Auto Volga everything. "Volga" (car): history, models, technical characteristics. The history of the creation of the Volga also knows other modifications

This happens in life: a child, in whom all kindred spirits have been doted on since childhood, grows up to be a person who is not very successful and lucky, and even gives reasons to ill-wishers to talk about “the family has its black sheep,” “a 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 also the whole country, but in the twenty-first century it somehow quietly and ingloriously disappeared from the scene.

It turned out that for several years I had the opportunity to observe how she was “loved”, not from the outside, but from the inside, being a GAZ employee and a rather biased person. Therefore, my story may be slightly different from the official story.

In the photo: GAZ 21 "Volga" Pre-production

“Member carriers” and “catch-up”

The beginning of my career at GAZ occurred 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 “Chaika”.

Alas, the last GAZ-14 assembled here left the workshop several months before my arrival - in the late eighties, “Chaika” became a victim of Gorbachev’s campaign against privileges - and the inconspicuous building at the sixth entrance justified its popular name only by a car-monument on a pedestal and Challenger. That’s what we called the broken-down gray “Chaika” pickup truck, which was used by suppliers and craftsmen to transport components. In general, at GAZ, as, probably, at any other automobile plant, many funny cars of a unique design were made for “internal use”: take, for example, “cuttlefish” with cabs and engines from cargo “lawns”, but with a short wheelbase and tiny bodies. ..

But this is a completely different story, and we mainly collected “catch-up” items. They were called GAZ-24-34 and GAZ-31013, and it looked like this: an ordinary Volga model 24-10 or 3102, respectively, arrived from PLA (passenger car production) and equipped with everything that was required, but without power units and more some little things, was driven into an ordinary pit - and the process of degeneration began.

Not much was required from us assemblers: change the anti-roll bar in the front suspension to a more powerful one, install a larger volume radiator with shutters, power steering, a new exhaust system and something else. Then, using a crane beam, having removed the hood, we put 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 power of about 200 hp. With. and a three-speed automatic transmission.

But first, it was necessary to crawl under the car with a sledgehammer and perform another routine operation - to thoroughly crush several internal parts of the body, otherwise the “Tchaikovsky” engine simply would not fall into place. How this affected the rigidity of the body, history is silent, but we knew that the life of “catch-up” is usually short-lived. And one more detail speaks volumes about the quality and technical level of that time: all assembled cars were tested along a certain route, and according to the results, up to half of the power units and driving rear axles were rejected and had to be replaced. And when the order came for a batch of cars for President Yeltsin’s motorcade (or so we were told), only one copy out of four or five was accepted from the first presentation.

However, another Volga, the GAZ-3105, became 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 roll-down glass in the doors instead of the original, but stupid additional windows (although such a copy stood in our corner of the workshop, and in it my colleagues happily dozed during downtime).

We assembled this car no longer in a pit, but on a jig-conductor, where first the suspensions on subframes, other chassis elements and the power unit were 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, all-wheel drive, disc brakes on all wheels, electric drives and everything else that seemed then to be the latest technology, and at the finished cars - so progressive and fashionable.

Now we understand that in fact the “five” was quite ugly, its design was secondary, and its construction was crude, and it was never possible to bring it to mind in almost ten years of torment, since 1987, when they appeared the first samples, until 1996, when the project was closed. And this happened primarily due to 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 at 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 involved in developing the style, de facto headed the design bureau.

The strange personnel decision was most likely explained by the then fashion to nominate young and progressive people with a well-spoken tongue and an active life position to the first roles in all spheres - let us remember, for example, the late Boris Nemtsov, the youngest Russian governor, and then deputy prime minister, who promised to transfer all officials to Volgas. By the way, we must pay tribute to Boris Efimovich: he himself used the GAZ-3105 for quite a long time as a company car, but in the end he was forced to abandon this exotic due to the very low reliability of the car.

So, in the nineties, professionalism was not in honor - show-offs, as they put it then, 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 - they were all under forty) charted a course along exactly the same rake, taking up the development of a mass model!

They decided to prepare a replacement for the old Volga in 1995, exactly for the 25th anniversary of the 24, and at the first stage two concepts competed - a basic front-wheel drive with the possibility of all-wheel drive (I think it is unnecessary to specify whose ideology it was) and an evolutionary one. option, while maintaining the familiar classic layout. Representatives of the old guard of sensible specialists spoke in favor of the latter, but their voices were scattered, while Batyanov and his team presented their project in an advantageous 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 came to the rescue with nice illustrations - and as a result, our “young reformers” were believed again, oddly enough.

By the way, about designers: they were a privileged caste at GAZ, despite the fact that their formal status did not differ from all other employees of the automobile body department. Theoretically, any designer not only could, but was also obliged to take part in the “artistic development of 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 around 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 was allowed to the “alternatives” was to express themselves unofficially and outside of 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 didn’t like something, these models could easily be sent for melting down under the pretext of freeing up space or lack of plasticine. By the way, it was not an ordinary children’s one, but a special sculptural one, and for full-size models, in which Igor Bezrodnykh’s team was extremely successful in sculpting, hundreds of kilograms of it were required.

Romantics and accountants

Jokes aside, our designers created very beautiful plasticine cars, and they really worked with love. One cannot blame the ideologist-designers for inactivity or maliciousness, but they were so divorced from life, as if they were sitting not five hundred meters from the gas assembly line, but somewhere in Detroit or Stuttgart. And, what is most surprising, there was no one in the GAZ management who would try to bring these romantics back to reality, which was demonstrated by another technical council, where the timid objections of those who even then understood that the plant could not cope were not heard.

The result turned out to be logical 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 (one body, but different types of drive) were ready, they suddenly announced to us that we were working practically “ Add to cart". How much this cost the plant in monetary terms, no one still 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 Batyanov “five” with a shortened wheelbase - otherwise the numbers turned out to be unlucky...

What organizational conclusions would follow from this in Detroit? At a minimum - the resignation of the entire cheerful company of ideologists, and even top managers of a higher rank. But this is not our method, they decided at GAZ, and the failed new Volgas were renamed concept cars, and not only did all the “geeks” sit in their chairs, some were even “exiled” for an internship in Italy.

Those who remained were given a new task - to play the situation back two years and quickly 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 one. them the 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 retired, but this explains a lot: the style is beyond kitsch, and the complete disregard for manufacturability, and the wildly eclectic combination in the design of a progressive front suspension with the so-called high upper arm and ancient springs at the rear.

There is one more interesting detail regarding the design. It would seem that to speed up the process, it would be logical to use the finished body of model 3103 to the maximum, 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 solution was found: the plasticine model of the “troika” was divided in half lengthwise and one half was turned into the “eleventh” through minor alterations. Small in terms of plasticine consumption - and body designers had to re-measure and “digitize” the entire body, which, again, is very labor-intensive, time-consuming and expensive.

By the way, the decision to send a half-scale mock-up to the measuring complex, a source of special pride for GAZ, was made contrary to the verdict of the technical council, which did not approve the project due to numerous comments from sensible engineers and managers - it seems that there was simply no other way out then. And the second miracle happened: Batyanov and the company themselves believed that they had created a masterpiece, and took for granted the 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 production of a plastic model demonstrator, supposedly to speed up the process, was ordered in America.

Beauty didn't save

The Volga GAZ-3111, in the form of that same demonstrator, made its debut at the 1998 Moscow Motor Show 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 neoclassics, historical heritage, traditions, etc. turned out to be a safe bet, 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 start serial production.

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Then the “eleventh” was seriously predicted to be the successor to the long-outdated “ten”, and special boards were even installed at the GAZ entrances, which counted down the days until the start of production, scheduled for December 25, 1999. It was even possible to almost meet the deadline, but on December 28 only the ceremonial launch took place - real production was established only a few months later.

However, this production could not be called mass production even if one wanted to. In the only full year of production of the model, 2001, it was possible to assemble just over 300 cars, and the total number of “elevens”, taking into account all experimental samples, did not exceed 500 pieces. This is half as much as the GAZ-14 “Seagulls” were made, not to mention the above-described “catch-up”, although Mr. Batyanov could celebrate his personal record: his “Super Volga” 3105 at one time did not even reach a hundred copies...

In contrast, let us note in fairness that GAZ-3111 cars stood for some time in the showrooms of individual GAZ dealers with shy signs saying “Price is negotiable,” but there were very few people willing 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 came under the control of the structures of the oligarch Oleg Deripaska.

In the photo: "Volga" - GAZ-3111 "Firebird"

Let’s say fate was unfair to the Gaz dreamers and their “grudges.” But did they deserve to be treated differently? - 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 belt was. In mass automotive production, any part must fall into place, as they say, with half a kick, and in the only possible way and without any adjustment, but in this case everything was done exactly the opposite. To change a burnt-out light bulb in a beautiful “turn signal”, it was necessary to disassemble almost half of the “face”.

As for the technical level in general, it is perfectly illustrated by the curb weight indicated by the manufacturer itself: 1690 kg - this 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 the wheelbase), and almost the same as the same 3105 weighed with an eight-cylinder engine, all-wheel drive and a length of more than five meters.

And independent tests have shown that if this beauty took a step compared to its predecessor, it was not forward, but rather to the side: despite the rack and pinion steering mechanism and the stabilizer in the rear suspension (remember, leaf spring), the improvements in handling hardly compensated loss of proprietary smoothness. That is, GAZ was asked to enter the twenty-first century with a new passenger car, which in all consumer qualities was not superior to the design of 1970, but beautiful - and thank God that the new management had the will not to succumb to its clumsy charm.

Soon the well-known Volga brand will become part of history. The history of the Volga car began back in 1956, and for almost half a century the Volga was a dream for Soviet and later Russian citizens. But now, just like “Chaika”, “Moskvich” or ZIL, this legendary one is close to remaining forever only in history. It just so happened that the Gorky Automobile Plant is at the same time proud of the Volga car, which is understandable and natural, and has been struggling with this car for many years.

Creation of a landmark car

The first Volga, GAZ 21, was born back in 1956, and immediately became a symbol of the “thaw” that came in the fifties and sixties. This car was filmed in films and continues to be filmed to this day. It was successfully exported, receiving awards at prestigious international exhibitions. It was, without any exaggeration, the only “premium class” car, as they say now, available to ordinary Soviet citizens.

GAZ 21 - the first Volga produced

It was the Volga that was the first among the “affordable” cars to acquire an unprecedented “bourgeois” curiosity. It was a truly successful and extraordinary car, and, perhaps, the most iconic car of all that was developed and produced in the USSR.

How it started

Since 1946, the Gorky Automobile Plant produced the Pobeda GAZ-M-20 passenger car. By the time its production began, Pobeda had a fairly modern design and advanced design. However, already in the early 50s, its appearance was significantly outdated, and the aggregate part also lagged behind the level of world leaders. There is an urgent need to replace it with a model that is more technically advanced and modern in external design. The creation of a new car began in November 1953.

It was then that the leading designer Nevzorov Alexander Mikhailovich displayed the first line on whatman paper. The design of the Volga was determined already at the design stage. Its author, artist Lev Eremeev, who by that time was quite experienced in his field, applied the global trends in automotive fashion of recent years. First of all, this concerned, which in those years dominated with aviation and, partly, rocket and space motifs. He was able to create a rather expressive image of a dynamic, modern and quite elegant car. The complex plasticity of the body was to some extent contrasted with the utilitarian-functional lines of the Pobeda.

And in 1954, production of prototypes began. Two gearboxes were developed specifically for the new car - manual and automatic. Both are three-stage. The final drive was originally conical, not hypoid, as in models produced since 1957. The car was equipped with independent and hydraulic lever shock absorbers. The rear, naturally independent, suspension was made of longitudinal semi-elliptical springs. Tires size 6.70-15. The car's hood was decorated with a soaring chrome deer, from which a wide molding led to the windshield.

Technical innovations

The car had a centralized lubrication system (CLS). By pressing a special pedal, it was possible to direct lubrication from the tank to the oil lines at 19 lubrication points located in the front suspension and in the steering rod joints. In rural areas, when the car moved along a rut, the oil lines often became deformed and broke. In Volga cities, oil puddles were left in parking lots as a gift to utility workers - an inevitable consequence of pumping the central heating system.

This system was later phased out in 1959 in favor of traditional rubber bushings and grease fittings. On October 10, 1956, the history of the creation of the Volga began - the first three production models of the GAZ-21 car were released. They were equipped with a low-valve Pobedov engine, bored to 2.432 liters, with a power of 65 hp. This car became known as "21B".

The car's own engine was installed only in 1957. This engine was overhead valve. The camshaft was driven through helical textolite gears. The cylinder block and head were cast from an aluminum alloy. The cooling jacket had “wet” liners. The engines of modern Volgas have the same displacement as the first one - 2.445 liters. The GAZ-21 and GAZ-21A engine had 70 hp. With. at 4000 rpm. and maximum torque of 17 kgf at 2200 rpm. For the first time in domestic automotive practice, the Volga was serially used, which was a “spark” of a planetary gearbox, which had 3 stages, and a torque converter.

However, there was a tense situation in the country with high-quality oil and highly qualified service. 700 unfortunates who owned cars with machine guns never found a way out. As a result, since 1958, the Volga was produced only with a manual 3-speed gearbox. was provided not by the amount of iron, although this is what you hear more often, but by high anti-corrosion protection. The thickness of the sheet on the bottom and roof was only 1.1 mm, the tail parts were even thinner - 0.9 mm.

But the “black” body, after washing and etching, underwent phosphatization and then primer using the immersion method. The body was “dipped” again and dried. The primed surface was leveled manually. Anti-noise mastic was sprayed on both sides of the bottom, which was an additional protective layer. The wheel arches and seams were especially carefully coated. Then synthetic enamel.

Some changes in the configuration

Some consumers had special requirements for the car, which was taken into account by the manufacturer. In 1962, a 160-horsepower V8 engine from the Chaika was installed, as well as an automatic transmission in the secret GAZ-23 model. This machine is not listed in popular catalogs; its exclusive customer is the KGB.

GAZ 23 - Volga with a Chaika engine

The car was a little over 100 kg heavier than the base version, reached a speed of more than 160 km/h and accelerated from zero to hundreds in 16 seconds (compare with 34 seconds for the GAZ-21L). The brake booster did not find a place in the engine compartment and the braking system has not changed. In total, 603 GAZ-23 cars were produced. In the same 1962, the 5-seater GAZ-22 station wagon, which had a horizontally divided rear door, appeared in the lineup. The folded rear sofa formed a flat platform for large cargo weighing up to 400 kg. The GAZ-22 station wagon did not reach the people and did not appear for personal use.

Main "Series" GAZ-21

In order to distinguish between GAZ-21 releases, today they use the designation “releases” or “series”. The manufacturer did not use such a division and it is largely arbitrary.

Volga car modifications:

"First episode" (1957)

The car was produced in 1956 - 1958 and was subsequently called the “first series” (also “with a star”). Almost until 1958, the car was produced with a lower valve engine from the Pobeda car. Its working volume was increased to 88 mm by boring the cylinders, and the compression ratio was increased to 7.0:1. Full characteristics of the motor:

Volume 2.42 l.,
Power 65 hp at 3800 rpm,
Torque 15.8 kg*m.

A total of 1,100 vehicles were produced. The same engine was installed on export versions of the GAZ-69 jeep. Today this is one of the rarest modifications. The lower valve engine was only supplied complete with.

GAZ 21 - the car of the first series

In the summer of 1957, preparations for the production of our own ZMZ-21 engine, which was supplied by the newly built Zavolzhsky Engine Plant, were completed. It had a volume of 2.445 liters. And a power of 70 hp. At the end of the year, production vehicles began to be equipped with this engine.

In total, the history of the creation of the Volga knows more than 30 thousand cars of various modifications with a similar design. The 1957 model had 3/4 “droplets”, that is, they ended well short of the edge of the rear fender, but they were longer than the “short” ones found on other options.

Salon of the first series

A feature of the interior of this series is that it is all-metal with a receiver that has a “low” lining. A loudspeaker was located on top, covered with a metal grill. It remained this way until 1958, that is, during the transition to Series II cladding. Some cars were produced in two-tone paint, also available upon individual order at an additional cost. The number of color combinations was very limited. Three types of combinations were used:

roof and lower part of different shades;
the roof and part of the body up to the level of stamping on its sidewall are one color, the rest is another;
the roof, doors and rear wing stamping are one color, the rest of the car is another.

However, this already added variety and was in great demand among buyers.

"Second Series" (1959)

Cars produced at the end of 1958 - beginning of 1959 are called “transitional”, and from 1959 to 1962 “second series”. By the end of 1958, the car was modernized, mostly externally. The shape of the front wings was changed, the wheel arches were enlarged, the front end generally repeated the appearance of the 1955 prototype (often called the “shark mouth”, which had 16 slots in the radiator grille).

Accordingly, the changed radiator lining led to the appearance of a new hood lock. The mechanicals and interior remained unchanged, although some changes were gradually introduced into production.

GAZ 21 - car of the second series

GAZ 21 - car of the third series

Technical changes

The engine became a little more powerful, 75 hp, the lever shock absorber was replaced with a telescopic one. Removed. In addition, they switched to a more durable all-side body, replacing the earlier version, welded from individual parts. In 1965, the last modernization of the 21st model took place at the Gorky Automobile Plant. The car's side members were strengthened and a more efficient windshield wiper and heater were installed.

The hubs on the front wheels were equipped with roller bearings instead of ball bearings. On July 15, 1970, the last Volga car, GAZ-21, rolled off the assembly line. This is a car of modification “21US”, body number 334312, anthracite color, it took pride of place in the factory museum. In total, from 1956 to 1970, 638,875 GAZ-21 and GAZ-22 cars were produced. This car came at the right time, and when it left the production line, it took away an entire era. An era of 14 years.

GAZ 22 - Volga station wagon

The history of the creation of the Volga also knows other modifications

GAZ-22 is a station wagon (the prototype and the first copies were produced with the design of the second series), the car became an ambulance. GAZ-23 - became an escort vehicle, a “high-speed modification” that had an engine and automatic transmission from the Chaika limousine. A V8 engine with a volume of 5.53 liters and a power of 160, and later 195 hp, was installed. It had a reinforced body and chassis. It was produced in very limited quantities, according to some sources 608 copies. For the needs of law enforcement agencies. Van GAZ-22A - created in 1961. It was not mass-produced, but it was used to build vans for auto repair factories.

Officially new modification

In the 60s, or rather already in 1961, the search for a form for fundamentally began. Almost immediately after the release of the GAZ-21, the designers of the Gorky Automobile Plant tried to create something new, to refresh the shape of the car. But the “twenty-first”, which survived 3 restylings, despite their effectiveness (of course, based on the resources that the designers then had), by the end of 1970 was already obsolete. Initially they wanted to design for 4 types of engine:

Aluminum “four” based on the GAZ-21 engine. Volume 2.5 liters, intended more for work in a taxi.
Basic V-shaped engine with 6 cylinders and a volume of 3 liters.
V-shaped for 8 cylinders, 5.53 liters. Special version for law enforcement agencies.
And 4 cylinders for Europe. There, based on sales experience, the diesel Volga was respected.

The engine, which was initially planned as a base engine (V6, 2.99 liters, 136 hp), never left the experimental stage before the start of mass production. But they wanted to master it at the 2nd stage of work, when mass production would be launched. But it so happened that in the early 70s, oil prices jumped, and a three-liter engine was considered unnecessary for a middle-class car.

Other implemented options

In the mid-seventies, 2 running prototypes of the new Volga car appeared. One of the cars had a peculiar 4-headlight, which, however, was later abandoned in favor of the familiar 2-headlight. The car emblem – a stylized shield – has undergone the most changes. The radiator grille was made in its shape, as well as the stamping on the hood and the general design of the front end.

In 1967, Autoexport launched a new model under the famous brand, and this was its most serious strategic mistake. Sales of the GAZ-21 are beginning to fall sharply, and the “twenty-fourth” by that time had not even been produced in a trial run. The advertising that was shown to consumers from abroad focused on the spacious interior, simplicity of design and size of this car. Advertising brochures contain only pretty young girls, colorful landscapes, or images of city lights at night. To the West, the Volga was sold with a refined interior and FM radios and a beautiful metallic paint.

GAZ 24 Volga - the second generation of Volga

For European residents accustomed to beauty, the rustic-looking interior of the GAZ-24 would not be very attractive, especially considering the considerable size of the car. In 1972, to the production program (GAZ 24-02), which had a well-thought-out body transformation system and 3 rows of seats. A car with seven seats instantly becomes departmental. Many people remember the taxis and ambulances of those years. Such a car was the dream of people who have a summer house. True, it fell into the hands only through great connections, and then only after being written off from the vehicle fleet or by personal order of the authorities.

This is how the famous actor Yuri Nikulin received such a car. It was very convenient for him to transport his circus equipment in the station wagon. There was also a service model based on the new Volga. “Double”, as the secret service workers called it, or GAZ 24-24. This car was a real Soviet Muscle car: powerful engine, elegant body, transmission from Chaika. Not a car, but a beast! Officially, “Double” did not exist in nature. So the drivers of this car were essentially ghosts - they drove something that doesn’t exist.

New trends

It's 1982. The “Twenty Four” changes radically and turns into the GAZ-3102. A sedan with a modern appearance does not go to the market, but is distributed only among party workers. In 1985, the GAZ 24-10 was produced in series with a plastic radiator grille, different handles and unsightly plastic wheel caps. The body of this car has been improved several times. In 1992, GAZ-31029 was produced. In 1996, the GAZ-3110 was released. And in 2004, the last original car, GAZ-31105, was released.

GAZ 3102 - modified “24ka”

In 2010, they announced the closure of Volga Cyber due to the unprofitability of this model. Most likely, it was the last one under the Volga brand. And so, the story of probably the most popular and prestigious car brand in the Soviet Union has come to an end. 20 years after the disappearance of the country of the USSR itself, its car also disappeared. At the Gorky Automobile Plant there were attempts to launch a radically new car into production.

Volga Cyber - the last Volga released

At one time, GAZ 3105, GAZ-3111, GAZ-3115 were produced, but it so happened that they did not gain much recognition. An expression of the highest style, this dynamic low-cut silhouette was lost behind the curve of history, with a little flash of farewell. Now the history of Volga cars has become an important part of our general history of the automotive industry, sometimes sad, but no less fascinating.

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GAZ, or the Gorky Automobile Plant, is one of the oldest Soviet-Russian enterprises and can be said to be the founder of the automobile industry in the Soviet Union. The name “Volga”, which unites all models of passenger cars produced at the GAZ plant since 1956, is widely known both in Russia and abroad. Over the 60 years of production, Volga car models have survived

Central entrance to the GAZ automobile plant

serious technical transformation, but even now they remain cars that have their loyal fans among generations of Russian car enthusiasts.

The historical beginning, the event that served as the basis for the emergence of a whole class of Volga cars, was the “birth” of the legendary GAZ-21 car in 1956.

Appearance of GAZ 21

At the time of its development, this machine was a unique creation, not inferior to its world analogue, but by the time of its serial production in 1956, that is, two years from the date of the release of the first prototype, it had already become, in comparison with Western models, somewhat old-fashioned.

However, this in no way detracted from its original technical solutions included in the basic package.

“Volga” 21 became the successor to the GAZ M-20, or “Victory”, in the Soviet automotive industry, and initially had the factory designation M-21, only in 1964 it began to be called the familiar GAZ-21.

Among the technical innovations of this model are the following:

Pivot front suspension.

Aluminum engine with wet liners.

Hydraulic clutch drive with suspended pedal.
Increased rigidity of the body, resistant to corrosion.
A centralized lubrication system was subsequently removed from the vehicle due to the poor quality of consumables.
An automatic hydromechanical gearbox, which also did not take root in mass production.
Hypoid silent bridge.
Cardan transmission with central support.

All this provided the Volga 21 with excellent driving performance both on paved roads and in off-road areas, long-term operation of the vehicle and comfortable conditions for the driver and passengers.

This is what the GAZ 21 interior looks like

External and internal design were also a source of pride for the developers. The car's design attempted to reflect the idea of Russian identity combined with elements of Soviet modernism. A special feature of the car’s external appearance was the all-stamped chrome grille with vertical slots.

GAZ Volga 21 was the leader on the Soviet market until the mid-70s, although it seemed somewhat bulky and conservative compared to Moskvich and Zhiguli.

The basic model of the GAZ-21 was constantly improved both from the technical side and based on target consumer tasks. Over the entire period of serial production, there were more than 30 modifications.

The last Volga 21 car rolled off the assembly line in 1970, giving way to new developments.

The GAZ-22 model was produced for eight years from 1962 to 1970 and complemented the GAZ-21 line with a utility vehicle. The main purpose of producing this vehicle was to provide transport for the ambulance service, and the plant had to incur significant losses in order to fulfill this government order.

Despite the fact that the production of the GAZ Volga 22 cannot be called large-scale, these vehicles created a good reputation for the plant for their structural reliability and high cross-country ability. This served as a prerequisite for good sales of the new improved model.

GAZ-23 - a car for special agents

This Volga model was developed by special order from state security agencies and was the most advanced vehicle at that time. It combined all the most advanced developments with a comfortable and ergonomic interior.

This is what GAZ 23 looks like

Among the features of the GAZ Volga 23, the following technical innovations can be distinguished:

- Engine volume 5.5 liters V-shaped design.
- Three-speed automatic transmission.
- Reinforced body.

- An improved brake system with special drums, increased wear resistance brake pads and the use of original brake fluid.
- Modified suspension with reinforced front springs and thicker metal rear springs.
- Modernized exhaust system by installing two mufflers and exhaust pipes.
- Changing the main pair of the rear axle with a reduced gear ratio.

The introduction of these changes to the design provided the car with unprecedented speed qualities at that time, high acceleration dynamics, as well as improved maneuverability and controllability on the road.

The car was produced from 1962 to 1970 and was carefully classified. Only a few copies have survived to this day, accidentally avoiding mandatory destruction after being written off.

GAZ-24: simple and reliable

The Volga 24 became an evolutionary continuation of the GAZ-21 and was launched into mass production in 1967, although its development began already in 1958.

It took the designers about ten years to implement the design of a machine that would meet both the requirements of the time and good operational and consumer characteristics.

Several experimental designs of the new car were assembled, differing fundamentally from each other in the installed motor units of various types. After test tests, a car with an improved four-cylinder engine went into production. Other prototypes were later used as prototypes for the production of single and export versions.

appearance of the GAZ 24 interior

New design solutions were:

Separate circuits of the brake system with a hydraulic vacuum booster.
Forged front beam and rear linkage with articulated mechanism.
The carburetor is a new two-chamber type.

Four-speed gearbox.
New design for interior heating and rear window defroster.
Improved parking brake system.
Curved side glass configuration.
Wheels are 14-inch in diameter.

These changes allowed the new car to become quite competitive and marketable.

The original design, of course, had its shortcomings, which were eliminated as its modifications were developed.

In 1985, mass production of these machines was discontinued.

GAZ-3102 - a new series of cars

This model was conceived as a full-fledged successor to the GAZ-24, and its development began almost immediately with the start of production of the 24 Volga. However, as a result, by 1981, for various reasons, this idea was transformed into the production of a car for government officials. The car was produced in small batches, but its production lasted 27 years and was discontinued only in 2009.

Among the main technological innovations are the following:

Prechamber-torch ignition.
Staged air injection system.
New block design using steel elements.
Updated carburetor with semi-automatic injection system.
Modified four-speed manual transmission.
Adding a voltage regulator to the brake system.

These innovations made it possible to improve the driving and speed characteristics of the new model while reducing fuel consumption and the proportion of carbon monoxide in the exhaust.

The interior of the GAZ-3102 has also changed significantly and has become more comfortable for the driver. Seat headrests appeared, and the instrument panel became more ergonomic.

The history of the development of the GAZ-3102 was thoroughly saturated with both political intrigue and factors of the transition period in the country's economy.

view inside the GAZ 3102

Therefore, its design constantly underwent changes, adapting to the emerging market economy. Over the entire period, cars were adapted to engines from different manufacturers, which forced changes to be made to body parts, as well as to other main components.

The car began to be in mass demand already in the 2000s, largely due to its “bureaucratic” reputation.

Simultaneously with the release of 3102, other Volga models of the 31 series were developed and produced, so the removal of 32102 from the assembly line was natural.

GAZ-31029 - an affordable car

This car was an intermediate option in the entire GAZ line and was produced for only five years, from 1992 to 1997. In fact, 31029 is a continuation of the 24 Volga line, and the changes affected mostly the body, which was replaced with the body from 3102.

GAZ-31029 can be called a commercial vehicle, since its release occurred during the years of perestroika, and the increased demand for cars of this class has increased sharply. The mass production and sales of this machine were, on the one hand, a great help for the plant, however, on the other hand, they seriously reduced its reputation in the market. This was due to the fact that, given the large number of cars, quality requirements were reduced.

Nevertheless, significant profits from sales of this affordable model allowed the plant to reorganize production, adapt to new market conditions and launch production of more interesting models.

GAZ-3110 - a new car for everyone

The Volga 3110 was developed as an improved car design for mass consumption and became the successor to the 31029 in this niche. Its production began in 1997 and continued until 2005.

Design features:

Power steering and modified steering gearbox.
Disc brakes on the front wheels.
A cardan shaft providing an intermediate support and a continuous rear gearbox.

The car was painted using two-component paints, which increased the body's resistance to corrosion.

Among the modifications are a utility model, mostly designed for medical needs, and a car with a turbodiesel engine, which was produced in very small quantities.

Due to the production line reaching the planned capacity of the new model, 3110 was discontinued.

The new restyled Volga 5000 GL 2017 is a reliable car from the domestic automaker GAZ. The car has a surprisingly beautiful and original futuristic appearance, suitable for city trips, but not off-road.

Sports domestic novelty

The technical performance of the car will please car owners, but it is known that the manufacturer only praises its products, but in reality they do not turn out very well. At the moment, no one has seen the Volga yet, however, there is information that the concept will be a station wagon and equipped with all-wheel drive.

Exterior and appearance

Initially, the 2017 Gas Volga (new model, photo, price in the article) was supposed to become a prototype for the development of a new era in the domestic automotive industry. No matter how much our concerns develop various models, they do not provide pleasure and comfort to car owners. Our compatriots are clearly tired of standard designs.

The car has a special and attractive body exterior, the explanation for this is that young specialists were involved in the design. The changes are as follows:

Sleek futuristic appearance.
The smooth lines of the body perfectly combine notes of aggressiveness, power and style.
From the rear, the car looks like Volvo sedans.
The high position of the headlights adds sportiness.
The dual exhaust looks great, which is similar to Lexus models.
The roof line is somewhat cut off, which visually makes the Volga sporty and strict at the same time.
The front part looks very unusual, the dimensions are narrowed in comparison with the general style of the elements.
Excellent aerodynamics. It is created at the highest level in order to achieve maximum clamping force.
The wings protrude somewhat from the side, giving the impression that the vehicle was designed for fast and dynamic movement.

The overall sporty style of the 2020 Gas Volga is designed to be complemented by titanium wheels with a diameter of 21 inches on larger tires. The designers found their own inspiration among the world's best cars, choosing the most beautiful elements for decoration.

The company has not officially announced the color palette, but from the available photographs one can judge of four colors: classic black, dark blue, gray, bright yellow.

Interior

Reliable information regarding the interior and interior of the Volga 5000 concept car has not yet been provided. There are rumors that the salon will be distinguished by a chic look, versatility and settings. Despite the trimmed roofline, passengers and the driver will be able to feel as comfortable and free as possible.

If you can make an overview based on external data, then the interior is a mystery. Based on the photographs, it is believed that the style in numerous elements repeats the famous GAZ 3101. From various sources, data sometimes emerges that the interior is completely copied from the WOLT model, but the plausibility cannot be confirmed.

Specifications

Initially, the concern planned to equip the car with a 3.2-liter power unit and a power of 300 hp. Gearbox 6-speed Manual transmission. The Volga should acquire an independent spring suspension with two drives. In fact, it meant a complete SUV; later information was provided about two modifications - for the Russian and Chinese markets.

According to updated data, the new Volga Gas 5000 gl 2017 is an all-wheel drive sedan with a new power engine with a capacity of 296 horses and a 6-speed gearbox. Checkpoint. The cylinder capacity is calculated at 3.2 liters. In appearance, the car will be similar to the Chevrolet Volt.

The maximum torque will be 420 Nm and will reach power at 1750 rpm. Fuel consumption in mixed mode will be 3 liters. As for the dimensions, no exact data is provided.

Configurations and prices of Volga Gas 5000 GL 2017 in a new body

The restyled Volga GAZ 5000 GL 2017 will be supplied in one configuration, which fans know about now. Its cost varies from 4 million rubles to 9 million rubles. The engine is a 3.2-liter gasoline engine with a power of 296 horsepower, a manual transmission, and all-wheel drive.

Concept capabilities

According to reviews from those who were lucky enough to drive the first version of the updated Volga 5000, it is in no way inferior to its Western rivals, with the only exception being its overpriced price. This is exactly the amount you need to pay for a luxury Mercedes.

The car does not have independent suspension parts and an on-board computer, which is designed to regulate the performance of the engine in different situations. The body is not considered intact, and this is the main drawback of the car. The wings and rear fender liners are located separately, and the roof is attached to six supports, like the front body.

What's wrong with a divided body? The fact that streamlining is significantly reduced and has a negative impact on the overall design. Most likely, in the future, air intakes for radiator purging or a hybrid power drive will be thought out. A gasoline unit is necessary in order to maintain the battery voltage in optimal mode.

Advantages and disadvantages

While it is difficult to judge the advantages and disadvantages of the new Volga GAZ 5000 GL, accurate data will be presented only on the manufacturer’s official website. The benefits are now known to be:

Possibility to install a hybrid engine option.
High power.
Excellent streamlining.

Among the disadvantages are:

Not a solid body.
Overpriced.
Not the best technical characteristics.

Competitors

The new Volga GAZ 5000 GL has many competitors, given its parameters and characteristics. Among the main ones:

(if compared with the package)
Cyber.

Each of them has its own characteristics and may well compete with the model in question.

Release date and start of sales in Russia

Undoubtedly, if the Volga 5000 GL ever leaves the manufacturer's plant, it will be considered a powerful consumer car produced in our country. In all likelihood, it looks more attractive, for example, than the Lada X-Ray.

The domestic auto industry is not going through the best of times during this period, because government funding has decreased several times. If the situation does not improve, this restyled model may not be produced at all.

After the first information about the car was announced in 2012, no exact dates were indicated. The first start of sales was planned for 2014, immediately after the demonstration. But it did not take place, and the development of the car was postponed. It is worth noting that Chinese developers took part in design planning and can do:

self-release of the concept;
acquisition of rights for the development of GAZ in the future;
creating a visually and technically similar car.

Fans can only wait patiently for information on the new product and a possible release date on the Russian car market.

Photo

GAZ (GAZ) - Gorky Automobile Plant is a Russian company producing cars and trucks of the Volga, Chaika, Gazelle and Ural brands. The company's central office 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 company's emblem - 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.

The official opening date of the plant is considered to be January 1, 1932. In the same year, the 1.5-ton GAZ-AA truck and GAZ-A passenger car were launched 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 USSR government 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, 1st degree.

Despite the fact that the war was still ongoing, the Gorky Automobile Plant began to develop new models of trucks and cars. Such a speed of updating the model range was worth the titanic efforts to re-equip production. In just one year, more than 4,000 pieces of equipment were reinstalled and reinstalled.

The first in the line of new products was the GAZ-51 truck, mass production of which began in January 1946.

This model has gone down in history as impeccably reliable, rational and very economical. It lasted on the assembly line for almost 30 years and, despite its venerable age, is still found on the roads.

At the end of the war, the plant began work on creating new models of passenger 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 became 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 model “Chaika” GAZ-13 with an engine capacity of 149 horsepower 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, the GAZ company 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 structural update and developed a new modern base model, the 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 Nizhny Novgorod Motors to assemble 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 plant's assembly line. And the end of the year was marked by the new model GAZ-3111. The model was created in close collaboration with Venture (America), and is significantly different 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 attracted. However, lack of finance forced the implementation of a number of promising models to be delayed by several months, but this news could not spoil the company’s reputation. Cars bearing 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. The 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 engine ZMZ-4062.10, developing 145 horsepower.

The GAZ group of companies occupies a leading position in the commercial vehicle market in Russia, occupying 50% in the light commercial vehicle segment, 60% in the medium truck segment, 40% in the four-wheel drive 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 was net profit.