Most people see military equipment at parades or on television. As a rule, these are high-traffic vehicles with formed engines. In our review of the 25 "coolest" military vehicles, which certainly would not refuse fans of extreme sports, and simply lovers of technology.

1. Desert Patrol Vehicle

The Desert Patrol Vehicle is a high-speed lightly armored buggy that can develop maximum speed almost 100 km / h. It was first used during the Gulf War in 1991, and then massively used during Operation Desert Storm.

2. Warrior

Warrior is a British 25-ton infantry fighting vehicle. More than 250 FV510 infantry fighting vehicles were modified for the desert war and sold to the Kuwaiti army.

3. Volkswagen Schwimmwagen

The Schwimmwagen, which translates to "Floating Car", is a four-wheel drive amphibious off-road vehicle that was used extensively by the Wehrmacht and SS troops during World War II.

4. Willys MB

Manufactured from 1941 to 1945, the Willys MB is a small SUV that has become one of the symbols of WWII technology. This legendary car, which could reach a top speed of 105 km / h and travel almost 500 km at one gas station, was used in several countries during World War II, including the USA, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union.

5. Tatra 813

A heavy army truck with a powerful V12 engine was produced in the former Czechoslovakia from 1967 to 1982. Its successor, the Tatra 815, is still used throughout the world for both military and civilian purposes.

6. Ferret

The Ferret is an armored combat vehicle that was designed and built in the UK for reconnaissance purposes. More than 4,400 Rolls-Royce powered Ferrets were produced from 1952 to 1971. This car is still used today in many Asian and African countries.

7. ULTRA AP

In 2005, the Georgia Research Institute introduced the concept of the ULTRA AP combat vehicle, which boasts bulletproof glass. the latest technology easy booking and excellent economy (the car needs six times less gasoline than the Humvee).

8. TPz Fuchs

The TPz Fuchs amphibious armored personnel carrier, which has been produced since 1979 in Germany, is used by the German army and the armies of several other countries, including Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, the United States and Venezuela. The vehicle is designed for troop transport, mine clearance, radiological, biological and chemical reconnaissance, as well as radar technology.

9. Combat Tactical Vehicle

The Combat Tactical Vehicle, which was tested by the United States Marine Corps, was built by the Nevada Automotive Testing Center to replace the famous Humvee.

10. Transporter 9T29 Luna-M

The 9T29 Luna-M transporter made in the USSR is an armored heavy truck for transporting short-range missiles. This large 8-wheeled truck was widespread in some communist countries during the Cold War.

11. Tiger II

The heavy German Tiger II tank, also known as the "Royal Tiger", was built during World War II. A tank weighing almost 70 tons, with 120-180 mm armor in the forehead, was used exclusively in heavy tank battalions, usually consisting of 45 tanks.

12. M3 Half-track

The M3 Half-track is an American armored vehicle that was used in the US and UK during World War II and the Cold War. The car could reach a maximum speed of 72 km / h, and the gas station was enough for 280 km.

13. Volvo TP21 Sugga

Volvo is a world renowned car manufacturer. However, only a few fans of technology know that under this brand cars were also produced for military use. The Volvo Sugga TP-21 SUV, which was produced from 1953 to 1958, is one of the most famous military vehiclewhich were made by Volvo.

14. SdKfz 2

Also known as the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 or Kettenkrad, the SdKfz 2 track bike was produced and used by Nazi Germany during the Great Patriotic War... The motorcycle, which could accommodate a driver and two passengers, developed a maximum speed of 70 km / h.

15. Super heavy German tank Maus

The super-heavy German tank of the Second World War was huge (10.2 m long, 3.71 m wide and 3.63 m high), and also weighed a whopping 188 tons. Only two copies of this tank were built.

16. Humvee

This army off-road vehicle has been produced since 1984 by AM General. The four-wheel drive Humvee, which was designed to replace the Jeep, is used by the US military and has also found use in numerous other countries around the world.

17. Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck

HEMTT is an eight-wheel diesel off-road truck used by the US Army. There is also a four-wheel drive ten-wheel version of the truck.

18. Buffalo - a vehicle with mine protection

Built by Force Protection Inc, the Buffalo is an armored vehicle equipped with mine protection. A 10-meter manipulator is installed on the car, which can be controlled remotely.

19. M1 Abrams

Unimog multipurpose military truck.

The Unimog is a Mercedes-Benz multipurpose all-wheel drive military truck used by troops in many countries around the world.

23. BTR-60

The eight-wheeled amphibious armored personnel carrier BTR-60 was released in the USSR in 1959. The armored vehicle can reach speeds of up to 80 km / h on land and 10 km / h in water, while carrying 17 passengers.

24. Denel D6

Manufactured by Denel SOC Ltd, a South African government-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate, the Denel D6 is an armored self-propelled artillery vehicle.

25. ZIL armored personnel carrier

Custom-made by the Russian army, the latest version of the ZIL armored personnel carrier is a futuristic-looking all-wheel-drive armored vehicle with an 183 hp diesel engine that can carry up to 10 soldiers.

It should be noted that military equipment is sometimes no cheaper than luxury cars. For example, if we are talking about, then even their rent costs millions of dollars.

And, of course, the review should begin with the truck that made the greatest contribution to the Victory:

GAZ-MM, "lorry"

The first car, the name of which comes to mind in connection with that war among the vast majority of those born in the USSR before perestroika, is the legendary "lorry". A small, unprepossessing, in its own way beautiful truck, which made up half of the Red Army car park during the war years. Not every car gets such a rich and interesting fate as this one.

The history of the "lorry" began more than eighty years ago, when the young USSR began to acquire an automobile industry. Half of the cars in the world then, in 1928, were produced by the Ford company (including 3 out of 5 in the USA proper), and despite the fact that diplomatic relations between the USA and the USSR did not exist and were not foreseen, commercial benefits prevailed over politics, and the government of the USSR entered into an agreement with Henry Ford the First on the transfer of production technologies and equipment for the production of trucks and cars to the Soviet side, as well as on the training of Soviet specialists at the factories of the Ford corporation (there were also attempts to conclude similar agreements with Chrysler and General Motors, alas - unsuccessful). As a consequence, in 1929, construction began on a huge car factory in Nizhny Novgorod (renamed to Gorky in 1932, and back to Nizhny Novgorod in 1991). As a consequence, the first "lorries" bore the abbreviation NAZ-AA; the abbreviation GAZ appeared a little later.

Structurally, those cars were a complete technical copy of the Ford-AA truck, assembled in the USSR at first by the screwdriver assembly method (in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod) from vehicle kits delivered from the USA. The actual technical documentation and drawings of Ford products in the USSR arrived only in 1932. Soviet engineers looked at them, shook their heads, and immediately began to modernize the car based on local realities. So, changes were made to the design of the clutch housing and steering mechanism, due to which these units were significantly strengthened. The suspension changed a little, and the truck turned out to be outwardly familiar to everyone from Soviet films of that era.

Finally, the "lorry" matured in 1934, when an engine from a GAZ-M passenger car (the legendary "emka") was installed on it. With this power unit, it was produced until the end of production in 1946. The car thus modernized was named GAZ-MM, and entered the history of the war as a "lorry".

By the way, almost immediately with the beginning of the war, the car began to undergo serious modernization, aimed primarily at reducing the cost and accelerating production; driver comfort was among the first to be sacrificed. While pre-war cars, elegant and beautiful, were mobilized from the national economy to the army, GAZ urgently made up for the losses of military transport with one and a half trucks, appearance which can hardly be called otherwise than "brutal". So, almost immediately, the right headlight, rearview mirror, bumper, muffler, as well as a horn and front brakes disappeared from the car. The graceful, rounded deep wings were replaced by angular ones of roofing iron. At the peak of simplification, the wiper disappeared from the car, often the doors (they were replaced by tarpaulin rolls), and the cabin was a wooden frame covered with fabric. The driver's seat was made of solid wood without any upholstery, and from the controls in the car there were gas, brake and clutch pedals, a gearshift knob (without a knob), a steering wheel, a gas meter and an ammeter. Such cars bear the symbol GAZ-MM-V ("V" means "Military"). However, the justification for such asceticism can be considered the fact that these cars did not live for a long time; in the midst of the battle for Moscow - just a few days.

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Also, it was the "lorry" that most often walked along the "road of life" in the first winter of the blockade of Leningrad. Overloaded in excess of the norm, climbing on a hill exclusively in reverse (including due to the lack of a gasoline pump, the fuel was self-propelled) - the names of this car delivered food to the city and evacuated sick and weakened Leningraders, mainly old people and children.

And even in the winter of 1941-42, a legend appeared in the besieged city that once the driver of a lorry, stalled on the ice of Lake Ladoga, warmed up its engine with a torn quilted jacket soaked in gasoline and wound on his hands, and then left the shelling, not having time to throw off the burning rags from his hands ... So I arrived in the city, with my hands burnt to the bone. And everyone who received a blockade ration of 125 grams of bread believed that in this piece of life there was a bit of flour brought by an unnamed hero along the road of life on a lorry overloaded beyond all norms.

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An interesting point: despite the fact that most of the "lorries" that walked along the "Road of Life" consisted of pre-war cars, often the drivers themselves deliberately made "light versions" of them. For example, they turned off one headlight, for reasons of blackout. And the second headlight was set to a "plug", an ordinary tin with a narrow horizontal slot in the middle. This was done for reasons of blackout at night. The doors were also removed, one or both; this was done in case the car starts to fall through the ice, so that nothing interferes with quickly jumping out of the cab. And the heat loss from such tuning was partially compensated by a large amount of clothing on the driver's body (which was almost always given to those who were evacuated in the back), and partially - by a bucket of embers on the floor.

The total circulation of "one and a half", including pre-war production, exceeded a million copies.

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ZIS-5, "three-ton"

On most monuments to cars of the Second World War, this particular car is installed, and it is very often confused with the "one and a half" GAZ-MM. Outwardly, they are quite similar, although the ZIS is somewhat larger. And the history of this car is also very remarkable.

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To begin with, it also has American roots, or, more precisely, the American truck Autocar-5S became the grandfather of the car, in turn, composed of units from many American manufacturers. The first such cars were called AMO-2; when a conveyor was launched at the AMO plant in Moscow (currently ZIL), the abbreviation for the car became AMO-3.

If the grandfather of the ZIS-5 can be considered the truck "Avtokar 5 Es", and the daddy - AMO-3, then the team of engineers of the ZIS enterprise became the mother of the "three-ton" (in 1931 AMO was renamed into the Plant named after Stalin). In fact, they have constructed a much more modern car from the available units. So, unlike the prototype Autocar-5S, the ZIS-5 was simpler and more maintainable, and at the same time, more passable and load-carrying. The car received an engine boosted to 73 hp (versus 60 for the prototype), a completely new radiator, a carburetor, an air filter developed from a "blank slate", an upgraded gearbox, and another cardan shaft, reinforced frame, reinforced axles, increased ground clearance, and mechanical brakes instead of hydraulic ones. With all this, like the "lorry", the future "three-ton" retained the ability to drive any gasoline (and in the heat - and kerosene), and consume any engine oil.

Actually, the "three-thin" (another popular name in the army - "Zakhar") was named ZIS-5V; (the letter "B" in the abbreviation also means "Military"). The car differed from the pre-war analogue in its extremely lightweight (more than 120 kg) compared to the pre-war version of the cab, a wooden one, and with a leatherette roof, as well as angular fenders bent from sheet metal, no brakes on the front wheels, and the presence of only one headlight (left ); in general, the car has undergone military modernization "a la GAZ-MM-V".

In addition, unlike the "lorry", the "three-ton" was produced at several enterprises at once; besides Moscow, this truck was also produced in Ulyanovsk and Miass; the enterprises were called UlZIS and UralZIS, respectively. In the last two, over the war years, a little more and a little less than ten thousand cars were produced, respectively, and the Moscow plant during the war years gave the front almost 70 thousand "three-ton" vehicles. Unlike the GAZ-MM, the production of which was curtailed after the war (in 1947 - at GAZ, from where it was transferred to Ulyanovsk, and there it was curtailed in 1950), the ZIS-5 was produced until 1958, and individual copies were operated up to 70 -s of the last century.

An interesting fact: as the "lorry" is constantly confused with the ZIS, so the ZIS is very often confused with another domestic three-ton; YAG, or "Yaroslavl Truck". By the way, the YAG-10 was the first Soviet serial three-axle vehicle. YAGs differ from ZISs in less smooth forms. In these three photographs, it is Yagi.

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They were released in a few, all modifications - several thousand pieces, and a significant part of them were mobilized for the front. The bulk was lost near Moscow. Not a single pre-war or even military YAG has survived to this day.

And one more fact: the legendary "Katyusha" was initially mounted on a three-axle version of the ZIS, the ZIS-6, since the installation turned out to be too heavy and bulky for a "lorry". Yes, and for ZISs it was poorly suited; for a salvo, the installation had to be rotated 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the truck, because of which the car swayed strongly, and the accuracy of the salvo was lost. With the start of lend-lease deliveries of "Studebakers", "Katyusha" was put mainly on them. And despite the seeming unpatrioticity, this led to a noticeably increased accuracy of the volley.

The Studebaker proper

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This car is familiar even to people whose interests do not extend to automotive technology and the Great Patriotic War. Warmly remembered by all front-line soldiers, convenient, comfortable, and passable no worse than domestic trucks, the Lend-Lease three-axle vehicle, which equally divided the hardships of the war with the GAZ-MM and ZIS-5, it will forever remain in the memory of the Soviet people. For the first time an exotic car from another world, on the other side of the ocean, appeared on our roads in the fall of 1941; so far in minimal quantities, but in the summer of 1942 the car became recognizable on all fronts.

It should be noted right away that this car was never known in the US Army, and only experts will remember the existence of the Studebaker Corporation; even they will not immediately remember her contribution to the Second World War. And few people among us know car brand Avanti with its stunningly beautiful sports cars; yes, the former Studebaker Corporation, having changed a bunch of owners and several names, today produces one-piece supercars.

Returning to Lend-Lease: the whole point is that the Studebaker US6 truck is not a government order for the needs of the American army and navy; General Motors won carte blanche to equip the army with trucks, and International Harvester won the Marine Corps. The main reason is that the Studebaker engine did not meet the requirements of the American military in a number of characteristics. So - there would be no happiness for this company, but misfortune helped. As a result, it was the Studebaker Corporation that grabbed the largest possible military order; on trucks for Lend-Lease for the USSR and Great Britain. The lion's share of the trucks went to the USSR.

They were delivered to the USSR in a very unusual way, through Iran, and the route itself was called "Trans-Iranian"; Germany also had its own interests in this region, so the territory of Iran was occupied by Soviet and British troops back in August 1941. Almost immediately, American dry cargo ships moved to the ports of Iran, whose journey from the US coast to the Iranian coast was equal to two and a half months. The Trans-Iranian railway was modernized specifically for Lend-Lease deliveries, and many motor roads were hastily built, and two car assembly plants were built there under the leadership of GM; a significant part of vehicles was supplied in vehicle kits. Trucks went from Iran to the front on their own, and already with cargo.

Actually "Studebakers" in the USSR were supplied in two modifications: all-wheel drive with a wheel arrangement 6x6 and and with a drive on two rear axles 6x4; the second - much less. Not immediately, but very quickly, it became clear to Soviet drivers: imported equipment requires a special, tender attitude towards itself, especially with regard to the quality of fuel and engine oils. In this connection, in the instruction manual for the "studer" (this name was given to the car among Soviet drivers almost immediately) it was written as a separate item that "Studebaker is not a" lorry ", it will not run on kerosene. In addition, the Soviet side immediately tightened the standards for the operation of imported trucks; first of all, this concerned the carrying capacity, for a car designed for 2.5 tons of cargo, the ceiling of the permissible load was raised to 4 tons. However, he coped; in fact, less than 5 tons were rarely loaded onto it. However, 3 tons for a "lorry" and more than 4 for a "three-ton" were in fact the norm; the equipment was used for wear and tear.

In return, the driver of the Studebaker received the feeling of being a "white man"; high rise with good overview, soft seat, good shock absorbers, heated interior and ergonomic controls, and - warm jacket from sealskin (although, almost always the elements of equipment and hand-held small arms accompanying the Lend-Lease technique, included in the kit, went to separate warehouses, but there were exceptions). All this more than covered the capricious character of foreigners.

In total, more than 100,000 Studebakers alone were delivered to the USSR. However, as "lorry" became a popular household name for all Soviet-made trucks, so "studer" became a household name for all Lend-Lease trucks. Because in addition to the “Studebaker US 6” itself, Soviet Union delivered, albeit in much smaller volumes, trucks of the brands Chevrolet (Chevrolet G7107) and Ford (Ford G8T). A separate item on the list are heavy army transport jeeps of the Dodge brand (Dodge WC-51), which bore their own name "three quarters" (since they were designed for three quarters of a ton of cargo, 750 kilograms, and were also usually loaded with at least double overload) ...

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The ultimate fate of most "students" is sad; According to the terms of Lend-Lease, the USSR paid only for the equipment lost in battles, and the surviving one was subject to return. Complete set. As a result, before being given over to the American side, the "students" went through the capital, they were filled with fresh technical fluids, changed worn-out parts for new ones, tinted where necessary; gratitude and respect for these cars from the Soviet people was considerable. Then the American admissions office arrived and meticulously examined the trucks. And then, according to eyewitnesses, a dry cargo ship arrived at the port, a special press was unloaded and mounted from it to the shore, and carefully groomed trucks were pressed in it to several cubic meters of scrap, into compact briquettes, since so many used US equipment was not available. what. After the briquettes were loaded onto ships, it was too wasteful to transport them as scrap metal in the USA. And they were simply drowned in the ocean.

Nevertheless, a lot of Lend-Lease trucks remained in the USSR, and they traveled for a long time on dusty roads, making their contribution to the restoration of a peaceful economy. There is also a legend among Muscovites that somewhere in the near Moscow region there are huge mobilization warehouses, where Lend-Lease Studebakers are still kept. Brand new, well-groomed, long-term conservation. 3,000 pieces.

By the way, an interesting fact: the very name of the Studebaker company comes from the surname of two brothers who founded an enterprise in the state of Indiana in the middle of the nineteenth century that supplied cars for the mining industry. Ironically, the brothers were pure-blooded Germans.

And what about the Germans?

But the Germans had a much more diverse vehicle fleet than ours; both the traditions of its own automotive industry and considerable production facilities captured in Europe affected, as well as - great amount trophy trucks. As a result, at the beginning of World War II, 88 Wehrmacht divisions were almost fully staffed by French Renault trucks (25,000 Renault AHS and 4,000 Renault AHN, carrying capacity 2 and 4 tons, respectively), and Citroen (Citroen 23, carrying capacity 2 tons ).

For obvious reasons, the industry of Nazi Germany is associated exclusively with military equipment... But in fact, quite interesting civilian cars were produced in the Third Reich.

The thirties of the twentieth century is not the easiest period in the history of Germany. The country has just begun to recover from the Great Depression, which directly affected the lives of citizens.

It is not surprising that the Nazis, who seized power in the country, actively played on these moods of the population. Automotive industry - is by no means an exception. This is one of the areas in which the rulers of the Third Reich tried to show the superiority of their ideology over others, and to demonstrate how the new government can make people's lives better with the help of cars.

Today we will tell you about what kind of cars were popular in Germany of that period, and you will also find out what car the fictional Soviet intelligence officer Otto von Stirlitz drove in. Just in case, let's make a reservation: we in every possible way condemn the Nazi ideology, and in no case are we trying to whitewash the activities of the Third Reich with this publication. The results of the Second World War and the Nuremberg Trials are not subject to revision! We only give curious examples of technology from that period, and we consider these cars exclusively from a historical point of view.

Mercedes-Benz 770

Mercedes-Benz 770

With the phrase "cars of the Third Reich" in the head of many, a fairly stable image immediately arises - Adolf Hitler is driving. Admittedly, there is nothing surprising in such associations - Nazi propaganda actively showed the Fuhrer in its films and television magazines. Most often, the leader of the Nazis drove around in a Mercedes-Benz 770K with the numbers "1A 148 461".

At the time of its appearance in 1930, the Mercedes-Benz Typ 770, also known as the Großer Mercedes ("Big Mercedes") was indeed the largest and most expensive car deutsche mark... Under the hood of this car was a 7.6-liter engine that developed 150 hp. in the regular version and 200 hp. - on the supercharged version. Transmission - 4-speed mechanics. Of course, only the finest materials were used in the interior trim of the Big Mercedes, including leather and wood. The 770 also had a convertible version.

All in all, the Mercedes-Benz Typ 770 was not an easy car, and given the starting price of 29,500 Reichsmarks, not everyone could afford it. But the car was very fond of the elite, and not only the Nazi. For example, Reich President Paul von Hindenburg, Japanese Emperor Hirohito, Pope Pius XI and Pius XII drove such a car. Well, in 1931, Adolf Hitler was added to the list. Moreover, the Fuhrer preferred the open version of the car.

Maybach SW38

Just as they do today, Maybach vehicles were prominent in Nazi Germany and were among the most prestigious. True, then Maybach was not a division of Mercedes-Benz, but a separate company - Maybach-Motorenbau (this explains the two letters "M" on the brand emblem). But by the 30s, Maybach had real story and the glory of a pioneer, because it was Wilhelm Maybach who once helped Gottlieb Daimler to create the first car in the world.

In general, it is not surprising that the SW family of cars, dubbed "Little Maybach", turned out to be the most massive pre-war car of the brand. The first version - Maybach SW35 - which appeared in 1935, was equipped with a 3.5-liter engine with 140 hp. But only 50 of these cars were built.

Much more noteworthy is the Maybach SW38, equipped with a 3.8-liter 140-horsepower engine and a 4-speed transmission, which was produced from 1936 to 1939. The body of this car was created in the studio of Hermann Spone. Moreover, in different years, several versions were released: there was a four-door convertible, and a two-door car with open topand a special roadster. Not surprisingly, in the summer of 2016, one of these cars was sold at Sotheby's for $ 1,072,500.

By the way, in 1939 Maybach released a new modification of the SW - 42 family car. It was already a sedan with a fundamentally different body and a 4.2-liter engine, the power of which, due to the peculiarities of the then technical regulations, remained the same - 140 hp. True, the same obvious reason - the war - prevented this model from gaining mass distribution and popularity.

Volkswagen Käfer

Volkswagen Käfer

If the party bosses of the Third Reich drove Mercedes and Maybachs, then ordinary burghers should have gotten a simpler car. By this, the Nazis wanted to demonstrate the growth of the well-being of citizens. That is why Ferdinand Porsche, commissioned by Hitler, started developing for real " people's car"Actually, the name of the Volkswagen brand is translated just like that.

The result of the labors was Käfer, or in translation - "Beetle". For the first time, the new model was shown in the spring of 1939 at an exhibition in Berlin, although then the Beetle was not yet a Volkswagen, but was produced under the KdF-Wagen brand. The rear-engined car was powered by a 25-horsepower air-cooled engine and was extremely easy to maintain and manufacture. Of course, the public was very, very supportive of such a car.

Volkswagen Käfer

However, an interesting nuance was associated with the purchase of Volkswagen Käfer. Although the car had a nominal price of 990 Reichsmarks, it was not possible to buy a car with cash. Instead, it was necessary to purchase a special "Passbook" and stick special stamps there every week. Any missed payment meant the loss of all invested funds. Nevertheless, the Germans were still reaching for the People's Car,

True, in 1939 more than 330,000 people were still left without the coveted "Beetle". The reason is that the plant where Käfer was produced has already been completely transferred to the military track. Only in the 60s, the Volkswagen management went to meet the deceived investors and offered them a discount on new cars. Well, the "Beetle" himself safely survived this period, and with various changes was produced right up to 2003. True, the last copy of this model was made not in his native Germany, but in Mexico.

Another "people's car" that appeared in the Third Reich was Opel kadett... This car was built on the basis of another Opel model - Olympia, and from 1937 it was produced at the plant in Rüsselsheim.

I must say that the Opel Kadett turned out to be a very progressive car for its time. Firstly, the model inherited from Olympia a structure with an all-metal monocoque body. Secondly, the car had a very advanced design. What are the headlights alone, integrated into the fenders! Finally, thirdly, and in terms of equipment, the Opel Kadett gave odds to many competitors. For example, hydraulic brakes were installed here for all four wheels, and in the cabin there was, for example, a sensor for the remaining fuel and oil pressure.

The Opel Kadett was powered by a 1.1-liter four-cylinder 23 hp engine. Although this is not much, due to its low weight of 750 kg, the car could accelerate to 90 km / h, which was considered a very good indicator. And the Opel Kadett cost 2,100 Reichsmarks - even if it was more expensive than the "Beetle", but the car could be bought immediately.

However, our readers will be interested in Opel Kadett for one more reason. The fact is that this particular model became the basis for the future. soviet car "Moskvich-400". And there is no secret in this. The fact is that the Soviet side received technical documentation and equipment from the Opel plant in Brandenburg for reparations. And although the original Opel Kadett was produced elsewhere - at the plant in Rüsselsham, the Soviet Small Car Plant, thanks to the help of German designers, actually recreated the model and gave it the name "Moskvich-400". By the way, they say that the choice in favor of the Opel Kadett was not accidental either - allegedly Joseph Stalin liked this model.

Mercedes-Benz G4

Mercedes-Benz G4

If you like the Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6x6 six-wheeled monster SUV, then you will surely like its distant cousin, the Mercedes-Benz G4. This car was originally created in the Third Reich for the needs of the army. The car was originally driven by a five-liter eight-cylinder 100 hp engine. and had a complex all-wheel drive system.

The military did not like the car. But the Reich Chancellery was delighted, and from 1938 they began to use it for trips to the occupied territories, primarily to Czechoslovakia and Austria. By that time, the Mercedes-Benz G4 was already equipped with another V8 engine - a 5.2-liter 115-horsepower unit. And over the next two years it was replaced by a 5.4-liter "eight" with 110 hp.

In general, from a "SUV" Mercedes-Benz G4 quickly turned into almost a parade limousine. In addition, this model was one of the models that Adolf Hitler personally drove. Moreover, the Fuhrer presented one car to the Generalissimo of Spain, Francisco Franco. True, the circulation of the G4 was rather small: only 57 cars were produced during the entire production period. Of these, only three cars have survived to this day. One of them, a car that belonged to Franco, is now in the car collection of the Spanish royal family. Another car in which Hitler hosted the parade in the annexed Sudetenland is kept in the Museum of Technology in Sinsheim. Finally, the third car is located in American Hollywood, where it was repeatedly used in the filming of films.

What about BMW? Didn't the Bavarians make cars during the Nazi dictatorship? They let out. True, we must not forget that, firstly, BMW has become car company only in 1929, and before that was engaged in the production of aircraft engines and motorcycles. Secondly, it would not be entirely correct to call BMW cars of that time completely "Bavarian". The fact is that in 1929 BMW acquired a plant in Eisenach, which is located in another part of Germany - Thuringia.

But BMW managed to quickly establish the production of cars there, and by the mid-30s the brand pleased buyers quite interesting cars... Such as, for example, the BMW 326 - a four-door model produced in sedan and convertible bodies. The car was equipped with a two-liter six-cylinder engine with a capacity of about 50 hp, combined with a four-speed transmission. The maximum speed is 115 km / h, which at that time was considered a very good indicator.

The BMW 326 has proven to be a fairly successful model. From 1936 to 1941, 15,936 cars were produced, despite the rather high price. For example, for a convertible, considered small, they asked for 6,650 Reichsmarks. Unsurprisingly, in 1940, BMW planned to replace the 326th new model, built according to the same scheme - BMW 332. However, the outbreak of the Second World War left only three pre-production prototypes from these plans.

Auto-Union-Rennwagen

Auto-Union-Rennwagen

It may seem that in the Third Reich there were exclusively cars for the top of the NSDAP, cheap cars for ordinary people, well, and military equipment. In fact, this is not the case. There were also racing cars in Nazi Germany. First of all, this is Auto-Union-Rennwagen.

At the end of 1932, Ferdinand Porsche began work on a racing car, the main feature of which was the placement of the engine behind the driver in front of rear axle... The car was developed under the order of the Auto Union AG concern to participate in the Grand Prix. The car, called Typ A, was equipped with a 4.4-liter sixteen-cylinder engine developing 295 hp. and 530 Nm. The result was not long in coming: already in 1934, racer Hans Stuck set three world records on this car, accelerating to 265 km / h on the Berlin AFUS track.

Auto Union Typ C V16 Streamliner

Incidentally, the Typ A was far from the only racing car produced by Auto Union AG. Type A was followed by Typ B, Typ C, Typ C / D and Typ D. And, for example, Typ C, equipped with a 6-liter 520-horsepower engine, was generally unique car... It was on it that the racer Bernd Rosemeyer in 1937 managed to accelerate to 400 km / h on a normal road and set several world speed records.

In general, Auto-Union-Rennwagen clearly demonstrates that both time and money were devoted to motor sports in the Third Reich. For example, Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz received 500,000 Reichsmarks for the development of motorsport. But, despite the records and achievements of these cars in peacetime, the Second World War and, in particular, the opening of the Eastern Front, virtually destroyed the development of motorsport in the Third Reich.

Horch 830

Backfill question: what car did the Soviet intelligence officer Stirlitz drive? If you watch the movie "Seventeen Moments of Spring", you can see a Mercedes-Benz Typ 230 (W153) in the frames. But this is on the screen. And in the original book by Yu. Semyonov you can read "Stirlitz opened the gate, got behind the wheel and turned on the ignition. The reinforced engine of his Horch hummed smoothly and powerfully."

However, the author does not specify what kind of Horch model we are talking about. It is possible that we are talking about the Horch 830 - a rear-wheel drive car, first presented at the Berlin Auto Show in 1933. Initially, this car was offered with a three-liter 70-horsepower engine, but a year after the premiere, the Horch 830 appeared modernized version with a 3.25 liter engine of the same power. Subsequently, this engine gave way to a 3.5-liter one, which in different versions produced 75 and 82 hp. The most powerful versions were the Horch 830 BL and Horch 930 V, introduced in 1938. These cars were equipped with a 3.8-liter 92-horsepower engine.

However, regardless of the engine, the Horch 830 was a prestigious car that not everyone could afford. The price is about 10,150 Reichsmarks, almost twice as expensive as the Mercedes-Benz Typ 230. And although 11,625 Horch 830s were produced at the Zwickau plant from 1933 to 1940, only representatives of the upper elite could buy it. It was impossible to imagine the SS Standertenfuehrer on such a machine - the relevant authorities would immediately become interested in him. So, as they say, Stirlitz has never been so close to failure.

Thus, by the time it entered the Second World War, Nazi Germany had a fairly well-developed automobile industry. It is not known how her fate would have developed if it had not been for the ideas of racial superiority, the desire to start a war for "living space" and "finally solve the Jewish question" that gripped the minds of the country's leaders. However, this is a topic for a completely different article.

Knowing firsthand what a front and a military operation were, Hitler was well aware that a large-scale military operation could not be carried out without proper support of the advanced units. Therefore, a significant role in building up military power in Germany was devoted to army vehicles.

Source: wikimedia.org

In fact, ordinary cars were quite suitable for conducting military operations in Europe, but the Fuehrer's plans were much more ambitious. For their implementation, all-wheel drive vehicles were needed that could cope with russian off-road and the sands of Africa.

In the mid-thirties, the first motorization program for the army units of the Wehrmacht was adopted. The German automotive industry has begun to develop trucks high cross-country ability of three standard sizes: light (with a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons), medium (with a payload of 3 tons) and heavy (for the carriage of 5-10 tons of cargo).

The development and production of army trucks was carried out by Daimler-Benz, Bussing and Magirus. In addition, the terms of reference stipulated that all cars, both externally and structurally, should be similar and have interchangeable main units.

Source: wikimedia.org

In addition, German automobile plants received an application for the production of special army vehicles for command and intelligence. They were produced by eight factories: BMW, Daimler-Benz, Ford, Hanomag, Horch, Opel, Stoewer and Wanderer. At the same time, the chassis for these machines were unified, but the manufacturers mainly installed their motors.

Source: wikimedia.org

German engineers have created excellent machines that combine four-wheel drive with independent suspension on coil springs. Equipped with locking center and cross-axle differentials, as well as special "toothy" tires, these off-road vehicles were able to overcome very serious off-road conditions, were durable and reliable.

While hostilities were waged in Europe and Africa, these vehicles completely satisfied the command of the ground forces. But when the Wehrmacht troops entered Eastern Europe, disgusting road conditions began to gradually but methodically destroy the high-tech construction of German cars

The "Achilles' heel" of these machines was the high technical complexity of their designs. Complex knots required daily maintenance... And the most big disadvantage has become a small carrying capacity of army trucks.

Whatever it was, but the fierce resistance of the Soviet troops near Moscow and the very cold winter finally "finished off" almost the entire fleet of army vehicles available to the Wehrmacht.

Complex, expensive and energy-consuming to manufacture trucks were good during the almost bloodless European campaign, and in the face of real confrontation, Germany had to return to the production of simple and unpretentious civilian models.

Source: wikimedia.org

Now "lorries" began to do: Opel, Phanomen, Stayr. Three-ton was produced by: Opel, Ford, Borgward, Mercedes, Magirus, MAN. Cars with a carrying capacity of 4.5 tons - Mercedes, MAN, Bussing-NAG. Six-cars - Mercedes, MAN, Krupp, Vomag.

In addition, the Wehrmacht exploited a large number of cars of occupied countries.

Most interesting german cars WWII times:

"Horch-901 Type 40" - a multipurpose version, a basic medium command vehicle, along with the Horch 108 and Stoewer, which became the main transport of the Wehrmacht. Were completed gasoline engine V8 (3.5L, 80hp), various 4-speed gearboxes, double wishbone and spring independent suspension, differential lock, hydraulically operated all wheel brakes and 18-inch tires. Gross weight 3.3-3.7 tons, payload 320-980 kg, developed a speed of 90-95 km / h.

Source: wikimedia.org

Stoewer R200 - Produced by Stoewer, BMW and Hanomag under Stoewer's control from 1938 to 1943. Stoewer is the founder of a family of light, standardized 4x4 command and reconnaissance vehicles.

The main technical features of these machines were permanent all-wheel drive with lockable center and cross-axle differentials and independent suspension of all driving and steered wheels on double wishbones and springs.

Source: wikimedia.org

They had a wheelbase of 2400 mm, a ground clearance of 235 mm, a gross weight of 2.2 tons, and a maximum speed of 75-80 km / h. The cars were equipped with a 5-speed gearbox, mechanical brakes and 18-inch wheels.

One of the most original and interesting cars Germany became a multipurpose half-track tractor NSU NK-101 Kleines Kettenkraftradultralight class. It was a hybrid of a motorcycle and an artillery tractor.

In the center of the spar frame was a 1.5-liter 36 hp engine. from Opel Olympia, which transmitted torque through a 3-speed gearbox to the front sprockets of the propeller with 4 disc road wheels and automatic system slowing down one of the tracks.

Source: wikimedia.org

The single 19-inch front wheel on parallelogram suspension, the driver's saddle and motorcycle-style steering were borrowed from the motorcycles. NSU tractors were widely used in all divisions of the Wehrmacht, had a payload of 325 kg, weighed 1280 kg and developed a speed of 70 km / h.

It is impossible to ignore the light staff car produced on the platform of the "people's car" - Kubelwagen Typ 82.

Thought about the possibility of military use new car appeared at Ferdinand Porsche back in 1934, and already on February 1, 1938, the Armaments Directorate of the Ground Forces issued an order for the construction of a prototype of a light army vehicle.

Tests of the experimental Kubelwagen have shown that it is significantly superior to all other Wehrmacht passenger cars, despite the lack of front-wheel drive. In addition, the Kubelwagen was easy to maintain and operate.

The VW Kubelwagen Typ 82 was fitted with a four-cylinder boxer carburetor engine air cooling, the small power of which (first 23.5 hp, then 25 hp) was quite enough to move a car with a gross weight of 1175 kg at a speed of 80 km / h. Fuel consumption was 9 liters per 100 km when driving on the highway.

Source: wikimedia.org

The advantages of the car were also appreciated by the opponents of the Germans - the captured "kübelwagens" were used by both the Allied troops and the Red Army. The Americans especially loved him. Their officers exchanged Kubelwagen with the French and British at a speculative rate. Three Willys MBs were offered for one captured Kubelwagen.

On rear-wheel drive chassis type "82" in 1943-45. also produced the VW Typ 82E headquarters vehicle and the SS Typ 92SS troop car with a closed body from the pre-war KdF-38. In addition, an all-wheel drive VW Typ 87 staff car was produced with a transmission from the VW Typ 166 (Schwimmwagen) mass army amphibious vehicle.

Amphibious vehicle VW-166 Schwimmwagen, created as further development successful construction of the KdF-38. The Armaments Directorate gave Porsche the task of developing a floating passenger car designed to replace motorcycles with a sidecar, which were in service with reconnaissance and motorcycle battalions and turned out to be of little use for the conditions of the Eastern Front.

Floating a car Type 166 was unified in many units and mechanisms with the KfZ 1 all-terrain vehicle and had the same layout scheme with an engine installed in the rear of the hull. To ensure buoyancy, the all-metal body of the machine was made sealed.

Knowing firsthand what a front and a military operation were, Hitler was well aware that a large-scale military operation could not be carried out without proper support of the advanced units. Therefore, a significant role in building up military power in Germany was devoted to army vehicles.

Source: wikimedia.org

In fact, ordinary cars were quite suitable for conducting military operations in Europe, but the Fuehrer's plans were much more ambitious. To implement them, all-wheel drive vehicles were needed that could cope with the Russian off-road and the sands of Africa.

In the mid-thirties, the first motorization program for the army units of the Wehrmacht was adopted. The automotive industry in Germany has begun the development of off-road trucks of three standard sizes: light (with a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons), medium (with a payload of 3 tons) and heavy (for transporting 5-10 tons of cargo).

The development and production of army trucks was carried out by Daimler-Benz, Bussing and Magirus. In addition, the terms of reference stipulated that all cars, both externally and structurally, should be similar and have interchangeable main units.

Source: wikimedia.org

In addition, German automobile plants received an application for the production of special army vehicles for command and intelligence. They were produced by eight factories: BMW, Daimler-Benz, Ford, Hanomag, Horch, Opel, Stoewer and Wanderer. At the same time, the chassis for these machines were unified, but the manufacturers mainly installed their motors.

Source: wikimedia.org

German engineers have created excellent machines that combine four-wheel drive with independent coil-spring suspension. Equipped with locking center and cross-axle differentials, as well as special "toothy" tires, these off-road vehicles were able to overcome very serious off-road conditions, were durable and reliable.

While hostilities were waged in Europe and Africa, these vehicles completely satisfied the command of the ground forces. But when the Wehrmacht troops entered Eastern Europe, disgusting road conditions began to gradually but methodically destroy the high-tech construction of German cars.

The "Achilles' heel" of these machines was the high technical complexity of their designs. Complex components required daily maintenance. And the biggest drawback was the low carrying capacity of army trucks.

Whatever it was, but the fierce resistance of the Soviet troops near Moscow and the very cold winter finally "finished off" almost the entire fleet of army vehicles available to the Wehrmacht.

Complex, expensive and energy-consuming to manufacture trucks were good during the almost bloodless European campaign, and in the face of real confrontation, Germany had to return to the production of simple and unpretentious civilian models.

Source: wikimedia.org

Now "lorries" began to do: Opel, Phanomen, Stayr. Three-ton was produced by: Opel, Ford, Borgward, Mercedes, Magirus, MAN. Cars with a carrying capacity of 4.5 tons - Mercedes, MAN, Bussing-NAG. Six-cars - Mercedes, MAN, Krupp, Vomag.

In addition, the Wehrmacht operated a large number of vehicles from the occupied countries.

The most interesting German cars of the Second World War:

"Horch-901 Type 40" - a multipurpose version, a basic medium command vehicle, along with the Horch 108 and Stoewer, which became the main transport of the Wehrmacht. They were equipped with a V8 gasoline engine (3.5 liters, 80 hp), various 4-speed gearboxes, independent suspension on double wishbones and springs, differential lock, hydraulic drive for all wheel brakes and 18-inch tires. Gross weight 3.3-3.7 tons, payload 320-980 kg, developed a speed of 90-95 km / h.

Source: wikimedia.org

Stoewer R200 - Produced by Stoewer, BMW and Hanomag under Stoewer's control from 1938 to 1943. Stoewer is the founder of a family of light, standardized 4x4 command and reconnaissance vehicles.

The main technical features of these machines were permanent all-wheel drive with lockable center and cross-axle differentials and independent suspension of all driving and steered wheels on double wishbones and springs.

Source: wikimedia.org

They had a wheelbase of 2400 mm, a ground clearance of 235 mm, a gross weight of 2.2 tons, and a maximum speed of 75-80 km / h. The cars were equipped with a 5-speed gearbox, mechanical brakes and 18-inch wheels.

One of the most original and interesting cars in Germany was the multipurpose half-track tractor. NSU NK-101 Kleines Kettenkraftradultralight class. It was a hybrid of a motorcycle and an artillery tractor.

In the center of the spar frame was a 1.5-liter 36 hp engine. from Opel Olympia, which transmitted torque through a 3-speed gearbox to the front sprockets of the propeller with 4 disc road wheels and an automatic brake system for one of the tracks.

Source: wikimedia.org

The single 19-inch front wheel on parallelogram suspension, the driver's saddle and motorcycle-style steering were borrowed from the motorcycles. NSU tractors were widely used in all divisions of the Wehrmacht, had a payload of 325 kg, weighed 1280 kg and developed a speed of 70 km / h.

It is impossible to ignore the light staff car produced on the platform of the "people's car" - Kubelwagen Typ 82.

Ferdinand Porsche thought about the possibility of military use of the new car back in 1934, and already on February 1, 1938, the Armaments Directorate of the Ground Forces issued an order for the construction of a prototype of a light army vehicle.

Tests of the experimental Kubelwagen have shown that it is significantly superior to all other Wehrmacht passenger cars, despite the lack of front-wheel drive. In addition, the Kubelwagen was easy to maintain and operate.

The VW Kubelwagen Typ 82 was equipped with a four-cylinder boxer air-cooled carburetor engine, the low power of which (first 23.5 hp, then 25 hp) was quite enough to move a car with a gross weight of 1175 kg at a speed of 80 km / h. Fuel consumption was 9 liters per 100 km when driving on the highway.

Source: wikimedia.org

The advantages of the car were also appreciated by the opponents of the Germans - the captured "kübelwagens" were used by both the Allied troops and the Red Army. The Americans especially loved him. Their officers exchanged Kubelwagen with the French and British at a speculative rate. Three Willys MBs were offered for one captured Kubelwagen.

On rear-wheel drive chassis type "82" in 1943-45. also produced the VW Typ 82E headquarters vehicle and the SS Typ 92SS troop car with a closed body from the pre-war KdF-38. In addition, an all-wheel drive VW Typ 87 staff car was produced with a transmission from the VW Typ 166 (Schwimmwagen) mass army amphibious vehicle.

Amphibious vehicle VW-166 Schwimmwagen, created as a further development of the successful KdF-38 design. The Armaments Directorate gave Porsche the task of developing a floating passenger car designed to replace motorcycles with a sidecar, which were in service with reconnaissance and motorcycle battalions and turned out to be of little use for the conditions of the Eastern Front.

The type 166 floating passenger car was unified in many units and mechanisms with the KfZ 1 all-terrain vehicle and had the same layout with an engine installed in the rear of the hull. To ensure buoyancy, the all-metal body of the machine was made sealed.