Of course, old cars, even those well restored, must be protected. Therefore, I struggle with a sense of permissiveness. But it gets worse. Is this a bump?

On modern crossovers, this needs to be overcome with a step - and I'm too lazy to even go into first gear. The traction is enough. A tall car slowly but surely waddles from side to side and without fuss is approaching the next obstacle dangerous for today's off-road vehicles ...

SECOND VICTORY

Of course, the GAZ-M72 is far from the first car with solid off-road capabilities and comfortable salon... In the United States, these were made back in the 1930s, which, by the way, prompted the creation of the first such Soviet design - the all-wheel drive version of the GAZ-61 “emka”. It was built in meager quantities, addressing primarily the army authorities. After the war, our industry was limited only to "goats" GAZ-67, then - GAZ-69, strong and durable, but with a canvas roof and a minimum of amenities. The rural authorities and, again, the military were happy about this. And private owners did not sell "gaziks". Ideas, of course, were in the air. In Moscow, since the end of the 1940s, they experimented with an all-wheel drive modification of the ZIS-110 limousine. But this car, astronomically far from the people, was more of an engineering curiosity.

Salon GAZ-M72 - like the "Victory", only with two additional transmission levers.

Who first came up with the idea to make an all-wheel drive version of "Victory", history is silent. They even talked about the indication of Nikita Sergeevich himself, but this is not known for certain. And the car was designed by a group under the leadership of G.M. Wasserman, one of the main Gorky specialists in all-wheel drive. "Pobeda" has already won the love of ours and even the recognition of some foreign consumers (and they had something to choose from) thanks to its solid construction. Nevertheless, to create a worthy all-wheel drive version, it was necessary not only to install modified bridges and a GAZ-69 razdatka, but also to significantly strengthen the body - in particular, in the area where the B-pillars are connected to the roof, side members, and dashboards.

Formally, the car "Victory" was not listed, and on the back is written M72, but the people, of course, called it that way. She earned this name, and not only because it descended from the GAZ-M20.

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TO THE FARM AND TO THE DISTRICT

I can imagine the feelings of those who got behind the wheel of such a car six decades ago. Comfortable sofas, the comfort of a car, a secure roof over your head, a washer windscreen (the first in the USSR) and even a radio! At the same time, durable, like that of the GAZ-69, spring suspensions, ground clearance 210 mm. Such a machine is not afraid of our country roads.

On the highway, however, the M72 behaves, according to current ideas, rude. From a car with such a body, you expect more light, at least Victory habits. But in fact, driving a car is no easier than a "goat". A 55-horsepower motor accelerates a heavy car with effort. On the straight line, the M72 requires constant attention, turns reluctantly into turns, imposingly waddling from side to side. Probably, the point is not only in the design of the pendants (here, however, there is even rear stabilizer) and a high body, but also in a narrower than the 69th track. But the brakes are enough for the car, since, as soon as you release the gas pedal, the gears in the transmission diligently resist rolling.

During acceleration, each transmission voices its own way. The first - in a low, slightly hysterical bass, the third, straight - in a hoarse baritone. The car has just left the restoration shop, has not been run in and will sing more quietly over time, but experience shows - not much.

But these are such trifles in comparison with the ability to travel to distant fields, to the farm and "to the area" with unprecedented comfort! We went to GAZ-M72, by the way, and farther.

TO THE OUTSIDE

On May 1, 1956, writer Viktor Urin, VGIK graduate Igor Tikhomirov and photographer "Behind the wheel" Alexander Lomakin took off in a GAZ-M72 on the run to Vladivostok. Urin bought the car in advance for the book, by special permission. Gasoline on the route was also refueled according to a special directive - there were just one or two dispensers for private traders, and they weren’t seen in the outback. We drove slowly, with long stops. The run took almost six months, but we got there! The press wrote about the trip, including, of course, "Behind the Wheel", a book and a film (in color!) "On the Roads of the Motherland" appeared. True, less attention was paid to the machine than it deserved - the main theme was a country living with changes and hopes that were impossible a few years ago.

On such a back sofa it was not a shame to seat the chief not only of the district, but also of the regional scale.

The 20th Congress of the CPSU had not yet passed, but the former "enemies of the people" were already returning from the far outskirts of the country. In 1955, a decree was issued to end the state of war between The Soviet Union and Germany, and the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Konrad Adenauer came to Moscow. The magazines "Youth" and "Foreign Literature" began to appear - albeit timid, but breeding grounds of free-thinking. Filmmakers paid more and more attention to the village: "Guest from the Kuban" with Anatoly Kuznetsov, "Maxim Perepelitsa" with a very young Leonid Bykov, "Soldier Ivan Brovkin" with Leonid Kharitonov. Of course, in these films, as before, the village looked much more blissful than it actually lived, but against the background of general happiness and fun, "individual shortcomings" were already revealed. The country's leadership began not only to take an interest in the life of the village, but also to do something for it. For example, a new all-wheel drive car - GAZ-M72.

He, in my opinion, is very similar to the chairmen from those naive pictures - strict, sometimes rude, but zealous and fair. Such a machine wants to match. That is why I try to adapt to her difficult, but direct and honest character. Moreover, in skillful hands it can do what most of today's off-road vehicles have never dreamed of.

VILLAGE CREATIVE

Alas, the GAZ-M72 was doomed at birth. In Gorky, there was a Volga at the exit - absolutely new car, and no one was going to make a 4 × 4 version on its basis. But the M72 had few analogues in the world at that time. Perhaps only the American Willis-Jeep Station Wagon and the French Renault Coloral.

In two decades, the Niva will appear - albeit a very distant, but still a conceptual relative of the GAZ-M72. Another twenty years will pass, and dozens of four-wheel drive cars with passenger comfort will enter the market. On our roads they are now also a dime a dozen. Much more than prosperous villages, whose residents were addressed with an unusual domestic car. And it was almost 60 years ago ...

"VICTORY" ABOVE ROADLESS

GAZ-M72 - a four-wheel drive car with a modernized Pobeda body and revised GAZ-69 units has been produced since 1955. The car was equipped with a 55-horsepower 2.1 liter engine, a three-speed gearbox and a two-speed transfer case from gear ratios 1.15 / 2.78. The car developed 90 km / h. In total, 4677 cars were built until 1958.

Above the mirror is the antenna control knob, which can be lowered when driving into the garage, or proudly pushed out.

In M72, as in Pobeda, there is even a radio receiver. Above it is a toggle switch for turning on direction indicators.

Above the clutch pedal is the windshield washer button. Our drivers did not know such convenience before the M72.

Under the instruments - transmission control circuit and warning: in the first low gear - no more than 10 km / h.

The late Pobedovskiy motor developed 55 forces, which were quite decent at that time. But for the GAZ-M72, they are still not enough.

The trunk, like that of the "Victory", is two-story. The reserve and the tool live below.

Source https://my-cccp.ru/

Another Soviet SUV, produced, this time, serially - GAZ-M72 - a full-fledged all-wheel drive Victory. The car was produced for only 3 years - from 1955 to 1958. During this time, 4676 SUVs were made, which even now can sometimes be found in advertisements for sale. GAZ-M72 completed the Moscow-Vladivostok tourist motor rally and has proven itself well as a comfortable SUV that can drive almost anywhere.

GAZ-M72 Pobeda - design features

After the end of the Great Patriotic War leaders in the USSR needed a comfortable off-road vehicle that could take a person wherever he needed. Driving the GAZ-69 was not prestigious for high ranks, and not very comfortable, and the production, which was a fairly good car, was decided not to resume. In 1955, in an extremely short time at the Gorky Automobile Plant, a new generation SUV was developed - GAZ-M72. It was made in the back of a GAZ-M20 - the well-known Victory. At the same time, the body has undergone significant changes (mainly in terms of the fortress) and began to correspond to the all-wheel drive chassis, which it was decided to take from.

Why was the M-20 Pobeda taken as the basis? It was this car that began to be produced in those years and gained very large popularity among various leaders, chairmen and other important persons. Even ordinary wealthy citizens could sometimes afford such a car, so the question of what to build an SUV on was almost not a question.

It should only be noted that a load-bearing body, various external panels, as well as fittings were taken from Pobeda. Of the differences, it should be noted the absence of a transverse box-type body amplifier - otherwise the transfer case would not fit into the new GAZ-M72. We had to abandon the longitudinal reinforcement, which we know as a closed tunnel for the universal joint. Instead of these amplifiers for the SUV, 14 new reinforcements were made for the floor, roof, door pillars, and side members. Among the differences, another sub-frame is also distinguished, which was developed to work together with the springs of the front axle.

Everything else was supplied from the GAZ-69. Namely: checkpoint, razdatka, both bridges. In the gearbox, the crankcase cover was made from the other side, for ease of maintenance in the back from Pobeda. In addition, the shift lever on the M-72 was placed in the steering column, a rocker gear shift was used.

As for the inner part of the body, the M-72 did not differ much from the M-20 Pobeda. The salon had soft upholstery, there was a clock and a heater, a two-band radio. Interesting - washer for the first time delivered to a domestic car windshield... All the innovations that were made for the M-72 later migrated to the ordinary Victory (only to the modernized model). Of these, it is also worth noting the radiator lining with large beams, as well as the steering wheel with a ring signal switch.

The car received the engine from Pobeda, but the head had a different compression ratio - not 6.2, but 6.5, which made it possible to refuel it with the A-72, not the A-66. Power increased slightly from 50 to 55 hp. In addition, an oil cooler was additionally installed. The carburetor was supplied to the K-22D - a fairly common one, with a needle valve, which makes it possible to use an SUV without problems to overcome ups and downs without overflowing fuel.

At the time of its creation, the GAZ-M72 did not know any analogues in the whole world. Massively at that time, no one else produced comfortable SUVs of this level with a monocoque body.

The transfer case included a demultiplier, the front axle was leading and it could be turned off forcibly (like the front wheel hubs). By default, 16-inch wheels with mud tires were installed on the M-72 (at that time they were ordinary tires with enlarged lugs). The clearance of the M-72 was quite good (15 cm more than that of the M-20 Pobeda), so the cross-country ability in various conditions (mud, wet soil, sand, etc.) was at a high level.

The production lasted only three years, from 1955 to 1958, but only 4676 cars were made during that time. It is noteworthy that the production of the M-72 ceased following the production of the M-20 Pobeda. It is also interesting that the official name for the SUV, despite the serial production, GAZ has not fixed. Of the iconic differences, one can only name the branded cockade with the inscription M-72, which flaunted on the radiator grille in the center at the top. On the sidewalls of the front part of the body, on the hood, there was also the inscription M-72, made in the form of nameplates.

The SUV has been extensively tested. Especially for this, a special motor rally Moscow-Vladivostok was organized, which was considered a tourist one and was developed by the Central Automobile Club of the USSR. Only 3 people went to the rally on the GAZ-M72. The event was sponsored by both GAZ itself and the USSR Ministry of Automotive Industry. The SUV received free fuel and the necessary maintenance. Interestingly, the car broke down only three times during the entire run and the repair was carried out by the crew on their own.

The car withstood all the tests with flying colors - the GAZ-M72 Pobeda could climb 30-degree climbs, walk on snowy terrain, in any mud and arable land, sand and other surfaces. Its speed was about 110 km / h on a straight road, and the consumption, at the same time, was less than on the GAZ-69. The tests also took place in the mountainous Crimea, as well as at various special stands and training grounds. According to all checks, the SUV showed the best qualities and was approved for serial production.

M-72 - Soviet all-wheel drive a carserially produced by Gorkovsky automobile plant from 1955 to 1958. Aggregate base - cars M-20 "Pobeda" and GAZ-69. A total of 4,677 copies were produced.

M-72 (left) and M-20 "Pobeda" (right)

HISTORY

The rear wheel well is covered with a flap, which is not on the "Pobeda"

Driver's seat

Emblem above the radiator grille

Nameplate on the side of the hood

Front drive axle

Transfer case

Rear axle

In the post-war years, with the departure of the obsolete GAZ-61 and the launch of the M-20 Pobeda car into production, the question of creating a new domestic comfortable passenger car was raised high cross-country ability.

The SUV, called the M-72, was created on the basis of the Pobeda body and the units of the GAZ-69 army all-terrain vehicle. From the M-20 "Pobeda" for this car, only the outer body panels and the supporting body frame were taken, which was modified and additionally reinforced.

To accommodate the transfer case, it was necessary to abandon the transverse box-type body amplifier, as well as the longitudinal amplifier - a closed cardan transmission tunnel, which were characteristic of the M-20 "Pobeda" body.

To compensate for these missing power elements, as well as to increase the longitudinal and lateral rigidity of the body as a whole, 14 additional reinforcements for the floor, side members, door pillars and roof were introduced into its design. Unlike the M-20 Pobeda, the M-72 had a completely new sub-engine frame designed to mount the spring suspension of the front axle.

The gearbox, transfer case, front and rear axles were borrowed from the GAZ-69. The gearbox on the M-20 "Pobeda" and GAZ-69 is the same, the only difference is in different side covers of the gearbox housing and in the location of the shift lever; on Pobeda, a rocker (the lever is brought to the steering column) gearshift mechanism was used, on GAZ 69 - floor.

The equipment of the M-72 body was the same as that of the M-20 "Pobeda": soft interior upholstery, clock, heater, dual-band radio. But, taking into account the need to work on dirty country roads, a windshield washer was used for the first time in domestic practice on the M-72. Some of the innovations that first appeared on the M-72, then went to the modernized Pobeda. In particular, it was for the M-72 that a new radiator lining with massive beams was developed, which appeared in the fall of 1955 at Pobeda. On the same model, a steering wheel appeared with a ring signal button.

This car became the embodiment of the concept of comfortable SUVs - at that time foreign automobile companies did not even think about mass production of such cars.

It should be noted that around the same years, the American company Marmon-Herrington nevertheless produced a small number (four copies) of comfortable SUVs based on Mercury passenger cars with various bodies, but, firstly, in this case we can hardly talk about a serial production - more likely it can be called tuning, and secondly - the Mercury were still frame cars, which greatly simplified the adaptation of the all-wheel drive and made them rather conceptual analogues of the earlier Soviet GAZ-61-73 based on Emka, and not M- 72 with its monocoque body.

The car was equipped with a transfer case with a range multiplier and a disconnectable leading front axle (the front wheel hubs were also disconnected).

On 16-inch wheels with enlarged lugs (as on the modern four-wheel drive "Niva"), the car had a significant ground clearance, which provided it with good cross-country ability on mud, sand, snow, arable land and broken roads.

The car was produced in a small series from 1955 to 1958. The first batch was assembled in June 1955, the car went into production in September. In 1955, 1525 units were produced, in 1956-1151, in 1957-2001. With the completion of the production of the M-20 Pobeda, the production of the M-72 also ceased.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The total number of issued copies is 4677 pcs.
• The plant did not assign any official name to this car, besides the M-72. Therefore, the name "Victory" (or "Victory" - jeep) is not appropriate.

The radiator lining was decorated with the M-72 cockade, and on the sides of the hood there were nameplates with the stylized inscription M-72.

M-72 V KINO

• In the series "Inspector Cooper" the main character, district police officer Alexei Kupriyanov (actor Oleg Chernov) drives a blue-green M-72.

Massive off-road vehicles appeared in the era of World War II, when the command staff needed vehicles that could move off-road and get to the places of hostilities. Initially, such machines were distinguished by their simplicity and cheapness of design (which was extremely important for the military industry) and did not imply any additional comfort. Typical representatives of such cars are Jeep MB and Willys, actively exploited by the allies during WWII. In the USSR, their analogues were GAZ-64 and GAZ-67, which later evolved into the legendary "Goat" GAZ-69.

The idea of \u200b\u200bmoving along any road in comfort has excited the minds of both generals and engineers since the pre-war years. However, in wartime, spending resources and time on creating comfortable jeeps was a waste, because no one made such machines in large-scale production. GAZ-61-73, an all-wheel drive sedan for the commanders of the Red Army, was produced in only a small batch - less than 200 cars.

We returned to the idea of \u200b\u200ba comfortable SUV after the Victory, when a passable and comfortable car was needed not only by the military, but also by civilians. Nobody imagined what a comfortable jeep should be in those years. Therefore, the engineers of the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) decided not to philosophize for a long time, but to combine the already existing solutions used in cars and SUVs in one car. The result of this work was the GAZ M-72, which can now be called the first mass-produced comfortable SUV or even the first crossover in the world.

It is important to emphasize that, despite the popular name “Victory M-72”, no one officially called the car that. According to all the documents, it passed simply as M-72, and people attributed the name "Pobeda" so as not to be confused with the military motorcycle IMZ M-72.

Why GAZ M-72 was the first

At a time when the GAZ engineers were faced with the task of creating a comfortable jeep, the plant was already mass-producing the medium-class Pobeda M-20 sedan and the GAZ-69 SUV. It was these cars that were taken as "donors" for new car... They decided to borrow from the sedan a super-comfortable body with a salon for those times, and from a jeep - undercarriage... The problem was that it was necessary to organically combine these not very compatible components with each other.

The bottom of the "Victory", which has an independent front suspension and a different transmission design, was not designed for the installation of a front axle on springs and a gearbox with a transfer case. Therefore, the body reinforcement scheme was redesigned, the location of the spars and other power elements was slightly changed, and several new reinforcements were added.

GAZ M-20 "Pobeda" © 1ZOOM.RU

Front axle was taken from the GAZ-69, but the rear one was not suitable either from the "Victory" (more reliability and high-torque were needed), or from the "Kozlik" (having frame structure). Therefore, the engineers developed a special rear axle intended only for the GAZ M-72.

Since the car did not have a supporting frame typical for jeeps, it can be classified as a crossover. There are a lot of such cars now (take the same BMW X5 or Porsche cayenne), and then the class of comfortable frameless off-road cars was just in its infancy. So GAZ M-72 can be considered to some extent the progenitor of all these "Cayenne" and "X-fifth". After all, he was the first car of this type to go into mass production.

The design of the GAZ M-72

The basis of the GAZ M-72 was the load-bearing body from the GAZ M-20 "Pobeda", the power structure of which was modified taking into account new suspension... Front and rear, the vehicle is equipped with drive axles suspended from semi-elliptical leaf springs. This made it possible to raise the ground clearance to 22 cm at the lowest point (under the rear axle housing).

The bottom and front suspension of "Victory" (left) and GAZ M-72 (right) © Autoreview, issue 20, 2013

Since the car had risen strongly and looked inorganic (the gaps between the body and the wheel were very large), the rear arches were covered with flaps, and the shape of the front fenders was changed. They are distinguished from the "Pobedovsky" ones by the smaller depth of the cutout for the wheel. Also, due to the raised suspension, a gimbal tunnel in the floor was no longer needed (the shaft from the distributor goes to the bridge below, under the bottom). Thanks to this, there is no such large "hump" under the back sofa as in the "Victory". The three of us are a little more comfortable to sit there, as there is more legroom.

GAZ M-72 (left) and Pobeda (right). Differences in arches and suspension height are visible.

The GAZ M-72 engine is the same as that of the "Pobeda" - an in-line four with a volume of 2112 "cubes", but with a slightly different head. The compression ratio was raised from 6.2 to 6.5, thanks to which the power increased from 50 to 55 hp. from. The gearbox was a 3-speed, it was inherited from the GAZ-69, but received a new cover with a rocker. The gearshift lever was located under the steering wheel, like in the "Victory". There are examples of cars with a floor lever, but there is good reason to believe that this is already the result of repairs, when instead of a broken M-72 box, a checkpoint from Kozlik was installed.

Front panel of GAZ M-72. The gearshift lever is under the steering wheel, the lower levers are visible at the bottom and the front-wheel drive disconnect levers © vstyleretro.ru

The GAZ M-20 transmission had a switchable front-wheel drive and a reduction gear-multiplier. Permissible maximum speed auto in direct transmission - 100 km / h, to which the car accelerated for 46 seconds. Although there was no direct drive as such, since the gearbox had a reduction factor of 1.15, which limited the maximum speed to 100 km / h. Driving at a speed of up to 30 km / h was allowed on the "lower".

Salon and comfort of GAZ M-72

The car inherited from Pobeda a very spacious interior with a high level of comfort, as for that era. There are wide solid sofas for the driver and passengers. On dashboard the speedometer, clock, tank filling indicator, ammeter, oil pressure and coolant temperature gauges were taken out. The car also had a dual-band radio.

© "Behind the wheel"

Of the innovations, it is worth noting the glass washer activated by a separate pedal. For those years it was a rarity, even the GAZ-21 Volga did not have a washer immediately. So for its era, the car was very advanced and, like "Pobeda", did not lag behind the western cars of the 50s.

The rear sofa allowed three passengers to fit, which was facilitated by the absence of a protruding tunnel in the middle. It’s quite comfortable to go there together, you can only complain about the lack of armrests. Dependent suspension, in combination with the high body height, made the GAZ M-72 move not as soft as that of the "Pobeda". But when compared with the ascetic GAZ-69, the first Soviet crossover was a luxurious car. In such it was not a shame to go not only to the chairman of the collective farm, but also to the secretary of the district committee or regional committee of the CPSU.

In addition to the already mentioned armrests (which were not), the seating height caused complaints. The thresholds of the GAZ M-72 were 18 cm higher than those of the "Pobeda", and this complicated the landing. After all, the car did not have additional handles and / or steps. Of course, the young driver easily got behind the wheel, but respected comrades in more respectable years had to "do gymnastics" in order to get into the back seat.

The production of GAZ-72 was carried out from 1955 to 1958, during this time 4677 cars were created (for comparison, "Pobeda" - almost 250 thousand). In 1958, the "Pobeda" was replaced on the assembly line by the "Volga", but the off-road version of the GAZ-21 was not developed. Work on creating a comfortable SUV was transferred to MZMA (later renamed AZLK), where from 1958 to 1961 the all-wheel drive "Moskvich-410" based on the rear-wheel drive model 402 was produced.

After the M-72 production was curtailed, crossovers (off-road vehicles without a supporting frame) were "forgotten" in the USSR. Design bureaus developed such cars, but none of the models went into production. Only in the 70s in the USSR did they remember the concept of an off-road vehicle with a monocoque body, which was the VAZ-2121 "Niva" released in 1977. It is produced and is in demand to this day, despite the fact that in the 90s, in collaboration with GM, a more modern Cvevrolet Niva was created.

GAZ never returned to the development of comfortable SUVs. UAZ, to which the production of GAZ-69 was transferred in the 60s, until the collapse of the USSR produced only four-wheel drive "loaves", "bobbies" and "tadpoles", and only in the 90s took up the comfortable UAZ "Patriot" SUV. But "Patriot" is a full-size jeep with a supporting frame, so it cannot be considered the ideological successor of the M-72.

Thus, GAZ M-72 became the first in the world comfortable car cross-country ability with a monocoque body, long ahead of its time. Only in the 80-90s, the concept of a crossover began to gain popularity in the West, and the heyday of the popularity of such cars has already occurred today.

At the beginning of 1954, by order of the head of state and a great lover of hunting Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, the Gorky Automobile Plant received a government task - to develop and start production of a new model of a car with all drive wheels, which is not inferior in comfort to the Victory. First of all, such a machine was to be used as the official transport of the secretaries of the rural regional committees of the CPSU in the regions and the chairmen of the advanced collective farms. The military also showed interest in the project, interested in a comfortable "general's" off-road vehicle. Unofficially, this car was also intended for government hunting grounds.

The chief designer of GAZ N.I. Borisov appointed the leading designer of the new model Grigory Moiseevich Wasserman, a specialist in light all-wheel drive vehicles, who created GAZ-67, GAZ-69, GAZ-46. General layout future car, which was assigned the index "GAZ-M72", was created by the designer Fyodor Alekseevich Lependin. They also decided to make a four-wheel drive version of "Victory".

To adapt the M-20 body to the dynamic loads of an all-terrain vehicle with all drive wheels, for the first time in the history of the Soviet automotive industry, we conducted studies of strength characteristics using sensors installed in key places. This work was carried out by the new Bureau of Electrical Measurements, which was headed by A.Ya. Tarasov. All were identified and strengthened weak spots floor, roof, racks. Some parts of the body even showed excessive strength. For the spring suspension of the front wheels, it was necessary to design new spars, inside the cavities of which the rear ends of the springs had to be embedded. New, more powerful struts tied the side members to the engine shield. I had to redesign the rear spars, all the floor amplifiers, especially where the transfer case was attached. Also, additional amplifiers were welded into the windshield opening and at the junctions of the middle pillars with the roof.

At the same time, I had to solve the opposite problem - to meet the weight limit, not to overweight the body. But the great experience and knowledge of the designers allowed us to achieve an excellent indicator. The body weight of the GAZ-M72 in comparison with the base "Pobeda" has increased by only 23 kg. At the same time, the bending stiffness of the body increased by 30%, and torsional rigidity by 50%. In addition to the excellent work of the new team of Gorky designers, a significant role was played by the fact that at one time the power structure of the GAZ-M20 monocoque body was designed exceptionally competently, with a margin of safety.

It was decided to install the rear springs not under the rear axle beam, as on the M-20, but above it. In this case, the body has risen by 150 mm. In addition, instead of the front independent suspension on the coil springs put the front springs.

The entire design work on the design of the M-72 took just three days. It took another month to assemble a prototype. As a result, on February 24, 1954, the M-72 came out of the gates of the Gorky Automobile Plant, which became the world's first all-wheel drive by car with a frameless monocoque body. The changes in the Victory body were very minimal. The car became the embodiment of the concept of comfortable SUVs - at that time foreign automobile companies did not even think about mass production of such cars.

The equipment of the M-72 body was the same as that of the M-20 "Pobeda": soft interior upholstery, clock, heater, dual-band lamp radio "A-8". But, taking into account the need to work on dirty country roads, the M-72 was the first in domestic practice to use a windshield washer (a mechanical pump that worked by pressing a special pedal with your foot).

Some of the innovations that first appeared on the M-72, then went to the modernized Pobeda. In particular, it was for the M-72 that a new radiator lining with massive beams was developed, which appeared in the fall of 1955 at Pobeda. On the same model, a steering wheel appeared with a ring signal button, on the column of which there was a gearshift lever.

GAZ-M72 was put into production with full original rear axle with semi-unloaded axle shafts, equipped with a transfer case with a range multiplier and a disconnectable leading front axle (the front wheel hubs were also disconnected).

Numerous tests of experimental and then serial GAZ-M72, carried out by GAZ, NAMI and military research institute No. 21, showed the "survivability" of the body and units, good cross-country ability. In the summer of 1956, three journalists: V. Urin, I. Tikhomirov, A. Lomakin made the Moscow-Vladivostok run on the GAZ-M72, which started on May 1, 1956 from the Lenin Hills, from the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov with a length of 15 thousand kilometers. The car passed them without serious damage, on the way causing admiration of the residents of remote areas. A newsreel has survived, where N.S. Khrushchev and Fidel Castro set off for winter hunting in GAZ-M72 vehicles. Officially GAZ-M72 was discontinued in 1958 due to the replacement of the "Victory" next model - the legendary Volga.

The car from the project of KB Smirnov GAZ-M72 "Army of the GDR" was recreated from the recollections of an officer of the Soviet Army who served in the western group soviet troops in Germany and observed the use of this all-terrain vehicle on a par with ordinary GAZ-69. These facts formed the basis for the unusual concept of the project, which gives an opportunity to look at the history of relations between post-war Germany and the USSR.

The state existence of Germany was terminated on May 23, 1945, its territory was divided into 4 zones of occupation - Soviet, American, British and French. The USSR transferred part of its occupation zone east of the Oder and Neisse rivers to Poland.

Members of the anti-Hitler coalition, primarily the USA, USSR, Great Britain, and later France, initially sought to implement a coordinated occupation policy. The main tasks in this policy were demilitarization and denazification. The Federal Republic of Germany was proclaimed in 1949 within the British, American and French occupation zones. Bonn became the capital of Germany. In response to the creation on the territory of the three western occupation zones Federal Republic Germany, five months later, the proclamation of the GDR took place. The Constitution of the GDR was proclaimed on October 7, 1949.

As proclaimed, the citizens of the GDR had all democratic rights and freedoms. The dominant position in the country was occupied by the Socialist United Party of Germany (its leading role was enshrined in the Constitution). The rate of economic development of the GDR was lower than in the FRG, and the lowest among the states of the Warsaw Pact. Nevertheless, the standard of living in the GDR remained the highest among the Eastern European states. By the 1980s, the GDR had become a highly industrialized country with intensive agriculture. In terms of industrial production, the GDR ranked 6th in Europe.

The lack of a clear physical border in Berlin led to frequent conflicts and a massive outflow of specialists from the GDR. East Germans preferred to receive education in the GDR, where it was free, and to work in West Berlin or the Federal Republic of Germany. In August 1961, the GDR authorities began building a guarded wall that physically separated West Berlin from the GDR and became the most famous and expressive symbol of this global confrontation, separating two opposing ideological, political and military camps. Over the subsequent years of its existence, the Berlin Wall was constantly strengthened, expanded, received additional ranks and protection.

About half a million Soviet citizens lived permanently on the territory of East Germany. GSVG - a group of Soviet troops in Germany (1954-1989) - had its own factories, Russian schools, sanatoriums, shops, officers' houses and other infrastructure. In the context of the Cold War, the GSVG was the foremost unit of the Soviet army, so it was equipped with the most modern equipment and weapons (including nuclear). In total, eight and a half million citizens of the USSR have served in the Group over the entire period of its existence. The GSVG and the ZGV forced the United States and its European allies to really respect the USSR and reckon with our interests.

In 1990, the Christian Democratic Union came to power in the GDR, which immediately began to consult with the German government on the issue of uniting countries and creating a single state. On September 12, an agreement was signed in Moscow between representatives of the former allies of the anti-Hitler coalition on the final settlement of the German question.

On August 23, 1990, the People's Chamber of the GDR made a decision to annex the eastern lands to the FRG. After that, a number of transformations were carried out that liquidated the socialist institutions of power and reorganized state bodies according to the West German model.

On October 3, 1990, the army and navy of the GDR were abolished, and instead of them, the Bundesmarine and the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the FRG, were deployed in the eastern territories. The decoding of the names is based on the word "Bundes", which means "federal". The official recognition of the eastern lands within the FRG was secured by the adoption of new subjects of state law by the Constitutions. The Berlin Wall was destroyed.

On August 31, 1994, the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of the former GDR ended. 500 thousand servicemen and about 12 thousand tanks returned to Russia from Germany. Employees of our design bureau found a real M-72 in the Bryansk region in a complete condition, suitable for further restoration.

In order to bring the GAZ-M72 to the ideal collectible condition, the car went through the entire cycle of repair and restoration work:

• complete disassembly of the vehicle;
• troubleshooting according to the catalogs of the vehicle manufacturer and available archival historical materials;
• sandblasting of the body, chassis, vehicle frame;
• body work, replacement of body parts;
• preparation for painting the body, chassis, vehicle frame;
• repair and replacement of suspension elements, brake system, exhaust systems, vehicle engine cooling systems;
• painting in the paint-drying booth in the protective army green of the armed forces of the GDR;
• preliminary assembly and adjustment of components and assemblies;
• maintenance and repair of the engine, elements and transmission units;
• diagnostics and repair of electrical circuits and electrical equipment of the vehicle;
• hauling and restoration of the vehicle interior and interior elements;
• finishing assembly;
• commissioning works.

In accordance with the description of our eyewitness, a towed Soviet 23-mm twin anti-aircraft gun ZU-23-2 of that time was also found and acquired.

In addition to the above procedures, on this vehicle, as described, a warning light device corresponding to the production period was installed, and inside the cabin, protective nets made of parachute straps were made and placed. The interior of the cabin and luggage compartment was completely restored using authentic materials of the time. On the doors of the tractor and the anti-aircraft machine, the symbols of the GDR army were placed and supplemented with a red ornament, often found in various East German military equipment that period. The original tires of the Yaroslavl tire factory... Tank headlights of additional light were installed, and the standard optics acquired blackout pads. A towing device was manufactured.

Having compiled ZU-23-2 and GAZ-M72 based on sketches, we managed to prepare a spectacular composition that could replenish and become an adornment of any private collection of rare domestic cars and weapons.

Specifications:

• Length, mm - 4665;
• Width, mm - 1695;
• Height, mm - 1790;
• Weight, kg - 1615;
• Maximum speed, km / h - 90;
• Carrying capacity, kg - 450;
• Engine - gasoline;
• Engine volume, cm 3 - 2112;
• Power, h.p. - 52;
• Number of cylinders - 4;
• Clearance, mm - 210;
• Years of release - 1955-1958;
• Circulation, copies - 4677;
• Year of release - 1957.