Engineering:GAZ-61
The GAZ-61 is a four-wheel-drive car from USSR manufacturer GAZ first introduced in 1938[1][2] by designer V. A. Gratchev, to replace his too-complex model GAZ-M21.
History
It was essentially a GAZ-M1 with a higher stance and all-wheel drive (one of the world's first all-wheel drive passenger cars). The chassis and body were taken from the GAZ-M1 but with some modifications. The car used the gearbox from the GAZ-MM. Although the car was originally planned for production with an open body of the phaeton type (GAZ-61-40), it went into production as the GAZ-61-73 with an all-metal sedan body from the GAZ-11-73 model, becoming the world's first comfortable SUV with a closed body of the sedan type. Many versions were intended for production, such as the GAZ-61-415 pickup truck with a separate closed two-seater cab from the GAZ-M-415 and the GAZ-61-417 light artillery tractor with a cab without a top and doors. It could climb angles up to 38 degrees and cross water up to 72 cm (28 in) deep.
The first version, produced from 1940 until 1941, was a five-seat four-door phaeton. It was powered by a 3,485 cc (212.7 cu in) six-cylinder four-stroke engine with 85 hp (63 kW) and a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). Many supreme commanders of the Red Army headquarters used this car in 1941.[citation needed]
The GAZ-61 was produced not only in civilian black but also in blue and Russian Green 4BO (the standard Soviet camouflage colour), together with the typical cross-country tread tires.
In 1941, the updated GAZ-61-73 was introduced. It became a five-seat, four-door six-light saloon with the same engine, but now rated at a top speed of 107 km/h (66 mph). GAZ' next 4x4 sedan was the 1950s GAZ-M72.
GAZ-61-417
The GAZ-61-417 was an artillery tractor based on the GAZ-61. It was a two-door pick-up truck with an open cab. The first test pickup was assembled in the first days after the start of the Great Patriotic War, on June 25, 1941, the next copy was assembled on August 4. During the tests, the cars showed good cross-country ability and traction. The vehicle was adopted as an artillery tractor for 45 mm guns. In October 1941, serial production of GAZ-61-417 vehicles began. During the war, the GAZ-61-417 light artillery tractor was equipped with a 57-mm ZiS-2 anti-tank gun coupled to the vehicle right at the factory and sent to the front near Moscow. The result was a fast and maneuverable tank destroyer, but the small scale of production did not allow this vehicle to prove itself to the fullest. Production of the GAZ-61-416 was halted in 1942, due to a lack of six-cylinder engines and body parts.
References
- ↑ Jeffrey Harper (24 April 2020). "15 SUVs You Didn't Know Existed Between 1920 And 1950". https://www.thethings.com/suvs-you-didnt-know-existed-between-1920-and-1950/.
- ↑ Jason Torchinsky (22 May 2019). "This Oddly Cute Little Car Was the First Mass-Produced 4x4 Passenger Car Even Before the Jeep". https://jalopnik.com/this-oddly-cute-little-car-was-the-first-mass-produced-1834956813.
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