GAZ Gorky Automobile Plant GAZ 69 (diecast 1:43, Hongwell / Nash Avtoprom)

This is GAZ 69. The model is made by Hongwell for Nash Avtoprom in scale 1:43.

The traditionally poor condition of Russian roads was one of the reasons that excellent all-terrain vehicles were created in the USSR. Some of them were used only in the most remote corners of the country, however, there were also ubiquitous cross-country vehicles. Perhaps the most famous among them was the GAZ 69 in the first post-war decades. This car was used in the city and in the villages, in the army and in civilian life, in the fire and medical service, it could be seen at airfields and in pioneer camps. Having mastered many professions, GAZ-69 fully justified the name "Worker" assigned to it by the designers, but in history it remained under the more frivolous nickname "Kozlik".

History of creation
On June 19, 1945, two new cars created at the Gorky Automobile Plant were shown in the Moscow Kremlin. The first of them was the later widely known truck GAZ-51, the second - the no less famous "Pobeda", GAZ M-20. Telling I.V. Stalin about these machines, the chief designer of GAZ Lipgart noted that the development of another new product, which he simply called a "tractor", would soon be completed. Oddly enough, this short phrase Lipgart became the first public mention of the future GAZ-69 all-terrain vehicle.

At that time, the Red Army was still saturated with various American vehicles received under Lend-Lease, primarily the Wilis. They were gradually replaced by the Soviet GAZ-67, a simple and reliable vehicle, very popular among the troops. But this first Gorky jeep had a very serious flaw, which no modernization would have allowed fixing: it was too small, not roomy enough car.
Therefore, back in 1944, when the mass production of the GAZ-67 had just begun, one of the designers who took part in its creation, G.M. Wasserman, began designing a larger and more sophisticated car.

When Lipgart reported about the "tractor" to Stalin, the general idea of the future of the GAZ-69 had already formed. It should be noted that when creating all new models, GAZ designers tried to make them as unified as possible. This greatly facilitated the "fine-tuning" of the machines, and the organization of serial production, and subsequent operation. The main "reference point" in the development of the GAZ-69 was "Pobeda", at the same time this jeep has a lot in common with other post-war Gorky cars, for example, the GAZ-51 and GAZ-63 trucks.

The new all-terrain vehicle inherited from the GAZ-67 only the mocking nicknames - "Kozlik" and "Bobik". Such a refusal to use the accumulated experience and proven structural elements may seem strange, but the explanation is quite simple: the first Soviet jeep was also unified, but with pre-war cars, which by 1945 were already outdated and not produced. Further production of the corresponding units and components was not planned, which meant that the GAZ-67 would inevitably have to be abandoned in the coming years.

In October 1947, the first prototype of the new car was manufactured. On board was the inscription "Worker" - the designers believed that in the future this will be the official name of the machine, but this did not happen. The novelty was assigned the factory index GAZ-69-76, and the army used the designation ATK-L, which was deciphered as "light wheeled artillery tractor".
Factory tests of the car were carried out with a trailer, which in its weight approximately coincided with an 82-mm mortar, because in the army the car had to drive around with just such a load or, as an option, with a light anti-tank gun. In 1949, prototypes of a new jeep, and then at least three of them were manufactured, took part in the run of the ZiS-151 and GAZ-63 trucks as auxiliary vehicles.

The following year, the new jeep was compared with the old one - GAZ-69 and GAZ-67B competed both on the highway and off-road. This test showed that the promising car consumes much less fuel with a noticeably higher curb weight, while the old car is slightly better in cross-country ability. The military believed that the GAZ 69 did not require technical characteristics that would make it possible to drive it directly on the front line, so they considered its all-terrain qualities to be quite sufficient.

It would seem that all the prerequisites were in place to start serial production, however, politics suddenly intervened in the work of GAZ: a campaign to combat "cosmopolitanism" was launched in the country, within which the chief designer of the Lipgart plant was fired, as well as many other highly qualified engineers ... As a result, the GAZ-69 appeared on the assembly line only in August 1953.
By this time, the car has changed somewhat. In an effort to meet the requirements of military customers, the designers increased the engine power to 55 horsepower, which made it possible to increase the maximum speed and weight of the car. In addition, a five-door version of the jeep was developed under the designation GAZ-69-77, better known as GAZ 69A. At the same time, it was not possible to increase the clearance of the all-terrain vehicle, which did not quite meet the initial technical specifications.

Soon after the transition to mass production, it became clear that the need for a new SUV is extremely high. In addition, there was also interest in the car abroad. Meanwhile, the Gorky Automobile Plant could not significantly increase the production of GAZ-69, since it was already loaded with massive orders. As a result, it was decided to transfer the production of a new jeep to the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant. At the same time, it was not only about the transfer of technical documentation, but also about the secondment of a whole design team to Ulyanovsk.

The first six cars under the new designation UAZ-69 were manufactured by the end of 1954, but it was still a "screwdriver assembly". Two years later, UAZ managed to establish mass production from its own components. It must be said that the car was still mainly called "gazik" or GAZ-69, ignoring the inscription on the hood.
The last of these cars rolled off the assembly line in 1973. For 20 years of serial production, the design of the machine has been repeatedly changed. In particular, the characteristics of the brakes have improved, the front axle has been replaced, and the suspension has been strengthened. On the basis of the GAZ-69, many specialized vehicles were created that successfully solved both military and peaceful tasks.
Description of the structure
GAZ-69 is an all-wheel drive off-road vehicle built on a solid supporting frame. Its design is not very complex, however, this car is still much more perfect than the most simplified jeeps of the war years.

Design
At first glance, the GAZ-69 may seem like a direct heir to an older jeep - the GAZ-67. The similarity is enhanced when the canvas top is removed from the machine. In fact, B.N. Pankratov, the designer of the Gorky Automobile Plant, who was responsible for the design of the car, relied on other samples. Today it is not so obvious, and in the 50s, most people noted that the GAZ-69 looks a lot like a scaled-down version of the GAZ-63 truck. The front view is the most typical in this respect.

Body
The GAZ-69 SUV was serially produced with two significantly different body types. The first of them, bearing the index 76, was equipped with two doors. In front, on the seats, the driver and one of the passengers were accommodated, and six more people could be transported on longitudinally located benches, which were located on a cargo platform ending with a tailgate.

The body of model 77, used for the production of GAZ-69A cars, was equipped with four doors and was designed to carry five people, three of whom were located in the rear transverse seat, much more comfortable than the bench. In addition, there is a trunk for transporting goods. Such all-terrain vehicles were called either command or "agricultural": they were often used by the chairmen of collective farms.
Both body types are open. A removable tarpaulin awning was used to protect against rain or cold. It was installed on a special frame made of metal, and a windshield frame was used as a support. The awning was complemented by tarpaulin overlays, which were attached to the upper part of the doors and were equipped with windows (there could be two or four of them).

During the trip, the windshield could be slightly opened forward and upward (in the same way as on the GAZ-63) or completely folded onto the hood. The latter was allowed only when the awning was folded. The heating system, in terms of its characteristics and principle of operation, coincides with those that were installed on the post-war Gorky trucks: the lower part of the cabin warms up only while driving, in parking lots hot air is supplied only to the inner side of the windshield.

Engine
The power plant of the GAZ-69 is a slightly modified engine from the "Pobeda" passenger car with a working volume of 2.12 liters, which differs from the base sample, first of all, by a slightly increased power (from 50 to 55 horsepower). This engine, which received the same designation as the car itself - GAZ-20, was far from as gluttonous as the one used on the old GAZ-67, while successfully accelerating the car on the highway to 90 km / h.

The economy was "bought" by reducing the maximum torque. Therefore, the car had to be equipped with a two-stage demultiplier. The fuel used was gasoline with an octane rating of 66 - the same as on the Gorky trucks.
The engine is equipped with a pre-heating system, almost the same as on the GAZ-63 cargo all-terrain vehicle - it meant the use of a blowtorch inserted into the fire tube, the entrance to which was located in the left front fender. A jet of flame warmed up the boiler located under the hood, the temperature of the coolant increased, and the engine could be started relatively easily.

Steering and brakes
The GAZ-69 is much easier to drive than its “predecessor”, the GAZ-67 jeep. The reason for this was the use of the steering mechanism, which was previously installed on the "Pobeda". Its gear ratio averaged 18.2. The rods are located in front of the bridge and are of tubular design. The steering wheel, located to the left of the longitudinal axis of the machine, is made of plastic, fixed to a metal frame and has three spokes.

The parking brake is a drum brake; when dismantling it, you do not need to disassemble the hubs. The foot brakes are hydraulically operated, and all four wheels of the machine are equipped with pads.
Chassis, transmission and tires
The supporting element of the GAZ-69 is a frame consisting of two closed spars connected by six cross members. It is made of sheet steel by stamping. The main elements of the car's suspension are four springs in the form of half an ellipse and located longitudinally. Each of them is complemented by a hydraulic shock absorber that works both for compression and rebound.

The main part of the GAZ-69 transmission is a three-speed manual gearbox. By its design, it coincides with the manual transmission of the Pobeda car, however, the gear ratios differ:

The first stage - 3.115;
Second stage - 1,772;
Third stage - 1;
Reverse gear - 3.378;
The manual transmission is supplemented with a transfer case with gear ratios of 1.15 and 2.78. The use of the lowest gear is allowed only when the front axle is engaged.

GAZ-69 has three driveshafts - front, rear and intermediate. They all use needle roller bearings.

The front and rear axle housings are identical in design. They consist of two parts - the actual crankcase and the cover. The bridges of the GAZ-63 truck are arranged in a similar way. Since the front wheels are steered by the steering wheel, they are equipped with constant velocity joints and ball joints.
Wheels - steel, made by stamping, deep rim. The tires are equipped with lugs for increased cross-country ability. The size of the tires is 6.5-16 ''.

The data for the main modification are given. GAZ-69A was distinguished by a slightly lower height - 1.92 m. In addition, it was equipped not with two tanks, but one with a capacity of 60 liters. For GAZ 69, fuel consumption per 100 km is about 11 liters (when traveling without a trailer).

In addition to the original GAZ-69 and GAZ-69A, the following main options for an all-wheel drive car were produced:

GAZ-69E. Distinguished due to the presence of shielding, which prevents the creation of interference in the radio range during the operation of the ignition system, starter and other electrical equipment;
GAZ-69M. It was equipped with a motor running on gasoline with an octane rating of 72, a cylinder capacity of 2.432 liters. It is an export modification of an eight-seater SUV with two doors and a tailgate. In terms of fuel consumption, it is comparable to the original model;
GAZ-69ME. The same as the GAZ-69M, but with shielding;
GAZ-69-68 is one of the latest modifications with a modified transmission and chassis. It has been produced since 1968. There were also export versions of GAZ-69-68M and GAZ-69-68ME - the second with shielding;
GAZ-69-68MTE - "tropical" export version of the eight-seater off-road vehicle;
GAZ-69A-68 is the latest modification of an SUV with a five-seater body, changes in design are similar to those of the GAZ-69-68.
In addition, numerous special vehicles were created on the basis of this machine.

A list of just a few of them:

PMG-20, PMG-29 and AShP-4 - vehicles for firefighters. AShP-4 - headquarters version;
GAZ-69 LSD - medical van;
SVP-69M - veterinary ambulance car;
GAZ-69РХ - vehicle for chemical and radiation reconnaissance;
2P26 - a mobile installation for launching anti-tank missiles (Shmel complex);
GAZ-69S - a snowmobile with special tracks;
GAZ-46A - amphibious amphibious vehicle.

The police "gazik" - GAZ-69P deserves special attention. This modification was made on the basis of the eight-seat GAZ-69 in repair shops. A sturdy metal partition with a small window covered with bars was installed behind the driver. Instead of a tarpaulin awning, a permanent metal roof is installed. It was done, which is interesting, at enterprises where prisoners were used as the main working contingent.

The windshield of the GAZ-69P does not fold back, it is rigidly fixed and is part of a permanent closed top. The equipment of the machine is supplemented with a flashing beacon and a loudspeaker. The "corporate" yellow color, although it was generally accepted, was not stipulated by any official standards, as well as the blue stripe with the inscription "Police".
Combat use
In the Soviet army, the GAZ-69 was used very widely, however, there is relatively little information about its participation in real military conflicts. It is known, in particular, that these machines were used by the command staff of the Soviet airborne troops in the suppression of the rebellion in Hungary in 1956. There is no doubt that GAZ-69s were in Czechoslovakia in 1968.

By the time the war in Afghanistan began, the GAZ-69 in the army had mainly been replaced with more modern UAZ-469 off-road vehicles.

The most striking page in the military part of the biography of the GAZ-69 is, apparently, its participation in the Arab-Israeli conflict as a tank destroyer. The first use of the corresponding modification 2P26 was noted during the Six Day War, when Bumblebee missiles fired from a setup mounted on a Soviet jeep destroyed up to 10 Israeli tanks.
The second time, 2P26 scored during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. At that time, only infantry ATGM "Malyutka" could compete with this converted GAZ-69 in terms of the number of hit armored targets.

Some of the 2P26 machines were captured by the Israeli army and were subsequently used, up to the twenty-first century.
Pros and cons
The main advantages of the GAZ-69 car are its unpretentiousness, endurance and excellent cross-country ability.

In addition, it has other advantages:

Simplicity of design and its component compatibility with other Gorky cars;
Much more convenient and comfortable interior compared to the GAZ-67;
Versatility of use, the possibilities for creating various options are practically unlimited;
It is allowed to equip the machine with a diesel engine instead of a gasoline engine. This, of course, already applies to tuning, however, the very presence of such an opportunity is a considerable plus.
Of the minuses, one can note the primitiveness of the tarpaulin top of the body, a stiff suspension, poor noise insulation of the cabin, and clearly insufficient engine power by modern standards. All these disadvantages are caused either by the concept of the car itself, or by the time of its creation.