4.3 / 5 ( 3 voices)

Who doesn't know the Volga? Everyone knows the Volga! The middle-class car belongs to the Gorky Automobile Plant and is a successful modernization of the Volga line of representative cars, popular in the USSR. Produced from 1997 to 2004, it replaced the GAZ-31029 car. Having expanded the production of new components to its fullest, in 1996 the management began to think about creating a new Volga.

Wedge-shaped cars were popular in the 80s, but are now obsolete. A very ambitious task was set - to direct the market of domestic middle-class cars in the right direction. It was decided to develop a new interior and body for the car in accordance with fashion trends of the 90s. The result of all this was the GAZ-3110 car. The entire GAZ model range.

Appearance

At one time, the designers did not make a single mistake with the car body. There is nothing to criticize him for and it is difficult to praise him. Time could not influence the Volga - only the shape of the lighting equipment and bumpers, the configuration of the hood and wings changed from year to year. Probably because the core and skeleton of the GAZ-24 were created back in the 60s. They essentially tied the hands of the engineers of the Gorky plant.

One “but” - the body is not even initially immune to rust and is covered with it already in the first years of use. So if you are planning to buy a GAZ-3110, we recommend that you start exploring the roads... with a trip to a service station, where your car will receive anti-corrosion treatment. The Volga-3110 was produced not only as a sedan, but also as a station wagon.

The first option had nice taillights, while the station wagon was no different from the GAZ-24. When model 31105 appeared, the Gorky Automobile Plant stopped producing station wagons. If you turn your attention to the side of the Volga 3110, it is almost indistinguishable from the model 31029.

Here you can see all the same doors, almost unchanged wings installed in front. The changes did not affect the front optics. The exterior of the hood of the 3110, of course, received slightly different contours, but still, without any improvements, the body element was installed on the “29th”. But already the “tenth” model received a fundamentally different rear body part.

Here you can already find a different luggage compartment lid, taillights, rear bumper and a more rounded roof. They decided to leave the headlights installed in front the same, but the rear ones received a completely different wording.

The new Volga 3110 already had 15-inch wheels, while the 31029 had 14-inch wheels. Starting in 2000, instead of black thermoplastic bumpers, the company began to produce voluminous bumpers that were painted in the color of the sedan.

Interior

Firstly, it was the Volga that became the first Russian passenger car to begin installing a hydraulic booster. Secondly, it is worth noting the very extensive pedal assembly. When you ride in winter shoes, and even with wide soles, be sure to remember this article. Well, if you read the reviews of GAZ-3110 owners, you will find out that the Stary Oskol gas pump is incredibly loud. This is, of course, a minus.

Now about the positives. The rear seat is so wide that even four passengers can comfortably fit on it. The trunk has a low loading height, which makes loading heavy loads into the GAZ-3110 much easier.

Of course, the designers tried to modernize the archaic control keys, the same gearbox and the uninformative steering wheel. Some things turned out well, some not so well - let each driver draw his own conclusions.

It got a little better inside too. The dashboard has changed and began to look more modern and better quality. The panel was made of plastic, which could be painted gray or black - no other color variations were provided at the factory. The steering wheel was changed and became more compact.

Between the seats installed in front, they began to install an armrest, where there was a mini-bar for the safety of various small things. Also, the design team was able to make the interior lighting more “fashionable.” Fluorescent lamps began to be installed inside it.

Specifications

And here there are changes - the cat cried. Sitting behind the wheel of the GAZ-3110, you understand that the car was developed for “very strong Russian men,” whose severity reaches the 80th level. Let’s not hide the obvious: the car consumes fuel rather than childishly, requires frequent maintenance, which is quite expensive, the suspension and ride are downright “steamboat”, unsatisfactory sound insulation, etc. The GAZ 3110 can be modified with a very good 2.3-liter ZMZ engine with 150 hp The standard modification involves the use of a 2.5-liter carburetor engine with a power of only 70 hp. Diesel Volgas are quite rare.

Photo of the Volga - 3110 engine

Occasionally, under the massive hood of the GAZ-3110 you can find a 2.1-liter diesel engine with a capacity of 95 horses. In conclusion, we add that the GAZ-3110 was equipped with a 5-speed manual. In 2003, the gearbox was improved, and changing gears became much easier. Before this, the transition from 4th to 2nd resembled an episode from a horror film.

Power unit

The Gorky plant produced 3 types of power units for the model 3110 as standard:

1. ZMZ-402 with a carburetor system (or derated ZMZ 4021);
2. ZMZ-406 with injection fuel supply system;
3. GAZ-560 with diesel fuel (model with turbocharged engine GAZ 5601).

Almost no cars were assembled with the GAZ 560 diesel engine under the Steyer license (no more than 200 cars per year). Initially, the production of cars with the ZMZ-402 unit, already well-tested by time and mileage, was mainly carried out. Consumers looked at the brand new 406 with distrust, and cars that were equipped with it were usually purchased reluctantly. Over time, power units with an injection system replaced the already outdated carburetor internal combustion engines. By 2003, ZMZ 4062.10 (full model name) became an exceptional engine that was installed in the Gorky 3110 car.

Engine ZMZ-402

ZMZ 402 was actually a modernization of the ZMZ-24 power unit. In the constructive area, it was the same as its previous model. But by the end of the 1990s, the engine had already become obsolete, even morally, and had its own shortcomings - low efficiency and weak dynamics.

Vehicles on which the 402nd internal combustion engine was installed consumed large amounts of fuel, which mainly manifested itself at high loads and high speeds. Disadvantages often appeared with oil consumption - it simply flowed from the rear main oil seal, and waste appeared through the piston rings.

“Synthetics” or “semi-synthetics” were not used for the crankcase of the power unit, because its consumption was only increasing at that time, and besides, this oil was more valuable than mineral oil. Due to poor quality oil, carbon deposits appeared on many engine parts. However, ZMZ 402 also had its advantages. For example, it was easy to repair, spare parts were low cost. It was also distinguished by the availability of spare parts, which could be purchased at almost every automobile store.

Engine GAZ-3110

When the 402nd replaced the ZMZ 406th, many were frightened by its complexity, but it also had its advantages. The engine turned out to be quite powerful and had good dynamics. In addition, it consumed almost no oil and was more economical than gasoline. But, as they say, there was a fly in the ointment. The engine overheated greatly due to the poor quality cooling system. Often it was because of this that the cylinder head stopped working well, and the price tag for this element is not cheap. Spare parts for the ZMZ 406 could not be called high quality, sometimes there could even be defective parts, and the resource of certain elements was limited. Drivers complain about frequent knocking of hydraulic compensators, rapid wear of shoes and dampers of the gas distribution mechanism, as well as chain pulling. The disadvantages include the generator, which could only last 25,000 - 40,000 kilometers.

Specifications

Brand and modification	Engine capacity	Power	Transmission	Various up to 100 km/h, pp.	Maximum speed km/h
GAZ 3110 2.0	1996 cm3	136 hp	mechanics 5st.	11.0	180
GAZ 3110 2.1	2134 cm3	110 hp	mechanics 5st.	14.0	170
GAZ 3110 2.3	2286 cm3	150 hp	mechanics 5st.	13.5	175
GAZ 3110 2.4	2445 cm3	100 hp	mechanics 5st.	19.0	147
GAZ 3110T 2.4	2445 cm3	100 hp	mechanics 5st.	19.0	147
GAZ 3110 2.5 i	2445 cm3	150 hp	mechanics 5st.	13.5	173

Transmission

On the Volga 3110, four and five-speed manual gearboxes were installed, moreover, both were also introduced on the GAZ 31029. They were distinguished only by the fact that the 3110 gearbox itself contained a gear speedometer drive with a different gear ratio.

A 4-speed gearbox was only used in cars with a 402 engine, and a five-speed gearbox was more often found in cars with a ZMZ 406 engine. In the 2000s, a 4-speed manual gearbox was no longer installed on cars, and it could only be purchased for spare parts .

The year 2005 made it possible to switch to the 31105 car with a 5-speed manual transmission, in which they began to introduce improved synchronizers, brass shift bushings and a 5th speed with an increased gear ratio. Such introductions of new technologies have made it possible to change gears more smoothly and move at an increased top speed.

Features of the five-speed gearbox 3110

Like any type of box, the 3110 had its inherent disadvantages and advantages. If not on all, then on almost every five-speed gearbox, 1st and 2nd gears were a little difficult to engage. You can get used to this over time, but you should pay attention to one nuance.

In winter, if there is oil for summer in the box, it will be very difficult to switch on the gears, especially if you have not yet warmed up the engine. Sometimes this can lead to failure of the gearshift lever. To prevent this from happening, in winter it is necessary to pour into the box synthetic oil for winter time and, naturally, of good quality.

Clutch

On the power units ZMZ 402 and ZMZ 406, the clutch installed is not the same, and it will not be possible to change one for the other, although it is worth recognizing that the clutch disc from the 402 is suitable for the 406. Initially, the ZMZ 406 was produced with a disc from the ZMZ-402 engine, but it is slightly smaller in diameter of the linings.

Its mileage often did not exceed 30,000 km, and based on this, the manufacturer produced a brand new disc especially for the 406, which was now reinforced. He was able to bear heavy loads.

Now it was not a claw clutch basket that was installed, but a petal one. Such a system made it possible to squeeze more smoothly, and at the same time, the basket did not need settings and adjustments.

Brake system

The brake system on the new car was already improved. The suspension mounted in front contained discs and calipers - a similar arrangement was used only on the GAZ-3102. The drums that were at the back were already mounted in a slightly compact manner.

With the help of such innovations, it was possible to provide smooth braking and the need to sharply press the brake pedal disappeared. Drivers who changed from 24 to 29 needed some time to get used to the different braking. After a while, they were able to fully appreciate the merits of the improvements.

Rear axle

If we compare the GAZ-31029 and the new model 3110, it has acquired a modernized rear axle. It would not be superfluous to recall that on the 24th models and the debut releases of 31029, a split rear axle was installed, where there was a gear ratio of 4.1, and the axle body was divided into a couple of parts.

After this, on a sedan of later production they began to use a modernized axle, which had a one-piece body and the main pair was already installed with a high-speed one - instead of a pair with a number of teeth of 41/10, the automobile plant installed pairs of 39/10.

The gear ratio was changed to 3.9. Therefore, the “ten” acquired exactly the same bridge with an almost similar body. In appearance, the cases were similar, but they were not interchangeable due to several design differences. The main difference is the axle shafts.

Crash test

Hybrid III dummies, which had calibrated sensors, were placed in the front seats. They were wearing basic seat belts. After accelerating the car with a catapult, GAZ rushed towards the barrier.

Installing sensors on dummies made it possible to record the speed during the collision - 63.3 km/h. After the workers descended from the balcony, where those who wanted to watch what was happening, they were pleasantly surprised and less optimistic.

Not taking into account the impact speed and the small overlap coefficient (64 km/h instead of 50), the deformation of the body itself was able to remain almost the same degree. There is a fold in the roof; the pillar that supports the windshield has moved back by 50 millimeters.

The steering column was moved back and up, but less than in a collision at 50 km/h. However, the bottom of the GAZ 3110 during such a collision was folded in large zigzags. The floor collapsed under the driver's feet. Moreover, the seams of the body, which were welded, simply came apart and were torn out from the side.

If you take slow motion, you will notice that during a collision, after the first impact of the head on the steering wheel, there is another, more powerful one - the dummy collided with its nose on the plastic lining of the steering wheel hub. The head impact left a good dent in the metal plate. If there was a living person, there would be considerable concerns for his health.

The headrest completely flew out, not protecting the person’s head from being thrown back. Moreover, the very fact that he jumped out of his seat and flies throughout the cabin (and for a second this is a headrest with a pair of protruding metal pins) is very frightening. The load on a person's chest from a seat belt turned out to be even lower than the dangerous level allows.

As a result, the Volga 3110 received only two safety points out of 16 possible. Therefore, it is still worth working and working on security. In a direct collision, the fact that the Volga has a long front gives it a plus. But everything could have been better if the spar had been designed to absorb energy and not break.

Options and prices

4,000-5,000 US dollars is exactly what they ask today for a running, but well-maintained car. Well, you can buy such a car in any, not even a very large city of the former USSR.

The modest cost of the Volga is compensated by the fairly high costs of its operation. For example, only the GAZ-3110 “eats” twice as much gasoline as the same one.

Modifications

• GAZ 3110 cars still function as taxis to this day;
• Version of the GAZ-310221 station wagon on the GAZ -3110 platform. Apart from the restyled front end, the car is distinguished from its distant older brother only by a plastic bumper installed at the rear. For several years now, the deflector and vertical lamps installed at the rear have retained their appearance;
• The standard GAZ ambulance on the platform of the GAZ-310223 passenger car was able to enter into competition with its own Gazelle in the last decade of the twentieth century. Among the advantages of this car are its much smaller size, not so expensive prices for parts and good maintainability.

The debut car GAZ 31105 left the plant in Gorky in 2004. To this day, many cannot understand whether 31105 should be considered a brand new car or classified as class 3110. However, in fact, 31105 is a deeply modernized variation of 3110. The car has received many upgrades.

Among them, we can highlight the changed appearance of the nose of the car, where there are teardrop-shaped headlights, a modified radiator grille with a hood shape, new front fenders installed, modernized bumpers and modified mirrors, which have become even larger.

GAZ-31105

The interior has also been modernized. He began to have a new heating system control unit. Such a mechanism is not the cheapest, which is why thieves could often steal it from the car. The rear suspension received a stabilizer.

The luggage compartment lid already had a new type of lock. On the front suspension they began to use the pinless method, where there were already ball joints. In the appearance of the sedan, the doors were changed, which began to have completely new door handles.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros of the car

• The most spacious interior among domestic cars;
• Quite a powerful power unit;
• Large luggage compartment;
• Power steering wheel;
• High ground clearance;
• Large turning radius of wheels;
• The considerable weight of the car allows you to feel more confident on the road;
• Ability to transport heavy and oversized cargo;
• Availability of spare parts.

Cons of the car

• Build quality;
• Problems with the operation of the gearbox;
• High fuel consumption;
• Constant frequency of breakdowns;
• Unimportant stove;
• Safety;
• The steering wheel is not adjustable;
• Low level of comfort in the cabin;
• Poor interior.

But in 1998 they showed the other two Volgas are of a slightly lower class than the GAZ‑3111. GAZ‑3103 received front-wheel drive (a revolutionary step for the plant), and GAZ‑3104 received all-wheel drive. The original design of these cars was calmer, and therefore less controversial, than that of the GAZ-3111. But the time for polishing original ideas was very inappropriate. Although theoretically it was the GAZ-3103 that could probably become the serial Volga of the new century.

GAZ-3111 against the background of classmates, 2001

	GAZ-3111	BMW 525i	Ford Mondeo	Mercedes-Benz E 240	Audi A6
Acceleration time 0–100 km/h	12.9 s	8.1 s	8.7 s	9.3 s	9.4 s
Maximum speed	183 km/h	238 km/h	225 km/h	229 km/h	222 km/h
Number of cylinders / displacement	4 / 2.5 l	6 / 2.5 l	6 / 2.5 l	6 / 2.6 l	6 / 2.4 l
Power	100 kW / 136 hp	141 kW / 192 hp	125 kW / 170 hp	125 kW / 170 hp	141 kW / 165 hp

What can't be

At the turn of the century, the plant management initiated too many projects. And the modernization of the Gazelle, and the notorious Nizhny Novgorod Motors, and the endless unpromising projects of SUVs. There was no place for the New Volga in all this motley diversity. The old one, being gradually modernized, was still being sold, and GAZ management was happy with this.

The GAZ-3103 interior was a compromise between novelty and the use of used parts, for example, the instrument cluster from the GAZ-3110.

The GAZ-3103 interior was a compromise between novelty and the use of used parts, for example, the instrument cluster from the GAZ-3110.

However, the last note in the chord of projects for the new Volga was sounded already in 2003 - this is the GAZ-3115. The car had a classic layout, but with a multi-link rear suspension and a ZMZ engine (there was simply no other domestic engine) in class, it was close to the BMW third series. That is, finally is aimed more at the average buyer who pays his own money for a car. Only it was already too late. Even optimistic fans of Gorky’s cars no longer believed that a fundamentally new Volga would appear at least someday. It was not only the GAZ‑3115 that failed to reach series production, but even the spring rear suspension. And even more so, the fantastic project of a joint platform with Lancia was doomed - yes, yes, such a thing was planned!

Apart from the Volga Siber sedan, which, strictly speaking, was not a Volga (although the car itself turned out to be quite good), then the history of the Volga ended a decade and a half ago. Nothing else could have happened. And not only because The focus on expensive official cars turned out to be wrong. For too long, GAZ has been hostage to an economic model that does not contribute to the creation of fundamentally new cars.. VAZ was pushed towards this at least to some extent by exports, and even in the 1980s, Volgas were of little use to anyone abroad.

What remains are prototypes from that romantic, albeit naive, period in the history of our automobile industry, when factories wanted and tried to make something of their own, new, albeit sometimes not very successful, and sometimes simply unviable. The desire to do at least something in itself, in my opinion, is worth a lot.

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 promote 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 it would be logical to speed up the process to make the most of the ready-made body of model 3103, 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 mock-up 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.

— became the first Soviet passenger car assembled on an assembly line.
Essentially this is a licensed copy of the Ford Model A.
The model had a four-cylinder eight-valve engine producing 40 hp. created on the basis of an engine from Ford A.

GAZ-M-1

Years of manufacture 1936-1942
GAZ M-1 is a Soviet passenger car that replaced the GAZ A.
The letter "M" stood for "Molotov".
The people called this car “Emka”.
It was equipped with an improved engine from the GAZ A model. Power 50 hp

Years of manufacture: 1940-1942, 1945-1948

GAZ 11-73 is a modified version of the GAZ M1 model. The first prototypes appeared in 1938, and mass production began in 1941.
It was equipped with a Dodge D5 engine with a power of 76 hp.

M-20 "Victory"

Years of manufacture 1946-1958
— was developed in the mid-1940s.
Conveyor production of the model began in 1946.
It was equipped with a four-cylinder power unit producing 50 hp. Later, after modernization, the engine power was increased first to 52 hp, and later to 55.

Year of manufacture 1950-1960

GAZ 12 ZIM was already a luxury car, intended mainly for government and party officials.
The car was equipped with a modernized GAZ 11 power unit, with increased power of 90 hp.

GAZ-21 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1956-1970
GAZ 21 "Volga" is a middle class car. The first prototype cars were released in 1955 and in 1956 the model went into mass production.
The first GAZ 21 cars were equipped with power units from the GAZ M20 with a power of 65 hp. Subsequently, a new engine was released (1957) with a power of 70 hp, which, after several upgrades, increased the power to 75 hp from mid-1960.

GAZ-22 "Volga"

Year of manufacture 1962-1970
GAZ 22 is a station wagon based on the GAZ 21 model. The first display of the model took place at VDNKh in 1962.
This model had a modernized version of the ZMZ-21A engine with a power of 75 hp.

GAZ-23 "Volga"

Year of manufacture 1962-1970
GAZ-23 "Volga" is a Soviet middle-class car, produced on the basis of the regular GAZ-21 sedan.
An engine from the Chaika GAZ-13 was installed, but with some adaptation differences, with a power of 195 hp.

GAZ-13 "Chaika"

Years of manufacture 1959-1981
GAZ 13 “Chaika” is a luxury car, intended mainly for the Soviet nomenklatura.
The first prototypes appeared in 1957, serial production began in 1959.
The model was equipped with a new 8-cylinder overhead valve engine producing 195 hp.

GAZ-24 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1967-1985
GAZ 24 "Volga" is a middle-class car that replaced the GAZ 21 and became the most popular model of the GAZ plant.
The car had a modernized engine from the GAZ 21 ZMZ-24 with a power of 98 hp.

GAZ-24-02 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1972-1986
GAZ 24-02 is a station wagon based on the GAZ 24.
This model was equipped with a modernized engine from the GAZ 21 ZMZ-24 with a power of 95 hp.

GAZ-24-24 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1971-1986
GAZ-24-24 “Volga” is a Soviet middle-class car produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant, produced on the basis of the regular GAZ-24 sedan. It was a more powerful version of the basic vehicle for the KGB and other intelligence services of the USSR.
Assembled by hand.
Equipped with a ZMZ-2424 engine with a power of 195 hp.

GAZ-14 "Chaika"

Years of manufacture 1977-1989
GAZ 14 “Chaika” is the second generation of the executive class car GAZ 13 “Chaika”. It was assembled in small batches, almost by hand.
The car was equipped with an 8-cylinder ZMZ-14 engine, based on the engine from the GAZ 13, with a power of 220 hp.

GAZ-24-10 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1985-1992
GAZ-24-10 "Volga" is a middle class car GAZ-24. In 1984, at an exhibition in Moscow, the premiere of the first copy of the GAZ-24-10 took place.
The model was equipped with two engines ZMZ-402.1 (AI-93)
ZMZ-4021.1 (A-76), 100 hp.

GAZ-24-34 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1986-1991
GAZ-24-34 "Volga" is a middle-class passenger car produced in the USSR. This car was a more powerful version of the basic GAZ 24-10 car, modernized for the KGB and other special services.
It was equipped with a V-shaped 8-cylinder engine ZMZ-24-24 with a power of 195 hp.

GAZ-3102 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1981-2009
GAZ 3102 is the model that replaced the GAZ 24. The first prototypes of this model appeared in 1976, and their development continued until 1980.
At the beginning, a new ZMZ 4022.10 engine with a power of 105 hp was installed on the car. Subsequently, due to its unreliability, the cars were re-equipped with ZMZ 402.10 engines with a power of 100 hp.

GAZ-31029 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1992-1998
GAZ-31029 "Volga" - further modernization of the GAZ-24-10 model using body elements of the GAZ-3102 model.
Equipped with engines ZMZ-402.10, ZMZ-4021.10, ZMZ-4062.10

GAZ-31022 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1992-1998
GAZ-31022 is a car of the second group of the middle class with a station wagon-type cargo-passenger body. It was a logical continuation of the GAZ-24-12 model. The base cars used were GAZ-31029 and GAZ-3102 sedans.
It was equipped with a ZMZ-402 engine with a power of 98 l/s.

GAZ-3105 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1992-1996
GAZ-3105 "Volga" is a large class car with an increased level of comfort.
The model was equipped with a GAZ-3105 engine with a power of 170 hp.

GAZ-3110 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1997-2005
GAZ-3110 "Volga" - a middle-class car is a further modernization of the "Volga" model range, and replaced the GAZ-31029 car.
Equipped with engines ZMZ-402.10, ZMZ-4021.10, ZMZ-4062.10, GAZ-560, GAZ-5601

GAZ-310221 "Volga"

Years of manufacture 1997-2008
The GAZ 310221 model with a station wagon body was developed and built on the basis of the GAZ 3110.
It had a 90 hp engine.

GAZ-3111 "Volga"

Years of manufacture: 2001-2002, 2004
GAZ-3111 "Volga" is a Russian business class passenger car. Produced in small batches. In total, about 500 cars were produced.
It was mainly equipped with a ZMZ-4052.10 engine with a power of 155 hp. With.

GAZ-31105 "Volga"

Years of manufacture: 2004-2009
GAZ-31105 "Volga" is a middle class car. Essentially an improved version of the GAZ-3110.
Equipped with engines ZMZ-4021, ZMZ-4062.10, ZMZ-40525, Chrysler DOHC 2.4L, GAZ-560

GAZ-311055 "Volga"

Year of manufacture: 2005-2007
"Volga" GAZ-311055 with an extended wheelbase is a new modification of the GAZ-31105, intended for use as an official executive car or VIP taxi.
It was equipped with a ZMZ-4062.10 engine with a power of 131 hp.

Year of manufacture 2008-2010
Volga Siber (Volga Siber) is a mid-size sedan, first presented as GAZ Siber at the Interauto-2007 exhibition in Moscow on August 29, 2007. Subsequently, the trade name of the model was changed to Volga Siber.
It was equipped with Chrysler 2.0 and 2.4 engines, producing 141 and 143 hp, respectively.

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.