This happens in life: a child, in whom all kindred souls have been doted since childhood, grows up as a person who is not very successful and successful, or even gives ill-wishers reasons to talk about “the family is not without its black sheep”, etc. In my opinion, this is the fate of the Nizhny Novgorod Volga: for many years it was the favorite and pride of not only the native Gorky Automobile Plant, but of the whole country, but in the twenty-first century it somehow imperceptibly and ingloriously left the stage.
It so happened that for several years I had the opportunity to observe how she was “fallen in love”, not from the outside, but from the inside, being a GAZ employee and a rather biased person. Therefore, my story may be somewhat different from the official story.
In the photo: GAZ 21 "Volga" Pre-production
"Member carriers" and "catchers"
The beginning of my career at GAZ came at a time when the Volga was quite mature by human standards: the 24th had been in production for almost two decades, and the relatively new model 3102 was in its eighth year. But for me, both of them existed only in the form of semi-finished products for completely different cars, because I was lucky enough to work in the production of small series cars (PAMS), which, however, everyone simply called "The Seagull".
Alas, the last GAZ-14 assembled here left the workshop a few months before my arrival - in the late eighties, "The Seagull" became a victim of Gorbachev's campaign to combat privileges, and the inconspicuous building at the sixth checkpoint justified its popular name only with a monument car on a pedestal and the Challenger. So we called the broken-down gray "Seagull" - a pickup truck used by suppliers and craftsmen to transport components. In general, at GAZ, as, probably, at any other car plant, a lot of funny cars of a unique design were made for “internal use”: take at least “cuttlefish” with cabins and engines from cargo “lawns”, but with a short base and tiny bodies. ..
But this is a completely different story, and we collected mainly “catch-ups”. They were called GAZ-24-34 and GAZ-31013, and it looked like this: the usual "Volga" model 24-10 or 3102, respectively, arrived from PLA (car production) and equipped with everything that is supposed to, but without power units and more some little things, driven into an ordinary pit - and the process of rebirth began.
Not much was required of us as assemblers: changing the anti-roll bar in the front suspension to a more powerful one, installing a larger radiator with shutters, power steering, a new exhaust system and something else. Then, with the help of a beam crane, having removed the hood, we thrust under it the power unit from the same "Seagull" (though not the "14th": it was closer to what was previously installed on the GAZ-13), consisting of an eight-cylinder engine with a capacity of about 200 liters. With. and a three-speed automatic.
But first it was necessary to crawl under the car with a sledgehammer and perform another regular operation - to thoroughly crush several internal body parts, otherwise the “Tchaikovsky” motor simply would not fall into place. How this affected the rigidity of the body, history is silent, but we knew that the life of the "catch-up" is usually short. And one more detail speaks eloquently about the then quality and technical level: all the assembled cars were tested along a certain route, and according to its results, up to half of the power units and drive rear axles were rejected and subject to replacement. And when the order came for a batch of cars for the motorcade of President Yeltsin (in any case, so we were told), only one copy out of four or five was accepted from the first presentation.
However, another Volga, the GAZ-3105, has become an even more significant symbol of the era for us. As you know, they tried to replace the Chaika with it, and then the assembly of experimental samples of the second series was just beginning, with large sliding windows in the doors instead of the original, but stupid additional windows (although such an instance was in our corner of the workshop, and in it my colleagues dozed off with pleasure during downtime).
We assembled this car no longer in a pit, but on a slipway-conductor, where suspensions on subframes, other chassis elements and a power unit were first mounted, and then all this was covered with a body - now such a process is called marriage. I remember with what admiration we looked at the independent suspension arms, four-wheel drive, disc brakes on all wheels, electric drives and everything else that seemed then the last word in technology, and even at the finished cars - so progressive and fashionable.
Now we understand that in fact the “five” was pretty ugly, its design was secondary, and the construction was crude, and it was not possible to bring it to mind in almost ten years of torment, since 1987, when the first samples, until 1996, when the project was closed. And this happened primarily through the fault of the developers, who initially set the bar too high, insurmountable for the then GAZ.
Young reformers
We met the authors of the "five" at the end of 1994, when I came to work in UKER (department of design and experimental work) as a designer. By that time, the lead designer of the already obviously failed project 3105, Sergei Batyanov, became the chief designer of passenger cars, and his friend Igor Bezrodnykh, who was developing the style, de facto headed the design bureau.
The strange personnel decision was explained, most likely, by the then fashion to nominate the young and progressive, with a well-spoken tongue and an active life position, to the first roles in all areas - let's recall the late Boris Nemtsov, the youngest Russian governor, and then deputy prime minister, who promised to transfer all officials to the Volga. By the way, we must pay tribute to Boris Efimovich: he himself used the GAZ-3105 as a company car for quite a long time, but in the end he was forced to abandon this exotic because of the very low reliability of the car.
So, in the nineties, professionalism was not honored - show-offs, as they were then expressed, were much more valued, and it was for them that GAZ had to pay at the highest rate. After all, having buried the project of an initially small-scale model, young ideologists (although they were no longer youngsters then - everyone was under forty) set the course for exactly the same rake, taking up the development of a mass model!
They decided to prepare a replacement for the old Volga in 1995, just in time for the 25th anniversary of the 24-ki, and at the first stage two concepts competed - basic front-wheel drive with the possibility of full (I think it’s unnecessary to specify whose ideology it was) and evolutionary option, while maintaining the usual classic layout. The latter was supported by representatives of the old guard of sane specialists, but their voices were scattered, while Batyanov and his team presented their project in a winning light, preparing a presentation of a whole family of models: there was not only a sedan, but also a station wagon, and even something like crossover with three rows of seats. Again, the designers also fussed with cute illustrations - and as a result, our "young reformers" were again believed, oddly enough.
By the way, about the designers: they were a privileged caste at GAZ, despite the fact that they did not differ in formal status from all other employees of the car body department. Theoretically, any designer not only could, but was obliged to take part in the "art development of the bodies and interiors of promising cars", which was expressly stated in the contract, and sometimes even design competitions were held. For example, the appearance of the updated GAZelle was created at about the same time on an alternative basis, and there were as many as five different options - maybe this is partly why the Nizhny Novgorod lorry is still alive ...
But when it came to the future Volga, the most that the “alternatives” were allowed to do was to express themselves unofficially and outside working hours on small plasticine models on a scale of 1:10 in the corner of the “Greek Hall”, as the demonstration room was called. And if someone from the “court” team did not like something, these models could easily be sent for remelting under the pretext of freeing up space or lack of plasticine. He, by the way, was not an ordinary child, but a special sculptural one, and for full-size models, in which the team of Igor Bezrodnykh was extremely successful in sculpting, hundreds of kilograms were required.
Romantics and accountants
Joking aside, our designers created very beautiful plasticine cars, and they really worked with love. It is impossible to reproach the ideologists-designers with inactivity or malicious intent, but they were so out of touch with life, as if they were sitting not five hundred meters from the gas assembly line, but somewhere in Detroit or Stuttgart. And, most surprisingly, there was no one in the GAZ management who would try to bring these romantics back to reality, which was demonstrated by the next technical council, where the timid objections of those who already understood then that the plant could not pull it were not heard.
The result turned out to be natural and predictable: in 1997, after two years of serious design work, when almost all the technical documentation and the first samples of models 3103 and 3104 were ready (one body, but different types of drive), we were suddenly announced that we were practically working " Add to cart". What it cost the plant in terms of money, still no one knows. By the way, cars with similar indexes at one time already existed in the rank of experimental ones, and they were simplified versions of the same Batyanovo “five” with a shortened base - the numbers turned out to be unlucky otherwise ...
What organizational conclusions would follow this in the same Detroit? At a minimum, the resignation of the entire cheerful company of ideologists, and even top managers with a higher rank. But this is not our method, they decided at GAZ, and the failed new Volgas were renamed concept cars, and all the “wunderkinds” not only sat on their chairs, but some were even “exiled” for an internship in Italy.
The rest were given a new task - to win back the situation two years ago and, in a fire order, sculpt a new model of the classic rear-wheel drive layout with the index 3111. And then the most interesting thing happened: the “young reformers” took the rejection of their favorite ideology as a personal insult and secretly decided to “fill up” the objectionable them a project so that it would not be implemented either. Of course, no one will confirm this even now, when some of our heroes are already on a well-deserved rest, but this explains a lot: the style is beyond kitsch, and the complete disregard for manufacturability, and the combination, wild in its eclecticism, in the design of a progressive front suspension with the so-called high upper arm and ancient leaf springs at the rear.
There is another interesting detail regarding the design. It would seem that it would be logical to use the finished body of model 3103 to the maximum to speed up the process, simply adapting it to the Volga GAZ-3110 platform, but then our romantic masters could be left without an additional portion of fees. A very elegant way out was found: the plasticine model of the "troika" was divided in half lengthwise and one half was turned into the "eleventh" by means of small alterations. Small in terms of plasticine consumption - and the body designers had to re-measure and “digitize” the entire body, which, again, is very laborious, long and expensive.
By the way, the decision to send a half mock-up to the measuring complex, a matter of special pride for GAZ, was made despite the verdict of the technical council, which did not approve the project due to numerous comments from sane engineers and managers - it seems that there was simply no other way out. And the second miracle happened: Batyanov and the company themselves believed that they had created a masterpiece, and for granted they accepted praises and awards for their outstanding contribution to the Russian automotive industry. Moreover, thanks to the “eleventh”, some romantics had the opportunity to go on another business trip abroad: the manufacture of a plastic demonstrator model, supposedly to speed up the process, was ordered in America.
beauty did not save
"Volga" GAZ-3111 in the form of the same demonstrator debuted at the Moscow Motor Show in 1998 in the company of the so-called concepts 3103 and 3104. We must pay tribute to our designers - it was received very favorably, since the car actually turned out to be noticeable and attractive in its own way . Again, the bet on neoclassicism, historical heritage, traditions, etc. turned out to be a win-win, but those who happened to see the car not only from the outside immediately noted unfinished ergonomics and disgusting visibility, although there was hope that all this could be brought to mind to the beginning of serial production.
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Then the “eleventh” was seriously predicted to be the heir to the long-obsolete “ten”, and special displays were even installed at the checkpoints of GAZ, which counted down the days until the start of production, scheduled for December 25, 1999. We even managed to almost meet the deadline, but on December 28 only the grand launch took place - real production was established only a few months later.
However, this mass production could not be called with all desire. For the only full year of production of the model, 2001, it was possible to assemble a little more than 300 cars, and the total number of "elevenths", taking into account all the experimental samples, did not exceed 500 pieces. This is half as much as the GAZ-14 "Seagulls" was made, not to mention the above-described "catch-ups", although Mr. Batyanov could celebrate a personal record: his "supervolga" 3105 at one time did not even reach a hundred copies ...
In contrast to it, we note in fairness, GAZ-3111 cars stood for some time in the showrooms of individual gas dealers with bashful signs “Negotiable price”, but there were very few who wanted to negotiate. In short, instead of replacing the old Volga, we got another rarity, a toy to satisfy the ambitions of collectors and our own creators. True, the latter, most likely, do not blame themselves for this, but the financial crisis and the change of leadership in 2000, when GAZ was controlled by the structures of the oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
In the photo: "Volga" - GAZ-3111 "Firebird"
Let's say fate was unfair to the gas dreamers and their "non-Volga". But did they deserve any other treatment? - let's try to figure it out. Beauty is a subjective concept, but the fact that it turned into great difficulties for production and maintenance is a completely objective fact, indicating that the developers hardly imagined what a conveyor was. In mass automotive production, any part must fall into place, as they say, with a half kick, and in the only possible way and without any adjustment, but in this case everything was done exactly the opposite. To change a burned-out light bulb in a beautiful “turn signal”, it was necessary to disassemble almost half of the “muzzle”.
As for the technical level in general, it is perfectly illustrated by the curb weight indicated by the manufacturer himself: 1690 kg is almost three centners more than the GAZ-3110 with the same power unit and almost the same dimensions (“11th” on 3 cm longer with a two centimeter increase in wheelbase), and almost as much as the same 3105 weighed with an eight-cylinder engine, all-wheel drive and a length of more than five meters.
Yes, and independent tests have shown that if this beauty took a step compared to its predecessor, then not forward, but rather to the side: despite the rack and pinion steering and stabilizer in the rear suspension (recall, spring), the improvements in terms of handling hardly compensated loss of proprietary smoothness. That is, GAZ was offered to enter the twenty-first century with a new passenger car, which in all consumer qualities did not exceed the 1970 design, but it was beautiful - and thank God that the new leadership had the will not to succumb to its clumsy charm.
But in 1998 they also showed the other two Volga - a class slightly lower than the GAZ‑3111. GAZ-3103 received front-wheel drive (a revolutionary step for the plant), and GAZ-3104 - full. The original design of these machines was more relaxed, and therefore less controversial, than the GAZ‑3111. But the time for fine-tuning original ideas to the mind was very inappropriate. Although theoretically it was the GAZ-3103 that could probably become the serial Volga of the new century.
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GAZ-3111 against the backdrop of classmates, 2001
| GAZ-3111 | BMW 525i | Ford Mondeo | Mercedes-Benz E 240 | Audi A6 |
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| Acceleration time 0–100 km/h | 12.9 s | 8.1 s | 8.7 s | 9.3 s | 9.4 s |
| Max Speed | 183 km/h | 238 km/h | 225 km/h | 229 km/h | 222 km/h |
| Number of cylinders / displacement | 4 / 2.5 l | 6 / 2.5 l | 6 / 2.5 l | 6 / 2.6 l | 6 / 2.4 l |
| Power | 100 kW / 136 hp | 141 kW / 192 hp | 125 kW / 170 hp | 125 kW / 170 hp | 141 kW / 165 hp |
What can't be
At the turn of the century, the management of the plant initiated too many projects. And the modernization of the Gazelle, and the notorious "Nizhny Novgorod Motors", and endless unpromising off-road projectors. There was no place for the New Volga in all this motley diversity. The old one, gradually being modernized, was still being sold, and the GAZ management was fine with that.
The GAZ‑3103 salon was a compromise between novelty and the use of used parts, such as the instrument cluster from the GAZ‑3110.
The GAZ‑3103 salon was a compromise between novelty and the use of used parts, such as the instrument cluster from the GAZ‑3110.
However, the last note in the accord of the projects of the new Volga sounded already in 2003 - this is the GAZ‑3115. A car with a classic layout, but with a multi-link rear suspension and a ZMZ engine (there was simply no other domestic engine) was close in class to the BMW of the third series. That is, finally focused more on the average buyer who pays for the car with his own money. It was just too late. The fact that a fundamentally new Volga will appear at least someday was no longer believed by optimistic fans of Gorky's cars. It was not possible to bring to the series not only the GAZ‑3115, but even the spring rear suspension. And even more so, the fantastic project of a joint platform with Lancia was doomed - yes, yes, that was also conceived!
Except for the Volga Siber sedan, which, strictly speaking, was not the Volga (although the car itself turned out to be quite good), then the history of the Volga ended a decade and a half ago. Nothing else could have happened. And not only because the focus on expensive bureaucratic cars turned out to be erroneous. GAZ has been a hostage of an economic model that does not contribute to the creation of fundamentally new cars for too long. VAZ was at least to some extent pushed by exports, and even in the 1980s, few people abroad needed the Volga.
The prototypes left come from that romantic, albeit naive, period in the history of our automobile industry, when factories wanted and tried to do something of their own, new, albeit sometimes not very successful, and sometimes simply unviable. In itself, the desire to do at least something, in my opinion, is worth a lot.
GAZ (GAZ) - Gorky Automobile Plant - is a Russian company producing cars and trucks of the Volga, Chaika, Gazelle and Ural brands. The central office of the company is located in Nizhny Novgorod.
GAZ is one of the largest Russian (before the collapse of the USSR - Soviet) enterprises engaged in the production of cars. The emblem of the company - a deer - was adopted in 1950 and has changed only slightly over time. It repeats part of the ancient coat of arms of Nizhny Novgorod with a prancing deer.
January 1, 1932 is considered to be the official opening date of the plant. In the same year, a 1.5-ton GAZ-AA truck and a GAZ-A passenger car were put into mass production. Before the war, the plant produced two models of passenger cars: GAZ-1 (nicknamed "emka") and "Pickup". During the war, the work of the enterprise was reorganized for the needs of the front.
During the Great Patriotic War, GAZ produced cars, tanks, self-propelled guns, mortars, car engines and shells for the Katyusha rocket launcher. The government of the USSR highly appreciated the work of the automobile plant during the war years, awarding the enterprise with the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner and the Order of the Patriotic War, I degree.
Despite the fact that the war was still going on, the Gorky Automobile Plant began to develop new models of trucks and cars. Such a speed of renewal of the model range was worth the titanic efforts to re-equip production. In just a year, more than 4,000 pieces of equipment were remounted and remounted.
The first in a series of new products was the GAZ-51 truck, the mass production of which began in January 1946.
This model went down in history as impeccably reliable, rational and very economical. She lasted on the assembly line for almost 30 years and, despite her venerable age, is still found on the roads.
At the end of the war, the plant set up work on the creation of new models of cars. The very first of them was the famous Pobeda GAZ-20, whose engine power was 50 horsepower and could reach a speed of 100 km / h, as well as the GAZ-69 and GAZ-12.
1956 was a new important stage in the development of the plant: the Volga GAZ-21 replaced the Pobeda in the company's lineup. Starting in 1959, the production of a more modern and comfortable Chaika GAZ-13 model with a 149 horsepower engine was launched (years later, the power of the GAZ-14 model reached 220 horsepower) In 1969, instead of the old Volga, the production of a new model was mastered GAZ-24.
After the collapse of the USSR, GAZ was one of the first to adapt to new market conditions.
In the early 90s, the catalog of models was replenished with the new GAZ-3102, which was equipped with a power unit with a capacity of 100 horsepower, and in 1997, GAZ engineers subjected the model to a constructive update, developed a new modern base model "Volga-3110".
Also in 1997, an official contract was signed between the GAZ companies and the Italian concern FIAT. This agreement provided for the creation of a joint venture called Nizhegorod-motors for the assembly of passenger cars of the Italian concern Fiat. However, due to the 1998 crisis, GAZ faced financial difficulties.
In 1999, 125,000 passenger cars rolled off the assembly line of the plant. And the end of the year was marked by a new model GAZ-3111. The model was created in close cooperation with Venture (America), and differs significantly from its predecessors, in particular, the interior length has increased by 125 mm. In 2000 and 2001, new industrial facilities were put into operation for the assembly of cars, for the creation of which a number of Western companies and several firms from Russia and the CIS countries were involved. However, the lack of finances made it necessary to postpone the introduction of a number of promising models by several months, but this news could not spoil the company's reputation. Cars with the GAZ brand are assembled in Ingushetia, Belarus and Ukraine.
Now the company's production program is dominated by the GAZ-3110 sedan and its modifications. They account for more than 80% of the total output. Already outdated 90- and 100-horsepower engines of the ZMZ-402 family, which have been worked on since 1958, are giving way to a more advanced 2.3-liter ZMZ-4062.10 engine, which develops 145 horsepower.
The GAZ Group of Companies is the leader in the Russian commercial vehicle market with a share of 50% in the light commercial vehicle segment, 60% in the medium truck segment, 40% in the 4x4 truck segment, and about 65% in the bus segment.
In 2011, the company's revenue increased by 37% compared to 2010 and amounted to 132.4 billion rubles, of which 8.5 billion are net profit.
There are utilitarian cars for traveling and transporting passengers and goods. There are practical and economical cars that are specially designed for the family. And there are cars for the soul. These are the ones that you dreamed of as a child or continue to dream of in the present. Or you already own it and take care of it as if it were your beloved. And it doesn’t matter what kind of car it is and how much it costs - Rolls-Royce for thirty million or the good old Volga for thirty thousand.
And even if you can buy a thousand second for the cost of the first car, the reverent attitude towards the car, care and use in the format of a “weekend” or for solemn trips remain unchanged. Moreover, the cars of the Gorky Automobile Plant were just produced for special occasions and special people. It is no coincidence that most of the produced GAZ models are cargo or passenger-and-freight. This is the situation today, when GAZ does not produce passenger cars. But it has always been about the same: the passenger segment was a small part of the output.
But if Nizhny Novgorod was already producing one, then luxurious Volga and premium Seagulls left the assembly line. And even if some copies are more than 50 years old, these cars are still in high demand among motorists who know a lot about real classics. A striking example is the Pobedy, which is being lovingly restored throughout the country. However, before the Victory, GAZ still had to live.
Thinking about names
They say whatever you call a ship, that's how it will sail. What am I leading up to. Look: all Russian automotive giants are located on the Volga or not far from it: Nizhny Novgorod, Naberezhnye Chelny, Tolyatti, Samara. The largest domestic automobile plant is called Volzhsky (VAZ). But the VAZ models were called mainly by numbers, although recently a whole host of Kalin, Grant and West have been added to the Niva and Lada Samara.
And only Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod residents had the idea to name cars in honor of the great Russian rivers - Oka and Volga. Strictly speaking, a river, if it is formed from several tributaries, is named after its longest part. At the confluence of the Oka, it has a large length, so, in a good way, the Volga should be called the Oka and flow into the latter, and not vice versa. But in this case, they proceeded from the full flow of the rivers. Actually, this is also noticeable in cars: the baby Oka and the Volga barge.
Also, the GAZ plant, where the Volga was produced until 2012, was lucky with the name that appeared, like the concern itself, after the revolution. If it were not for Alexei Maksimovich Peshkov, in whose honor Nizhny Novgorod was renamed Gorky, then we would not go to GAZ, but to NNAZ. And would you hear the dialogues: “I’m going to Nazelka, it’s uncomfortable to talk” ...
History of GAZ: the beginning and the war
The history of GAZ goes back to 1929, when, in the conditions of industrialization, the country's leadership decided to turn to the help of American colleagues from Ford. It must be said that American influence will affect the appearance and engineering solutions used in GAZ cars for many decades. And then, having Ford models A and AA as samples, the Volga designers realized that they needed to make a number of significant improvements, taking into account the worse developed automobile network.
In 1932, when the GAZ plant was built in record time, work began on the modernization of donor cars. However, as today, the Gorky residents focused primarily on the production of trucks, even in the name of which there was continuity in relation to Ford - GAZ-AAA. At the same time, several copies of passenger cars - GAZ-A phaetons were produced, which went to the garages of the first persons of the Soviet state. Even then, GAZ was associated with a prestigious car, whose owner is an important person.
Later, improved models GAZ-M1 (in honor of Molotov) and GAZ-11-73 appeared. Over the first 5 years, the Gorky residents also improved the line of engines: instead of engines with a volume of 3.2 liters and a capacity of 40 horsepower, they began to install 3.5-liter engines with a capacity of 76 hp.
However, the production of civilian cars in Gorky ceased relatively soon - in the early days of the Great Patriotic War. The car factory switched to military equipment. This is how the GAZ-64 SUV (which later formed the basis of the UAZ-469), the GAZ-67B artillery tractor and the BA-64 armored vehicles appeared. But the main thing is that GAZ designers took part in the development of the T-60 and T-70 tanks and the legendary Katyusha. The result of the contribution of the Gorky Automobile Plant to the common cause was Victory!
Victory
"Victory"! It is under this name that the GAZ-M20 model is known. But today this proud word might not be associated with a GAZ passenger car. The thing is that its original version of the name was "Motherland". But he was abandoned immediately after Stalin's question to the developers: "And how much will we sell our Motherland?" This is how the “victorious” name of the car was born, which was supposed to emphasize the victory of the Soviet people over the Nazi invaders.
GAZ Pobeda
Despite the fact that the country needed trucks like air, the Soviet leadership ordered the creation of a passenger car. The first "Victory" left the gates of GAZ already in 1946. Under the hood, she had a 2.1-liter engine with a power of 52 hp.
GAZ-12 ZIM
The next GAZ passenger model, also commissioned by the country's leadership, was the luxurious GAZ-12 ZIM, which received a 3.5-liter 6-cylinder engine with a power of 90 hp. It rolled off the assembly line in 1950. By this time, the Gorky Plant also produced the GAZ-69 SUV. But GAZ could not offer a relatively affordable passenger car to a wide range of consumers. Therefore, the manufacturer was actively working on an updated version of Pobeda, which is how the first Volga appeared.
The first "Volga" and "Seagulls"
In 1956, the Gorky Automobile Plant presented the GAZ-21 Volga car to the public. A power unit with a volume of 2.5 liters was installed on it, which developed up to 75 hp. In addition, - a perfect curiosity for a devastated post-war country - in addition to mechanics, an automatic transmission was installed on the car. In total, more than 30 modifications were presented, including taxis, cargo-passenger, diesel and even "tropical" ones!
GAZ 21 "Volga"
And yet we were somewhat cunning about the "ruined" country. In the decade after the great victory, the state managed not only to get on its feet, but also to afford some luxuries. In automotive terms, they were "Seagulls" - premium executive cars with the factory index GAZ-13. The car was presented in 1959 and directly indicated their future addressees - diplomats and the nomenklatura elite.
GAZ-13 "Seagull"
In accordance with the importance of the persons for whom the Chaika was created, they developed the first 8-cylinder 5.5-liter engine in the Soviet passenger car industry with a capacity of 195 to 215 hp.
GAZ-24
In the 1960s, GAZ updated the brand's truck lines. They were GAZ-66 (the famous "shishiga"), GAZ-52 and GAZ-53 with six and eight cylinders, respectively. The models turned out to be so reliable, operational and maintainable that they were produced until the early 90s.
In the passenger segment, the Gorky Automobile Plant presented a modernized Volga - GAZ-24, with an enlarged body and a lowered profile. A 2.4-liter engine was placed under the hood, which, depending on the fuel used, developed from 85 to 95 hp. But the most interesting equipment option was, of course, the Chaika engine, which was installed on the GAZ-2424 model, created specifically for special services.
In fact, it was planned to install V6 and V8 engines on the Volga in large quantities, but the party leadership recognized such units as overkill for representatives of the common Soviet people. Therefore, "Volga" with such engines were created only for export.
Together with the modernization of the Volg, the Chaika was also updated, resulting in the GAZ-14. True, the changes affected mainly the appearance, which brought the car closer to ZIL limousines.
However, during this period, active work was carried out to introduce technical innovations. Moreover, the reflection of the new products used could be found not only on the pages of specialized automotive magazines, but even in children's literature.
Here is what the children's almanac "All the Year Round" reports about Volga cars, in which, in addition to stories, poems, fairy tales and riddles, scientific and technical notes were also published. I emphasize: the book was published by the publishing house "Children's Literature" in 1983. A whole note is devoted to engineering innovations of the Volga - “The machine does not make mistakes”, signed by S. Bobrov (p. 132):
“In the eleventh five-year plan, our road transport is rapidly developing. New factories are being built, roads are being laid. From the assembly line, cars equipped with the latest technical equipment are sent on flights.
... The driver turned on the engine, the Volga moved off. Everything is as usual. The unusual starts on the track. An invisible radio beam sent by a special device (it is mounted under the right headlight) probes everything in front - a pedestrian, an oncoming car, a pole - any obstacle. If the distance is short and an obstacle can cause an accident, the reflected beam returns to our car. In it - where the receiver usually stands - is a computer. “Learning” from the beam about the danger, she commands the automation: “Slow down!” Or: "Stop!"
"Fantastic!" you say.
No. Already reality. The device was created by scientists of the Moscow Road Institute. It is not mistaken, it notices an obstacle much faster than you and I.
Not far off is the time when there will be cars without drivers. Science fiction writers have long dreamed of them. And now the designers are thinking how to make this dream come true.”
From GAZ 3102 to 3111
In 1981, the first Volgas with the factory index GAZ 3102 rolled off the assembly line. The power unit of the model was able to increase to 105 hp, with a significant increase in torque and a decrease in harmful emissions. And if in the 80s only middle and senior party leaders could afford such a car, then in the 90s - when it became possible not to get the Volga, but to buy it - the demand for GAZ 3102 increased unusually.
The plant management even returned to the idea of installing V8 engines on Volga cars. This is how the GAZ 3111 concept appeared. Today, ads for the sale of these cars can be found on many sites on the Internet. Elevenths are sold rarely and are expensive. Which is not surprising, because it never came to serial production.
But the result of the transition stage was the GAZ 3110 and 31105 models, which were produced until 2009 and still plow the expanses of our vast country.
Somehow I don’t feel like talking about the Volga Siber that followed them. Copied from Chrysler Sebring, Volga Cyber turned out to be unprofitable. The point, of course, is the financial crises that marked 2008 and subsequent years. But, having once broken away from American roots, the Volga had to continue to sail along its own, Russian channel in the future. And there is something symbolic that the production of passenger cars "Volga" stopped precisely at the "Siber".
With hope for the future "Volga"
However, what is it we say: “stopped”. Let's say better: "suspended." It is clear that with the financial crises and sanctions, it is clearly not up to the production of cars. It is clear that GAZ focuses on a very specific segment, which is evidenced by the production of Gazelles, Sables, Valdaevs, Gazelles Next and more lifting machines. But all crises eventually come to an end. This means that we can quite expect the appearance of a new passenger car Volga in the near future!
There were reports on the Internet about the Nizhny Novgorod prototype under the symbol 5000GL. Not being competent to be responsible for such information, I will nevertheless express the opinion that GAZ has always had its own, completely original ideas about design. "Volga" always, at all times, were beautiful. We can all expect that the new brainchild of the Gorky Automobile Plant, if it is really planned for release, will be aesthetic, powerful and exciting!
Go GAS!
GAZ: did everything right!
And finally - a few GAZ prototypes that were not put into mass production, but certainly look original.
It was released in 1956, the last one was released in 2010. Volga models were used by ordinary citizens, in taxi services, as official cars in state institutions, some were made specifically for organizations such as the KGB.
Creating a car
The first Volga is the GAZ-21 car, which first rolled off the assembly line in 1956. Even then, he began to constantly use it in cinema, and to this day he can be found in modern films. Over time, many international festivals and exhibitions gave well-deserved awards to cars of this brand. At that time, the car belonged to the premium class, but had an average cost, which made it possible to purchase it even for not very wealthy citizens of the Soviet Union.
Over time, it became clear that the most iconic and at the same time outstanding car is the Volga.
How did the history of the Volga begin?
The Volga car (even the interior of the first models was very convenient and comfortable), after a long period of development, appeared before potential buyers in a relatively updated form. At that time, the design and technical characteristics of its predecessor, Pobeda, fully met the needs of its contemporaries. However, by the 1950s, its design was outdated, and the issue with the engine remained unresolved - it lagged far behind the world's leading units in terms of its characteristics. As a result, the development of a new machine began (this happened in 1953). A year later, the first sample of the Volga rolled off the assembly line. For him, two types of gearboxes were developed - automatic and mechanics.
Technical innovations of that time
Considering the technical characteristics of the Volga car (the review of the car is more focused on its general changes), you can see that among the interesting nuances there is a CSS. Thanks to the lubrication system, when you press a certain pedal, the oil is directed to the oil lines. The fact is that, being in a rural area, where there is basically one continuous off-road, the driver often cut off some suspension elements. The CSS helped to prevent such unpleasant moments. However, one of the significant disadvantages of the system was that it leaked, leaving traces of oil on the pavement. Over time, the use of CSS was abandoned.
GAZ-23
It so happened historically that almost all the authorities of the state of the USSR drove the Volga. Some specifications did not meet their requirements. Therefore, the manufacturer took into account every comment, as a result of which the produced Volga models experienced strong changes. By 1962, a 160-horsepower unit taken from the Seagull was installed on new machines. The automatic transmission and hydraulic booster were put in a special one that was not available to an ordinary resident of the country. This is due to the fact that the KGB became the customer of this model. The car weighed 100 kg more than the base version. Its maximum speed is 160 km/h. Up to 100 km / h, the car accelerated in just 16 seconds. There were no changes in the braking system.
GAZ-21: first series
"Volga", the car of the first series, was produced for two years. In 1956, the first three samples of the car rolled off the assembly line. Until the end of the same year, only 5 copies were produced. Only in 1957 did large-scale production begin.
The number of models of the Volga brand, cars of the first series, for all the years of production reached 30 thousand copies. The Volga with a Star has not reached our days in its original configuration, most of the surviving cars are already in the second or third series. This explains the demand and high fee for such a rarity.
The most noticeable feature of this series is that the instrument panel is equipped somewhat unusually - it was not finished with spraying or any material. In this state, she arrived until 1958. Some models did not have a monochromatic color, but this equipment cost a little more.
GAZ-21: second series
Cars that were produced from 1958 to 1959 are popularly called "transitional", and those that were born in 1959-1962. - second series. The next generation Volga models had more external changes than internal ones. The wings took on a different shape due to the increase in the dimensions of the wheel arches. In principle, if you look closely, you can see that the design of the GAZ-21 began to resemble the prototype of the 55th year. It cannot be said that the modernization of the car was completely stopped, but the changes were minor and frivolous - the technical characteristics did not change, the appearance of the interior remained the same.
Reflectors, an updated instrument panel and other innovations appeared only closer to 1959. If you count all the models that were released (and all the configurations), then we can say for sure that more than 140 thousand copies left the assembly line.
GAZ-21: third series
The manufacturer did not consider it a rational decision to carry out restyling of the first generation, so the car appeared before the viewer in a slightly transformed version. The characteristics of the "Volga" practically did not change - only the bumpers, the bodywork became changed, some finishing elements were added.
Over time, the appearance of the car has undergone significant changes. Models referred to as the “third series” began to roll off the assembly line after 1962, and they no longer resembled the original version.
The appearance of the car was constantly modernized, but the manufacturer did not forget about the technical side either. Gradually, the unit became more powerful, the banal lever shock absorbers were replaced with telescopic ones, and the version with automatic transmission was discontinued.
GAZ-24: first series
A feature of the first series of the Volga GAZ-24 was the bumper, which had a chrome-plated number table, bodies, lights with rear reflectors, sofa seats, consisting of 3 parts, doors, or rather their panels, with a pattern in a vertical position, a dashboard in black, covered with leather substitute.
The manufacturer constantly subjected the car to some minor changes, for example, by 1975 the car lost the clutch in automatic mode to activate the fan (due to unstable operation). A little later, the rear mirror became a slightly different shape, the trunk was equipped with a more reliable and comfortable lock, the tape speedometer was replaced with a standard dial one.
GAZ-24: second series
The car "Volga" GAZ-24 was subjected to major changes during 1976-1978. The release of the machine with these modifications can be called the release of the second series.
Bumpers of the new generation received "fangs", headlights suitable for driving in foggy places, lights with reflectors. The interior has also undergone changes. The metal elements, which in one way or another posed a threat to the health of passengers, were covered with a protective plastic overlay, a drawing appeared on the doors in a horizontal orientation. The manufacturer added static straps, as a result of which the armrests had to be removed. The seats received a new (improved) upholstery in the GAZ-24 models. Volga, the second generation car, was produced for several years - until 1985.
GAZ-24: third series
The release of the third series was marked by new upgrades, which were more radical and significant. The next generation of the car - GAZ-24-10 - appeared on the market in the mid-1980s.
This time, the manufacturer found it necessary to gradually introduce new items. The process of complete change took place from the 1970s, when it was changed until 1987. By the last year, an updated sedan was already being produced, which combined several designs of previous versions of Volga cars at once. The car acquired the name (unofficial) GAZ-24M.
The third series included not only the model described above, but also the GAZ-2410. This option was used to discuss public institutions: hospitals, schools, etc. It was developed almost from 1976, while it was implemented only by 1982. In fact, after some time it became clear that this model would become the ancestor of new cars under the name "Volga". The car was produced until 1992 and then was replaced by an almost similar assembly, but under the name GAZ-31029. The difference between them was only in the type of unit and the shape of the body.
