Gas M20 victory technical characteristics. Description of the model M20 Pobeda (M20 Pobeda). GAZ-M20 Victory in Europe

Material from the Encyclopedia of the magazine "Behind the wheel"

GAZ-M20
Specifications:
body	fastback (4-door sedan) and 4-door convertible
Number of doors	4
number of seats	5
length	4665 mm
width	1695 mm
height	1590/1640 mm
wheelbase	2700 mm
front track	1364 mm
back track	1362 mm
ground clearance	200 mm
trunk volume	l
engine location	front longitudinally
engine's type	petrol
engine capacity	2112 cm 3
Power	52/3600 HP at rpm
Torque	125 N * m at rpm
Valves per cylinder	2
KP	3-speed with synchronizer for 2nd and 3rd gear
Front suspension	independent, lever-spring
Rear suspension	spring
Shock absorbers	hydraulic double-acting.
Front brakes	drum
Rear brakes	drum
Fuel consumption	13.5 l / 100 km
maximum speed	105 km / h
years of production	1946-1958
type of drive	rear
Curb weight	1350 kg
acceleration 0-100 km / h	45 sec

GAZ M-20 Pobeda is a serial Soviet-made passenger car produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) from 1946 to 1958. One of the world's first mass production vehicles with a monocoque 4-door pontoon body, which did not have separate fenders, steps and headlights. Produced in various modifications, including with an open body of the "convertible" type.

History of creation

The government assignment for the design and preparation for the production of a new model of a passenger car that would correspond to modern trends in the global automotive industry and have improved performance characteristics than the GAZ-M1 car produced at that time was received by the management of the Gorky Automobile Plant in December 1941. However, the plant was fully occupied with the production of military equipment, and the implementation of the project was temporarily postponed.
At the same time, at the very end of 1941, the Gorky plant received a captured German car Opel Kapitan of 1938. This car was chosen as a prototype, since this car best corresponded to the requirements of the technical task and the ideas of Soviet designers about what a modern passenger car should be like.

Photo Lipgart and Kirillov, 1944

The practical development of the GAZ-25 Rodina car began in early February 1943 with a sketch project by the artist V. Brodsky. On February 3, 1943, a meeting was held at the People's Commissariat for Sredmash in Moscow, at which A.A. Lipgart, the chief designer of GAZ, made a presentation in which he outlined in detail the new car models that are being prepared for release, including the GAZ-25 Rodina, despite the fact that this project existed only in the form of general outline sketches. Upon returning to Gorky, a group of designers was organized at the plant, whose task was to create a new passenger car of the middle class. It included B. Kirsanov (head of the design group), A. Kirillov (leading body designer) and other engineers. The work was supervised by Deputy Chief Designer A. Krieger (he was in charge of the chassis and engine) and Y. Sorochkin (he supervised the progress of work on the design of the body). At the initiative of Sorochkin, the artist V. Samoilov was involved in the work, who created the unique look of the car. Samoilov's version was accepted for development. In contrast to the final version of the "Victory" in the car of Samoilov, the rear doors were hung on the rear pillar of the body and opened, like in the Opel Kapitan, backward, against the course of the car.

Photo of Kirillov shows a model by a fashion designer, 1944

The artist himself did not see his project in metal. Soon after finishing work on the sketches, Veniamin Samoilov died tragically. The first prototype of the car was ready on November 6, 1944, Andrey Aleksandrovich Lipgart personally took him outside the factory gates to the test site. Soon, two more vehicles were delivered for testing. Unlike the production model "Pobeda", these three cars were equipped with 6-cylinder engines from the GAZ 11-73 car (a modernized version of the GAZ-M1, produced during the war years). This motor was manufactured under license from the American company Dodge. The line of future "Victories" provided for the production of cars with both a 6-cylinder modernized Dodge D5 engine and a 4-cylinder engine. Moreover, the first modification was the main one, and the second was intended for manning taxi companies. But later, they decided to abandon the idea of equipping a new car with a 6-cylinder engine in favor of a 4-cylinder one for reasons of fuel economy (which was not enough in the post-war years in the country) and to simplify the design of the car. The 4-cylinder engine was unified in detail with a more powerful version and was the same "six" cut by a third, which was later used in ZIM cars and trucks of the Gorky Automobile Plant (in particular, GAZ-51).

John Williams (in sleeveless jacket) and head of the body design bureau Yuri Sorochkin discussing plaster models. 1949 g.

On June 19, 1945, both modifications, with 6 and 4-cylinder engines, were presented to Joseph Stalin. The head of state was skeptical about the car with a 6-cylinder engine, believing that it is out of the government's classification of passenger cars and is closer to a higher class of cars. Soon the name of the car was also changed - Stalin, hearing the name of the project, said: "How much will you sell your homeland?" when the second name was announced - "Victory" - Stalin chuckled and said: "A small victory, but it will do."

Life-size wooden mock-up

On August 26, 1945, a decree of the State Defense Committee "On the restoration and development of the automotive industry" was issued, according to which the production of the GAZ-M20 was scheduled for June 28, 1946. Serial production of the new car began ahead of schedule - on June 21, 1946 (but this fact is not convincingly confirmed). Cars were manufactured using a bypass technology, mostly by hand. Until the end of 1946, only 23 cars were produced. Mass production of the GAZ-M20 was launched on April 28, 1947. At the same time, the original version of the car has undergone modernization. The design of the front of the car was changed, the speedometer was replaced (from a tape to a dial one), a place was provided for installing a radio receiver.

Name

GAZ-M20 became the first Soviet passenger car, which, in addition to the factory index, had a name - "Victory". The letter "M" in the car index denotes the word "Molotovets" - from 1935 to 1957 the plant bore the name of the People's Commissar V. Molotov. The number “20” means that the car belongs to a new model range with a reduced engine displacement (up to “two liters”). Models of the senior line were designated as "1x" - GAZ-12 "ZIM", GAZ-13 "Chaika". In subsequent years, this indexation was preserved - GAZ-21 "Volga", GAZ-24 "Volga".

Design

For the mid-40s of the last century, the GAZ-M20 "Pobeda" was completely revolutionary. Borrowing from the 1938 Opel Kapitan the structure of the monocoque body (internal panels and load-bearing elements), the designers of the Gorky Automobile Plant completely rethought the appearance of the car and adopted a number of innovations that became widespread in the West only a few years later.

The body of "Pobeda" belongs to a rare type of "fastback" today. It is an aerodynamic "two-volume" with a sloping roof, a narrowed rear, a strongly tilted rear window, with a dedicated trunk of small capacity. The Opel Kapitan prototype had four doors, the front doors opened in the direction of the car, the rear doors against. On "Pobeda" all four doors open in the direction of the car - the traditional way today. The modern (at that time) appearance of "Victory" received thanks to the appearance of a belt line, the combination of the front and rear fenders with the body, the absence of decorative steps, an alligator-type hood, headlights mounted in the front part of the body and other characteristic details that were unusual in the mid-forties ...
The working volume of the 4-cylinder engine was 2.112 liters, the power was 50 horsepower. The maximum torque was reached at 3600 rpm. The motor has earned a reputation for being reliable, durable and high-torque. But the Pobeda engine clearly lacked power. Up to a speed of 50 kilometers per hour, the car accelerated quite briskly, but then there was a failure in acceleration. "Pobeda" reached speeds of 100 kilometers per hour in 45 seconds. The maximum speed was 105 kilometers per hour.
The M-20 engine was used on many poppies of passenger cars and not only at the Gorky plant. They were equipped with the Soviet "jeep" GAZ-69 "Truzhenik", the production of which was transferred to the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant, they were equipped with "Warsaw" - the Polish version of "Victory", Polish minibuses "Nysa" and other cars. The low-valve engine was characterized by a low compression ratio and the ability to run on low-octane fuel (A-66 gasoline). For its time, "Pobeda" was an economical car, although by modern standards the fuel consumption for such a working volume is too high. According to technical data, the car consumed 11 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, operating consumption - 13.5 liters, real - from 13 to 15 liters per 100 kilometers.

Of the other components of the car, the attention is drawn to effective lever shock absorbers - the car was distinguished by a smooth ride. Hydraulic drum brakes with common all-wheel drive - this solution was used for the first time on a Soviet-made car. The brake mechanism was very simple - the pads were spread by one hydraulic cylinder in each of the four brake drums.
Further - in the original version of "Victory", which was mass-produced from 1946 to 1948, there was a three-stage non-synchronized gearbox from a GAZ-M1 car with an "easy on" clutch (instead of a synchronizer). In 1950, Pobeda received a 3-speed gearbox with synchronized 2nd and 3rd gears from the GAZ-12 ZIM car (this gearbox was later migrated to the GAZ-21 Volga). The gear lever has been moved from the floor to the steering column. As a result, according to technical data, a five-seater car accommodated six people - another passenger could sit in the front seat next to the driver.
The car was distinguished by a practical finish. For the first time in the automotive history of the USSR, a heater was built into "Pobeda", which was blown over the front glass. Then the warm air naturally spread through the cabin, there were no special outlets for the flow of warm air in the cabin, so in winter the Pobeda was a rather cold car. It is worth noting the ventilation system - to improve air circulation inside the passenger compartment, the rear door windows of the car had pivoting vents, the same ones that were installed in the front door windows (only "backwards", not in the front of the window, but in the rear).

Photo - sailor and later famous writer Yuz Aleshkovsky (right). 1949 year

The car enjoyed great love among motorists, although there was no rush in demand during the years of production. It should be remembered that with the price of "Victory" at 16 thousand rubles, the average wage in the USSR was 600 rubles. The car was simply not available to anyone. For comparison - "ZIM" was sold for 40 thousand rubles and was on sale. Cars "Moskvich" 400 and 401 cost 8 and 9 thousand rubles (but they were not in great demand either).

Modifications to "Victory"

1946-1948 - GAZ-M20 of the "first" series.
1948-1954 - GAZ-M20 "second" series. The springs, the thermostat were modernized, since 1950 the clock, the car received a heater and a ventilation system (blowing the windshield). Since 1950, a new gearbox and a water pump have been installed on Pobeda (both mechanisms are from the ZIM car). The total production volume since the beginning of production is about 160 thousand copies.
1955-1958 - GAZ-20V. A modernized 52 horsepower engine was installed on the car. The car received a new radiator grille and radio. The volume of issue is 24285 copies. The total production volume of 184,285 copies with the first modifications and the GAZ-M20V.
1949-1958 - GAZ-M20A. Modification of "Victory" to work as a taxi. Compared to the base version, this one had a different interior and exterior design. The total volume of production is 37492 copies.
1949-1953 - GAZ-M20 "Pobeda-Cabriolet". A car with an opening fabric top and non-removable sidewalls that act as roll bars. The total volume of the issue is 14222 copies.
1955-1958 - GAZ-M72. The world's first jeep with a comfortable monocoque body. The car was a hybrid of "Victory", from which the body was borrowed, and an all-terrain vehicle GAZ-69 "Truzhenik". The car never bore the name "Pobeda" and was produced in the amount of 4677 pieces.
The total number of cars "Pobeda" produced over the years of production, including small-scale models (pickup, van, ceremonial military convertible), amounted to 241,497 copies.

Fan site "Victory"

From the collection "Driving" 1976 №8

From the collection "Driving" 1978 №5

From the collection "Driving" 1982 №5

From the collection "Driving" 1982 №7

From the collection "Driving" 1987 №1

Victory Day №9-2003

Photo Bonus

Due to stamping defects, 15–20 kg of lead-tin solder had to be applied to each machine. That is why a legend was born among the people that the entire body of the "Victory" was tinned so as not to rust.

Operational characteristics of GAZ 20 M Pobeda

Maximum speed: 105 km / h
Acceleration time to 100 km / h: 46 s
Gas tank volume: 55 l
Curb vehicle weight: 1460 kg
Permissible total weight: 1835 kg
Tire size: 6.00-16

Engine characteristics

Location: front, longitudinally
Engine capacity: 2111 cm3
Engine power: 52 h.p.
Number of revolutions: 3600
Torque: 127/2200 n * m
Supply system: Carburetor
Turbocharging: No
Arrangement of cylinders: Inline
Number of cylinders: 4
Cylinder diameter: 82 mm
Piston stroke: 100 mm
Compression ratio: 6.2
Number of valves per cylinder: 2
Recommended fuel: AI-80

Brake system

Front brakes: Drum
Rear brakes: Drum

Steering

Power steering: No

Transmission

Drive unit: Rear
Number of gears: mechanical box - 3
Main pair gear ratio: 4.7-5.125

Suspension

Front suspension: Coil spring
Rear suspension: Spring

Body

Body type: sedan
Number of doors: 4
Number of seats: 5
Machine length: 4665 mm
Machine width: 1695 mm
Machine height: 1640 mm
Wheelbase: 2700 mm
Front track: 1364 mm
Back track: 1362 mm
Ground clearance (clearance): 200 mm

Modifications

GAZ-M-20 "Pobeda" (1946-1954) - the first modification from 1946 to 1948 and the second from November 1, 1948 received a heater, blowing the windshield, from October 1948 new parabolic springs, from October 1949 a new thermostat, new more reliable watches from 1950; from November 1, 1949, it was assembled on a new assembly line; from October 1950 received a new gearbox from ZiM with a lever on the steering wheel and at about the same time - a new water pump;

GAZ-M-20V from 1955 to 1958 - modernized "Pobeda", third series, 52 hp engine. sec., new design of the radiator lining, radio.

GAZ-M-20A "Pobeda" from 1949 to 1958 - fastback sedan body, 4-cyl. Engine, 52 hp. With. GAZ-M-20, modification for a taxi, mass production (37,492 copies).

GAZ-M-20B Pobeda - convertible from 1949 to 1953 - sedan-convertible body with rigid roll bars, 4-cylinder engine, 52 hp With. GAZ-M-20, open-top modification, mass production (14,222 copies).

GAZ-M-20D from 1956 to 1958 with 57-62 hp forced. by increasing the compression ratio of the engine, an option for the MGB;

GAZ-M-20G or GAZ-M-26 (1956-1958) - a high-speed version for the MGB / KGB with a 90-horsepower 6-cylinder engine from ZiM;

GAZ-M-72 is an all-wheel drive chassis developed on the basis of the army jeep GAZ-69, with a comfortable, for those times, "Pobeda" body. Externally, the car was distinguished by a significantly increased ground clearance, mud flaps on the rear wheel arches and all-terrain tires.

Production

Year of issue: from 1946 to 1958

Getting acquainted with the history of the car, it is difficult to refrain from thinking that we somehow do not imagine the events of the Great Patriotic War. For example, 1941 was accustomed to being considered a devastating year, when the very existence of Soviet statehood was called into question. However, this year at the Gorky Automobile Plant named after. Molotov, the captured Opel Kapitan captured from the Wehrmacht was transferred. And although the enterprise was transferred to the production of military equipment, the Gorky engineers studied the machine and immediately began work on the design of a domestic analogue. Agree that the atmosphere of defeat and panic (at least, as shown in the films) does not fit at all with the creation of a civilian passenger car "for the future."

Opel Kapitan pre-war model. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

1943 - the day after the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, the largest land battle in the history of mankind, a meeting was held in Moscow, in the People's Commissariat for Sredmash. However, it was not dedicated to yesterday's battle at all: on it chief designer of the plant. Molotov Andrey Lipgart reported on the progress of work on the new machine (the original name was "Motherland"). And again, the businesslike calmness of these people is striking: it seems that none of those present even doubted the outcome of the battle.

The initial sketches of the car were made by the artist V. Brodsky: on them, the future GAZ-M-20 is already significantly different from the German "Captain". The protruding fenders and footrests disappeared, the car became more streamlined, although it retained the stream-line style common with Opel - the "futurological" design concept that was fashionable in those years. Under her influence, a rather rare fastback body type was chosen - a stepless roof line and a trunk, visually combined with the interior, but isolated in layout. Note that in the future this type of body was not used in the USSR; it was replaced by more utilitarian sedans.

M-20 "Victory". 3D model. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Khusnutdinov Nail

The final version of the future "Victory" was drawn by a talented graphic artist V. Samoilov... He also worked on the creation of plasticine and wooden models. Note that the country did not have its own bodybuilding school at that time: before the war, business was limited to sketches; the Americans were engaged in the manufacture of production equipment (the USSR collaborated with the Ford company). However, the creators of the GAZ-M-20 were tasked with mastering the full cycle of car production. It turned out to be not easy: during the war, in conditions of a shortage of materials, in workshops partially destroyed by air strikes, there was no one to ask for advice - the designers could only learn from their own mistakes.

So, for example, for the first time when creating a car in the USSR, a plaza design method was used: a full-size drawing with a breakdown to create production patterns and templates (ships are usually designed in this way). However, due to the lack of experience, the master molds were made from alder, which was subject to deformation under temperature and humidity changes. As a result, everything had to be redone, and the full-size reference model of "Victory" was ready only by mid-1944.

M-20 with a radiator lining of the first series, popularly "striped", before the modernization of 1955. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Andrey Sudarikov

In addition to the lack of experience, another negative factor was haste: Stalin watched the progress of the work, so you can imagine how the creators were rushed. But the car at that time was very "advanced": hydraulic brakes, independent front wheel suspension, thermostatic cooling system and an unheard-of amount of electrics: direction indicators and brake lights, electric wipers and a cabin "stove" with the function of blowing the windshield, and so on. Further.

Be that as it may, it was impossible to violate the deadlines: in November 1944, the first prototypes were assembled, Lipgart personally tested them. It was a complete headache: take at least the fact that, due to the shortage of steel sheet, the parts that were integral according to the idea had to be cooked from several parts. As a result, the drawing dimensions could not be maintained, gaps appeared at the joints, and the welded seams had to be masked with kilograms of putty.

No wonder that the car, according to the recollections of the designers, did not like Stalin. Inspection of the pre-production model took place on July 19, 1945, 5 days before the Victory Parade. After critically examining the sample, the leader began to sneer at the working name of the car: "How much will you sell your Motherland?" He was immediately offered another name - "Victory"; but Stalin dismissed it: "Little Victory!" However, on reflection, he agreed - let it be "Victory". By the way, this was the first proper name in the Soviet automobile industry; before that, only an index was assigned to cars.

Pobeda also owes Stalin its weak two-liter four-cylinder engine. Initially, the prototypes were fitted with a 2.7-liter "six" with a capacity of 62 horsepower. However, the fuel situation in the belligerent country was tense, in addition, the "six" was a copy of the American D5 engine from Dodge.

GAZ-M-20. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / joost j. bakker

It is not known which consideration was more important here, but Stalin ordered the production of a car with an economical 50-horsepower engine of domestic design. A certain number of "sixes" were assembled by order of the MGB - the future KGB: this will become a characteristic feature of the Soviet automobile industry; powerful engines in the future will be available only to special services.

After the highest approval was received, in August 1945, the State Defense Committee issued a decree "On the restoration of the automotive industry", prescribing the start of production of "Pobeda" on June 28, 1946.

It is natural that the problems identified during the assembly of prototypes did not disappear at the beginning of serial production - rather, they were aggravated by the mass scale. The machines of the first years of production were worthless. Inaccurate dimensions of the body led to the fact that the glass broke on the go; water was flowing into the salon, it was shining from the cracks. The engine detonated and the clutch jerked. A weak engine and incorrectly selected gear ratios in the checkpoint did not allow the car to overcome steep climbs; in addition, it accelerated poorly and consumed an excessive amount of gasoline.

In addition to real shortcomings, "Pobeda" was also presented with absurd claims: for example, the military leaders were not satisfied with the low ceiling in the rear seats, which is why they had to take off their hats. Officials complained that it was impossible to wear hats.

In October 1948, Pobeda was discontinued by Stalin's personal order; Chief Designer Lipgart lost his post (but continued to work at the plant). We can say that it was from the year 48 that the real history of "Pobeda" began - a car that a few years later the authoritative British magazine Motor will describe as "an exceptional Russian car: strong, reliable and passable."

GAZ-M-20. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Gwafton

The shutdown of production made it possible to carry out an additional test cycle without fuss. The body was pasted over with tapes and checked by torsion: when the structure deflected, the tapes sagged or, conversely, stretched. As a result of improvements, the rigidity increased to 4600 Nm / deg. For comparison, the body rigidity of the VAZ-2115, produced from 1997 to 2012, is 5500 Nm / deg.

Changes were made to the gearbox, the rear springs were made of parabolic sheets, the carburetor was modernized, and a seal appeared on the doors. Of course, they did not forget about the military hats: the rear seats were "cut" by 5 centimeters in height.

In June 1949, the modernized car was brought to the Kremlin; This time the inspection went smoothly - after sitting in the back seat, Stalin remarked: "Now it's good!" Lipgart and new Director of the automobile plant G. Khlamov were even awarded the Stalin Prize of the second degree. In November 49, the first modernized Pobeda rolled off the assembly line. It is curious that all previously produced cars (according to various sources, from 600 to 1700 units) were recalled by the plant for free revision.

Participants of the rally "Victory - one for all" on rare GAZ M-20 in honor of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War at the historical memorial complex "To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" on the Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd. Photo: RIA Novosti / Kirill Braga

Despite the fact that the production age of "Victory" was not so long (it was removed from the assembly line in 1958 due to obsolescence), the car still managed to earn the title of truly national.

It was the first Soviet car intended for sale to private individuals, and since the shortage of personal transport in the USSR was not overcome, the cars changed owners indefinitely. The words from Alla Pugacheva's song "Dad bought a car" - "With a cracked headlight, with old doors, a century of past style ..." - refer exactly to "Victory". Simple and maintainable, they traveled to the roads of Russia until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the start of the automobile boom in the 90s.

It was not for nothing that the GAZ M20 passenger car was called "Victory" - it really was a victory in all respects. The Great Patriotic War was won, an opportunity arose to raise the country's industry to a high level. And the new car became a symbol of that era.

This is how one of the first models of the GAZ-20 Pobeda car looks like

The creation of a new car model proved that the industry of the Soviet Union has a huge potential and the country can produce products that are not inferior in their characteristics to those of well-known Western manufacturers. Considering that the production of GAZ M 20 began almost immediately after the end of the war, then for our fatherland such an event can be considered a great achievement.

The development of a new model of the GAZ passenger car began in the pre-war years. Then there were many design ideas - at the same time, a new project was conceived, the development of a 6-cylinder GAZ 11 engine was in full swing. But the designers began to design a middle-class passenger car in 1943.

The first modification of the Victory

It was at this time that the basic units and assemblies were determined, the shapes of the future body were designated. The model had its own characteristic differences from the previous brand:

Lower floor level compared to its predecessor;
Engine location above the front suspension beam;
The presence of a hydraulic drive in the brake system;
Improved independent front suspension;
Higher efficiency motor;
Streamlined body with "licked" wings;
Improved interior design.

Initially, the new model was considered in two versions depending on the engine, each of which was assigned its own index:

With a 6-cylinder engine - M-25;
With a 4-cylinder engine - M-20.

This is what the M-20 engine looks like in a cut.

Almost immediately after the end of the war, "Victory" underwent lengthy tests, and after their successful completion was submitted to the highest party government for consideration.

The project received approval, and it was decided to launch a more economical version, the M-20 brand, into mass production. In the future, this name was stuck with the car.

In the development stage of the car, the name "Homeland" was also considered. But Stalin did not approve of this option. When it came to selling a car, it turned out that they were selling their Motherland. The production of the GAZ Pobeda car began at the end of June 1946. Despite successful tests, many different design flaws and imperfections were revealed in the car. Therefore, over the next six months, only 23 cars rolled off the assembly line, and mass assembly at the Gorky Automobile Plant began only in the spring of 1947.

The interior of the car "Pobeda" GAZ 20

Already in February 1948, GAZ assembled 1000 units of the new model, and by the beginning of autumn another 700 Pobeda vehicles had appeared.

Design features of "Victory"

The prototype of the GAZ M 20 is to some extent the Opel Kapitan, at least a lot of design decisions are taken from this car. But our own design solutions made Pobeda unique:

The front and rear fenders practically merged with the body, which was an innovation in those days;
The hinges of all four doors were attached to the front of the pillars and the doors opened in the direction of the car;
There were no decorative footboards.

The chief designer of the GAZ Pobeda project was AA Lipgart. The design group included engineers: Krieger, Kirsanov and Kirillov. The first of the listed was the deputy chief designer, the second led the group. Kirsanov was engaged in the development of the body. The unique look of the car was created thanks to the artist Samoilov, but Samoilov never saw his project in the form of a real car - the artist died tragically in 1944. The very first sketches were created by the artist Brodsky in 1943.

For "Pobeda", the body and body elements for the first time became parts of their own, domestic production. Prior to that, other car brands received parts from foreign firms, in particular, they ordered production from American manufacturers.

Engine

Since the 6-cylinder GAZ 11 engine did not go into production, the main engine for the GAZ M20 was the 4-cylinder GAZ 20. The new power unit had the following differences from the GAZ 11 engine:

The compression ratio in the cylinders was only 5.6, but such a low figure made it possible to work on low-octane 66th gasoline. In the post-war years, there were problems with fuel in the country, and the use of such a brand of gasoline made it possible to somehow get out of the situation. But the engine thrust was weak, and the engine could hardly cope with its duties even in a passenger car.

Gearbox and rear axle

The gearbox had three forward speeds and a reverse gear. There were no synchronizers in it, the gearshift lever had a floor arrangement. This box was borrowed from the GAZ M1 model. In the early 50s of the last century codes, the gearbox lever was moved to the steering column, and the gearbox was taken from the ZIM car. It already provided for synchronizers in second and third gear.

The rear axle was not borrowed from other car models; it was designed specifically for the GAZ M 20 brand.

It looks like a gearbox for Victory gas 20

On the main gear there was a pair of spiral-conical type. The inconvenience of the design is that in order to dismantle the axle shafts, it was necessary to completely disassemble the main gear housing.

Features of the body and interior

In the post-war years, the bodywork was considered to be made at a high level, which was repeatedly noted by foreign experts in the automotive business. The body had a thick layer of metal (from 1 to 2 mm). The metal was thicker on the side members and in places where the body was reinforced. The body type was classified as a "convertible".

The salon had a modern layout for its time, it was attended by:

There were other useful little things, such as the lighting of the luggage compartment and the engine compartment, or the cigarette lighter in the salon console. In later versions of "Pobeda", the heating system provided for heating the windshield, and even later the car was equipped with a standard radio.

Separate seats, which are in modern cars, were not on "Pobeda". In total, two sofas were installed in the car: front and rear. At that time, velor was not used, the seats were trimmed with high-quality woolen fabric. The front seat was adjustable and could move forward and backward. In cars intended for taxis, sofas were covered with leatherette.

Front and rear suspension, braking system

The schematic diagram of the front suspension was later used on all Volga models. It was of the pivot type, independent, provided for the presence of threaded bushings. Some parts were borrowed from the Opel Kapitan model (shock absorbers, threaded bushings), but the pivot device had its own design. The hydraulic shock absorbers were of the lever type, that is, they simultaneously served as the upper suspension arms. The exact same design was present in the rear suspension, the rear axle was mounted on springs.

The GAZ M 20 brake system was considered the most advanced in the middle of the twentieth century, for the first time it became hydraulic for the entire time of the Soviet automotive industry.

But there was only one circuit in the system, there could be no question of any division. That is, if any of the 4 working cylinders began to leak, the brakes disappeared altogether. All Volga models with drum brakes did not have two working cylinders per wheel.

Diagram of the design of the drum brakes of Victory

On "Victory" on both suspensions there was one cylinder, each cylinder spread two pads at the same time.

Electrical part

The electrical equipment of "Victory" was also distinguished by its modernity, it used the most advanced technologies of the post-war years. Of the features of the electrical part, it can be noted:

The instrument cluster in the cabin had all the necessary set of sensors that informed the driver about the state of the car and the speed of movement:

Speedometer;
Fuel level sensor;
Oil pressure sensor;
Water temperature indicator;
Ammeter;
Watch.

The panel also had two direction indicator lamps. The dashboard itself was made of steel and painted to match the body color, plastic trims adorned it and gave it elegance.

4.5 / 5 ( 2 voices)

GAZ-M20 Pobeda is a serial passenger car produced by the Soviet state. The production was carried out by the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1946 to 1958. The model was one of the world's debut mass production cars, which had a 4-door pontoon-type body, and which did not have separate fenders, steps and headlights. It was produced in various modifications, which include an open body of the "convertible" type. The whole.

Car history

The passenger car was called Victory for a reason - because in fact it was a victory in all respects. The Soviet army was able to win the Great Patriotic War, opportunities began to appear for raising the country's industry to a high level. Therefore, the new model was able to become a symbol of those times.

The design of a brand new vehicle showed that there is great potential in the USSR industry, and it is capable of producing products that would not be inferior in their technical characteristics to popular foreign manufacturers.

Here we can add the fact that almost immediately, after the end of hostilities, the production of the GAZ-M20 was started, which is a considerable achievement. In the days of the Soviet Union, all the most important things were done according to the instructions of the party.

Therefore, as soon as the war came to an end, the design bureau in 1945 received a task from the government - to design a machine for civilian purposes. Many enterprises of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, together with the entire industry as a whole, focused on the production of military vehicles, and in the party leadership they were already looking into the future.

In the past difficult years, it was hard to imagine the scale of the work on the execution of orders. The task was to build a passenger car that would be affordable, reliable, which a well-to-do citizen of the Soviet Union could buy for himself.

As a result, the GAZ-M20 Pobeda was the vehicle of the creative intelligentsia, military officials and other honored persons of the USSR. The famous designer Andrey Aleksandrovich Lipgart was engaged in the design of the new vehicle. In his years, he completed an internship at the Detroit enterprise.

However, the car had nothing to do with his "American plan" experience. This was a completely unique car designed by Andrey Lipgart. Following the end of hostilities, a new automobile plant "GAZ" began to be built in Gorky.

The designer himself also took part in its construction, and then he was able to head his design bureau for the design of machines. The car he designed was actually unique. It was the first car with a "pontoon-type" body, which was produced in the USSR.

If you look at the model from the side of aerodynamic performance, then Andrei Aleksandrovich thought out the body so that even today he can earn high marks. The first convoy of several GAZ M 20 Pobeda cars from the Gorky Automobile Plant was sent to Moscow to view the state commission.

However, the very first acquaintance allowed the commission to reject the car. The party leadership and generals did not like the fact that a hat flew off the head of the military during boarding the car. In general, they considered the model still "damp", so they provided another year for improvement.

In one year, the plant was able to make a whole list of improvements. For example, the sofa installed in the back was lowered extremely low. Some improvements in the design plan could even be called advanced - after all, it was in the GAZ-M20 Pobeda that the presence of a stove appeared, which allowed customers to move around without thick clothes and warm shoes.

In addition, a radio receiver was installed on the model. Even judging by the body shape itself - it was a real breakthrough for those times. The body turned out to be streamlined, graceful and even a little feminine, which corresponded to the trends of automotive fashion.

Under the leadership of Andrey Alexandrovich Lipgart, they managed to design a truly amazing, original and modern car that stood out from the crowd.

From the very beginning, they wanted to give the car the name "Motherland", which, in theory, was suitable for the commission. However, Stalin asked: - And how much are we going to sell "Rodina"? This puzzled many, so they decided to choose the name "Victory", which symbolized the victory of Soviet soldiers over Nazi Germany.

In total, they were able to produce about 236,000 cars, and many of them were able to survive even to this day, due to the fact that Andrey Alexandrovich managed to make the structure, on the one hand, reliable and durable, and on the other, simple and maintainable.

The units, together with the Pobeda units, were perfectly synchronized with other spare parts of the cars, so it was not in vain that they said that in order to repair it, Russian ingenuity, "a hammer and chisel" and "a few hot words" were needed.

There were cases when the car turned over several times, then got on the wheels, and, as if nothing had happened, continued to drive. All this eloquently testified to the good body strength.

Over the years of its life, the GAZ-M20 changed its appearance several times, underwent, as it is customary to call today, "restyling", which corresponded to those trends in automotive fashion. Moreover, the car had various modifications.

So, in addition to the standard "sedan", there was a convertible version (which was an unheard of luxury for the inhabitants of the Soviet Union), which was intended for a comfortable stay. There were orders for cars based on the GAZ-M20 Pobeda, which were intended for villages, so the specialists of the Gorky Automobile Plant were even able to make an all-wheel drive version of the sedan.

GAZ-M20 with a retractable roof

This allowed the chairmen of large collective and state farms to travel around their own fields with dignity and without fear of getting stuck somewhere in the field. They even tried to design an ambulance from the model, but nothing came of it, since the body was too short. But the model received its popularity in the Moscow taxi.

Also, it will not be superfluous to say that it was on the GAZ-M20 Pobeda that the famous green light in the upper corner of the glass lit for the first time, which indicated that the taxi was free. A well-thought-out suspension allowed the GAZ-M20 Pobeda to have a smooth ride while driving, which other cars could not boast of.

Not every citizen could buy a Gorky car for himself, however, despite this, the first store for the implementation of Victories was located in Moscow, in the Baumanskaya area. To acquire it, they began to line up, despite the, to put it mildly, not very democratic cost.

All cars were in short supply, so they decided to make Pobeda, in a sense, a bargaining chip. Therefore, it could be issued for incentives and awards for famous people, which could include artists, professors, academicians and military pilots. Today the car has become a retro model that is quite affordable.

For quite a small amount there is an opportunity to buy a fairly good car with a decent technical condition. In addition, it has excellent maintainability, so a large number of parts from other machines are suitable for it. For example, the power unit will feel quite comfortable in Victory.

The very first exhibition of the Soviet Union, at which the country presented its own car, caused a general sensation. The grandson of the famous Henry Ford, from whom Lipgart studied, when he examined the car, he was able to frankly admit that in this case the student surpassed the teacher - for he really liked it.

After the GAZ-M20 was able to win the success of the international plan, they began to copy it, even England could not resist such a temptation. It began to be produced in Great Britain under the name "Longard Standard". It was very similar to Pobeda, and all its technical solutions were there.

After the model in the Soviet Union was withdrawn from serial production at the enterprise in Gorky, they decided to sell the rights to its production to Poland, which for 20 years did not stop producing this car under the Warsaw label.

But everyone understands that the years go by and the world system of the automotive industry began to take big steps towards improvements, so the GAZ-M20 very soon began to become outdated in moral terms. The inactivity of the Russian automotive industry did not allow this car to be further improved.

Serial production replaced Pobeda by, so GAZ-M20 went into a secondary plan. The design staff had promising developments, ideas, innovations, but all this was dissolved in the offices of politicians. Were it not for these obstacles, today we would have had a fundamentally new car industry, which would have had a higher level.

But, despite all this, all over the world, and in the Russian Federation, there are a large number of connoisseurs of such a legendary car. There are even specialized clubs in Germany, in Eastern Europe, where fans of a similar brand are gathered. The Russian Federation has GAZ-M20 amateur clubs, which often go on annual routes on April 12 and May 9.

Exterior

Until the mid-40s of the twentieth century, Victory was a revolutionary machine. The structure of the monocoque body, which was borrowed from the Opel Kapitan 1938, allowed the design staff of GAZ to fully rethink the exterior of the car and accept a whole list of innovations that were common in the West only after several years.

If we talk about the body of the GAZ-M20, then it can be attributed to a rare type of "fastback" today. It is an aerodynamic "two-volume" with a sloping roof, a tapered rear, a heavily sloped rear window and a dedicated luggage compartment with small capacity.

The Opel prototype had 4 doors, where the doors installed in front opened in the direction of the car's movement, and the rear doors opened against. The appearance of the Victory was pleasant in part due to the appearance of the waist line, the combination of the front and rear fenders with the body, the absence of decorative steps, an alligator-type hood, headlights integrated into the nose and other characteristic elements that were unusual in those years.

Interior

There was plenty of room inside the Soviet sedan and the car had good roominess. The driver sat and received the maximum (at that time) convenience and comfort. Maybe the sofa installed in front was influenced by the fashion of the Americans, which the designer witnessed with his own eyes, but there was an opportunity to stretch comfortably along the entire length in order to rest during the break, and maybe even stay overnight if necessary.

The steering wheel, today, is not very comfortable, rather thin and has a huge size - although all this used to be in line with the fashion of those times. It is also very interesting that the gearbox on Pobeda was installed in the same place as in the American models - there was a control lever, which was located under the steering wheel.

Even the workers of the Gorky Automobile Plant installed the presence of wipers and a pair of switches for them (depending on the strength of the rain). The front panel has more informative instruments, you can also observe the setting of the clock, which does not interfere with the general interior.

All gauges on the dashboard were arranged in a symmetrical order, which also, at least indirectly, indicates the fashion of that time. The interior was finished with plastic, which imitated wood stains, and the chairs were sheathed with leatherette, in rare cases, velor was used.

The gear lever was located under the steering wheel

If we talk about visibility, then it suffered a lot, but do not forget that in those years there were not so many cars, based on this, there was no need to install a rear visibility mirror. The doors of the vehicle have vents, and the glass could be raised and lowered manually, they were enclosed in tight frames in order to avoid rattling.

As mentioned above, the sedan was successfully used for a taxi, so the sofa installed in the back was quite spacious for passengers of any size. For those who like to smoke, there is a built-in ashtray in the back of the front sofa. To ensure good ventilation of the passenger compartment, the rear doors also received vents.

The luggage compartment of the GAZ-M20 Pobeda did not stand out for its spacious qualities, because the lion's share was allocated for a spare wheel and a toolbox. But nevertheless, it was still possible to put some suitcases in the trunk. Savvy drivers sometimes attached a luggage compartment on the roof to the body, on which they managed to carry garden tools and other things to the country.

Specifications

Power unit

From the very beginning, the power unit with a lower valve arrangement was supposed to be a 6-cylinder, but Andrei Aleksandrovich decided to take the initiative to create a four-cylinder sample.

Just such an engine was more economical and, most importantly, was "popular", having a factory index GAZ-20 (the letter "M" spoke of the commonly used name "Molotovets").

The motor was approved for serial production at the review of the highest party leadership in 1945. A little later, the 6-cylinder car, nevertheless, began to be produced in small series under the name M-20G / M-26, but there was a fundamentally different power unit. It was an engine from ZIM (), which produced 90 horsepower.

The main engine is the well-known four-cylinder 2.1-liter engine, which produces about 50 horses. The engine-predecessor, Emka, had the same power, but its power unit had 3.5 liters of volume and received a much modest fuel consumption.

GAZ-M20 consumes about 10-11 liters per hundred kilometers, but GAZ-M1 - already about 13 liters. The sedan gained the first hundred kilometers in a long 45 seconds, and the top speed reaches 105 kilometers per hour.

Transmission

The initial version of the GAZ-M20, which was serially produced from the 46th to the 48th years, had a three-stage non-synchronized mechanical gearbox from the GAZ-M1 machine, where there was a "easy engagement" clutch (instead of a synchronizer).

Already from the beginning of the 1950s, the GAZ-M20 had a 3-speed gearbox, where there were synchronized 2nd and 3rd gears, from the GAZ-12 ZIM car. A little later, this box was transferred to the 21st Volga. The gearshift lever was moved from the floor to the steering column.

Suspension

In front there was an independent suspension of a lever-spring type. At the back, everything was much simpler, there were springs. The shock absorbers were hydraulic double-acting. They allowed the car to run smoothly. The concept of the front suspension was later used on all Volga models.

She had a pivot type and threaded bushings. Some of the parts were borrowed from Opel, but the pivot device itself had its own design. The shock absorbers were hydraulic type and had a linkage method that allowed them to be, at the same time, the upper suspension arms.

Brake system

It was considered the most perfect in the middle of the twentieth century. After all, it was at Victory that it was hydraulic, previously this type of brake system was not used in the secular automotive industry. However, there was only one contour, there were no divisions. It turns out that if one of the 4 cylinders leaked, the brakes all disappeared.

All Volga models with drum brakes had a pair of working cylinders per wheel on the front suspension. Victory, on the other hand, had one cylinder on two suspensions, and each of them bred a pair of pads at the same time.

Specifications

Body	fastback (4-door sedan) and 4-door convertible
Number of doors	4
Number of seats	5
Length	4665 mm
Width	1695 mm
Height	1590/1640 mm
Wheelbase	2700 mm
Front track	1364 mm
Back track	1362 mm
Ground clearance	200 mm
Engine location	front longitudinally
engine's type	petrol
Engine capacity	2112 cm 3
Power	52/3600 l. With. at rpm
Torque	125 N * m at rpm
Valves per cylinder	2
Transmission	3-speed with 2nd and 3rd gear synchronizer
Front suspension	independent, lever-spring
Rear suspension	spring
Shock absorbers	hydraulic double-acting
Front / rear brakes	drum
Fuel consumption	13.5 l / 100 km
Maximum speed	105 km / h
type of drive	rear
Curb weight	1350 kg
Acceleration 0-100 km / h	45 sec

Modifications

Generally speaking, the Victory did not have so many modifications. Over the twenty-year period of production, it was only two times subject to upgrades, and all machines received a conditional division into 3 series:

GAZ M20. It was the standard series 1 and 2. The first (from 1946 to 1948) was produced in small quantities, but in the serial plan it had a lot of defects and defects. For some period, even, the production of the car was suspended, however, starting from the 49th year, the second production of the GAZ M20 started, which ended only in 1954;
GAZ М20В. The 3rd series of cars, which started in 1955 and was completed at the same time as the end of production of GAZ Pobeda in general. The car had a changed radiator grill and radio;
GAZ М20А. The vehicle was intended to work under a taxi. The car was produced since 1949 (from the 2nd series). The total number of cars produced is over 37,000 units;
GAZ M20 "Cabriolet". A car with an open top (there was no metal roof). Its production was launched from 1949 to 1953. A total of about 14,000 copies were produced.

Small batches of Victory were also produced for the security services. Designed a super convertible for military parades. Even sports modifications were, however, they were produced in a small edition.

Pros and cons

Advantages of the car

High-quality body;
Hydraulic brake system;
Low cost and ease of interchangeability of elements and parts;
Nice appearance;
High ground clearance (200 mm);
Spacious and comfortable interior;
The presence of soft sofas in front and behind;
Radio;
Soft suspension that allows the sedan to move smoothly;
Rich story;
Convenient steering gear shifting.