The history of the GAZ-21 - Legends of USSR

• The history of the GAZ-21 - Legends of USSR

The car "Volga" GAZ-21, as well as the "Victory", has long been a legend. This car era espionage and fashionable, but forbidden in those days of rock 'n' roll. Remember the movie "Beware of the Car"? Its main character, Yuri Detochkin stole it 21th Volga ...

In November 1953, the designer Alexander Nevzorov and designer Leo Eremeev just started work on a new car, and the following year his first prototypes were assembled. To be precise, the factory index model originally designated GAZ-M-21, and only later (in 1965) as the GAZ-21. They were equipped with experimental overhead valve engine with hemispherical combustion chamber and a chain-driven camshaft (it proved to be not so hot as in mass production did not go).

Chief designer of the car GAZ-21 Alexander Nevzorov:

The main car designer Lev Eremeev (from left):

two transmissions have been developed for the new car - automatic and manual. Both were three-way. The main gear was not first hypoid as models released since 1957, and cone. The car had independent front suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers lever. Back, common, independent on the longitudinal semi-elliptic leaf springs. Bus 6, 70-15. With the hood of the car soared chrome deer.

Away in the middle of the hood to the windshield went wide molding. Radiator grille with 10 vertical holes. Taillights included parking lights, brake and indicator lamps - three in one red lens and reversing lamp in chromed steel salary.

"Volga" were equipped with tri-band radio as standard equipment. The exceptions were the modification of a taxi - 21A (later 21T). A taxi instead of whole front of the sofa set, two separate chairs. There was in these modifications and cigarette lighter. Large round clock with the inscription "Made in the USSR" were installed on all versions of the car.

GAZ-21B at the May Day demonstrations amusing superstructure:

Volga GAZ-21T with integrated taximeter:

May 3, 1955 began public testing three samples of "Volga": two with automatic transmission and one - with a manual. Part of the test was run Moscow - Crimea and back. "Ogonyok" magazine in July wrote: "In a few dozen kilometers from Simferopol, on the territory of the farm" Path to Communism "in the thick most shrubs is clay deserted country road unnatural seemed to see the beautiful, born to high speeds the car wallowing in the deep ruts flimsy mud. . Throwing water columns, it jumps bloated ditch to get out of the sucking sand. "Volga" has to go there, which hosted the "Victory", and tests have shown that it even surpasses its predecessor by Proch gence. "

Still from the film "Beware of the Car"

chase scene, I hope, I remember ...

Statement of the GAZ-21 on the conveyor was timed to the World Festival of Youth and Students held in Moscow in the summer of 1957. On the "Volga" the first issue facing the front was made in the same style as in the "victory" of the last series (1955-1958) - three horizontal chrome bar. The upper bar has been laid on the hood, and the lower to close at the edges of the direction indicators. The composition is crowned with a five-pointed star. Car enthusiast, especially not distinguish between versions, and said: "with the star of the Volga."

The emergence of the cladding on the first series of machines - is another story. On the mandatory display of experimental vehicles in the Kremlin look of the front of the car did not like Marshal Zhukov. The plant from Moscow was given an urgent directive: remake. Altered. Marshal Star could not be to the taste. In 1958, when the commander fell into disgrace, came a new directive - remake. By that time, about 31 thousand, "Volga with the Stars" was released.

Own motor vehicle received only in 1957. It was the OHV engine. In 1962, the "Volga" car gets 60. It was enough to cosmetic changes. Body itself has remained the same. But its silhouette has lost the heaviness of the previous versions. With bumpers fangs disappeared. Bumpers themselves are more elegant. Chrome is now covered only the upper part thereof, and the lower, apron, painted in body color. The front bumper has gained in terms of the wedge. The radiator grille 16 instead of the wide openings 36 appear narrow. On the driver's slang it is called "whalebone".

A still from the film "Beware of the Car"

C facing the new sidelights, calling on the wing sidewall have been integrated. Taillights lost steel salary, together with reflectors steel cast from plastic. New license plate light on the trunk took the form of a soaring seagull.

Bird first series:

Birdie second series:

The bird swallow-third series:

In the bonnet no longer installed longitudinal molding and reindeer figurine, which has been the cause of serious injury in a collision with a pedestrian, but more often he became the victim of vandalism. The new logo on the hood was borrowed from "The Seagull." The only difference is that her salary had two chrome horizontal wing. Pomposity previous years was replaced by the lightness and swiftness. The car became visually perceived as completely new. About deer and "herders" a little bit more in detail:

The famous deer that adorn the hood of "Volga", the first and second series, in the final series was not used, not only because of concern about the safety of pedestrians. He has become a magnet for thieves who tore a deer with a car. Therefore, because of its high cost and - most importantly - the possibility of injury, in the late fifties figure deer stopped to put on export cars and taxis, replacing it with "straw" - collapsible streamlined figure elongated.

In 1962, all the decorations from the hood "Volga" was removed - and the deer stand and drop, and a longitudinal molding of two parts. There is evidence that sometimes the traffic police forced the owners of the first and second editions of shooting deer during the passage of inspection.

There is another reason: when it rains, water flows, hitting the deer, flying directly to the windshield, making it difficult to review while driving. But the owners of the GAZ-21 is still planted deer on their car hoods. They bought them in auto parts stores.

Changes were made and the front suspension - rather damper lever (pobedovskaya scheme) were installed telescopic. The suspension became stiffer. Fabric ceiling was replaced with a washable - imitation leather. The base model received the designation 21L - that such hijackings Detochkin Dima Semitsvetova "Beware of the Car").

In the same 1962 model range replenished with 5-seat station wagon GAZ-22 with a horizontally split tailgate. With folded rear couch vehicle could carry large loads of 400 kg. At its base was produced ambulance - GAZ-22B.

In 1965 Eldar Ryazanov takes "Beware of the Car." And at the same time, Gorky plant has carried out the latest upgrades 21 model. In the car were reinforced spars, installed more efficient heating and windscreen wipers. The hub of the front wheels were equipped with roller bearings instead of ball. The basic model with 75-horsepower engine has received 21P index taxi - 21T, wagon - 22B, ambulance - 22e. Top models steel 21US and 21C. The price of the most expensive export modification of 21C (85 l. With.) Amounted in 1965 6455 rubles. A car with a two-tone body was worth as much as 270 rubles more.

Last "Volga" came off the assembly line July 15, 1970. This modification of the vehicle with bodywork 21US 334 312 number, painted in anthracite, took place in the exposition of the factory museum. Total from 1956 to 1970 were produced 638,875 cars GAZ-21 and GAZ-22.

GAZ-21 right-hand drive:

Yes, even models such happened. However, all this was in vain. Even the right wheel and the lack of stars on the grid is not done, "Volga" popular in England, and in the west as a whole. Belgian importer Scaldia Volga even experimented and installed under the hood of the GAZ-21 fuel-efficient diesel engines from Peugeot and Rover, but it is not added to the car's popularity.

Promotional poster for the Belgian gas importer:

The case, largely lay in the fact that the "Volga" was somewhat gluttonous krupnovat and Western countries. And its advantages such as smooth operation and comfortable ride on bad roads, there is not particularly valued, as the problem with that was not there. But its obvious advantages appreciated by people from the closest climate Scandinavian countries, as well as from Greece, which is "famous for" its poor roads. GAZ-21, slightly reworked Italian car atelier Ghia. The biggest changes were the grille. It is unlikely that the Italians take on the revision of modern Russian cars, and "Volga" while even honored with this honor:

Generally speaking, the "Volga", in spite of the rather nice reviews, has not achieved particular popularity in the west. The reasons were different. One of them was not so loved by the star on the grille that hint at the car's origin. Not all Western countries are well regarded by the USSR in those years, as in it they saw the Communist threat.