Until now, this car looks luxurious - Volga GAZ 21. Years have passed, even, rather, decades, many car models on our roads have changed, cars have actively and firmly come into our lives foreign production.
Classic Volga GAZ 21
And I must say that it happened quite naturally, because it happens everywhere. But a car many years ago, embodying power, beauty, prosperity and elegance, remained the same graceful, beautiful, and still attracts the attention of passers-by on the street, passing them.
Yes, there are many cars that are more powerful, specifications, which are significantly surpassed by this miracle of the Soviet car industry. Yes, the fuel consumption of this car does not at all correspond to modern requirements associated with the widespread struggle for energy saving, but few motorists, approaching a GAZ 21 car they see on the street, or even more so, will not catch themselves on the desire to carefully stroke its hood, touch roof or pillars.
auto GAZ M21 1956 release
At the very beginning of the fifties, the Soviet automotive industry faced the need to create such a car. The "Victory" produced at that time was enough quality car... But it was decided to expand the lineup on Soviet highways.
Many found features of some Chevrolet models or Ford developments as a prototype of the then novelty of the domestic auto industry, but here we can hardly talk about any plagiarism.
At that time, many automakers bought samples of competitors' models, disassembled them almost by cogs, studying the types of material that went into the manufacture of certain parts.
The types of connections of parts, various design solutions, and so on were studied. The corps of Soviet automobile designers followed the same path.
Diagram of the device 21 Volga
Many cars produced at that time had bulging headlights, a predatory-aggressive hood profile, or a radiator grill pattern. I could repeat something, something.
Produced "twenty-first", and in fact, the first model of "Volga" for fourteen years, having gone through many tests, upgrades, design changes, body types ("sedan", "station wagon"). Let's start with history.
The history of the creation of a truly legendary Soviet car began back in 1953, when it was decided to start developing such a car model, which in many respects repeats the lines and general outline of the American design school of that time, but still, it managed to give certain authentic features.
Volga gaz 21 1953 release
Features that allow us to talk about originality, about the dissimilarity of design characteristics, design features that so distinguished our "Volga". It is known that in the next 1954, the first appeared, not yet serial, but experimental, but already fully operational samples.
They were equipped with then also experimental engines with overhead valves and a combustion chamber in the form of a hemisphere, and their characteristic feature was the presence of a camshaft chain drive. Experiments with such a design gave negative results and it was decided not to send them into serial production.
Initially, two projects were developed, one was called GAZ M21 "Volga", the other - GAZ M21 "Zvezda". By the way, the star located on the radiator grill of a single-beam design has long been a distinctive sign and the car model itself was named after it.
Radiator grill GAZ 21 of the third series
"Volga" with this type of lattice was called by the people "Marshal", or "Zhukovsky". The first years of its existence, the car was doomed to constant comparison with the no less legendary car "Pobeda".
But the "Volga" even on tests showed itself much better, it surpassed the "Pobeda" in most technical characteristics, it was more dynamic, more maneuverable and surpassed in fuel economy.
Production in those years was still quite imperfect, although progress in the field of automotive industry was, of course, obvious, but the path from testing a new car model to its entering the series, that is, in serial production, took years.
So the first series of the Volga car was produced already in 1956, that is, years after the start of design development.
Start of serial production
But the result obtained is worth spending some time on describing the design of a new (then still, new) car. First, two were developed, automatic and mechanical. Both gearboxes had three stages. At the same time, which is typical, the main gear on this model of the car had a cone-shaped structure, it was already later models that had a hypoid main gear.
The then GAZ M 21 car had an independent rear suspension and hydraulic shock absorbers of a lever structure. The rear suspension was also independent, supported by springs in a shape resembling a semi-ellipse.
Well, as for the appearance, it is still, as many motorists like to joke, the main one, billowing in front of the hood. 
And from this "main detail" to front glass there was a molding. A new radiator grill appeared instead of the old "marshal", the so-called "shark teeth", where vertical wide racks were interspersed with holes. That added a special flavor to the overall design.
The car interior deserves special attention. With all the then Soviet penchant for gigantism, the salon, even at that time, seemed huge. The spaciousness of the entire car still gives rise to legends. By the way, big sizes, for example, the trunk is an absolute plus, because a modern owner of a GAZ 21 or those who still have a GAZ M 21 can consider themselves happy owners, if you will, of a semi-truck model of a car. The weight of the cargo that the Volga can carry is not comparable to any other passenger car.
semi-cargo volga gaz 21
However, let's return to the salon of our car. Back seat in it, no one calls it a seat, because it is, rather, a sofa. At the same time, the front sofa had to be divided in half, otherwise there simply would be nowhere to place the gear lever.
So, the year 1957 is officially considered the beginning of serial production.
But although serial production began, the engine that equipped the GAZ M 21, the predecessor of the GAZ 21, was borrowed from earlier cars such as Pobeda or ZIM. The Volga nevertheless received its engine, but a little later, and, in the same year, it was also a new ZMZ - 21 engine, produced at the Zavolzhsky Motor Plant built specifically for this purpose. As for the technical characteristics of this engine, it had a volume of 2.4 liters and a power of seventy horsepower. 
It was an aluminum engine, overhead valve design, quite innovative for its time.
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Volga GAZ-M21 car
And, by the way, at the same time the GAZ M 21 series appeared, which was equipped with automatic transmission gear shifting (three stages) and a liquid transformer. But this innovation was then doomed to failure in the USSR, since the quality of lubricants was not just at a low level, but very low, then the first GAZ 21 with automatic transmission brought their owners more trouble than pleasure.
And since 1958, the production of Volga cars with an automatic transmission was suspended indefinitely, and cars equipped exclusively with a manual gearbox were produced. In the same year, many more extraordinary events took place.
automatic transmission gas 21
In addition to the fact that the USSR became the first country in the world to launch a spaceship, the Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow, almost forgotten by everyone in the world, has now taken place. This event characterized the famous Khrushchev's "thaw" and, as a result of this phenomenon, "Volga" entered the international car market.
At that time, no international car dealerships, and auto exhibitions were very rare, but the sensation that made the Volga GAZ 21 in European countries is best described by nicknames stuck to the Soviet car, such as "tank on wheels", or the more elegant "tank in a tailcoat". By this time, the production of GAZ M 21 was discontinued, and only the "twenty-first" Volga, which was not supplied with any additional letters in the model name, was in the "series".
Operational data and technical characteristics of the Volga GAZ-21
The GAZ 21 car became a worthy successor to the "Pobeda M-20" and held out on the assembly line for almost 14 years. During this time, the car was twice modernized, but even the first production cars were very popular and some success.
An example of a Volga GAZ 21 black
The unpretentiousness of the car and excellent technical characteristics contributed to the popularity. The Volga was successfully used in taxis and as a company car, and the model was also available for private use. On technical and operational characteristics the legendary car is worth focusing on.
Dimensions GAZ 21
It cannot be said that by the standards of passenger cars "Volga" GAZ 21 was compact. Although the car belonged to the middle class, its dimensions are quite impressive. The sedan model has a length of 4.77 m, a width of 1.8 m and a height of 1.62 m. Such dimensions allowed the cabin to be quite spacious and comfortable, it could easily accommodate five people, including the driver. The distance between the axles (wheelbase) of the Volga is 2.7 m. The body has 4 doors.
GAZ 22 is also in production - version passenger car in a station wagon body.
It looks like a classic Volga Gaz-22 with a station wagon
This modification appeared in mass production later, it was produced since 1962 (GAZ 21 since 1956). In terms of dimensions, GAZ 22 is slightly longer (4.81 m), a fifth door (tailgate) is provided on the rear of the body.
The trunk door consisted of two halves - upper and lower. The salon allowed 7 people to be transported, and it accommodated three rows of seats. The last row was folded, and the volume of the luggage compartment increased markedly. There were no other fundamental differences between GAZ 22 and GAZ 21.
Unlike its predecessor, "Pobeda", "Volga" had good visibility due to the installed panoramic windshield. The track of the front wheels of the 21st is 1, 41m, rear wheels- track 1, 42 m. GAZ21 has a good turning radius, and in general it almost does not lag behind modern cars in this indicator.
Original painted Volga 21
Performance data
According to the vehicle manual, GAZ 21 has the following characteristics:
The safety of the car was not at the highest level. The reason for this was the complete absence of seat belts. In addition, the tie rods were located in such a way that with any serious impact, the hard steering in the cabin shifted back, and the driver's chance of survival was not very great.
Engine specifications
In the sixties of the last century, structurally ZMZ 21 was considered a perfect engine, not only by Soviet standards, but also globally.
Graphs showing the characteristics of the gas engine 21
Not all engines of those years had an upper valve arrangement and an aluminum block with a cylinder head.
ZMZ 21 (ZMZ-21A) was installed on the GAZ 21 model since 1957 and had the following characteristics:
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Deer figurine on the Volga
Transmission and Clutch Specifications
The GAZ 21 car model has rear drive wheels (wheel arrangement 4x2). The first Volga models were produced in two versions - with a three-speed manual gearbox and with an automatic three-speed gearbox.
The Volga automatic gearbox was produced for a short time, in the Soviet Union there were not enough skilled craftsmen to service the automatic transmission, there was no special oil in the required volume. In addition, on a 4-cylinder engine, a weak acceleration of the car was obtained, maximum speed was less than with a manual transmission.
GAZ put into mass production about 1500-1700 vehicles with automatic gearboxes, with a total number of about 640 thousand copies of the Volga 21. There is an opinion that only 700 cars were produced with automatic transmission, but this is not the case.
Clutch diagram of the twenty-first Volga
About 700 units were produced in 1957, and about the same in 1959. In 1958, about a hundred cars with automatic transmission rolled off the assembly line.
The mechanical gearbox was inherited from the GAZ M 20, it only differed in the presence of a hand brake, which was installed on the rear of the box (drum type).
Since the manual transmission was originally developed for the ZIM 12 car, it had a sufficient margin of safety.
The disadvantages of the design include unsynchronized first gear and manual gearbox control. There is an opinion that a 4-speed "mechanics" was installed on the GAZ 21. But the plant did not release cars in this configuration from the assembly line, except that the craftsmen made changes to the design with their own hands.
The gear selector, located on the steering wheel, had long rods.
Diagram of the gear shifting device in the Volga
The new rods behaved normally, but as the mileage increased, the connections in them wore out, and various defects appeared. Two gears could turn on at once, the gear could “fly out”. When turning on two gears, I had to climb under the hood and move the levers to the desired position. The links often required adjustment and lubrication.
The grip on the Volga also came from Pobeda, but it already had hydraulic drive, there was a mechanical switch on the GAZ M 20. The new clutch had advantages:
- It became easier to squeeze the pedal;
- Dirt and water ceased to fly into the passenger compartment, since the slot around the pedal, which was necessary for a mechanical drive, was eliminated.
Technical data of transmission and clutch:
Fuel system
The fuel system for GAZ 21 is a carburetor type.
It looks like this fuel pump twenty-first Volga
The fuel tank was located at the rear under the floor of the body and had a capacity of 60 liters. Fuel was pumped through pipes by a gasoline pump into the carburetor, and from the carburetor it was sprayed into the engine intake manifold. Mechanical fuel pump with glass top. The transparent cover had its own conveniences - it was clear whether gasoline was entering the pump or not. In the future, such a cover was abandoned, they often cracked.
The carburetor on the Volga had three modifications, the brand changed depending on the year of manufacture. The first batch includes cars produced in 1956–58, the second series of GAZ 21 includes cars up to 1962. The third generation was produced from 1962 to 1970. Initially, the Volga was equipped with a K-22I carburetor, they were installed mainly on the models of the first and second series.
An example of a carburetor for the Volga
In 1962–65, the K-105 carburetor appeared on the machines, and towards the end of the production of the 21 car, the K124 device model appeared.
After the termination of the serial production of the car, a modification of the K-129 was carried out in spare parts, not much different from the K-124. All carburetors were then still single-chamber, and the manifold seat for them was unified. That is, the interchangeability of devices was complete.
Suspension characteristics
The front suspension of the "Volga" 21 spring, independent. The steering knuckles have a pivot connection. On the first models of the car, the upper suspension arms also served as shock absorbers - shock absorber fluid was supplied to them through rubber hoses. But such a scheme was very inconvenient, and later telescopic shock absorbers, more familiar for our times, began to be installed. 
The front suspension consisted of the following parts:
- Front carrier beam. It was the basis of the suspension, and all other parts were attached to it;
- Levers - two lower and two upper. All levers are composite, each of two parts. The lower platform for the spring is attached to the lower levers, the upper platform is the beam itself;
- Springs. They provide a smooth ride when the vehicle is moving;
- Pivot rack. Connects the suspension arms. Attached to it rounded fist... There are only two racks, one for each wheel;
- Rounded fist. There are also two of them - right and left, and they are not interchangeable with each other;
- Front hub. One from each wheel, front hubs are the same, replaceable with each other. Studs are pressed into the hubs, and the wheels are screwed on with nuts.
In the mid-50s, the Gorky Automobile Plant began mass production of the middle class car GAZ-21 "Volga" with the aim of replacing the already obsolete "Pobeda" by that time. Initially, the car was called GAZ-M21., since the plant bore the name of Molotov, but after the renaming of the plant, the letter "M" in the name was abandoned.
The first attempts to develop a car that was supposed to replace Pobeda were made back in 1948 by specialists commissioned by the Ministry of the Automotive Industry. They offered their own version of the restyling of the serial GAZ-M-20, which resulted in the car "NAMI-Pobeda", but in the end this option was abandoned.
Specialists of the GAZ automobile plant began to develop a new car in 1951, the first plaster model was named GAZ-M21 "Pobeda-2", outwardly it strongly resembled the representative sedan GAZ-M12 "ZIM" design was also abandoned. However, some technical solutions were nevertheless taken from "Pobeda-2", for example, the passenger compartment brought forward somewhat forward, which, combined with a decrease in the size of the wheels from 16 to 15 ", made it possible to make it more spacious with the same wheelbase. It was decided to remove all protruding In addition, according to the technical specifications, the new car was supposed to become more modern, dynamic and comfortable, with a new engine and automatic transmission.
Since 1952, parallel work was carried out on two independent projects called GAZ-M-21 "Star" designer John Williams and GAZ-M-21 "Volga" Lev Eremeev (he was also the body designer of "The Seagull"). Models of both machines were ready in 1953, but Williams' Zvezda was abandoned in favor of Yeremeyev's Volga. The first running sample of the twenty-first "Volga" was handcrafted in 1954. In the same year, a car with a license plate gv00-08 started testing.
In 1954 and 1955, a number of prototypes were assembled, which differed in design, they were installed different engines and gearboxes, on some they installed a 3-speed manual gearbox, on others an automatic hydromechanical 3-speed one. These prototypes had full set chrome decor - chrome grille, moldings, windshield and rear window, in serial production, chrome parts were an additional option.
Compared to previous domestic cars the twenty-first "Volga" proved to be a dynamic, high-speed and comfortable car, it was more economical than its predecessor GAZ-M-20, and in terms of dynamics it surpassed the GAZ-12, which was of a higher class. The Volga was adapted to the domestic road conditions, and its durability and practicality surpassed its foreign counterparts.
GAZ-M-21 can be conditionally divided into three series, but the plant did not use such a division. The first series includes serial samples released from 1956 to November 1958. The cars of the first series, produced in 56 and 57, were equipped with an upgraded low-valve engine from Pobeda (GAZ-21B) with a capacity of 65 horsepower, since the new engine that was planned for the Volga was not yet ready. By the way, the same engine was installed on the UAZ-450 and export modifications of the GAZ-69.
Externally cars of the "first series" can be distinguished by the chrome-plated radiator grille, in the center of which a star flaunts, some prototypes had the exact same star, and a branded deer flaunted on the hood. There were also differences in the cabin, for example, the dashboard was not trimmed with leatherette, etc. Some of the cars had a two-tone color of various combinations with three types of color separation. In total, about 30 thousand copies of the so-called "first series" cars were produced.
For more than 14 years of production, many modifications and prototypes of the twenty-first Volga have left the assembly line of the plant. The GAZ-21 "Volga" car was exported to such countries as Belgium, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Holland, Cyprus, England, Indonesia, Greece and the countries of the Middle East. Export models featured improved finishes. Produced "Volga" and abroad, for example, the Belgian company S.A. Scaldia-Volga, together with Sobimpex N.V. diesel versions of the GAZ-21 (M-21) were produced on the basis of vehicle kits received from the USSR, and the diesel engine options were different, with a volume of 1.6 to 2.3 liters and a capacity of 48 to 62 horsepower. In 1968, in parallel with the GAZ-21, the production of a new Volga model under the GAZ-24 index was launched, which completely replaced the current model in 1970.
Design and construction
New car GAZ-21 "Volga" received a three-volume load-bearing sedan-type body with a more comfortable and spacious salon... A new all-aluminum 4-cylinder engine, which was almost one and a half times more powerful than the Pobeda engine. Brake system with separate hydraulic cylinders of the front brake pads and one common hydraulic cylinder for the rear pads, transmission parking brake.
Later, after the preparation of the new ZMZ-21 overhead valve engine was completed, the old Volga engine was abandoned. The new 2445 cc engine developed 70 horsepower and a top speed of 130 km / h.
At first 1959 to 1962 produced the so-called "second series"... As part of the modernization, the front wheel arches of the car were increased, because of this, the shape of the fenders changed. The design of the front end resembled the front end of one of the prototypes with 16 vertical slots of the radiator grill, for which it was nicknamed the shark's mouth, a new hood lock appeared. There were reflectors in the glass of the rear lights, the license plate lamp changed, the upper part of the dashboard initially became flocked, and later covered in leatherette. The receiver has become more richly decorated. The trademark deer on the last samples of the "second series" was replaced by a traumatic "drop". There were other subtle changes as well.
By 1960, the modernization of components and assemblies took place. "Volga" received a new modern wiring, now the mass was not "plus" but "minus". Removed the centralized lubrication of the chassis, strengthened the body. About 140 thousand copies of cars of the "second series" were produced.
The next modernization of the car, conditionally "third series", took place in 1962, the exterior design of the cars was completely changed, the radiator grille was changed again, now it consisted of 37 vertical struts (it was called the "whalebone"). The bumpers are divided into two halves and do not have "fangs". The branded deer and molding have disappeared from the hood.
The "third series" was equipped with a slightly modified ZMZ-21A engine, which developed 75 horsepower. The lever shock absorbers were replaced with telescopic ones, the gearbox remained only mechanical, the interior trim was carried out with new, more durable materials. There were other minor changes as well. The production of the twenty-first Volga lasted until July 15, 1970, the last car that left the assembly line of the GAZ-21US plant with an improved design. In total, about 447 thousand cars of the "third series" were produced, this was the most massive version of the GAZ-21 "Volga" sedan.
Modifications
The base sedan model of 1956 with a 3-speed automatic hydromechanical transmission.
Car for the taxi service. Car production: "First series" from 1957 to 1958, "second series" from 1959 to 1962.
Tropical version of the GAZ-M-21A model.
Basic sedan model 1956 with a manual transmission and hydraulic clutch.
Tropical (Southern) variant of the previous modification.
Basic sedan model of 1957 with a low-valve "Pobedovsky" engine.
Tropical modification of the M-21G model
Export version of the 1957 model with a manual transmission.
Tropical version of the previous modification
An export version of the 1957 model with an automatic hydromechanical gearbox.
Southern version of the previous modification.
The basic sedan of the "second series" model of 1959. Years of manufacture, including the transitional model from 1958 to 1962.
Export version of the "second series".
Tropical version of the GAZ-M-21K model
Car kit for export to Belgium, model 1959.
The basic sedan of the "third series" of the 1962 model.
GAZ-M-21M, GAZ-M-21MYu
Export version of the sedan "third series" model 1962 and its tropical version.
The Volga is GAZ-M21. This car was produced from the factory belt for 14 years, starting in 1956. The project for the car was ready back in the 51st year. But, the first model of "Volga" was a little outdated and had some drawbacks, which the car owners spoke about aloud. The design remained the same, the components of the mechanisms were improved. As a result, the design of the car was also redone. She looked prestigious and attracted all car lovers with her appearance.
It looks like a GAZ-M21
At the time when this car was produced, the design was quite attractive for the entire Soviet Union. Although, if you look at it, there are no individual elements in this car. But, even with such a solid form, by the 58th year the Volga had lost its individuality, because the plant annually produced new modifications that had not only internal changes, but also external ones.
By that time, the car began to look more formal and more strict. Therefore, the government of the Soviet Union became interested in this brand. GAZ-M21 had all the necessary internal data in order to drive on the roads of the USSR. The car could accommodate 6 people. A huge sofa was placed in the back. Engine internal combustion was a four-cylinder, the gearbox was an automatic, taken from the American firm Ford. The body of the car very much resembled the Pobeda car.
The suspension was also taken from this brand of car because it was made of metal that was difficult to corrode and was made of the highest grade of iron.
This is what the Gas 21 engine looks like.
Ancestors of the machine
The first car had a dark red color like cherry. He had an automatic gearbox. Externally, the car was also very different - the radiator grille, bumpers, body streamlining. There were some elements in the cabin that distinguished the car from the GAZ-M21. In the 55th year, the car received a different radiator grill. In the 56th year, 5 cars came out. The car has been experiencing everything for a very long time. The most extreme situations were created for him. During the autumn and winter, the Volga covered 29,000 km. She traveled across Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and the entire Caucasus. As a result, she appeared in Moscow. With such a long journey, the machine's shortcomings were identified, some of the drawbacks were immediately corrected, but those with which the Volga traveled throughout its entire period remained.
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Adjustment of valves GAZ 21
Initially, 2 types of the Volga were published. They differed both externally and in "internal stuffing". As a result, a model that was not similar to any kind of predecessors got into mass production. It was distinguished, first of all, by the application of chrome to individual parts of the body. But this also later became an additional part of the car, for which additional monetary units must be paid. But all the same, the appearance was unique, which only the rear doors cost.
Generations
There are 3 series of production "GAZ-M21". Basically, all the series had a similar design of the car. Differences have drainage valves on the roof of the car. This was done to prevent moisture from entering the vehicle interior.
- 1 series. Produced from the 56th year. It ended in 58th year. People called this model "Volga with a star". It stood power unit from the machine "Victory". For 25 years, the plant has produced 30,000 car models.
appearance of the first series of GAZ-21M
- 2 series. 59th year. The Volga has undergone some changes. They mainly concerned design. The lights, the dashboard were different. The body was changed. It was possible to see American notes in its features. But, with foreign hints, a certain number of cars came out. These were mostly with minor changes. During the production period of the 2nd series, 120,000 units of cars were produced.
Type Gas 21M of the second series
- 3 series. The bumpers were changed and details were added in the body itself. The radiator grille also looked different. As a result, the car could be called "light" due to the modification of the body. She has often been compared to the famous "The Seagull". They also installed a more powerful power unit. He was now 75 hp. The gearbox was discontinued and completely replaced by a mechanic.
This is how Gaz 21M of the third series looks like
GAZ-M-21- a passenger car of the middle class, mass-produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1956 (1957) to 1970. The factory model index was originally GAZ-M-21, later (since 1965) - GAZ-21.
In 1951, the chief designer of the plant, Andrei Alexandrovich Lipgart, without waiting for instructions from above, began to work on a new machine. By this time, the GAZ-M20 was already morally obsolete. Vladimir Soloviev, who had previously led the design team, was appointed the lead designer of the new machine. rear axles and cardan transmission... Harry Evart, who had previously created a torque converter for ZIM, was entrusted with the new overhead valve engine. Outward appearance the car had to be dealt with - the sculptor Lev Eremeev, who worked at one time on ZIM. By that time, Eremeev was the most experienced of the new team, the only one who worked on the scale of the whole car. The name of the new car was "Pobeda-M21". Lipgarth was unable to complete the car. He was exiled as a simple engineer to the UralZIS plant in Chelyabinsk.
The second generation of Victory was brought to a natural plaster model. A three-volume sedan with the same wheelbase as the M20, a "blank" rear roof pillar, ZIM-Packard rear fenders, half-covered wheel arches and four predatory fangs on the bumper. There was nothing new in this project. He did not have his own engine or transmission. The work did not go further than the layout.
In 1953, the GAZ bodybuilder, the Englishman John Williams (real name Thomas Botting), began to create the M21. He started out as a layout designer at a factory in England. Later, Botting ended up in Spain, where he participated in the battles for the republic and from there, as an honored warrior-internationalist, he ended up in the USSR, where he was sent to GAZ in the body design bureau. Among his sketches were three-volume sedans with wide panoramic windows, and two-volume sedans with a very aviation drop-shaped rear end, and even a five-door hatchback. Only the two-volume sedan reached the stage of the plaster model. Predatory mouth in front, sloping "Pobedovskiy" back, wings passing into keels in the American manner. The wheelbase is 50 cm shorter than the base of the M20. This model was called the M21 "Zvezda". She was driven in parallel with another machine, with which she shared the calculations of the engine, transmission, economic indicators and the model shop. With the Car of Lev Eremeev, which in the end will receive the name "Volga".
This is what John Williams' GAZ-21 Star was supposed to look like
In 1953, Vladimir Sergeevich Soloviev was appointed chief designer of the GAZ department dealing with passenger cars. Alexander Nevzorov was put in place of Solovyov for the development of the M21 machine. In November, Nevzorov began assembling a new car. For her, an overhead valve, all-aluminum engine with a cast crankshaft and wet liners, with a volume of 2445 cm 3 is being prepared. 2 gearboxes were prepared for the car. The first domestic automatic gearbox intended for general use models and a mechanical gearbox for the "taxi" variant. In addition to the "automatic machine", there were also innovations: a front sofa that folds out in a couple of minutes into a relatively flat and soft bed and a centralized lubrication system steering rod joints).
The first experimental Volga, 1955
The very first prototype of the Volga, cherry red, was manufactured in March 1955 and had a manual transmission. Two more examples, blue and white, built in April, had an automatic transmission. It was not possible to make the fourth copy by the May holidays. The fourth prototype, ivory with a dark roof, was built in May 1955. Later, it was transferred to the radio plant in the city of Murom for the final debugging of the A-9 radio receiver intended for the Volga.
In addition, all the cars had slight external differences, mainly differed in the number of slots in the radiator grille - from 10 to 16, the design of lighting equipment, interior, and so on.
On May 3, 1955, only 3 cars went for testing. Part of the tests was the Moscow - Crimea run and back.
The magazine Ogonyok wrote in July: "A few tens of kilometers from Simferopol, on the territory of the state farm" Path to Communism ", in a dense thicket of bushes lies an abandoned clayey lane. It seemed unnatural to see a beautiful car, born for high speeds, floundering in deep ruts of flimsy mud Scattering columns of water, it jumps over swollen ditches, scrapes out of the sucking sand. The Volga must pass where the Victory took place, and tests have shown that it even surpasses its predecessor in cross-country ability. " participated Pobedy, ZIMs and "foreign analogues". The press was especially happy about the fact that during the rally one of the Volga's "sparring partners" - the Englishman Standard Vanguard - collapsed.
The field tests were successful, more important ones were ahead - the presentation of the beauty in the Kremlin. In the Kremlin, the novelty was presented to the legendary Marshal Georgy Zhukov, Minister of Defense of the USSR and Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikolai Bulganin. The chairman of the commission, Zhukov, as a military man and accustomed to severity, could not criticize anything. There was nothing to find fault with, so he scolded the "shark grin" of the radiator grille. At that time, it looked like a second-issue grille, that is, with a stamped grille with wide vertical slots. And this fully confirms its originality. Designers and constructors were given two weeks, and they very well came up with a star, attached to the horizontal bars, like on marshal's shoulder straps. In 1955, there could be no complaints about the star!
The first series of GAZ-21, "Volga with a star"
So the first modification of the 21 Volga was born, called in the common people "Volga with a star". The first three production cars left the assembly line on October 10, 1956, but the assembly of the cars was put on stream only by December.
In the fall and winter of 1956, eight Volgas (apparently, three experienced in 1954-55 and five from the experimental-industrial series of 1956 with the name M-21G) covered 29 thousand kilometers along the roads of Russia, the Baltic States, Ukraine, Belarus and the Caucasus.
In 1957, on June 30, the Molotov State Plant became the Gorky Automobile Plant, the ZIM car was renamed GAZ-12, and the M21 became GAZ-21.
Until June 1957, the car was equipped with a modified, bored Pobedovskiy low-valve engine with a capacity of 65 horsepower. A total of 1100 of these "intermediate" cars were produced in the standard, tropical version and in the "taxi" version and only with a manual transmission. The maximum speed of this modification is 120 km / h.
The production of a completely new engine, the ZMZ-21 - an overhead valve, with a wedge-shaped combustion chamber, with a full-support crankshaft (moreover, cast, not forged), a head and block cast from an aluminum alloy, with "wet" type cylinder liners - began in mid-1957 g. It has become lighter than its predecessor by 15 kg. It existed in two versions with different compression ratios for different grades of gasoline (70 and 80 forces at 4000 rpm).
The plant produced Volga of the first release until the end of 1958. Just over 30,000 machines were manufactured. With the first release, the automatic transmission also practically disappeared from the series. In total, 700 cars were produced with a machine gun.
At the end of 1958, the plant began production of the Volga GAZ-21 of the second release. It featured front wheel arches (slightly higher) and improved trim. In addition, many "childhood" illnesses have been eliminated. The radiator grille with a star has also been removed. Its place was taken by a lattice, repeating the experimental sample, with 16 vertical holes.
GAZ-21 "second release"
Cars produced at the end of 1958 - the very beginning of 1959 are usually called "transitional", and the release of 1959-1962 - "second series" ("second release").
The exhibition premiere of the Volga of the second series took place in the spring of 1958 at the World Industrial Exhibition in Brussels. To the amazement of exhibitors, the most prestigious award of the exhibition - "Grand Prix" - went to the Soviet passenger cars... The Volga with the M-21 index, the Chaika and the GAZ-52 truck became the culprits of an unprecedented event in the history of the domestic auto industry.
With the second release, windshield washers with a foot pump, reflectors on the rear lights, a leatherette-covered instrument panel with a new radio receiver appeared on the Volga. In 1960, it was decided to abandon the centralized lubrication system.
In 1960, the Belgian company Scaldia organized the assembly of Volga from kits. A diesel engine was installed in the finished sedan (without an engine). First it was Parkins 1.6L (48 HP), since 1963 - Rover 2.3L (62 HP), since 1964 Indenor-Peugeot 1.9L (58 HP). During the assembly, until 1967, 167 diesel cars were assembled, mainly for the Benelux and Northern Europe.
During the second release (until April 1962), 150 thousand sedans were assembled. Later, along with the original grille, the deer mascot and the thick bumpers were abolished. This is the last, third issue.
GAZ-21 "third release"
The body itself remains the same. But its silhouette has lost the ponderousness of previous modifications. Fangs have disappeared from the bumpers, and the bumpers themselves have become more elegant. Now only the upper part was covered with chrome, and the lower, apron, was painted in the body color. The front bumper has acquired a wedge shape in plan. Instead of 16 wide holes, 36 narrow holes appeared in the radiator grille. In chauffeur's slang it was called "whalebone". New side lights have been integrated with the cladding, which extend onto the sidewall of the fender. Taillights lost their steel frame, they were cast from plastic together with the reflector. The new license plate lamp on the trunk has taken the shape of a soaring seagull. The hood was no longer fitted with a longitudinal molding and a figure of a deer, which caused serious injuries when colliding with pedestrians, but more often became a victim of vandalism. The new logo on the hood was borrowed from the Seagull. The only difference is that its chrome frame had two horizontal wings. The front suspension has also undergone changes - instead of lever shock absorbers (Victory scheme), they began to install telescopic ones. The suspension has become stiffer. The fabric headlining has been replaced with washable faux leather.
At this time, several more machines were being tested at the plant. GAZ-21 "Semi-truck", GAZ-22 "Universal", GAZ-22A "Freight" van, GAZ-22B "Nurse", GAZ-23 "Spetsavtomobil" and a modified GAZ-21 with right-hand drive. All names of those years.
GAZ-22 "Universal"
A 5-seater station wagon with a horizontally split tailgate. With the rear sofa folded down, the car could carry bulky cargo weighing 400 kg.
Right-hand drive sedans were produced about 100 pieces. Mainly for Indonesia, Cyprus, Great Britain and Sweden, where until 1967 there was an "English" movement.
GAZ-23 there was a car for the special services. It began to be designed in 1959 by order of the KGB of the USSR, a group of designers led by B. Dekhtyar. The car was equipped with a 160-horsepower eight-cylinder engine from "Chaika" (based on ZMZ-13) with a volume of 5.53 liters with an automatic transmission and power steering. For camouflage, the two exhaust pipes were asymmetrically combined into one. To compensate for the pitch of the body to the front axle from overload under a heavy engine, the rear axle was also loaded, placing 100 kilogram ballast on the bottom of the trunk. The rear shock absorbers were left lever-operated. The body of the car was seriously strengthened, in particular, it had front spars reinforced with welding of additional metal strips and a completely original radiator mask, which was different in shape from the GAZ-21. The weight of the car has increased by more than 300 kg. Due to the severe temperature conditions, the braking system was significantly modified - the car received new brake drums made according to the original technology, brake pads with increased wear resistance. The original brake fluid ASA based on isoamyl alcohol mixed with castor oil. This car does not appear in any popular catalog. The car developed a speed of 170 km / h, and acceleration to "hundreds" took 16 s (versus 34 s for GAZ-21). From 1962 to 1970, 603 copies of the GAZ-23 were produced.
In 1965, the last minor changes were introduced to the GAZ-21.
Three issues of GAZ-21
Corrosion protection and painting
Given the harsh road and climatic conditions that prevailed in most of the USSR, the car body was subjected to very good, by the standards of those years, protection against corrosion, as well as a complex multi-stage painting process.
The anti-corrosion treatment process was called phosphating. Phosphating is a process of chemical treatment of steel products by the formation of a layer of water-insoluble phosphate compounds on the metal surface. Phosphating was carried out by immersing the complete body in six special baths with chemical solutions. The first bath contained a caustic soda-based degreasing solution, the rest - a phosphating compound based on zinc monophosphate with nitrate and copper carbonate. The treatment was carried out at 60-80 degrees for 1.5-4 minutes in each bath with intermediate spraying of the body with the same solutions from special nozzles.
As a result of phosphating, a phosphate film from gray to dark gray was formed on the surface of the body, which has high strength and protective properties. After phosphating, the bodies were immediately primed with an oil primer by dipping, which provided soil access to surfaces inaccessible with other methods of application.
After manual grinding, a primer-putty of the GF-0182 brand of yellow color was applied to the outer surfaces of the body (the famous "yellow putty", well known to those who prepared Volg bodies for painting - the strength of this layer is such that they often try to preserve it when repainting, without resorting to cleaning the surface to bare metal and without touching the factory phosphating).
Then, all kinds of defects in the body surface were manually corrected with the help of various putties, grouts, sealing pastes and TPF-37 plastic mass (which replaced the tin that was previously used for the same purposes).
After that, an intermediate layer of gray putty No. 188 was applied to the outer surfaces in order to increase the thickness of the protective layer, and sent to the drying chamber, where all the applied layers were dried at a temperature of 130 degrees for 35 minutes.
On the body prepared in this way, a protective mastic was applied to the bottom, final grinding was carried out, controlling the surface quality with a rubber bar (when sliding with its edge over the surface of the body, it had to completely remove moisture and not leave behind shiny unpolished places), removed the remaining moisture drying for 10 minutes at a temperature of 100-110 degrees. The last stage of preparation for painting was a thorough examination and elimination of the found defects using an alkyd-styrene putty, which dries at room temperature in 4-5 minutes.
After that, the body was completely ready for painting with both nitro and synthetic enamels. Note that this is a 1963 process description; before and after this point, there may have been significant differences in technology.
The prepared body was painted. Until the early sixties, all bodies were painted with nitro enamels in 5 layers, and black cars - in 7 layers, with intermediate drying polishing each. This gave a coating with excellent gloss, high hardness and satisfactory weather resistance.
In the early sixties, for most bodies, synthetic enamel was introduced, which was applied in only two layers - "developing" and the main one, with each drying in a heat chamber at a high temperature. Only black cars were painted with nitro enamel to achieve high decorative effect. Representative models of the car factory were painted using the same technology.
A sophisticated, multi-stage painting technology was aimed at achieving high anti-corrosion properties of the coating and increasing the service life of the car before repainting or overhaul... The results of such a thorough approach are still visible in well-preserved Volga specimens in factory paint.
Technical characteristics of GAZ 21
| Number of places | 5 (4 and 1 on a stretcher for GAZ-21D) |
|---|---|
| Base, mm | 2700 |
| Overall dimensions, mm: | |
| - length | 4830 |
| - width | 1800 |
| - height (no load) | 1620 |
| Track, mm: | |
| - front wheels | 1410 |
| - rear wheels | 1420 |
| The smallest turning radius along the track of the outer wheel, no more, m | 6,3 |
| Vehicle weight (dry), kg | 1350 (1450 for GAZ-21D) |
| Maximum speed, km / h | 130 (120 for GAZ-21D) |
| Fuel consumption per 100 km (when driving on the highway), l | 11.5 (12.0 for GAZ-21D) |
| ENGINE | |
| Type of | Gasoline, four-stroke, carburetor |
| Arrangement of cylinders | Vertical, in one row |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Working volume, l | 2,445 |
| Cylinder diameter, mm | 92 |
| Piston stroke, mm | 92 |
| Maximum power (at the appropriate compression ratio and octane number of gasoline) in hp - 75 at e = 6.7 and octane number 72; 85 at 8 = 7.65 and octane number 80 | |
| Crankshaft revolutions per minute | 4000 |
| The greatest torque, kgm | 17 at 8 = 6.7; 18 at e = 7.65 |
| TRANSMISSION | |
| Clutch | Single disc, dry, hydraulically driven |
| Transmission | Mechanical, three-stage, with synchronizers between second and third gears |
| Gear ratios: | |
| - first gear | 3,115 |
| - second gear | 1,772 |
| - third gear | 1,000 |
| - reverse | 3,738 |
| Cardan transmission | Open type. Has two shafts and three joints, as well as an intermediate support |
| main gear | 4,55 |
| Final drive ratio | 4,55 |
| Differential | Conical with two satellites |
| Half-shafts | Flanged, semi-balanced type |
| CHASSIS | |
| Suspension: | |
| - front | Independent, on wishbones, with coiled coil springs: mounted on a detachable cross member |
| - back | Leaf springs, on longitudinal semi-elliptical leaf springs. Springs are enclosed in covers |
| Anti-roll bar | Torsion type. Located in front of the front suspension |
| Shock absorbers | Hydraulic, telescopic, double-acting (4 pcs.) |
| Tires | Low pressure, tubeless or tubeless |
| CONTROL MECHANISMS | |
| Steering | Double Roller Globoid Worm |
| Brakes: | |
| - leg | Shoe, on all wheels; hydraulic drive |
| - manual | Central, drum type; cable drive |
| ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT | |
| Wiring system | Single-wire; negative pole is connected to "mass" |
| Rated voltage, V | 12 |
| Radio | Tri-band, push-button tuning |
| BODY | |
Closed, load-bearing, all-metal |
|
Modifications
| 21 | VI.57-58 |
The basic model of the first issue. with automatic machine. KP, 70hp |
| 21A | (first release) Taxi based on 21B | |
| 21AU | (first issue) Tropical Variant 21A | |
| 21A | (second issue) Taxi based on 21I (indexes did not change) | |
| 21AU | (second issue) Tropical version 21A | |
| 21B | Taxi based on 21G, pilot batch | |
| 21B | The basic model of the first issue. with mechanical KP, 70hp | |
| 21ВЮ | Tropical version 21B | |
| 21G | The basic model of a pilot production batch with a 65 hp LPG engine. | |
| 21GU | Tropical version 21G | |
| 21D | Export version 21B, 80 hp | |
| 21DU | Tropical option 21D June | |
| 21E | Export version 21. with automatic KP, 80 hp | |
| 21EU | Tropical option 21E | |
| 21I | Basic model of the second edition with mechanical KP, 70 hp, | |
| 21K | Export version 21I, 80 hp | |
| 21KU | Tropical version 21K | |
| 21KB | 21K machine set for assembly in Belgium at Scaldia-Volga. | |
| 21L | Basic model of the third edition with mechanical KP, 75 hp | |
| 21M | Export version 21L | |
| 21MU | Tropical version 21M | |
| 21H | Option 21M right-hand drive | |
| 21NYu | Tropical version 21H | |
| 21P | Option 21P right-hand drive | |
| 21PE | Option 21P with automatic gearbox | |
| 21Р | The base model of the third is modernized. no. 75 h.p. | |
| 21C | Export version 21P with forced. up to 85 hp engine | |
| 21СЮ | Tropical version 21C, 85 hp | |
| 21T | Taxi based on 21L | |
| 21TS | Taxi based on 21Р | |
| 21US | Export version 21Р, 75 hp | |
| 21F | Experimental model with prechamber engine | |
| 21E | Option 21C with shielded electrical equipment | |
| 22 | Station wagon. Base model 75 hp | |
| 22B | Ambulance 75 HP | |
| 22BK | Boosted to 85 hp option 22B | |
| 22BKYU | Tropical version 22BK | |
| 22BM | Export version 22B (BK) | |
| 22BMU | Tropical version 22BM | |
| 22B | Basic model | |
| 22G | Export version 22.75 hp | |
| 22GU | Tropical version 22G | |
| 22D | Ambulance | |
| 22E | Export version 22B 75 hp | |
| 22nd | Tropical version 22E | |
| 22K | Boosted to 85 hp export version 22G | |
| 22KE | Option 22K with shielded electrical equipment | |
| 22M | Boosted to 85 hp export version 22E | |
| 22MU | Tropical version 22M | |
| 22H | Export version 22B with right hand drive | |
| 22NYu | Tropical version 22H | |
| 23 | Special vehicle with V8 engine and automatic gearbox | |
| 23A | Special car with V8 engine and manual gearbox | |
| 23A1 | Specially equipped version 23A | |
| 23B | Export Option 23 |
Interior
Myth one: GAZ M-21 was "torn apart" with the Ford Mainline (myth)
Many Soviet cars had. For example, the first Gorky models GAZ-A and GAZ-M1 were close relatives of American Ford cars, the VAZ "penny" was a modified version, and was created on the basis of the French Simca-1308. The degree of "kinship" of all these cars was different, but the public and private copying of the design solutions and even the design of some foreign cars did exist. That is why many motorists believe that the first generation Volga was also created on the basis of a foreign-made car - and more specifically, it was allegedly shamelessly “ripped off” from the 1954 Ford Mainline.
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In addition, other American sedans of those years, for example, the Chevrolet Bel Air and Plymouth Savoy, are indicated as "sources". Indeed, these American cars, along with some other classmates, were carefully studied by the designers of the Volga, and this practice has been generally accepted in the world since the beginning of the twentieth century. However, the purpose of such a close acquaintance was not a blind copying of the design, but a comparison of these machines - including the "confrontation" on tests with prototypes of the future "twenty-first". The aforementioned Ford and Chevrolet models were even purchased by the USSR in order to disassemble and properly study the automatic transmission, which had not been used on Soviet cars until that time.
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In the exterior of the Volga, you can find some common elements with the "Americans", however, we are not talking about direct imitation, but only about rethinking the design motives that were relevant at that time - the so-called "aerostyle" characteristic of the overseas design school.
Moreover, in terms of technology, the Volga significantly differed from Ford and Chevrolet for a simple reason - due to a certain unification of transmission units and chassis with the previous Gorky models like Victory and ZIM. That is why the designer Lev Eremeev cannot be accused of either plagiarism or direct borrowing of someone else's solutions. From the outside, the Volga looked like a Ford Mainline no less and no more than another modern car of those years. Indeed, if desired, our car can be found in appearance not only with American sedans of the same model year, but also with the French Simca Vedette of 1954, the English Standard Vanguard of 1955 and the Australian Holden Special of 1956.
Pre-production copies differed in some details from the production M-21. Pay attention to the solution of the radiator grill - not a "star", as in the first series, but a "shark's mouth", as in the second!
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In addition, the M-21 prototype numbered 1 was assembled by hand at the beginning of 1954, while a "live" copy of the Ford Mainline appeared at GAZ not earlier than the middle of 1954, and its tests began only in November.
Myth two: the Volga was collected abroad (true)
It sounds surprising, but it is a fact: Volga was really released abroad! The assembly (or rather, the assembly) of cars under the name Scaldia-Volga in 1960 was started by the Belgian importer - the company Scaldia-Volga S.A., which imported Soviet cars to Europe. Volga Belgian assembly differed from the Soviet car "heart": under the hood instead of the usual 4-cylinder ZMZ engines there were more economical diesel engines of several brands - Indenor-Peugeot, Perkins and Rover.
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Belgian company Scaldia-Volga S.A. carried out not only import, but also "dieselization" of the Volga
Such a move was supposed to increase the interest of zealous Europeans in the spacious, but gluttonous Soviet passenger car. And in order to "consolidate the effect", Scaldia even decided to order a small "restyling" of the Volga for the Italian bodywork studio Ghia, but almost at the same time, GAZ itself presented a car of the so-called second series, which was quite significantly different from the "star" in appearance. The scale of the Volga assembly production in Belgium was scanty: in total, until 1967, 166 "twenty-firsts" with diesel engines were assembled.
Export modifications of the "twenty-first" could be visually distinguished by a richer body finish. Depending on the series, the power of the export Volgas was 5-10 hp higher than usual. and ranged from 75 to 85 hp.
On the basis of the technical documentation of the M-21 in China, they created the "Red East" - the Dongfanghong BJ760 car. Technically, it almost completely repeated the Soviet prototype, but from the outside the car from the Middle Kingdom was noticeably different from the Volga. In the period from 1959 to 1969, only about 600 "Dongfanghongs" were manufactured, which was explained by the significant amount of manual labor and the lack of mass production of this car.
To countries with left-hand traffic supplied "right-hand drive" Volga in export version, but Soviet production.
Myth three: tinned body (myth)
One of the most enduring myths associated with the first Volga is the tinning of body parts, which is believed by many former and current owners of the "twenty-first", as well as fans of cars with a deer on the hood.
In fact, until 1962, for a number of reasons, tin was used at GAZ for processing welds and leveling the outer panels of the body. This made it possible to get rid of technological defects in a relatively simple and fast way... Finding areas of tin at body repair, in the USSR and began to believe in the tinned body of the Volga, which explained its high resistance to corrosion.
The Volga did not rust much, both due to careful operation and due to the use of Belgian metal for the manufacture of body parts, as well as its high-quality processing, which included phosphating and double priming by immersion.
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Starting with the so-called "third series", TPF plastic was used to align body elements in Gorky.
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American style: for an additional fee, the Volga body could be painted in two colors. But this did not affect the durability of paintwork and metal.
Another popular misconception is associated with the thickness of the metal - in the Soviet Union it was believed that according to this parameter, the "twenty-first" could be compared, if not with a tank, then at least with a truck. However, in reality, only the bottom and the roof were stamped from two-millimeter metal, while the thickness of the rest of the Volga's body elements ranged from 0.9 to 1.2 mm. And the curb weight of the car was not "almost two tons", as many contemporaries claimed, but 1,460 kg.
The fourth myth: Gagarin had his own Volga (true)
In 1961, the world's first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin received a black GAZ-21I with a 70-horsepower engine as a reward for conquering space from the team of the Gorky Automobile Plant. However, the black Volga with license plate 78-78 MOD differed from the usual "twenty-first" series of the "Gagarinskaya" Volga except for the light blue interior color. Moreover, chrome nameplates with the inscription "Volga" from a later release on the front fenders of Gagarin's car appeared in 1963, when he visited the Gorky Automobile Plant. After the death of Yuri Alekseevich in 1968, a car with a mileage of about 90,000 kilometers has been stored since 1971 in a glass garage specially created for it near the house-museum of the first Soviet cosmonaut in the city of Gagarin, Smolensk region.
Volga was not the only car of Yuri Gagarin. However, he quite actively used his "twenty-first"
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But People's Artist Yuri Nikulin owned not a sedan, but a station wagon model GAZ-22, which was sold to the favorite of millions in the first half of the sixties after Nikulin in writing argued the need to purchase a "universal" Volga. Indeed, unlike the sedan, the “twenty-second” could have been obtained in private hands not earlier than the beginning of the seventies - and even then in a pretty shabby form, being written off from some state institution.
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Yuri Nikulin was an exception to the rule - he got the GAZ-22 station wagon for personal use
Myth five: six-cylinder engine (myth)
American cars of this class were equipped with six- and eight-cylinder engines. Therefore, there was a legend that the six-cylinder engine should have appeared on the "twenty-first", but ... it did not work out.
However, for the Volga, a different layout was initially chosen - a four-cylinder, with an overhead valve arrangement, a hemispherical combustion chamber and a timing chain drive. Running tests have shown that the prototypes of this 2.5-liter engine are not very economical and insufficiently powerful. In addition, the specific design of the cylinder head imposed certain technological restrictions, which is why it was decided to use a different engine. If the first versions (until mid-1957) used the GAZ-21B lower-valve engine, which was an upgraded version of the Pobeda engine, then later production cars were equipped with the ZMZ-21A overhead valve engine, which was originally created for the GAZ-56 "lorry" did not go into mass production.
The designers remained faithful to the four-cylinder scheme "run-in" at Victory for a simple reason - it was believed that, taking into account the class and purpose of the car, such an engine with a capacity of about 70 hp would be enough for it, while six-cylinder engines remained the prerogative of the representative ZIM and GAZ trucks. 51/52.
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But about 600 Volgas of the first generation at the plant were equipped with ... V-shaped "eight"! True, not massively and serially, but in preparation. Fulfilling the order of the KGB of the USSR, in Gorky installed under the hood of the "twenty-first" V8 engine from, which developed an impressive 195 hp. Thanks to this, the Gorky "catch-up" accelerated to 100 km / h in 17 seconds (versus 34 seconds for the standard Volga), and its maximum speed reached 170 km / h.
Myth six: automatic transmission (true)
In the early fifties, the chief designer of the plant, Andrei Aleksandrovich Lipgart, began designing the future Volga. For the first time in domestic practice, as conceived by the designer new model was supposed to receive an automatic transmission. That is why, after the transfer of Lipgart to UralZIS, the Gorky Automobile Plant acquired a Chevrolet Bel Air with a two-stage automatic transmission and a Ford Mainline with a more modern three-band transmission. The tests carried out showed that the Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, which was developed by BorgWarner at the request of Henry Ford's company, will be able to coexist with the Volga engine.
In the early fifties, Ford actively promoted its automatic transmission.
The test run to the Black Sea, carried out in the summer of 1955, showed the "survivability" of the Soviet "machine gun", created in the image and likeness of the "Fordomatic", but structurally adapted for a four-cylinder engine.
Why is such a transmission almost never found on production cars? Despite the misconception that all Volgas of the first series (the so-called "star") were equipped with an "automatic" machine, in reality only about 800 cars of 1957-1958 received this innovation, while the remaining 98% of the "stars" of this period were equipped with the usual three-stage mechanics. According to some reports, about the same number of cars with "automatic" were produced in 1959.
