZ-03-30 - bus (1933-41, 1945-50).
• GAZ-AAA - three-axle truck (1934-43).
• PARM-A - repair and recovery vehicle.

In addition, a number of specialized vehicles were produced on the basis of GAZ-AA - fire engines, medical, police, radio communication vehicles, automobile anti-aircraft installations (quadruple machine guns "Maxim" in the back), searchlight anti-aircraft installations, detection radars, etc. In total, over the years of truck production, more than one million GAZ-AA were produced.

In May 1936, the serial production of the 4-door 5-seater sedan GAZ-M-1 ("Molotovets-1"), known as "Emka", began. This car became the most massive pre-war Soviet passenger car model.

On the basis of "Emka" a number of serial modifications: in 1937 - a GAZ-M-415 pickup truck with an all-metal cab and a metal platform for 500 kg of cargo; in 1939 - a modernized GAZ-11-73 sedan with a 6-cylinder GAZ-11 engine; in 1940 - all-wheel drive phaeton GAZ-61-40; in 1941 - the world's first comfortable SUV with a closed body of the GAZ-61-73 sedan type.

Just before the start of the Great Patriotic War, an army commander's office was created at the GAZ plant. all-wheel drive vehicle("jeep") GAZ-64, which received the nickname "goat".

The first car was released in August 1941 almost simultaneously with the release of american jeep Willys-MA. At the same time, the GAZ-64 was superior to the American counterpart in many ways. A total of 686 GAZ-64s were produced.

The Great Patriotic War

During the Great Patriotic War, the enterprise was completely reoriented to the production of military equipment.

In the initial period of the war, the production of an army passenger car was mastered as soon as possible. off-road GAZ-64. In October 1941, the plant mastered the production of the T-60 light tank, the design of which was improved by the factory workers in order to improve its performance.

At the same time, taking into account the greater capabilities of GAZ compared to the Moscow plant No. 37, the developer of the T-60, the design of a more combat-ready version of a light tank with enhanced armor and weapons began. Already in December, its prototype T-70 was built, and after completion it became the second largest tank in the Red Army. In this series fighting machine went from April 1942.

Also in the same spring, the BA-64 light armored car based on the GAZ-64 was put into production.

In 1943, a modernized (with a broader gauge) armored car BA-64B and a light army off-road vehicle GAZ-67 unified with it on the chassis were mastered.

During the second half of 1942, the GAZ tank design bureau, under the leadership of Nikolai Aleksandrovich Astrov, worked on strengthening the T-70 running gear in order to eliminate its main drawback - a single-man turret. So in October 1942, the T-70 was replaced on the conveyor by its modification T-70M, and in December of the same year, the T-80 light tank with a two-man turret was successfully tested and put into service.

Since the need of the Red Army for self-propelled artillery was very great, the light self-propelled artillery unit (SAU) SU-76 (SU-12) was put into production at GAZ.

Since the transition to the production of the T-80 light tank could lead to a decrease in the number of T-70M and SU-76 ships shipped to the army, it was decided to organize its production in Mytishchi at plant No. 40, and the Gorky residents built five experimental and pre-production vehicles of this type. In 1943, the work of the tank design bureau was focused on improving the SU-76 self-propelled guns, since its original version had a severe defect in the engine-transmission group. These efforts were crowned with success, the improved model of self-propelled guns (SU-15, and later SU-76M of the second version) was spared from this shortcoming.

Also, GAZ designers developed several prototypes of wheeled and tracked armored vehicles, which did not go into series for various reasons, for example, self-propelled guns KSP-76, GAZ-74, etc. In the same period, a modernized light army off-road vehicle GAZ-67B was mastered, which was also produced in the post-war period. In addition, GAZ massively produced engines, mortars and other military products. The leading role in the design of Soviet off-road vehicles was played by the designer Vitaly Andreevich Grachev, who was awarded the Stalin Prize for 1942 for the creation of the BA-64 armored car.

During the years of the Great Patriotic War, 176,221 vehicles, about 12,000 tanks, more than 9,000 self-propelled guns, 24,000 mortars, 232,000 automobile motors, 30,000 shells for the Katyusha rocket launcher.

In 1943, in just a month, from June 4 to June 22, German aircraft bombed GAZ seven times. Serious destruction was received by 50 buildings and buildings. interrupted mass production. 35 thousand repairmen, installers and builders, working 18-19 hours a day, restored the plant in 100 days. However, it was necessary to abandon the production of the technologically complex three-axle truck GAZ-AAA, for some time the production of other automotive technology and armored cars BA-64. However, the production and delivery of the T-70 light tank to the troops did not stop for a day, although the factory workers managed to block the May indicators only in October 1943.

post-war period

The war had not yet ended when the Gorky Automobile Plant began to create new models of trucks and cars.

The first in a series of new products was the GAZ-51 truck. Their mass production began in January 1946.The second was the GAZ M-20 car, the famous Pobeda. The first batch was assembled in June 1946.

The GAZ-69 SUV in 1953 replaced its predecessor GAZ-67. The most unified with the then produced "gas" cars, a simple, durable and very hardy machine was successfully operated both in our country and abroad.

The design of the GAZ-21, unusual for its time, also turned out to be extremely successful.

In 1959, it was time for a new flagship of the company. They became the seven-seat "Seagull" GAZ-13.

In the second half of the 80s, on a government assignment, the development of a new representative passenger car GAZ-3105 began, which later became small-scale.

In March 1981, the 10 millionth car rolled off the assembly line of the plant, and in December 1995, the 15 millionth with the GAZ brand.

In November 1992, the Gorky Automobile Plant was transformed into an open joint-stock company.

The current state of the GAZ plant

In 2012, the GAZ plant in Nizhny Novgorod celebrated its 80th anniversary. Despite its venerable age, the plant continues to work actively.

Today, the Gorky Automobile Plant is the key enterprise of the GAZ Group. Gorky Automobile Plant produces light and medium-duty commercial vehicles(minibuses, vans and combi vans, chassis, flatbed vehicles). More than 300 types of special equipment are manufactured on the basis of GAZ vehicles: ambulances medical care, school buses, tank trucks, dump trucks, tow trucks, mobile shops, laboratories, collection vehicles, special vehicles for law enforcement agencies, etc. The most popular car brands factories - GAZelle, Sobol, Valdai and Sadko.The company is the leader in Russia in the production of light commercial vehicles, occupying about 50% of the market in this segment.

In 2010, the GAZ plant of Nizhny Novgorod updated the lineup, by releasing a modernized GAZelle-BUSINESS vehicle with improved consumer characteristics, a fundamentally new level of quality, reliability, safety, comfort and a reduced cost of ownership. During the development of GAZelle-BUSINESS, about 150 design and production and technological improvements were made to the car. Since 2010, GAZelle-BUSINESS vehicles have been serially equipped with diesel engine Cummins and LPG equipment.

A new generation of light commercial vehicles are being prepared for the release Gazelle NEXT", which will expand the range of GAZ vehicles for Russian business and export markets. The most popular commercial vehicles in Russia GAZelle and Sobol of the BUSINESS family continue to be produced, as well as special equipment based on them, which is in demand in various industries, in business, in public utilities and in social transportation.

At the GAZ plant in Nizhny Novgorod, industrial partnership projects are being implemented with the world's leading automakers Volkswagen, General Motors and Daimler. Cooperation with international companies with a total investment of about 500 million euros will allow the modernization of about 200 thousand square meters production areas enterprises, provide employment for 5,000 employees and master the best standards of the global automotive industry to develop their own model range of enterprises.

In this article you will find:

Gorky Automobile Plant

Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) is one of the largest automakers in our country, producing cars and trucks, minibuses, special equipment, special chassis and auto units. The history of the enterprise begins on May 31, 1929, after the signing of an agreement with the Ford Motor Company on technical assistance in the manufacture of cars and trucks. Construction of the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant named after V.M. Molotov lasted more than three years. On January 1, 1932, the plant was put into operation, and already at the end of January the first car rolled off the assembly line. It was a truck with a carrying capacity of one and a half tons NAZ-AA. After the renaming of Nizhny Novgorod to Gorky on October 7, 1932, this model became known as GAZ-AA. Although in 1990 the city returned to its former name, the name "GAZ" was retained for the plant. In December 1932, the first five-seat passenger car with a body type "phaeton" GAZ-A was released. Both models had Ford models as a prototype - respectively Ford-AA and Ford-A. From December of the same year they began mass production, monthly the country received about a thousand of these machines. A large number of GAZ-AA with side body went to the army, the national economy, and graduation chassis GAZ-AA used in different cars specialized type - mainly fire and sanitary.

In 1933, a seventeen-seater bus saw the light

In 1933, a seventeen-seater bus saw the light, which had a wooden frame and wood-metal sheathing. It was created on the basis of a modification of the experimental models GAZ-2 and GAZ-3. The GAZ-4 machine is adapted to the operating conditions and domestic technologies, the cab from GAZ AA is the basis, with a butt-joint cargo platform, on which there were two folding benches along the sides. It was equally well suited for transporting six people, as well as for cargo up to 400 kg. In 1936, the GAZ-M1 was released, a four-door sedan with an automatic ignition advance, an adjustable driver's seat, which was also called the Emka. It was a very popular pre-war car.

Modernization of GAZ vehicles

Since the launch of the plant, in addition to serial production, the designers have been engaged in constant modernization. More than a dozen experimental cars were created, produced in single copies. Developments on them were later used in the design of new machines.

GAZ-64 and GAZ-67

Before the start of the war, GAZ-64 and GAZ-67 appear - army SUVs. They were created on the GAZ-61 chassis, shortened by 755 mm along the base. The car had four-wheel drive, open body, instead of doors there were cutouts. In addition to producing cars for the army, GAZ also produced light tanks. From 1936 to 1941, 35 T-38 amphibious tanks left the assembly line, but their production was suspended. Since the 38th year, the plant has been producing GAZ-AAA with a 4M anti-aircraft gun. In wartime, all manufactured equipment was reoriented to the defense direction. Since October 1941, the T-60 tank was produced, a little later - the T-70, which had improved armor. In December 1942, an improved tank with a two-man T-80 turret was produced. In addition, GAZ released the SU-76, a light self-propelled artillery mount. In the spring of 1942, the BA-64 rolled off the assembly line, based on the GAZ-64.

During the war years, GAZ produced military equipment:

• 176221 vehicles;
• About 12,000 tanks;
• More than 9000 self-propelled units;
• 24,000 mortars;
• 232,000 car motors;
• 30,000 shells for the Katyusha rocket launcher.

For contribution to the defense of the country, the plant was awarded orders Patriotic War I degree, Red Banner, Lenin.

Factory upgrade

After WWII Gorky plant updates the lineup. In 1946, the Pobeda M-20 was released, named after the victory in World War II. They were produced 600 units, and in 1948 the production of these cars was suspended. After the modernization and re-equipment of the conveyor, which lasted a year, the new Pobeda GAZ M-20B was presented, its serial production fell on the 49th year. In 1948, the GAZ 63 and 67 trucks and the GAZ 93 dump truck were released. They were intended for operation in difficult road conditions.

GAZ 12 Zim

Large six-seat sedan executive class GAZ 12 ZiM saw the light in 1950, its length was 5530 mm, and wheelbase- 3200 mm. It was the first domestic car with a hydraulic clutch in the transmission, allowing the car to start off smoothly. The car was designed to transport party and government officials, but it could also be purchased in private ownership.

From Pobeda to GAZ 24

In 1956, Pobeda, which was outdated by that time both technically and externally, was replaced. The production of this car has become an era domestic auto industry. Middle class sedan, engine power 70 hp. Its speed reached 130 km / h. Luxury models of the Volga were produced for export. The designers of the plant did not stop at the results achieved, the modifications of this car took place constantly, until 1970, when the GAZ 24 model got on the conveyor. Spacious interior, roomy trunk, 98 hp engine, maximum speed reached 140 km / h.

GAZ-13

At the end of the 60s, the GAZ 13, a seven-seat Chaika, became the new flagship of the enterprise. The design innovations included a power steering, a hydromechanical gearbox, a four-chamber carburetor, an eight-cylinder engine, whose power was 195 hp. New car was equipped with a windshield washer, power windows, an automatically tuned radio, folding seats in the middle row, were regularly installed fog lights. The next generation of this car came out in the 70s. At GAZ 14, the engine power reached 220 hp, the car could already accelerate to 175 km / h. This instance was recognized as the best of this lineup.

Diesel engine installation

Work on production and modernization does not stop trucks. GAZ 52, GAZ 53A, GAZ 66 began to leave the assembly line. Now they had more powerful engines, the carrying capacity of the machines was increased, the work of the driver was facilitated by the power steering. In the 80s, GAZ was actively working on the introduction of diesel power units on their trucks. In 1984, the plant produces its first diesel freight car GAZ 4301, and a little later, the GAZ 6008 dump truck, weighing 9 tons, diesel units were developed by specialists of the Gorky plant.

Autogaz

On August 24, 1971, the main enterprise and affiliated plants were transformed into Production Association AvtoGAZ, in 1973 it included 11 plants, it became known as PO GAZ. In 1992, it was transformed into OAO GAZ.

It should be noted that after the collapse of the USSR, GAZ was one of the first companies that was able to switch to a new market economy for our country.

Issue Gazelle 3302

In 1995, the Gazelle, model 3302, was put into mass production; in the course of work, it was widely used and many modifications were made. The next large party model was the Sobol modification of the 2210 and 2310 series, equipped with a four-cylinder gasoline engine. The medium-tonnage Valdai 3310 is also coming out. This model was presented in only 3 modifications. Cars had differences only in the length of the base and load capacity.

In 1997, GAZ entered into an agreement with the Italian concern Fiat, the joint venture was called Nizhegorod-Motors, and three Fiat models were installed on the conveyor. In the same year, GAZ began work on new model Siber, which has become last car bearing the name Volga, this was preceded by the signing of an assembly contract auto Dodge Stratus and Chrysler Sebring.

In the fall of 2000, the Basic Element company bought a controlling stake in GAZ OJSC, and the Gorky Plant became part of the RusPromAvto holding, which was later transformed into the GAZ Group. Such significant changes in the company were the result of a major reorganization. The GAZ Group acquired the British LDV Group, which produced Maxus vans and auto components.

GAZelle and GAZon NEXT

In 2014, the fifth generation of medium-duty vehicles appeared " Lawn Next”, the GAZelle line was also updated, it also received the NEXT prefix.