Heliopolis "GelioPolis"
The Russian automotive industry.
«The third series
of» - 1962-70 gg. - «whalebone», the most common type of GAZ-21. In
1952, the designers of John Williams and the Lion Eremeev were presented
to two independent design of the project of GAS-M-21 under the title «the
Star» and «Volga». In the end, to further work was adopted by the
project of «Volga» Eremeeva, as more powerful and has more than the
usual, traditional for those years of design. The General designer of
the project since 1953, was appointed A. Nevzorov. The architects had a
task to create a modern, dynamic, rather efficient car, capable to
overcome the lack of roads, and at the same time able to develop a great
speed on the highway. The machine was supposed to be a simple and
constructive manner and to maintain. The state tests of «Volga» began on
may 5, 1955. For this purpose it was collected three cars, one with a
mechanical transmission and two with an automatic. After the first
trials began preparation of serial production. The first prototypes of
M-21 have been prepared in 1954.
It
should be noted that although the project design was widely used the
experience of foreign car manufacturers, and many features of the
foreign analogues can be seen in the «Volga» (for example, a
box-automatic machine was made on the basis of the CPT Ford-O-Matic
Drive), but in General, all the mechanical part of the and design of the
car were original.
The first production samples of the GAZ-21 «Volga» were ready to 10
October 1956. In these first three cars was installed engine «Victory»,
but расточенный to 2,432 l. In 1957, «Volga» was put on the conveyor,
but already with its own верхнеклапанным the engine capacity of 70 HP.
By car the ball is set robotic transmission (for the first time for the
domestic serial automotive industry), but soon it was abandoned, because
of difficulties with the production, service and insufficient quality of
the domestic transmission oils. All machines with «automatic» was
released about 700 pieces.
The 1962 model year of the car was again upgraded, this time a more
radical.
Upgraded models have the conditional name «the third series of».
Quantitatively these are the most common. Completely changed the
appearance - a new radiator grille, nicknamed the «whalebone»,
consisting of 37 vertical racks, bumper without «fangs» with the
horizontal partitioning into two parts - the lower is painted in the
body colour; from the hood disappeared figure of a deer and molding (even
on a late «second series» deer put a rare, often - каплевидную
травмобезопасную decorative detail, «drop»). The General idea of the
design of the «Volga», 1962 - less of chromium, more clean lines. Some
of the features of the style of the overlap with the car «Chaika»
GAZ-13, at that time, as the «second series» was stylistically close
enough to the predecessor, «the Seagull» - GAS-M-12 «ZIM». Prototype
model of 1962 had and other differences.
The engine became more and more powerful (75 HP), worm shock absorbers
replaced by a telescopic of the production program was removed version
with automatic transmission. The salon was somewhat upgraded changed
appearance, there are new, more durable materials for finishing (leather
- повинол for the ceiling, new wool fabric for sofas).
In the early cars of this model gutters were short, as in the II series.
Later (from about 1963) on machines normal bundling appeared long
watercourses, up to the rear wings, and enhanced the same, but a little
cut to set the world moulding (like a late-I series).
In addition, since 1962, have moved to the more solid the whole side of
the body, instead of a more early, boiled in кондукторе of the
individual parts (this transition took place back then, when the
machines were produced in the design of II series).
Two-color painting is not common in cars of the «third series,» except
for a taxi with a roof of another color (usually yellow or red).
