The first modern Soviet truck

The GAZ-51 (ГАЗ-51) was a multi-purpose truck developed in fact from February 1937 and known at the time as the GAZ-11-51 (ГАЗ-11-51, later GAZ-51). In June 1938 the chassis was ready and basic parts were in place for first initial tests and by January 1939, assembly started. By May 1939 the prototype car ready to be subjected to grusome trials, completed in July 1941. By the summer of 1940, another prototype was also produced, this time with a modified cab. It was presented at the Moscow Exhibition. By September 1940, a second of the type was created for trials, covering32,500 km but converted to gas, staying at the plant for many years. Of course production was about to beging when Operation Barbarossa commenced. The individual components of the final vehicle still made it in many other production vehicles.

Work resumed in 1943, incorporating many war lessons, but changes were quite radical and concerned the engine, hydraulic brakes, cab interior of wheelbase. In this new guise, it could now carry 2.5 t and prompted a variant, the GAZ-63. Prototypes of the improved GAZ-51 arrived for trials in May and September 1944 and they only different by the front part of their body, with two more prototypes made by June 1945. On 19 June 1945, it was presented to government officials on the red square, and production was approved. Serial production only commenced in October 1945, when the first 20 were delivered.

By 1946 already, 3,136 had been delivered. In total the production would reach a staggering 2,500,000 vehicle, albeit estimates differs due to adaptation of various chassis for other uses or confusion with the near-identical GAZ-63. Unlike the latter, the GAZ-51 was a front drive axle only, and it was not suitable to bring supplies and troops off-road; It explains a lower use by the army, only on roads. Many were also sold to the civilian market.

Early Origins

This story began in 1937, when, on instructions from the Council of People's Commissars and through the Foreign Department of the NKVD, part of the drawings of the new Dodge D5 engine with a volume of 3.56 liters was illegally purchased from Chrysler employees for $25 thousand. On this basis, the GAZ-11 lower valve engine was modified to suit local conditions, resized to the metric system and adapted for production in Gorky. The lead designer of the project was Evgeny Agitov, deputy chief designer for engines. Converting inch dimensions to metric gave a slightly smaller working volume - 3.48 liters.

The design differences of the GAZ-11 from the American prototype boiled down to the replacement of the camshaft chain drive with a gear drive and the introduction of a floating oil receiver into the lubrication system. The basic GAZ-11 engine with a cast-iron block head and a compression ratio of 5.6 developed 76 hp. and was first installed in 1938 on a modernized Emka with a phaeton body - model 11-40. A year later, a forced 85-horsepower version of the GAZ-11 A with an aluminum block head and a compression ratio of 6.2 was tested. The GAZ-11A reached the 100-horsepower mark in a two-truckburetor version on the GL-1 racing truck of the 1940 model. Before the Great Patriotic War, GAZ-11 engines were tested by the automobile plant in various conversions: in relation to training aircraft, river boats, armored vehicles and tracked tractors.

The 6-cylinder D-5 engine was used for the first time in a truck in the winter of 1937. A new engine, an enlarged radiator were installed on the standard semi-truck, and a number of cosmetic changes were also made to the front of the truck. Despite the introduction of the GAZ-11 engine into mass production, at the plant at the turn of 1938–1939. They didn’t even think about equipping trucks with such an engine.

There was no talk about a new generation of trucks either. On the contrary, since 1937, the Gorky residents began to implement a program of phased modernization of the lorry: the GAZ-AA truck was turned into a GAZ-MM truck by replacing some of the units with newly developed ones. It is noteworthy that in the history of the automotive industry there is no date that would mark the release of new GAZ-MM trucks. She is absent. In 1937-1941. Something new was introduced into the design of the base truck. As a result, by 1941, the GAZ-MM was already in many ways different from the GAZ-AA of the 1937 model, although in essence it remained the same truck.

Simultaneously with the modernization of the GAZ-AA truck, another group of designers led by Vladimir Kudryavtsev began to develop a second-generation truck under the symbol 51. I note that in the United States, the Ford-AA semi-truck did not last long on the assembly line - until 1933. In the USSR, GAZ-AA was produced until 1949, representing, in fact, a twenty-year-old design. In July 1938, the production of prototypes began, the sets of which were ready by January 1939. The first sample was assembled in December 1938, the second only at the end of 1939 - they were in no hurry to assemble the second. In general, there was no rush to introduce the GAZ-51 into production.

The carrying capacity of the new truck was two tons. The truck was characterized by innovations: all-metal cabin; progressive layout (engine and cabin moved forward, which, with a relatively short base, made it possible to have a fairly long platform). Thanks to the 6-cylinder engine, the dynamic qualities of the truck have significantly increased in comparison with the GAZ-MM. Increasing the safety margin of the structure made it possible to increase the traction force on the hook, thereby expanding the towing capabilities of the vehicle. When developing the truck, the designers tried to correct the main shortcomings of the semi-truck, namely: a weak frame, overstressing the front and rear leaf spring suspension.

The main focus was on increasing strength and overall increasing the reliability of the truck. Aspects such as safety and reducing driver fatigue were taken into account. As for the frame and chassis as a whole, first of all, for the GAZ-51 a new rigid frame was created with a side member height of 150 mm and a rear cross-shaped cross member, which ensures good connection between the side members in the longitudinal direction. Special unloading struts were installed on the rear cross member (rear traverse), in the place where the towing device is attached.

The suspension was made on four semi-elliptic springs with springs at the rear springs. A new type of front axle was introduced into the design of the truck, characterized by increased rigidity of the steering arms, as well as increased dimensions of the steering knuckle and kingpin. The new front axle has significantly increased the vehicle's stability. To help improve the reliability of the new truck, a new type of reinforced steering wheel (type M-1; worm and double roller) and the introduction of two truckdans between the gearbox and the rear axle were called upon. The driver's work should have been ensured by the use of a centrifugal clutch, which required less effort when pressing the pedal. The truck received a modern three-seat streamlined cabin. But in order to introduce continuous production of such booths, it was necessary to purchase expensive dies and re-equip some of the equipment. At that time, the plant could not do this.

A group of designers led by Vitaly Grachev built a series of two- and three-axle all-wheel drive vehicles based on the GAZ-51 in 1939–1940. Simplified cabins were installed on these chassis in the absence of all-metal cabins of the new type:
– GAZ-32 – short-wheelbase vehicle (6x6), project;
– GAZ-33 – standard truck (6x6);
– GAZ-34 – long-wheelbase truck (6x6), project;
– GAZ-62 – short-wheelbase vehicle (4x4);
– GAZ-63 is a standard truck with a wheel arrangement (4x4).

Of these trucks, fate favored only the GAZ-63, a variant of the GAZ-51 with a front drive axle. The “sixty-third” model was a one and a half ton vehicle, capable of climbing inclines up to 30°, fords up to 0.8 m deep, and towing a trailer weighing 2 tons. Formally, in December 1939, after successful tests, such a one and a half vehicle was adopted by the Red Army, but in production never went into production, just like the basic two-ton.

The GAZ 51, true successor of the GAZ AA of the interwar.

In 1945, a rapid comparison between the exiting park of interwar GAZ AA and MM trucks, based on 1929 Ford models, and the WW2 lend-lease US built Chverolet and Studebaker trucks showed quite a gap in technology USSR was eager to catch up with. In 1946 the Studebaker US6 was mass produced as the ZIS-151 but in between a shorter, simpler 4x2 variant was directly derived from it, the GAZ-51, which became in effect the replacement for all interwar Soviet trucks.

In all, the GAZ-51 was made until 1975, with 3,481,0333 built. The GAZ-63 compared to it was a droplet: Production until 1968 "only" reached 474,464, less the licenced versions in Poland and China. The GAZ-63 was essentially a 2 ton 4×4 adaptation. Both were virtually identical, sharing the same mechanical basis with a 70 PS (51 kW) 6-cylinder 3485 cc engine. Changes made on the 63 however during production until 1968 made it diverged more considerably oover time. Changes on the GAZ-51 made also provided a constant production until 2 April 1975. In Poland the GAZ-51 was manufactured en masse as the Lublin-51), in North Korea as the Sungri-58 and in China as the Yuejin NJ-130.

From the GAZ 51 to the GAZ-63.

Work on the GAZ-51 truck project never stopped for a minute. Throughout the war, both experimental vehicles, model 1939, were tested. The mileage of each copy reached 50,000 kilometers by 1944. One of the two vehicles had a gas generator installed. After the production of the GAZ-63 with a cabin from the American Studebaker US-6, at the turn of 1943–1944, construction of the third model of the GAZ-51 truck began. The concept of the vehicle was formulated very clearly and clearly: a simple and reliable universal truck, assembled from the best units of that time, well developed and tested by world practice, some of which had already been put into production.

By slightly strengthening some units and using tires measuring 7.50-20”, it was possible to turn the GAZ-51 into a 2.5-ton vehicle, adding 500 kg of payload. The machine now has a hydraulic brake drive that has proven itself well in world practice. Gasoline consumption decreased by 30% compared to GAZ-AA. On the basis of the “fifty-first”, a family of vehicles was re-developed: a truckriage-type bus with 25 seats, a bonnet bus (both on an extended chassis); 4-ton truck tractor, low-bed tractor based on GAZ-63. They decided to hold off on the gas-generating truck; a number of technical problems in this area were still not resolved. Almost everything about this family remains on paper...

There is a legend that it was I.V. Stalin gave instructions to make the truck 2.5 tons, but this is not confirmed by any memoirs of contemporaries and may be a fiction. The GAZ-51 became a 2.5-ton one back in 1942, long before any displays in the Kremlin. In May 1944, the new type GAZ-51 was finally ready; By the summer, the GAZ-68 all-wheel drive chassis was built for the world's first wheeled gun KSP-76, and by September of the same year the fourth copy of the GAZ-51 was completed. According to some reports, sample No. 3 had the same tail as the GAZ 63, i.e., “military type” with a high bumper and L-shaped wings.

However, they immediately decided to abandon this type of cabin in favor of a more attractive appearance, although for some buyers GAZ left the option of installing this type of tail unit. The GAZ-51 was primarily a civilian vehicle for transporting goods on regular roads. Gradually, in prototypes No. 4 and No. 5, the cabin became more and more smooth and moved away from the usual American, as it was then called, alligator type. Some changes were made to the 1945 model. They raised the height of the side members to 190 mm (even in the 1938 plan, the height was set at 180 mm), and increased the size of the windows. In fact, this was the final version of the appearance of the new truck (citizens would not see the truck in this form until the early 50s...).

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On June 19, 1945, five days before the Victory Parade, at the famous automobile show in the Kremlin, the Soviet leadership was presented with samples of the GAZ-51 and GAZ-63, as well as the new Pobeda passenger models GAZ M-20 and GAZ M-25. Along with the Pobeda, the GAZ-51 was about to hit the assembly line, but in mid-1945 it became clear that the plant was simply not ready to properly provide the technological base for the mass production of the GAZ-51/GAZ-63. A situation arose in which it was necessary to choose between Pobeda and GAZ-51. The chief designer of the plant, Andrei Lipgart, nevertheless took upon himself responsibility and obligation - the plant will mass-produce both models no matter what. This was also a kind of feat. It was decided to produce the truck with a cabin on a wooden frame lined with plywood, since the country's aluminum industry was still recovering after the war.

The first trial batch of trucks rolled off the assembly line in January 1946. Small-scale production of the GAZ-51 began in June 1946, and large-scale production only from the end of 1947. The first batches of the new 2.5-ton vehicle began to be shipped to consumers in the summer, although state tests of the GAZ-51 truck began only in the fall: the rush to complete the task affected them - only by the summer did they manage to complete factory tests. The state run was held from October 12 to November 5, the most difficult time for vehicle traffic, especially during the rainy season on dirt roads. In accordance with the test objective, a 5,403-kilometer route was chosen - from Gorky to Moscow, then across the entire territory of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and back through Moscow to Gorky.

Eleven trucks took part in the run, of which seven were GAZ-51 and four were service trucks. As a result of the tests, the GAZ-51 truck received high marks; its design is considered successful and modern. The commission made comments regarding the vehicle's truckgo platform. Its dimensions (2940x1990x540 mm) and capacity of only 3.2 m3 (for bulk truckgo) turned out to be insufficient. But the plant was no longer able to change the dimensions of the platform, otherwise there would have been a production pause in the production of trucks that had just begun. Only in 1955, with the transition to the modernized GAZ-51A truck, the internal dimensions of the platform were increased to 3080x2080x600 mm and they began to produce trucks with both fixed and folding side walls - at the request of the customer.

As for the 4x4 modification, in 1946 there was no talk of its serial production. According to the 1946 plan, one hundred copies of the GAZ-63 were to be produced, but neither in 1946 nor in 1947 the truck plant could physically master the production of an all-wheel drive modification. The first GAZ-63 army trucks left the factory gates only in September 1948, five years after the production of the prototype and almost ten years after the start of development. In the same year, the plant built an experimental hooded bus, which had no prospects of becoming a serial one, and also began producing a short-wheelbase chassis for the GAZ-93 dump truck for the Odessa Automobile Assembly Plant. The first modifications of the GAZ-51 began to appear only at the turn of 1949–1950, after the last GAZ-MM lorry left the GAZ assembly shop on October 10, 1949.

For the GAZ-51, everything ended favorably - the model entered the production line, albeit with a wooden cabin, but with the Pobeda it turned out not so smoothly. The production of the truck was discontinued in August 1948 after assembling five thousand copies. There were enough shortcomings to suspend the production of the sedan for six months... In 1947, the creators of the GAZ-51 truck were awarded the Stalin Prize of the second degree; in 1949, a similar prize was awarded to the group of designers of the GAZ-63 truck, led by Pyotr Muzyukin. A lot has been written about the production truck GAZ-51/ GAZ-51A and its modifications. The truck was destined to become the most popular truck in the history of the USSR. This road worker was produced for thirty years (1946–1975), during which 3,481,033 trucks were created.

Variants

GAZ-51: Basic version, roller (1946)
GAZ-51A: modernized version, roller (1955)
GAZ-51V: increased payload to 3000 kg (1949)
GAZ-93: dump truck (1948)
GAZ-51Ž: 1954
PAZ-651: 1950 Bus
GAZ-41: semi-truck (1950)
GAZ-51P: fifth-wheel tractor (1956)
AS-3: ambulance
AC-1(9-51A): Fuel tank truck Based on a GAZ-51A Chassis
UPG-250 GM: Mobile hydraulic power pack
RAF KV-5: Radio station Truck

Under Licence:

• FSC Lublin-51
• Yuejin NJ-130
• Sungri 58

Fate

"The truck was called the GAZ-51 and production started in 1946. In 1948 the Gorki Auto Plant stopped producing the GAZ-MM in it's plant and it's production moved to the Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod, where it was produced there as the UAZ-MM until 1956. The GAZ-51 had more cross-country abilities than it's predecessor and was much faster. In 1969 the Studebaker company closed down, and the only remain of the company was the GAZ-51, who used the outdated tooling of the Studebaker US6 truck. In 1961 the plant started producing the GAZ-53 truck. In 1975 the GAZ-51 truck was put out of production so the company could focus more on the newer truck. Over 2 million trucks were built until then."

Specs GAZ 51
Dimensions :	Wheelbase
Total weight, battle ready :	tons
Tires :
Crew :	2
Propulsion:
Speed :	50 km/h (30 mph)
Range (road/off road) :	240 Miles, 20 gal. tank
Payload :	3,000 pounds
Production	Circa 150,000

Sources

Author's Renditions

Base Civilian GAZ-51 4x2 for comparison

Polish licenced Lublin 51

North Korean Sungri-58

GAZ-51 Bochka Fuel Tank Truck

Gallery

GAZ-51 Trucks


Bielorussia


GAZ-51


Soviet vehicle of the 1950s, masqueraded as a GAZ-63


GAZ-51 in Poland


GAZ-51 during the VII Aircraft Picnic in Krakow

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Sd.Kfz 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 were half-tracks designed just before the war as prime movers, to carry supplies, ammunition, personal, and tow artillery. Many were also converted during the war as armored versions carrying AA FLAK guns (Flakvierling, 37 mm, or the legendary 88 mm Rheinmetall als used as tank hunters), or were converted as nebelwerfer (rocket launching armored vehicles). They were built by Hanomag, Steyr, Mercedes-Benz, Bussing and many other manufacturers until 1945, over 20,000 half-tracks.

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