Soviet cars. Cars "Moskvich", "Volga", "Seagull", "Victory"

The Soviet Union was regarded throughout the world as a powerful country. In the USSR have reached enormous heights in science and medicine. It was the Soviet Union that conquered space and launched a technology race that in the future turned the whole world history. It is thanks to the best minds of the USSR that the space industry will then develop. Together with space technologies, science and medicine, the automobile industry also developed in a large country. However, despite serious progress, in the automotive industry of the USSR lagged behind the rest of the world. But this does not mean that Soviet cars are bad. Let's get acquainted with the most famous representatives of the domestic car industry, which today are considered retro classics.

Birth of the domestic car industry

In 1927, the head of the Soviet Union, Stalin demanded that during the first five - year plan , from 1928 to 1932, a powerful and competitive automotive industry was created in the country. At that time, in comparison with the countries of Europe and the United States, there was virtually no automobile industry in the country, and the USSR was not a competitor for the world's auto giants. However, in view of the rapid development of industrialization, by the middle of 1928 there were more than 3 million people engaged in the production of cars.

When the first five-year plan ended, there were already more than 6 million people working in the automobile industry. Thanks to this plan, a new social class has been formed in the USSR - workers for the automotive industry with incomes that are good for that time. But even though a huge number of jobs were created and the standard of living was growing, for many, the car was then a luxury. Soviet cars were bought only by the secured working class. This is in view of the fact that the capacity of car factories by 1932 reached about 2.3 million copies.

KIM: light car

In January 1938, the Head of the Autoworld Company proposed to develop and launch production of small cars. He planned to establish at the Moscow car assembly plant, created in honor of the CMM.

To develop the car at the plant, the design department was formed. The process was supervised by a specialist from NATI, AN Ostrovtsev. The design and construction of the body worked specialists GAZ. To develop faster, the basis was decided to take the American Ford Perfect, produced at that time in the UK. The solutions used by Ford engineers were well known to engineers from the USSR - several models of cars based on Ford A and AA were already produced in the country. Although the basis for and was taken by an English car, the body design is completely Soviet. The specialists of GAZ worked on it. During the process, they created two options - a model with a closed body and two doors, as well as an open chaise. Interestingly, the machine was manufactured using equipment from the USA.

Many Soviet factories planned to join production. So, on ZISe the frames, springs, forgings were to be made. GAZ made basic body parts and castings. A huge number of different industries had to provide the assembly shop with everything necessary - glass, tires, materials for the upholstery of the passenger compartment, as well as all the details that KIM could not produce.

Exterior

The model was called KIM-10, and at that time it was a serious step for the entire automotive industry.

The appearance of the car was more fresh and fresh unlike other Soviet cars. The body shape and overall design did not differ from foreign models. The body of this car was very progressive for its time.

The bonnet opened up and was alligator type. In order to open it, designers have created a nasal decoration. The side parts of the bonnet served as fairings for the headlights. The doors were sufficiently wide, in addition they were equipped with turning pegs. The side windows could be lowered.

Design Features

In addition to modern ideas at the time of the creation of this car, more conservative solutions were also applied. So, the engine with the bottom arrangement of valves had no mechanisms for their adjustment. The bearings of the rods were filled with babbitt. The thermosyphon cooling system is already outdated, but was used at KIM-10. Also among conservative solutions - dependent suspension system, mechanical brakes. Lamps turnings were semaphore type.

Specifications

This car was made in two types of bodies - a two-door sedan and a chaise with side parts. The car could accommodate four passengers.

The length of the body was 3960 mm, width - 1480 mm, height-1650 mm. Clearance - 210 mm. In a fuel tank 100 liters of fuel could fit.

The engine was located in the front, longitudinally. It was a four-cylinder four-stroke carburetor. Its volume was 1170 cubic meters. See Engine produced 30 liters. from. On 4000 thousand turns. The engine was paired with a three-speed manual gearbox. The car had a rear-wheel drive, and its fuel consumption was only 8 liters per 100 kilometers.

The history of this car ended in 1941.

Car GAZ-13 "The Seagull"

The need for this car arose in the 50's. So, in the USSR, we had to create a representative car that would correspond to the fashion trends of that time. The project was developed by designers of GAZ, as well as ZiS and ZIL. In addition, the car ZIL-111 has become obsolete.

The result of the work of GAZ specialists was presented to the public in 1956. In serial production, the car was launched only two years later, in the 59th. For the 22 years that this model was produced, only 3,189 items were produced. Above the legendary design of the described car worked the famous designer Eremeev. In the exterior of the car you can trace the features of the American car industry.

GAZ-13 "Seagull" became as it was later remembered, not immediately. In the process of work on the body, two options were created. From the production models, they differed with tail lights, front side lamps, moldings on wheel arches and a windshield frame.

Specifications

This car was impressive in size. The layout is front-engine, and the drive is rear. Surprisingly, even then, a three-stage hydromechanical transmission was installed on this car .

There were two engines - GAZ-13 and GAZ-13D. These are eight-cylinder V-engines in volume of 5,5 liters. But the first unit was calculated for gasoline A-93, and the second for A-100. Also, the second engine has a higher compression ratio and a power of 215 hp. The first unit had a capacity of 195 liters. from. The design of the engine was innovative - it's an aluminum cylinder head and valves.

The engine was equipped with liquid cooling and a carburetor consisting of four chambers. The motor together with the automatic transmission could disperse the car to 160 km. Up to 100 km the car was accelerated in 20 seconds.

As for fuel consumption, in a mixed cycle the car consumed 18 liters per 100 km of run. Automatic transmission allowed to use three gears - it's neutral, the first gear, the movement and the rear. Switch them had to use the keys on the dashboard.

Modifications

So, GAZ-13 is a basic model. In the salon, three rows of seats were set up from the rear, and the prototypes differed significantly in equipment from the serial ones.

GAZ-13A - this is the same basic model, but in the cabin was installed a partition between the passengers and the driver.

13B is a car with a convertible top, used this modification at military parades.

13C is a station wagon. This modification in the series did not go. In total, about twenty such machines were produced.

Small car "Moskvich" -400

This is the next model after CMM-10-52. Work on the car started after the war, in early 1946. Also after the war the plant changed its name to "Moskvich". This is a people's car, which should have been created before the war.

The car was made in the image and likeness of the Opel Kadett K38, which was developed at General Motors in 38. All equipment was exported to Germany, it was not possible to save the stamps for the production of bodies, so we had to create our own, Soviet ones.

Developed this car by domestic and German engineers. The cost of the car, according to various sources, is from 8000 to 9000 rubles. It was a lot of money, and at first only a few could afford a new "Moskvich" -400, but in the 50's the well-being of people grew and a whole line was built behind the car.

Exterior

As a basis used Opel Kadett K38. The machine really liked Stalin, and he ordered that the USSR make an exact copy. It must be said that Opel was created in Germany even before the war, and in the 40s the whole design together with the design was outdated. At that time Opel was releasing more interesting models, but nobody dared to argue with Stalin. Later, the appearance will be slightly updated, however, this does not affect the bodywork.

Engine

Since there was no documentation on the power unit in Germany, Soviet engineers developed a new engine. The car was completed with a four-cylinder eight-valve unit, the capacity of which was only 23 liters. from. With a working volume of 1100 cubic meters. See The motor worked with a pair of three-speed manual gearbox. The power unit was created for fuel A-66. The flow rate was 8 liters per 100 kilometers with a maximum speed of 90 km / h.

GAS

This factory produced a lot of different interesting models. One of them is GAZ A. The history of the machine begins in Detroit. It was then that old Henry Ford decided that the Ford T was simply hopelessly outdated. And he took it off the assembly line. Instead, the model A was launched. The first step was to refine the engine - after the transformations, its power changed from 23 liters. from. Up to 40. The volume rose to 3.2 liters. Also in the car was a dry single-plate clutch.

Then Ford created on the basis of a passenger A truck - AA, and then on the conveyor went triaxial machine AAA. It is this unified and generally universal car that the Soviet leaders liked. On the basis of it they decided to create a simple, reliable and technologically advanced Soviet car. So the light appeared GAZ A. The model was released from 1932 to 1938.

Design

The bumper represented the failure of two elastic strips of steel. The radiator was covered with nickel, and it was decorated with the first nameplate of the GAZ plant. The wheels were equipped with wire spokes - a feature of them was that they did not require adjustment.

For a windshield glass triplex was used. In front of him was a stopper of a gas tank. The tank itself was on the rear wall of the engine compartment - so it was possible to exclude the petrol pump from the design. Gasoline got into the carburetor by gravity.

These Soviet cars were produced in the body of the "phaeton" type for 5 seats. In case of rain, it was possible to pull the tarpaulin from the tarpaulin.

Salon

The steering wheel was black, and the material for it was ebonite. Next to the signal on the steering wheel, designers placed special levers - with the help of the first the ignition timing was adjusted, and the second one served for gas supply. The speedometer was a drum with numbers. Below the gas pedal a special support for the heel was installed.

Design Features

If you disassemble the car, then only 21 bearings are typed. A tape brake was also used, there was no possibility to regulate the valve, a small compression ratio of the engine was 4.2. As a suspension used transverse springs.

A little later this model will be replaced by the sedan GAZ M-1, which is also based on Ford A, but is improved for off-road terrain. So, increased the strength of the body, strengthened the suspension. Finished a hungry engine with a volume of 3.2 liters so that its power increased to 50 liters. from.

In a series of this limousine off-road GAZ M-1 hit in 1936. They produced more than 60,000 copies. It was a very successful model.

GAZ-21

These are Soviet cars in the body type "sedan". In serial production, the car was launched in 56, and it continued until the 70's. This is the most successful model of the domestic car industry.

Development began in 1952. At first they worked on models M21. Designed by L. Eremeev and artist Williams. In 1953, the first M21 models were created, the Williams project did not fit. Then in the spring of 1954 the first prototypes of the Volga GAZ-21 were assembled.

The tests were conducted, during which the cars showed good results. The new "Volga" turned out to be economical, much better than the dynamic characteristics of the GAZ M-12 ZIM. In addition, the car was unique design.

The first models were equipped with a lower-valve motor, its working volume was 2.4 liters. Engine power was 65 liters. from. This motor from the "Victory", which forced the factory. Coupled with the power unit was a three-speed manual gearbox.

Owners of the car "Volga" (GAZ-21) talked about the high resistance of the body in corrosion, the good roadability of cars. Today it is already a retro car, and you can see its representatives in private collections.

GAZ-24

Later, in 1968, on the basis of this car they released GAZ-24. The car was produced in two bodies - a sedan and a station wagon. At one time it was the most prestigious car. To develop a model of steel immediately after the launch of the 21st "Volga" in production. The car managed to survive three restyling, the design gravitated to the features of American cars. But there were in the exterior and the original features, which gave the body swiftness.

Vehicle Specification

GAZ-24 was produced, as already noted, in two bodies. The clearance was 180 mm. The engine was located in the front part longitudinally. As a power unit was selected gasoline engine volume of 2.4 liters. Its power was 95 liters. from. He worked in tandem with a four-speed manual gearbox. The fuel consumption is 13 liters per 100 kilometers. With this unit, the maximum speed is 145 km / h.

On the basis of the described "Volga", then many different modifications were issued. Also produced models for export. We graduated in 1985.

It must be said that Soviet cars are much more interesting than those produced today. This is now modern people all seem uninteresting, and then every new model was a real holiday for motorists. These cars are currently being shot in the cinema, are in museums and private collections, the ZIS-110 is very popular abroad, including in the US and Europe. Many motorists give huge sums for the purchase and restoration of such cars. It's a real retro. And let the domestic car industry be scolded, but then in our country they knew how to make good cars.