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Retro cars.
The Russian automotive industry.
Gas 61. By the beginning of the second world war, Germany had spent design lung army vehicles with the wheel formula 4X4, a two-stage transfer box, independent suspension of all wheels, open body without doors. They are widely used as reconnaissance, communication, commanding the machine. In the first months of the war, our army had no such cars. Creating the car, and searched the American "Marmont-Harrington" (Marmon Harrington) - wheel drive sedan on the basis of "Ford-V8". The new car is expected to release in three versions, the more fully meet the interests of the army and of the national economy: with an open body «Faeton», with a closed standard body of «emka» type «sedan» and a truck «pick-up». The basis for the new army vehicle was a good Andrei Golikov «эмка» GAZ-M-1, possessed of a reliable and stable aggregates of the chassis. By the beginning of 1938 built prototypes of the following modifications: GAS-11-40 with powerful new 6-cylinder engine GAS-11, open body with canvas riding (in the South) and a spacious Luggage compartment. At the end of July 1938, was issued technical task, and in September started the design of all-wheel drive version of the new «emka» - model «61». At the end of 1937 on the pages of American magazines articles have appeared on the new - полноприводному Ford-Marmon-Excelsior LD1.
Now, one of the articles caught the eye of Grachev, and he immediately understood: here it is, the solution to the problem! In addition to the relative simplicity of the solution, which promoted Marmon-Excelsior, a four-wheel drive vehicle from Indianapolis bribed so that was based on the chassis of Ford V8, from which GAS Ml constructively differed slightly. In the beginning of 1938, Grachev, wrote a letter to people's Commissar of defence Kliment Voroshilov, in which explained the lack of prospects for a three-axle chassis. Instead of Vitaly Andreevich offered to create on the basis of GAS Ml-wheel-drive vehicle, using the ideas incorporated in заокеанском counterpart. The idea quickly found understanding: already in April, 1938, in the USSR arrived-wheel-drive vehicle Ford-Marmon-Excelsior LD2 (the machine was created on the basis of a sedan Ford V8 Series 78 Deluxe
1937 model year). Together with him was brought and all-three-axle truck Ford-Marmon-Excelsior C5-6, which later influenced the development of lorries GAZ-KB and GAS-ZZ with the wheel formula 4x4 and 6x6 respectively. Now, the emergence of the bitter U.S. machinery coincided with two important events.
As already mentioned, by 1938 the GAS produced a prototype of the buggy GAS-11-40. This name meant that the car is equipped with the latest engine GAS-11. Was he a translated in metric sizes 6-cylinder American engine Dodge, which was placed on the cars of this brand since 1934. The first model of Dodge, to which he was placed, took the index of the D-2, and the last was the D-19, 1941 issue. In the USSR this motor is known under the D-5, what is the name of the model of Dodge, corresponding to the year 1937. In the most «advanced» execution engine developed 87 horsepower, which is more than in one and a half times the indicators of the motor Ml. During the spring and summer of 1938, the technical Department of the GAS (in 1939 it was renamed the design-and-experimental Department, but he IEA GAS) studied the American novelty. And already in the end of July had received a task to design all-wheel drive car on the basis of GAS-11 (in its development the IEA GAS began on 25 September) - a leading designer Grachev (up to the middle of 1944 Vitaly Andreevich is the main ideologist of four-wheel drive Andrei Golikov machines). The main problem of the steel used in the system of the drive of the front wheels CV joints (joints of equal angular velocity). They were made of the American firm Bendix under the designation Bendix-Weiss. She has actively provided ready-made products, but the license for their production refused to sell. Alternative was less technologically advanced Shrews Rzeppa, which from the beginning used Marmon-Excelsior. As a first step it was decided to use Shrews Rzeppa, with the active work was carried out on creation of the domestic analogue of Bendix-Weiss.
In the end of the first Soviet-wheel-drive passenger car, which had received the factory index GAZ-61 was ready by the summer of 1939. The basis for the machine became a prototype of the buggy GAS-11-40, by this time has already passed 3467 km. While in the beginning of testing of GAS-61-40 there was even one foreign novelty, which has finally formed its appearance. In 1935, the firm Firestone launched on the market of tires Ground Grip, initially created for wheeled tractors. Since 1938 appeared on sale of tires Ground Grip for trucks and passenger cars, which, in turn, very quickly used and the military technics. Similar in purpose tires produced and Goodyear (figure received index Sure Grip). Shortly after the start of off-road rubber in the sale of tires of both types were purchased by the Soviet side. For GAZ-61 selected bus Ground Grip with a picture of «Chevron», the same bus, but higher dimension, «has registered» on GAS-br. As for Sure Grip, the bus later used on the GAZ-64, GAZ-67 and the BA-64. Factory tests of the GAS-61-40 began in June 1939. To complete the picture and to identify the advantages and disadvantages compared with a foreign counterpart, the tests were carried out jointly with the Ford-Marmon-Excelsior LD2. Piloted both machines factory test pilot Leonid Nikolaevich Sokolov. It should be noted that from the very beginning of the GAS-61-40 had advantage over foreign car, as it were installed tires Ground Grip. This fact was observed at all stages of the test, but not only rubber was due to the success of the Gorky machine. 
The engine Dodge D-7 (on test machines was that he, as the launch of GAS-11 in the series only began to be made) was slightly more powerful Ford V8, and it is located above that affected the maximum depth of wading. In addition, the chassis of Ford V8 with transverse springs have been less suited to off-road than Ml with the classical scheme, where each bridge accounted for by two springs. In the end clearance shield Carter transfer box with GAZ-61 was 10 centimeters more than the Ford-Marmon-Excelsior LD2, this, naturally, affected the road. All of the above does not mean that Marmon-Excelsior doing bad off-road vehicles. For its time it was simply outstanding car in its class. Another thing that GAZ-61 was better, and much more.
The ratio of power to mass at the time of the Gorky machine and don was the first in the class. Excellent intelligent chassis ensured the creation Grachev's phenomenal ability, which in fact proved to be comparable with танковой. Окончательное decision on GAZ-61 was adopted on December 19, 1939. On this day there was a decision of the Committee of defence at the Council of people's Commissars of the USSR №443сс. This resolution gave the green light to the issue of the legendary tank T-34 and KV, light the tank BT-7M, floating tank T-40, trucks «Voroshilovets», ST-2 and STZ-5. the 10th paragraph among the list of adopted for service by the red army of-the-art walked GAZ-61. According to the decree, the issue of the machine it was planned to organize by October 1940 года.К the moment of making a decision to launch GAS-61 in the series of all the available in-tropicbirds GAS-11-40 have been converted into four-wheel drive commanders of the machine. Machines have been combat tests during the war with Finland, where once again confirmed the high characteristics. Tropicbirds different from each other color. 
The gray car went to army General Georgy Zhukov, dark-blue - Marshal Voroshilov, and the dark-green was at the Marshal Timoshenko. In July 1941, Voroshilov handed his car Marshal Konev (the Voroshilov in October received GAS-61-73), and in the winter of 1941-1942 year on it established a closed body of the car GAZ-11-73. In this form the machine live up to our days. Now this car is on the restoration in the workshop of Evgeniy Shaman. In sedans converted and other GAS-61-40, only a machine Zhukov (grey Phaeton faced with the radiator on the type of serial GAS-11) was used in its original form. As already mentioned, in our country were watching the new trends in the automotive industry, and the emergence of Dodge 'Г202 did not go unnoticed, as well as other multi-purpose military vehicles, made abroad. By the conclusion of the well visible, that by this time the leadership of GABTU ceased to see in the GAS-61 by the command of the car: «the Car GAZ-61 is a modern, comfortable, car high flotation and is recommended for wide use in the red army as: 1. Command vehicle. 2. Staff car. 3. The machine of communication. 4. The machine of the border troops. 5. Tractor 45-mm anti-tank gun. 6. Machine gun carriages. 7. The transport of the machine in front-line, etc. In addition, the car GAZ-61, due to its high maneuverability and efficiency, can find a broad application in the national economy for maintenance without traffic areas in our country» in A word, instead of the command of the machine Grachev offered a whole family of multi-purpose machines, similar to the Dodge VC.
The car GAZ-61 during the great Patriotic war used by such eminent figures as of Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov and Ivan Stepanovich Konev. Extremely high permeability of GAS-61-73, significantly better than those of the emerging we have in 1942, the American «Willis jeeps and «бантама», a convenient closed body, great dynamics, durability, robustness - all this has brought them a deep respect for the military. Command of the army was highly appreciated the high speed on the road, robustness and reliability of the car. Light artillery tractor GAS-61-417 directly at the factory they composed an anti-tank 57-millimeter cannon, with the transport roll and sent to the front to Moscow. Thus, there was created a fast and maneuverable fighter tanks, and only the small scale of production did not allow this vehicle to show themselves in full measure. In August 1941, the production of these cars stop, the engine needed for light tank T-60. However, in 1943, of the existing backlog of spare parts released the last party, but with engines from «emka». All from 1940 to 1945 years was produced 6 carriages 61-40, 194 sedan 61-73, two truck 61-415 and 36 tractors 61-417. Developments on the GAS-61 (front driving axle and transfer case) were used in the creation of the first Soviet «газика-Rover» GAZ-64.
Specifications: the Number of places 5. Weight in running order 1650 kg. The full weight of 2000 kg. Base 2845 mm. Ground clearance - 210 mm.. UPS steepness of 38 degrees. Descents 30-degrees.. The maximum speed of 107 km/h. Fuel consumption of 15 l/100 km. The engine carburetor, four-stroke, six-cylinder, нижнеклапанный . The volume of the engine 3,48 l. The degree of compression of 6.5 . The maximum capacity of 85 HP. Traction single-disk, dry, semi-centrifugal . Gearbox, the three-stage . The main transmission of single: a pair of bevel gears with spiral teeth . The steering mechanism глобоидный worm and roller . Tyre size 7.00 per night-16. Equipped with closed vehicles GAZ-61 was expensive to produce and are heavy. He was envisaged in the first instance to the service of the Supreme command of the red Army and could not be massive. It was clear - the army of the need fundamentally new mass passenger SUV. In the autumn of 1941 the front started to receive Russian jeeps model GAZ-64.
GAZ-61 was the ancestor of the family of domestic vehicles Gas and subsequently Ulyanovsk plant.
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