Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ): the history of the plant and cars, features and interesting facts

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Today, the specialization of the Gorky Automobile Plant is the production of special and cargo vehicles. However, acquaintance with its history allows us to say that during its activity the enterprise developed and produced many cars that played a significant role in the life of the country.

The history of the Gorky Automobile Plant began in the pre-war years. At the beginning of its founding, it was called differently. It was the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant. V. M. Molotov. After its creation, the enterprise took an active part in the industrialization of the Soviet state, success in which allowed the USSR to become one of the most powerful powers in the world.

Start

Back in the spring of 1929, the government of the young Soviet country decided to build its own factory that would produce cars. The main task facing such an enterprise was to provide the state with vital equipment for it, which in those yearshad to buy abroad.

1929-04-03 Order No. 498 of the Supreme Council of National Economy of the USSR was issued. It said that the country's government had decided to build an automobile plant with an annual capacity of 100,000 cars. A month later, a site was chosen for the enterprise. It became a territory located not far from Nizhny Novgorod in the vicinity of the village of Monastyrek. This is the place where the Gorky Automobile Plant is located to this day.

Such a choice was not accidental. Already in those years when socialist industrialization entered its first stage of development, the Nizhny Novgorod province was considered one of the largest industrial regions of the country. In the city itself, as well as in its environs, a large number of metalworking and machine-building plants worked. Among them are Metalist and Krasnaya Etna, Krasnoe Sormovo, as well as them. Vorobyov, V. I. Ulyanov ship repair company and some others. Thanks to this, Nizhny Novgorod had a sufficiently skilled workforce. But this is not all the factors that influenced the decision to start the creation of the Gorky Automobile Plant in this particular area. Very close to Nizhny Novgorod - Ural. And this is an impressive metallurgical base. Two rivers, the confluence of which is located near the city, were also taken into account. They made it possible to deliver everything that was necessary for the needs of the enterprise by the cheapest waterway.

The construction of the Gorky Automobile Plant was supposed to be provided by the statevital equipment previously purchased abroad.

The implementation of the planned plans was not shelved. The Avtostroy department was immediately created, whose task was to build production buildings. It was headed by S. S. Dyvets.

American roots

The creators of the current Gorky Automobile Plant faced a difficult choice. They had to decide whether to train their own specialists, which was supposed to take several years, or to use the help of other countries. After some thought, the choice fell on the second option. After all, even the slightest delay would lead to failure to fulfill the plans.

Already from the beginning of 1929, Soviet specialists visited the United States several times. Here they coordinated the technical documentation developed for the construction of the current Gorky Automobile Plant. In addition, an agreement was signed on the use of American developments for the production of the first two models, which were to become the base ones. Ford was chosen as the main partner, which at that time was considered the largest representative in the world market. On May 31, 1929, the Supreme Economic Council of the USSR signed a cooperation agreement with her. According to this document, the Soviet Union was to receive technical assistance from the Americans, which was necessary for the construction and commissioning of a new plant, as well as the right to produce a Ford-A passenger car and a 1.5-ton Ford-AA brand truck. Such cars have been rolling off the Ford assembly line since 1927. In addition, the American side needed to be trainedspecialists. The term of cooperation, according to the agreement, was equal to nine years.

The history of the Gorky Automobile Plant began thanks to another foreign company. It was a joint-stock company from the USA "Austin and Co." Its specialists took part in the creation of working drawings and technical projects for the construction of buildings.

Construction

Preparation of the site for the Gorky Automobile Plant near Nizhny Novgorod began in the August days of 1929. Already on 1930-02-05, the laying of the enterprise was solemnly held here.

For the construction of the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ), almost 50 thousand people were involved. They were led by civil engineer M. M. Tsarevsky. In 1917, while still a 20-year-old youth, he joined the ranks of the Bolshevik Party. In 1918 he became a volunteer in the Red Army. He served in the troops of the OGPU and VK. Since 1925, Tsarevsky supervised a number of important construction projects. It was there that his talent as an organizer and builder was fully revealed.

After the foundation was laid, the main industrial construction of the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) began. In addition to the production buildings of the workshops, the enterprise needed a heat and power plant, a complex system of communications and water intake, which was decided to be carried out from the Oka River. Also, the construction of a large residential area was started near the plant.

Thanks to well-executed design developments, excellent work organization and personal responsibility of each specialist, the modern automobile plant was rising at a rapid pace. After just 1.5years after the foundation was laid, on the site of a wasteland located near a small village, almost all industrial buildings were ready for the next stage - the installation of equipment. It was November 1931

Installation of equipment was also carried out at an accelerated pace. In just 2 months, with the help of foreign specialists, 450 units and machine tools, as well as almost 80 thousand electric drives, were installed in 30 huge buildings. Works so striking in their scale have never been carried out in the young country of the Soviets.

However, the state's need for cars was quite high. That is why, without waiting for the launch of the Gorky giant, cars from imported units began to be assembled at the Moscow plant named after. KIM, and besides this, at the enterprise of the city "Gudok Oktyabrya".

Training

Simultaneously with the construction of the automobile plant, already since 1930, the training bases of Avtstroy prepared specialists for it. The personnel department of the Gorky Automobile Plant sent workers who were to work on the main container to undergo internships at the city's enterprise "Gudok Oktyabrya". In addition, the Nizhny Novgorod Shipyard named after. V. I. Ulyanova taught turners and foundry workers, assemblers and locksmiths. CIT courses trained toolmakers.

By December 1931, 11,503 specialists and workers were trained for the first shift in the history of the plant. In 1932, their ranks were replenished with personnel trained at the enterprises of Moscow and Leningrad, Rostov-on-Don and Stalingrad, as well as Kharkov.

Getting Started

1932-01-01 the automobile plant, located near Nizhny Novgorod, began to be considered active. On January 29, 1932, at 7:15 pm, to the shouts of “Hurrah!”, applause and the sounds of the company's horn, the first truck in the history of the plant rolled off the assembly line. They became "GAZ-AA". On January 31, 1932, there were already 25 such cars. From February 26, 1932, the company decided to produce five cars daily.

In the first two decades of work, the plant's specialists assembled 136 "one and a half". At the same time, all materials and assemblies delivered earlier to the warehouse were worked out. Spare parts at the Gorky Automobile Plant ran out, and no new deliveries were made. This led to the stop of the conveyor. To identify the causes of the situation, G. K. arrived in the city. Ordzhonikidze. In his report, which was heard by the Central Committee on April 20, 1932, it was said that, in terms of its equipment and equipment, the enterprise is quite capable of not only fulfilling, but also exceeding the tasks assigned to it. Ordzhonikidze saw the reasons for the problems of the Gorky Automobile Plant in unsatisfactory leadership. After that, active educational and organizational work was launched in all departments and shops of GAZ. Its main task was to explain the need to fight against marriage and to organize the mass production of high-quality machines with the simultaneous development of new technology.

The difficulties at the plant were overcome very slowly. This was the main reason that by June 27, 1932, the giant enterprise produced only 1008 NAZ-AA machines.

In July 1932 onthe car factory has a new director. S. S. Dyakonov was appointed to this post. Prior to that, he was in the position of deputy manager of the VATO (All-Union Automobile and Tractor Association). The GAZ team immediately felt that a wonderfully versed in production, broad-minded and talented leader had come to the plant.

First production

Ongoing tests of Ford cars transferred to the USSR indicated that the vehicles created by the Americans do not meet the requirements of a country with a poorly developed road infrastructure. That is why they began to modernize existing machines. They were supposed to be assembled by the Gorky Automobile Plant. Thus, a new steering system was developed for Soviet vehicles. She was highly reliable. In addition, our cars were provided with a reinforced clutch housing that can withstand huge loads.

Soviet designers independently designed the body. So, GAZ-AA, which until the end of 1932 was called NAZ-AA, which stood for Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant, received new equipment. It was an onboard platform, as well as a cabin made of pressed cardboard and wood.

Fuel to the engines of such trucks came by gravity. At the same time, the electrical system was quite simple, and the valve drive was of an unregulated type. Maintenance of such a car was easy. At the same time, the driver was allowed not to have special knowledge in technology.

Trucks that had a mass of 1.5 tons,called "one and a half". At that time, they had fairly modern technical solutions. Their design included an electric starter, aluminum pistons, helical gears and a 4-speed gearbox.

As mentioned above, the first trucks that left the assembly line of the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant were given the NAZ-AA brand. It was preserved for several more months after the city was given the name of the writer M. Gorky. After that, the plant received its new name - Gorky Automobile Plant or GAZ for short.

In 1934, the designers for the first time improved the truck. The wooden cabins of the "one and a half" were replaced with all-metal ones. In addition, the plant began to produce a larger GAZ-AAA car. It was equipped with three axles, and its load capacity was 2 tons.

Production of passenger cars

In the beginning, Soviet cars were produced with a Ford power unit. Their working volume is 3.2 liters, and the power is 40 liters. With. At the same time, an empty car could accelerate up to 70 km / h. GAZ-A was equipped with the same engine. This passenger car began to be produced by the plant from the end of 1932 and was no longer called NAZ. The car was sent to the needs of various government organizations, military units and top officials of the state. Several vehicles have been owned by private individuals.

First bus

Gradually developed all new types of products of the Gorky Automobile Plant. So, in 1933, a seventeen-seat GAZ-4 bus was produced. This car had a wooden frame that was sheathedwood-metal cladding. GAZ-4 was created on the basis of experimental modifications of GAZ-2, as well as GAZ-3. The new machine was adapted to domestic technologies and operating conditions. The GAZ-AA cab served as its basis. A cargo platform was attached to it back to back, on the sides of which there were 2 folding benches. The car could carry people and 400 kg of cargo equally well.

The leading designer in the development of the bus was N. I. Borisov. This vehicle was produced at plant number 1. Starting from 1946, it changed its name to the Gorky Bus Plant (GZA). At its core, the GAZ-4 was the same "one and a half" to which another salon was attached.

Emka

In 1936, the list of products of the Gorky Automobile Plant was replenished with a new model. The company launched the production of GAZ M-1 or Molotovets-1, which is better known as Emka.

The development of this model allowed the GAZ team to rise to a higher technical level, creating the prerequisites for the creative growth of the team of designers.

GAZ M-1 model has a peculiar biography. Over the years, it has been constantly modernized and improved, which allowed the car to adequately serve people from the late thirties until the fifties. The M-1 model became the basis for the GAZ-415 pickup truck, which was developed and put into mass production in 1937. The carrying capacity of this vehicle was 400 kg. Emki was also produced with a six-cylinder engine. These are GAZ-11 cars.

Modernizationmodels

From the moment when the plant was launched, and throughout its entire stage of activity, the designers have constantly improved the existing models. So, more than a dozen experimental cars in single copies were developed and created. Similar developments later found their application in the development of projects for new machines.

Before the start of the war, the GAZ-64 army off-road vehicles began to roll off the assembly line of the plant, and besides it, the GAZ-67. They were created on the chassis that belonged to the GAZ-61, shortening it along the base by 755 mm. New car models were all-wheel drive. They had an open body. Their doors replaced cutouts.

Besides this, for the needs of the army, the plant launched the production of light tanks. Between 1936 and 1941 GAZ produced 35 T-38s. Since 1938, the plant produced GAZ-AAA, equipped with an anti-aircraft gun.

In 1937, a license was bought to produce a fairly powerful Dodge D5 engine for those times. With its six cylinders of 3.5 liters, it was able to develop power up to 76 liters. With. Such an engine began to be installed on the Emka, which received the changed name GAZ-11-73.

Besides these well-known cars, in the pre-war years, GAZ created many other models of vehicles. In particular, these are ambulances, as well as dump trucks developed on the basis of the "one and a half" truck, the body of which was lowered due to the pressure of the load.

War years

Already in the first days of the fight against fascism, civilian cars of the Gorky Automobile Plant were removed from the assembly line. The company switched to the production of military equipment.

It was here that the GAZ-64 was produced, which became the country's first passenger SUV. Subsequently, its design was taken as the basis for the development of the UAZ-469.

After 2 years, the GAZ-67B model saw the light. It was a small artillery tractor with a ruggedized design and a 54 hp engine. s.

In the history of GAZ there was also the creation of models of the BA-64 armored car, as well as an improved version of the BA-64B. The last of them had an extended track, with which it could overcome difficult areas, including wetlands.

But this is far from a complete list of military vehicles, which were produced by workers at enterprises during the war years. The designers of the plant took part in the development of tanks of the Red Army. At the beginning of the war, these were the T-60 models, as well as its upgraded version of the T-70.

The SU-76 light artillery mount was first created at the Gorky Automobile Plant, and then its modernized model, the SU-76M.

The design department of the enterprise has developed more than 20 vehicles with increased cross-country ability. Among them are tracked, as well as half-tracked. But most of them were never released, surviving only in the form of prototypes and drawings. They produced rocket-propelled mortars, or Katyushas, at the GAZ and BM plant.

In the workshops of the enterprise, workers were also engaged in the production of items that had nothing to do with transport. It was weapons, mortars, shells and cartridges. Already after the end of the war against fascism, the plant, as well as its designers, received governmentawards. This emphasized their merit in defeating the enemy.

Post-war years

After the Great Victory, the country needed trucks. However, despite this, the government of the USSR set the task for GAZ to launch the production of a new passenger car. And already in 1946, the innovative GAZ-M20 rolled off the assembly line of the plant. The name of this model is familiar to many - "Victory". Prior to this, the domestic automotive industry has never used a monocoque body structure and a pontoon layout. This resulted in no gap between the fenders and the hood. The car was equipped with a modern engine for those times, the volume of which was 2.1 liters, and the power was equal to 52 liters. s.

In the post-war years, the famous "lorry" was sent to rest. It was replaced by the GAZ-51 models, which had rear-wheel drive, 2.5 tons of payload capacity, as well as GAZ-63 with all-wheel drive and 2 tons of payload capacity.

In 1949, instead of the army SUV GAZ-67B, the plant began producing the famous GAZ-69, which the people began to call the "goat". In 1950, the company's designers produced a new passenger car. They became the GAZ-12 or ZIM model. It was equipped with a six-cylinder powerful engine of 3.5 liters, which was able to develop a power of 90 liters. s.

From the Victory to the present day

In 1956, the production of Volga cars began at the plant. These models have replaced the outdated Pobeda. Their production was an important milestone in the activities of the domestic automobile industry. These cars were middle-class sedans, withengine power of 70 liters. With. The plant began to produce luxury Volg models, which were exported. In 1970, the GAZ-24 model began to roll off the assembly line. Compared to its predecessor, it had a more spacious interior and trunk, and the engine had a capacity of 98 hp. s.

By the end of the 60s, the production of GAZ-13, a seven-seat Chaika, was mastered. The new car was equipped with power windows, a washer mounted on the windshield, folding seats, and fog lights. The next model of this series, the GAZ-14, came out in the 70s and had a 220 hp engine. s.

The plant was constantly working on the modernization and production of trucks. The production of the GAZ-52 was launched, and besides this, the GAZ-53A, and besides this, the GAZ-66. Starting from the 80s, GAZ began to install diesel engines on its vehicles. The first of these cars was the GAZ-4301.

24.08.1971 The parent enterprise, as well as all its affiliated plants, became part of the production association, which became known as AvtoGAZ. Since 1973, having 11 enterprises in its structure, it began to be called PO "GAZ". The Gorky Automobile Plant received the status of OJSC in 1992. After the end of the USSR era, this enterprise became one of the first to switch to the rails of a market economy. In 1995, the Gazelle was produced by the plant. This is the 3302 model, which is particularly popular.

In 2000, the controlling stake owned by OAO GAZ was bought out by Basic Element. ThereafterThe Gorky enterprise became part of the RusPromAvto holding, which was later transformed into the GAZ Group.

Today, the joint-stock company continues to develop and produce new car models. It also produces and sells spare parts for its vehicles. TIN of the Gorky Automobile Plant - 5200000046. This and other details can be found on the official website of the society. The address of the Gorky Automobile Plant is also indicated here. The enterprise is located in Nizhny Novgorod on Lenin Avenue at 88.

In 1965, the Museum of the History of the Gorky Automobile Plant was opened. It was located in the training center of the enterprise. The Museum of the Gorky Automobile Plant is located on two floors. At the first of them you can get acquainted with the stationary exhibition "Automobiles and their creators". Here are collected models of the GAZ brand. On the second floor there is an exposition "History and development of the enterprise". The Museum of the Gorky Automobile Plant is located at the address: Nizhny Novgorod, Lenina Avenue, 95.

Its creation was initiated by the administration of the enterprise and its veterans. Within the walls of the museum, it was possible to collect a unique collection of cars, as well as very interesting documentary materials. And until now, the collection of exhibits telling about the life of the enterprise and factory workers continues here.

A visit to the museum, as well as acquaintance with its exhibits, allows visitors to create their own idea of the history of the GAZ automobile plant. Moreover, people are especially interested in models of cars thatare the legacy of the plant. All of them were bought as a result of the great work done. Moreover, each of the cars standing within the walls of the museum has not only been restored, but is also in working condition, which is constantly maintained at the proper level.