In the early 80s, the agricultural sector of the USSR demanded from industry a multifunctional all-wheel drive truck that could equally well transport agricultural products directly from the field to warehouses, as well as from the village to processing enterprises. Moreover, the terms of reference talked about the special suitability of the truck to work in tandem with agricultural machines - tractors, combines - directly in the field. That is, it was necessary technology car with off-road and asphalt capabilities. In 1982, NAMI engineers, together with specialists from the Kutaisi Automobile Plant, developed the KAZ-4540 dump truck, which was put into production two years later. The car was really new, original and - unconventionally for Soviet industry- had a very low percentage of unification with already produced serial equipment.
The alleged competitor of Colchis could be the British universal Bedford TM 4-4 of 1981, which was created for the armies of the NATO countries, but could do everything the same as our agricultural dump truck.
KAZ-4540
Outwardly, the cars are quite similar: the same flat “licked” cabins with a cabover layout, round headlights in the bumper, single tires with off-road tread and high ground clearance. Visually, due to the narrow cab with a smaller glass area, the foreign car seems taller, although our virtual competitors are almost the same in height. The carrying capacity of Colchis according to the passport was 6 tons. KAZ-4540 was mainly equipped with a dump body with three-way unloading, but in small batches at the factory, and after that, in artisanal conditions, various specialized equipment was installed on its chassis. Bedford TM most often served as a carrier of special installations or a evacuator of light armored vehicles and other trucks and was capable of carrying loads weighing 6.5–8 tons (depending on the version).
There is not much to say about the interior of the compared trucks. Both in our KAZ and in the "British" dashboard, steering wheel and door cards are made of "oak" plastic, round large appliances are simple and informative, the control of many functions is “delegated” to unified rectangular switches, and the two-seat cabs of both machines did not receive sleeping places - after all, they are designed for movement along local routes.
BedfordTM
The all-wheel drive KAZ-4540 was equipped with an eight-cylinder diesel engine production, the power of which was 160 hp. power unit was not located strictly under the cab, but with a slight offset towards the body. Paired with a diesel engine, an eight-speed manual gearbox, combined with a single-stage transfer case, worked. Interestingly, to simplify maintenance, the box is not rigidly connected to the engine, but through an intermediate cardan shaft. A specially designed gearbox allows the truck to move for a long time on arable land parallel to the combine with a minimum speed of 2 km / h. Of the off-road “gadgets”, the dump truck could boast of a cross-axle differential lock rear axle.
An 8.2-liter turbodiesel with 206 hp was hidden under the Bedford's cab. in combination with a six-speed manual transmission, a "razdatka" was placed behind the box. The suspensions of the machines are structurally the same - on four longitudinal springs. Due to poor off-road capability and low reliability of engines, NATO abandoned British vehicles by the end of the 80s.
KAZ-4540
GAZ-4301 - Renault Midliner S100
Since the 1960s, the creators have followed two paths to the creation of medium-duty delivery trucks - either the American one, with a bonnet layout, or the European one, with a cab above the engine. In the USSR, the bonnet layout was always preferred, and the new GAZ-4301 of 1984, which replaced the GAZ-53, became the same. In the same years in Europe Renault together with Saviem, Volvo, DAF, and Magirus-Deutz, having created the "Club of Four", they cooperated and by 1980-81 they had designed a single universal model, which in the "modern" version was called the Renault Midliner S100.
new truck from Gorky, designers designed in the same style with the more load-bearing ZIL-169: the GAZ-4301 is related to it by a square radiator grille, headlights in angular wings and a front end tapering towards the nose. The cabover Midliner also has an angular cabin, an unpainted plastic grille, but overall looks more modern, as it turned out to be similar to cabover cars from the 90s and early zero.
GAZ-4301
At first glance, the interiors of the compared cars look similar. They are related by cheap rough plastic, simple round instruments, a whole panel of lamp indicators, air vents and a roomy glove box. But a closer look shows that the foreign car offers more comfort to the driver. Its steering wheel is soft, and not made of hard plastic, the gearshift lever is located closer to the driver’s workplace, the seats have armrests, there is regular place for radio and audio preparation. For an additional fee, Renault could be purchased with an extended sleeper cab. GAZ-4301 with a seat for the driver's rest was not mass-produced.
The GAZon was equipped with a 6.2-liter GAZ-542 six-cylinder diesel engine with a capacity of 142 hp. air-cooled, which was a universal solution for a country with a large number of climatic zones. The motor was a licensed copy of the Deutz unit, and its resource before overhaul was calculated at the level of 300 thousand km. five-speed mechanical box transmissions were developed on their own. In order to seamlessly use the truck paired with agricultural machines at ultra-low speeds gear ratio first gear made big. The drive was traditionally on the rear axle.
Renault Midliner S
The base for the Renault Midliner was a 5.4-liter in-line diesel "six" water-cooled with a capacity of 150 hp. Together with her worked five-band manual transmission developed by ZF Friedrichshafen. The springs cope with the loads and bumps on the four wheels of both trucks. Despite their versatility, gases were more often used in countryside, and Renault worked more in cities between warehouses and enterprises.
MAZ-5432 - Mercedes-Benz NG 80
Trunk tractors with a high level of comfort for the driver until the early 80s in the Soviet Union were absent as a class. It was not in vain that the USSR purchased foreign-made tractors for flights to Western Europe. But in 1981 the situation changed: the release of truck tractor MAZ-5432. A year earlier, Mercedes-Benz updated the family of its New Generation long-range vehicles, which received the NG 80 index.
MAZ-5432
firstborn fourth generation tractors of the Minsk Automobile Plant received a radically new design - definitely at the level of foreign analogues. In general, these two machines are outwardly similar, but each has small characteristic features. So, MAZ stands out thanks to the high positioned along the edges of the cab parking lights and direction indicators. You can’t confuse a Mercedes with anything because of the wedge-shaped front panel of the cab, the shape of which is caused by efforts to improve the streamlining of the car. For the convenience of getting inside the cabin of both machines, they were equipped with wide steps and handles on the sides of the cabin. Weight Limit semi-trailer for MAZ was 21 tons, and Mercedes-Benz - 15.5-16 tons, depending on the version.
Mercedes-Benz NG80
The "German", of course, offered his crew even more various "chips", ranging from air conditioning and berths with fall protection in the form of nets to electric windows. Nevertheless, MAZ was also quite cool - oh his high level equipment and performance is evidenced by the fact that he became the first domestic car, which has passed homologation tests at a research center near the capital of France and was approved for use on all roads in Europe.
Mercedes-Benz NG80
The Minsk tractor was equipped with a modernized 12-cylinder YaMZ-238M2 diesel engine with a volume of 14.86 liters and a power of 280 hp. Designed for him eight-speed mechanical transmission, equipped with a demultiplier, made it possible to significantly reduce the appetite of the truck, so that a loaded car could travel about 1,000 km on one full tank. Several eight-cylinder diesel engines with power from 280 to 375 hp were installed on German cars. Max speed tractor from Minsk was equal to 85 km / h, while the "Mers" with the most modest engine could accelerate to 110 km / h. Both cars had power steering, pneumatic brakes with an amplifier, but in addition, a foreign car could be equipped for a surcharge anti-lock braking system brakes. MAZs were equipped with leaf spring suspension of all wheels, and on the Mercedes-Benz NG 80 it could be different: cheap versions were also equipped with good old springs, but on rich trim levels pneumatic cylinders were installed on all wheels.
MAZ-5432
Epilogue
Concluding a series of materials on comparing domestic and foreign cars from the 80s, it should be noted that most of them have lived a successful conveyor life, and some designs, after deep modernization, are produced to this day. But for a number of Soviet automobile plants, it was this successful decade that became the swan song. After that, due to political upheavals, our auto industry began a steep downward spiral, and only the strongest came out of it.
January 29, 1932 on Gorky Automobile Plant rolled off the assembly line the first truck GAZ-AA, the legendary "one and a half". He became one of the first legendary Soviet trucks that our country can be proud of. Many of these cars are still driving on the streets of Russia.
The first ten copies of the AMO-F-15 took part in a demonstration on Red Square, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Revolution. And three of them a few days later were sent to a test rally on Russian off-road. Trucks during this long race showed themselves from the best side, so the plant began their mass production. In total, in the period from 1924 to 1931, 6285 copies of the AMO rolled off the assembly line.
GAZ-AA - the legendary "one and a half"
This car got its nickname "lorry" (and also "polundra") due to the load capacity of 1.5 tons, for which this truck was designed. Initially, GAZ-AA was created on the basis of the Ford Model AA car, but then it was modernized several times, eventually becoming an independent vehicle.
GAZ-AA was produced from 1932 to 1950, eventually becoming one of the most massive trucks in the history of the USSR (985 thousand copies). finest hour"one and a half" fell on the times of the Second World War - this unpretentious, simple, but reliable truck became the main "horse" of the Red Army. Including, and during the breakthrough of the Siege of Leningrad, when relatively light "gaziki" in large quantities carried food to the besieged city on the ice of Lake Ladoga.
ZiS-5 - three-ton
Another legendary participant in the Great Patriotic War was the ZiS-5 truck (aka "three-ton", aka "Zakhar", aka "Zakhar Ivanovich").
Serial production of the ZiS-5 began in 1933. In fact, this truck became the heir to AMO-3. It was assembled entirely from domestic components, and during the war its design was simplified as much as possible - in harsh years, quantity was more important than quality. By the way, the legendary Katyusha was also created on the basis of this truck, albeit a slightly modernized one (officially called the ZiS-6).
GAZ-51 - a truck for virgin soil
The first copy of the GAZ-51 truck was created and shown to the public back in 1940, but the war prevented its mass production. So serial production began only in 1946, when the country needed equipment for post-war reconstruction.
Having become the most massive truck in the country in the fifties, the GAZ-51 was actively used in the development of virgin lands - untouched fertile steppes in the north of Kazakhstan. For the participants of this "great campaign", he became one of the symbols new era, the growth of the economic power of the USSR in those years.
Good design and enough low price turned the GAZ-51 into an export product that the Soviet Union supplied abroad. Moreover, not only to the countries of the Eastern bloc, but also to the capitalist states.
ZiS-150 - a successful "clone" of the American truck
Outwardly, the domestic truck ZiS-150 is very similar to the American International Harvester K-7, but it cannot be considered a “clone”. In fact, this car had only an American cabin - during the war, Soviet representatives were able to agree with the United States on the supply of body stamping presses. The technical basis of the novelty is local development and production.
At first, the body of the ZiS-150 was made partially of wood - the country devastated by the war did not have enough metal. However, over time, this shortcoming was corrected. The truck was produced between 1947 and 1957. A total of 771,883 units of this car were produced.
ZIL-130 - universal truck
ZIL-130 is probably the most versatile truck domestic production. On the basis of this machine, over its half-century history, not only trucks, but also dump trucks, tractors, fire trucks and snowplows, garbage trucks, etc. were created. The secret of this versatility is a successful design that allows you to change the purpose vehicle without changing it technical part, relatively small cost production and reliability, allowing the truck to operate for decades.
Trucks are still produced on the ZIL-130 chassis. True, now they are called AMUR. However, hundreds of thousands of Soviet-made ZILs still drive on the roads of Russia and other countries. In total, more than three million copies of this truck were produced.
GAZ-66 - cargo SUV
GAZ-66 was created to drive through the most extreme conditions, where no other vehicle can pass. Four driven wheels allow the car to drive over dirt, rough terrain, rocks, rocks and other nasty surfaces. This is the reason why the GAZ-66 has become almost the main army truck.
What's the Soviet and Russian army! Even Jean-Claude Van Damme's character in the action movie The Expendables 2 drove a GAZ-66! Isn't that a real worldwide recognition?
Ural-375 - six-axle SUV
Ural-375 is another four-wheel drive truck that was massively used not only for civilian, but also for military needs. Three driving axles and huge wheels, as well as large load capacity allowed to carry it on the most bad roads and in the absence of these, not only people and goods, but even systems salvo fire"Grad". However, significant technical shortcomings, for example, unreliable, but costly Gas engine, as well as problems in the brake system, led to the fact that the Ministry of Defense already in 1982 began to replace this truck with the Ural-4320.
In the civilian sector, the Ural-375 truck, produced until 1992, is still used in the oil and geological exploration industries.
KrAZ-255 - Ukrainian hero
KrAZ-255 is a true legend of the Ukrainian and Soviet automotive industry. During its existence (since 1967), it received from the people, probably, more nicknames than any other domestic machine, for example, “lappet”, “bast shoe” and even “moon rover”. There are legends about the traction power and ubiquitous cross-country ability of this truck. It is believed that this car can pull seven wagons loaded with coal straight along the sleepers.
More interesting fact- some KrAZ-255 models can be refueled not only with gasoline, but also with kerosene. Partly because of this, it was used as a tractor on airfields. However, being a driver on this truck is a real torment (which is only the lack of power steering!). No wonder another of his nicknames is "cannibal".
In principle, the KamAZ brand itself can be called the “main Soviet truck” as such! After all, since the mid-seventies, it was these vehicles that took over a significant part of civilian cargo transportation in the country. And the first model produced by the plant in Naberezhnye Chelny in 1976 was the KamAZ-5320.
KamAZ-5320 did not have a berth in the cab, which later became a signature element of this brand, but it was reliable and powerful truck. In subsequent models, such a constructive addition appeared, which turned the truck not just into a car, but into a real motor home.
After the end of World War II, Germany was divided into four zones of occupation. In the territories occupied by the allies of the USSR, which eventually turned into the Federal Republic of Germany (Federal Republic of Germany), they began to build a liberal market economy. In the Soviet zone of occupation, later called the GDR (German Democratic Republic), naturally, preference was given to planned centralized management ...
The Soviet Germans got quite a lot of enterprises, both large and small. Some were badly damaged by fighting and bombing, others less so. But many components and assemblies were supplied to their conveyors by specialized manufacturers, such as, for example, the giants Bosch and ZF, which ended up on the other side of the Iron Curtain. And now everything had to be released on their own.
Of course, all enterprises were promptly nationalized by 1947. From automobiles, Industrie Fahrzeuge Automobile was formed - the Association for the Production of Automobiles (abbreviated as IFA), subordinate to a single leadership. Now in the name of each of the plants that were part of the IFA, three additional letters appeared - VEB (abbreviation Volkseigener Betrieb - "People's Enterprise"). Quite quickly, both slightly modified pre-war models and new items began to roll off the assembly lines. Among which, of course, there were cars - all-terrain vehicles, which at first went into service with the People's Police and an analogue internal troops GDR, and then from 1956 and the National people's army(NVA).
IFA P1 EMW 325/3. The first post-war SUV of the GDR, created on the basis of nodes and
units of the passenger car EMW 340 (developed at the former BMW plant).
A total of 161 copies were produced in 1952.
ON THE LETTER "P"
If you do not consider various prototypes and simplified versions of the army car models(kubelwagens), then the first passenger SUV GDR became P1 (aka EMW 325/3), whose small-scale production was established on the former BMW factories in 1952. Under the hood was an in-line six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2.0 liters and a power of 55 hp. With.
The next model, P2M was already created by engineers former factory Horch, but produced by Barkas from 1953 to 1956. The all-terrain vehicle was equipped with a 2.4-liter in-line "six" with a capacity of 65 hp. With. and accelerated to 95 km / h. Due to the torsion bar independent suspension on trailing arms it had a solid ground clearance of 300 mm. On the basis of this all-terrain vehicle, P2S amphibians were built.
The last East German passenger SUV was the P3 (1961-1966), produced first by VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau (former Horch) and then by VEB Industriewerke Ludwigsfelde (former Daimler-Benz subsidiary). The car was with the same engine as its predecessor, but boosted to 75 hp. with., with a different suspension - a completely independent torsion bar, in front on triangular wishbones and with a clearance that has grown by another 30 mm.
IFA P3.
The most massive and most perfect of the East German
SUVs. (1961-1966)
STRONG AS OAK
In 1949, the nationalized firm Phänomen resumed production of the Granit 1500, renaming it "27". Under the hood was a 2.7-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 50 hp. With. A feature of this air-cooled engine is four cylinders arranged in a row. It is curious that the engineers of the plant did not recognize other designs until the closure of the enterprise in 1991.
In 1951, an all-wheel drive modification appeared. Moreover, some of the Granit received an open passenger body. In 1953, it was replaced by the Garant 30 model, which was offered with two three-liter engines: a diesel engine with a capacity of 52 liters. With. and petrol in 55 l. With. (both at 2600 rpm).
In 1957 Phänomen was renamed VEB Robur-Werken Zittau. Translated from the German Robur - "oak". This, apparently, was supposed to hint at the strength and reliability of the car. For some time, a modernized Granit was produced under the new brand, until in 1961 Robur of the LD / LO series appeared with a payload capacity of 2-2.6 tons with a non-folding cab above the engine. Like its predecessor, the cabover Robur was produced in two versions. The first - with a diesel engine with a working volume of 4 liters and a power of 68 liters. With. at 2600 rpm. Second - with gasoline engine(3345 cm3, 75 hp). Speed - 75-80 km / h. After the reunification of Germany, the car received a Deutz diesel engine with a capacity of 73 liters. with., of course, air cooling. But she was released for a short time.
Robur means "oak".
This model was produced without any changes in appearance for exactly 30 years.
FAMILIAR STRANGER
Because light truck models as well as cars associations acquired their own names during the 50s, the abbreviation IFA became strongly associated with medium trucks and received trademark status. At the same time, there were many rear-wheel drive models. But there are only three all-wheel drive.
The first was the IFA G5 (1954-1964), adopted by the NVA. The three-axle "five" was distinguished by a six-cylinder diesel engine with a volume of 9 liters and a power of 120 hp. With. and could accelerate to 60 km / h. The carrying capacity corresponded to the number in the title. The truck was produced by the Ernst Grube enterprise in the city of Werdau in two versions: with a folding windshield and canvas awning and with a closed cab.
Then, in 1965, the G5 was replaced by the IFA W50L, familiar to many from Soviet childhood, with a carrying capacity of 5 tons. The letter W in the name meant the place of development - Werdau (the plant itself was later redesigned for the production of trailers). And the letter L is the place where the car was produced, the city of Ludwigsfelde (Ludwigsfelde). For the sake of the new truck, even the P3 SUV had to be discontinued.
In 1957 Phänomen ("Phenomenon") was renamed VEB Robur-Werken Zittau
The new IFA W50L quickly acquired all-wheel drive versions: W50LA and W50LA / A (allrad - " four-wheel drive", armee - "army"). The design of the car was both conservative and modern. A conservative element is a non-folding cab with a late 50s design. And the modern one was running with a pneumohydraulic dual-circuit brake system, a pneumatic drive of the parking brake and a rear differential lock. At the same time, the axle shafts were taken out of the rear axle beam and transmitted torque through the wheel gears. "Army men" were additionally equipped with a central tire inflation system.
Eternal IFA. Models L60 (top) and W50LA (bottom) were produced from 1965 to 1991
Initially, IFA received a four-cylinder vortex-chamber diesel engine with a working volume of 6560 cm3 and a power of 110 hp. With. In 1967, it was replaced by a more advanced direct injection engine with the same displacement. Power has grown to 125 liters. With. at 2300 rpm. The speed at the same time ranged from 70 to 90 km / h, depending on the transmission. With subsequent upgrades, the engine acquired an engine brake with a pneumatic drive and a system for shutting off half of the cylinders at low speeds. Gearbox - five-speed. All-wheel drive versions were equipped with power steering.
The car was actively exported, and the lion's share went to the USSR. However, all-terrain trucks with a plug-in front axle were almost never supplied to the Soviet Union. At the same time, the IFA W50 LA and LA / A, for example, were actively used by the Iraqi army in the first Gulf War in 1990. Most of these cars burned down in the desert...
nosy.
The G5 off-road truck was first adopted by the NVA
In 1971, a prototype was built with a 6 × 6 wheel arrangement and a 180-horsepower six-cylinder diesel engine. But he never got into the series. And the base model lasted without much change until 1987, when it was replaced by the IFA L60.
The Sixty was distinguished by a new six-cylinder diesel engine (9160 cm3, 180 hp), a four-speed gearbox with a divider, permanent all-wheel drive with a central differential lock and an updated cab, which now leaned forward. In 1991, the car was discontinued as obsolete. Instead, a new old owner Daimler-Benz enterprises - launched the production of light trucks.
Multicar mini-trucks managed to serve both in NVA (model M25),
and in the Bundeswehr (Mungo). He even fought in Afghanistan
Bigger and more powerful.
Multicar M26, produced in the 90s of the last century, featured a new
front design, larger wheels and IVECO engine
DIESEL ANT
The only car factory that benefited from German reunification was VEB Waltershausen, better known as Multicar. He started in 1951 with a simple self-propelled truck DK3 Dieselameise (literally - "diesel ant"). Then, in 1958, the bogie grew into a humble DK4 microtruck, which received its own name - Multicar. In the form in which it was remembered by Soviet citizens, Multicar began to be produced only in 1974. And the M25 model was supplied to the USSR (1978-1992). She, despite her miniature size (length 3.7 meters), could transfer 2 tons and was optionally equipped with all-wheel drive. A small diesel engine (1997 cm3, 45 hp. Speed - 50 km / h) was hiding under the reclining cab.
The Multicar 25 was something like a miniature Unimog. It was used by public utilities with pleasure, because due to its small size and excellent maneuverability, the 25th could drive almost everywhere. There were no analogues in Germany, so production was continued. In 1993, a modernized M26 appeared with a 90 hp Iveco diesel engine. s., then it was time for the M27 model and the heavier Fumo and Tremo. And for the Bundeswehr in 2005 they even released an armored Mungo.
The car was designed by the small Wisconsin company Thomas B. Jeffery Company, founded by Thomas Jeffery in 1902. This was Jeffery's second factory, having founded the Rambler brand five years earlier. True, Thomas himself died in 1910, and at the time of the creation of the Quad model, his son Charles led the company.
Charles began the development of an all-wheel drive truck in 1912 and produced the first small batch in 1913. The machine did not promise to be revolutionary, although it had at least one innovation that had not previously been used in automotive industry — rear wheels they turned when the steering wheel moved, that is, not only the drive, but also the control went to all four wheels. But then World War I broke out. Although the US entered it relatively late, Charles saw a gold mine from the early days of fighting in Europe. 
Thousands of Jeffery Quads were delivered to France - they became one of the most common trucks of World War I. First of all, this was due to the fact that the Quad turned out to be exceptionally passable with a high carrying capacity, it could take on board 1.8 tons of cargo. Seeing the success of the truck in Europe, Quad began to order and American armed forces- in particular, the Corps marines United States, and later personally by General John Pershing for a number of units. On the wave of success based on the truck, the company developed a very successful armored car. The first example, Jeffery Armored Car No.1, was personally driven by Pershing on the 1916 Mexican Expedition against Pancho Villa. 
But chance intervened. On May 7, 1915, the German submarine U-20 successfully torpedoed the British passenger liner Lusitania. One of the passengers was Charles Jeffery. He survived, escaping on one of the boats, but received severe psychological trauma and practically retired from the company. In late 1916, Jeffery decided that he would never have anything to do with the war - and sold the prosperous firm to another automobile magnate - Charles Nash, who had just left GM and organized own business. The famous model has been renamed the Nash Quad. 
Quad was produced almost unchanged until 1928 and was released in the amount of 41674 copies. All this time, a 29-horsepower Buda Engine Co engine was installed on it. with a volume of 4.87 liters. The car was the first ever production model with four steerable wheels and one of the most successful - with four leading ones. 
GAZ-63 is a Soviet 4x4 truck, whose history began in 1938. During all this time serial production more than 450 thousand copies were produced. The main feature in the late 30s of the twentieth century was the carrying capacity of the machine, which was 2 thousand kilograms.
History of creation
Car design began in 1938. The engineers assembled the first prototype a year later, after which they immediately sent it to numerous tests. There was no time to create a unique design. The specialists were faced with the task of creating a car capable of going through off-road to any corner of the country. The cab was taken from other GAZ cars, undercarriage developed from scratch. In the company's lineup, it became the first vehicle with all-wheel drive and single-tire tires.
Together with the 63rd model, a civilian truck was being developed, which received the index "51". It was based on the military version, technical knots unified by 80%. This reduced the cost, dropped the loading of production lines, since civilian and military trucks were assembled on the same conveyor.
Some technical units were unique, they became an innovative breakthrough of their time. The motor was placed above the front axle. Thanks to this, the dimensions of the car were reduced and the carrying capacity was increased. The basis braking system put hydraulic drive.
Both versions successfully passed all tests. The management of the plant recommended the management to launch mass production soon. This was prevented by the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. The implementation of the project began in 1943, which became a turning point in the war.
The problem was the scientific progress that happened in 4 years. By this time, Soviet manufacturers got acquainted with American transport, which was assembled at the Gorky car factory. Engineers took some technical nodes from American products, and some improved from existing models.
Design features
Cabin design solutions were taken from foreign analogues. The hood became shorter, the wings received an L-shaped formula, the headlights were protected from damage by a grille. At first glance, it was difficult to distinguish where the Soviet development was and where the American one was. final version also received design changes. The basis was the GAZ-51 cabin - they built it into the wings lighting, their shape became more rounded. Despite this, common features remained in appearance.
The first assembled transport GAZ-63 received cabins made of wood. In those years, the Union experienced a shortage of sheet metal. In 1950, the cabin became wood-metal (the doors were made of wood). It became all-metal in 1956, when the country's economy began to choose from the post-war crisis. The interior arrangement of the cabin corresponded to military purposes: few free space, the driver's seat is hard, the heating system appeared 4 years after the start of mass production.
The body was intended for the transportation of various cargoes and soldiers. The boats were fitted with high wooden sides. Folding wooden benches were used for landing. The package included an awning, which was mounted on a frame consisting of four metal arcs. Maximum lifting capacity on paved roads - 2 tons, when driving off-road, it decreased to one and a half tons. Versatility was added by the ability to transport trailers, the mass of which did not exceed 2 tons.
Specifications GAZ-63
Carburetor power point equipped with six cylinders. Fluid system cooling coped with the tasks assigned to it. The GAZ-63 engine is a mixture of GAZ-11 and Dodge D5. It developed up to 70 horsepower, which was an acceptable indicator in those days. The maximum speed is 65 kilometers per hour, and the power reserve is 650 kilometers.
Maximum filling - 195 liters. Such a volume contained the main and additional tanks. A-66 gasoline was used for refueling. Average consumption per 100 kilometers is 25-30 liters. A few years after the start of production, independent designers assembled a diesel unit for the car.
The GAZ-63 manual gearbox had 4 speeds, the GAZ-63 transfer case had two speeds and a demultiplier. The clutch is made according to the dry type, has one disc. At the core front axle formed ball joints of equal angular velocities. Both axles were sprung with semi-elliptical leaf springs.
The characteristics of the GAZ-63 made it possible to use the chassis to create transport special purpose. The manufacturer installed military and civilian equipment for various purposes. The mobile workshop and fire engine. The bulk of the issued copies went under government orders for military needs. Thermal and sound insulation were made at a high level, communication equipment worked without interruption.
General specifications:
- Total length - 5.525 meters;
- Total width - 2.2 meters;
- The total height of the cabin - 2.25 meters;
- Ground clearance - 27 centimeters;
- Weight - 3.2 tons;
- The weight of the loaded machine is 5.35 tons;
- The maximum speed is 65 km/h.
The release ended in 1968. More than 450 thousand copies were produced, which went to the needs of not only Russia, but also countries Soviet Union. Exports to Asia, Africa and the Middle East were also established. Some GAZ-63s are in operation today. Sometimes you can find offers in the secondary market. Cars are offered in different quality. Is in good. These are the specimens that have stood in conservation for many years. The average price ranges from 20 to 150 thousand rubles.
Scope of application
An experimental batch for passing the final tests was created in 1945, after which it received approval from I.V. Stalin and the entire leadership of the party. Mass production was established in 1948, two years after the civilian model. The machine received high marks and good feedback from thousands of consumers across the country.
GAZ-63 is able to overcome various obstacles. Off-road, ditches, water obstacles no more than 80 centimeters deep, loose snow and many others. Wide application received for the delivery of goods, equipment and people to remote and hard-to-reach regions of the Union.
Military vehicles were in demand among the civilian population. The application was not as wide as in the army. Most often, small series were purchased for maintenance Agriculture. Transport was overloaded, so it quickly fell into disrepair and required frequent repairs. Four-wheel drive was considered an indisputable advantage for the countryside, but many were not satisfied with the single slope. According to customer reviews, the plant has developed modifications with dual tires for the rear axle wheels.
The car showed poor stability on the road. This was reflected in the narrow potassium of the wheels and the high ground clearance. Infrequently, a structural omission caused the car to overturn. Special care when entering a turn was required from the drivers who drove special vehicles. The problem of self-pulling was solved in the model with the “A” index, which was equipped with a winch.
Modifications
Based on the standard version, many models have been developed.
The most popular was considered a truck with the index "A". He got a winch. The designers placed it behind the front buffer, located in front of the frame. The winch worked at the expense cardan shaft from power take-off. The length of the cable is 65 meters, its carrying capacity was 4.5 thousand kilograms. A towing device appeared on the rear frame. The cabin and body structures have not been changed.
Other models
In addition to GAZ-63A, there are other versions:
- "E" - received shielded electrical equipment;
- "AE" - combined the innovations of the two previous modifications;
- "U" - the version was developed for export to other countries;
- "AU" - export model with a winch;
- "EU" - a model for delivery to other countries with shielded electrical equipment;
- "U" - a car for operation in a tropical climate;
- "EY" - similar previous model machine with shielded electrical equipment;
- "P" - a seat tractor with dual tires.
There are several more less common options, which are fire trucks, tank trucks, etc.
What can be done?
GAZ-63 - legendary car with a rich history. It brought a lot of benefits not only to our country, but also to foreign ones, to which it was exported. High quality The car is confirmed by the fact that some copies are operated in our time, practically 50 years after the completion of production.
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