In 1959, the Seagull was born - the successor to the famous GAZ-12 ZiM. The car, created as if in another, parallel reality, clearly stood out from the monotonous traffic flow those years, which consisted of the Volga and Muscovites. The car made you turn your heads like a long-legged beauty, and if it stopped somewhere, it immediately attracted the attention of dozens of onlookers. He attracted, because he could not help but attract. It is no coincidence that "The Seagull" is called itself a beautiful car Soviet Union....


The decision to create "The Seagull" matured in the mid-fifties, when it became clear that ZiM, which started production immediately after the war, was already hopelessly outdated. The heavy, tall car looked like an outright anachronism against the background of its swift and stocky American counterparts. Meanwhile, at first, the designers only planned to modernize the ZiM - this is how the GAZ-12V "Chaika" car appeared. Despite the fashionable two-tone color scheme and facelift, ZiM did not lose weight and did not become more modern - the possibilities for modernization were exhausted. Then the famous artist Lev Eremeev (the author of the GAZ-21 styling) joined the creation of a new image, who also turned out to be the "godfather" of the ZIL-111 and, which explains the similarity of the two models.
An attempt to modernize ZiM. GAZ-12V, 1955

However, after numerous experiments, the team comes to the conclusion that it will no longer be possible to make ZiM more modern. Since the mid-fifties, the plant began work on the themes "Seagull" and "Strela", but it cannot be said that the image of the future car was formed easily and quickly. At the same time, work on a similar project begins at ZiL. Then they were still significantly different from each other. The first sketches of the project called "Moscow" were a very heavy and conservative look, nothing like the swift silhouette of the next "one hundred and eleventh" ZiL we are used to.

Project of the ZIL "Moscow" car.

In 1956, NAMI purchases several samples of American Packard and Imperial cars for a comprehensive study. These include the Packard Caribbean and Packard Patrician, both 1956. There is a legend about holding a closed exhibition in NAMI only for members of the Communist Party (a non-party Soviet resident could "not withstand" the culture shock from a collision with an overseas car), after which some of the cars were transferred to GAZ, and some to ZIL for a comprehensive study. One way or another, the Packards end up at the Gorky Plant.

Packard caribbean

Packard patrician

It is Packard that "Seagulls" owe their characteristic headlights recessed under the visors, repeaters and a "toothy" radiator grill. The emblems on these grilles, however, have different meanings: the Seagull has a stylized image of a bird, the American car has the letter V, an allegory to the V8 motor. At the same time, it would be wrong to say that the Seagull was a complete copy of Packard. With obvious stylistic borrowings from the "studied" samples, it had a different body type, a completely different glazing scheme, the shape of the sidewalls and tailgate. The so-called "folded wings", formed by a chrome trim and an elongated rear wing, were also original. The seagull can be considered the quintessence of the "aero" style in the Soviet automotive industry, its first and brightest representative.

Specialist of the plant's design bureau for creating a model of the future Chaika. Pay attention to the background. In a decade, these models will turn into the "twenty-fourth" Volga.

Natalya Kolesnikova (director of the Museum of History of the Gorky Automobile Plant) said that somehow on one of the excursions
lebedev was asked (GAZ designer B.B. Lebedev - author's note):
- Why was the car named "The Seagull"?
to which Lebedev replied:
- The decision to call the car like that was born very quickly, future car should have been a class above so far
produced at the plant, therefore, if there is a Volga, then a Seagull should soar above it.
However, in the official Autoexport brochure, a more beautiful version was published: "Gorky residents are city residents,
standing on the Volga, - they often admire the beautiful, swift flight of seagulls over the surface of the great river, And when
the question of how to name the new passenger car of the highest class GAZ-13, the Gorky residents chose the
the name "Seagull". "
The first prototypes of the car were slightly different from the subsequent ones. In particular, the photographs show unusual
stylistic element - a bonnet figurine of a seagull. On serial cars it was abandoned, apparently for reasons
safety for pedestrians, as it was with the second series of "twenty-first Volga".

Experienced GAZ-13. Noteworthy is the bonnet figure, other direction indicators, the absence of "fog lights" under the main headlights.

Color photograph, allowing you to judge the color scheme of the prototype

In 1957, an experimental batch of 9 "Seagulls" (different sources give different numbers) set off on a 21,000 km run. All cars had a two-tone color scheme, which was fashionable at that time (beige with red or beige with light green)

Ironically, the advertisements attracted beautiful young girls. However, none of them, even hypothetically, could acquire this carsince he never went on the free sale until the collapse of the USSR. 1958 becomes the finest hour for Chaika. She participates in the exposition of the Soviet stand at the first post-war world exhibition in Brussels. The Soviet stand then made a splash and was recognized as the best, and only during the exhibition it was visited by 30 million people. Of course, this does not mean that Gorky cars were automatically recognized as the best in the world. If only because the exhibition was not specialized, and the Americans did not bring their cars. However, the Diploma was an unconditional recognition of the achievements of the Soviet design school.

Diploma of the Grand Prix EXPO`58. The automotive part of the exposition of the Soviet Union was represented by: GAZ-13, GAZ-21, GAZ-52, ZIL-110, Moskvich-402.

After the exhibition in Brussels, the prototype adorned the Mechanical Engineering pavilion at VDNKh. In 1959, another specimen as "our answer to Chamberlain" was exhibited at the Soviet exhibition in New York along with the GAZ-21 "Volga". I must say that Soviet cars aroused no less interest among Americans than US cars at a similar exhibition in Moscow.

Americans are studying The Seagull.

"Seagull" as a "show stopper" at one of the European exhibitions. (After Brussels, the car visited Brno, Budapest, Geneva, New York, Leipzig and Mexico City) Apparently, it is Geneva in the photo.

In 1959 Seagull goes into "serial production". The car is considered a first class car, the highest at that time - ZIL-111. Until now, the exact number of released Seagulls is not known. The figure is named from 1000 to 3000 copies. This discrepancy is due to the curious method of overhaul that took place at the plant. A completely new body was installed on the old chassis and started again "sailing". Often, during such repairs, only bridges remained from the old car, however, according to the documents, it passed "repaired" ...

Fascinating picture ...

It is not difficult to imagine that immediately after the official presentation to the population, in the highest echelons of power, the "Seagull" broke out real war... After all, the production volume of the predecessor GAZ-12 was several tens of thousands, and ZiM was a very common nomenclature and "public" car. This could not be said about the GAZ-13, and this situation immediately formed a whole layer of "offended" officials. However, the military found their way out: at one of the defense plants, the front and rear parts of the ZiM were welded to the body of the Chaika. In practice, the result was a camouflaged car of a high level of comfort, popularly nicknamed "Oslobyk". It remains only to admire the skill level of unknown heroes who combined cars of different characteristics and eras.

"Burrow"

Standard GAZ-12 ZiM

As noted above, Chaika, with its modest production volumes and distribution system, has never entered the retail market. After two overhauls, the car was generally supposed to be disposed of. Only in the seventies did Brezhnev allow to make money on GAZ-13 - cars were transferred to the registry offices, where anyone could rent a representative car for 50 rubles through the Transagency system. The Volga cost 25 rubles. So renting limousines is an invention of forty years ago.

"Twins" "seagull" and ZIL near the registry office.

In addition to registry offices, "Seagulls" served Intourist, diplomatic missions of foreign countries, ministers, military parades, Soviet ambassadors abroad and stars visiting the USSR. the car was even at the disposal of Spaso House in Moscow (US Embassy)

Sophia Loren on Vasilievsky Spusk. Behind the car - the dreams of a standard vehicle fleet of "ordinary" citizens - Muscovites.

At different times, the Seagulls were presented to Valentina Tereshkova, Fidel Castro, Georigy Zhukov, Mikhail Sholokhov, Galina Ulanova. By the way, Tereshkova's car was the only car painted white. All the Seagulls left the gates of the factory exclusively black. It is difficult to say anything about Fidel Castro, but the assertion that the "Seagulls" belonged to our eminent compatriots is wrong. "Seagulls" were simply attached to them and served, for example, by the Moscow motor depot # 12 (later the First Avtokombinat). Zhukov's car was, in fact, a replacement for the outdated ZiS-110. Therefore, in our usual sense, "The Seagull" never belonged to anyone, only served. The reasons that prompted the country's leadership to prohibit the sale of the car are called different. Collector Dmitry Dolmatovsky, in particular, believes that this was a banal division into "bosses" and "fools". There is another explanation: the retail price of "Chaika" would have been 17,500 rubles, which, given the Volga price of 5,500 rubles, was just an astronomical amount. Taking care of the so-called "social equality", the management decided not to let the car retail at all. However, the real price, "Seagull" all-so found. Depending on the integrity of the copy, amounts from 15 to 60 thousand dollars are called. Contrary to another popular myth, the lion's share of the released "Gulls" were sedans, not limousines. The body did not have a glass partition, but it was equipped with two reclining seats. The limousine with the GAZ-13A index was produced in vanishingly small volumes. Another modification was the GAZ-13B - phaeton. It was often used for parades and receptions of distinguished guests.

In addition, the Latvian RAF plant individually produced ambulance emblems on the basis of "Chaeks". They were deprived of color schemes and flashing lights, but they were equipped with an equipped salon with everything necessary. Since the cars were produced individually, they did not have any markings and looked different from each other.

Filming cars were also created on the basis of the decommissioned Seagulls: the rear part of the roof was cut off and a bracket for the camera was installed in its place. The car had excellent smoothness, dynamics and allowed to shoot high-quality "road" scenes.

However, "The Seagull" herself was also an actress, including the American cinema. In the acclaimed Cold War movie "Fire Fox" with Clint Eastwood, Seagull plays the role of the KGB agents' car. The piquancy of the situation is given by the fact that "covert surveillance" is carried out on the Seagull. You have to be very far from Soviet realities a person to imagine what such "surveillance" would look like in the USSR in the early eighties, flooded with Zhiguli and "twenty-fourth" Volgas.

A still from the movie "The Fire Fox", 1982.

The Seagull also took part in the Top Gear test. Despite Jeremy Clarkson's unconditional professionalism, one cannot expect positive assessments of the Soviet car from a convinced anti-communist. During the test, an eccentric expert managed to break the gearbox ...

Frame from the Top Gear program

In 1961, an attempt was made to modernize the "Seagull": it received a new front end, twin headlights in the fashion of those years, other bumpers. However, the car never went into production. There is a version that the plant was thus "punished" for attempting to compete with ZiL, which produces a similarly styled car of a higher "nomenclature" class. The seagull remained unchanged in appearance until the end of production, but the ZIL-111 in 1962 received a modernized face, taillights, the letter "G" in the title and was produced until 1966.

GAZ-13 "Chaika" modernization project.

Of course, many are associated with such a remarkable car. interesting stories... Here are just a few of them.
Contrary to the regulations, the Chief of the Moscow Fire Department had his own "Chaika" and during major fires his
a bright red car, equipped with special communications, could be seen near the scene. Furthermore,
there were even railway trolleys based on old machines.
In collection automobile museum Dmitry Dolmatovsky is unique, the last released "Seagulls". By
legend, it was presented to Patriarch Pimen after the news that he moved to japanese car Nissan
President (to replace the outdated ZiS-110). Indignant Brezhnev gave the order to immediately collect a copy for the patriarch.
However, the adventures of the car did not end there. In the late seventies, the famous Pierre Cardin visited Moscow,
who wished to see Pimen. The personal "Seagull" of Patriarch Cardin really liked and a few months later addressed
The patriarchy received a package with a note and patterns. Kadren judged that he was not like such an executive car
to have such a "poor" salon and sent a crème brulee drape ...
In 1977, the heiress, GAZ-14, replaced the eminent car. Despite modern design, yet
greater comfort for passengers and technical novelty, this car was not destined to take the place of its predecessor in
the hearts of people. Austere, faceless "brick" image, which is a symbiosis of American dreadnoughts and Mercedes, strongly
dissonant with the flying, airy and luxurious styling of the previous car.
Contradicting the "superstitious" figure in its own name, Chaika lived a long and happy "conveyor belt"
a life. Serving the mighty of this world, decorating numerous festivals, exhibitions, and sometimes unforgettable
wedding moments in the life of compatriots, "The Seagull", swaying on a smooth suspension, moved to the twenty-first
century, where it has already become a truly rare and beloved car. GAZ-13 was one hundred percent reflection of the era
oversized, automotive luxury, chrome and aero styling. Bygone times are hardly worth treating with
regret, however, looking at the elongated tail "fins" of the Seagull, it becomes somehow especially offensive that such
Our country no longer produces cars with a capital letter ...

Exhibition of car rarities in Odessa.

And the creation of collections of domestic and foreign classic cars;

complete restoration of GAZ 13 Chaika and GAZ 14 Chaika cars, maintenance and service maintenance;

completing GAZ 13 and GAZ 14 vehicles with missing spare parts, manufacturing of lost original elements;

technical modernization of Soviet classic cars and proper execution of the necessary documents.

In 1957 Gorkovsky car factory developed new model a passenger car of an executive class with the factory index GAZ 13 and the name "Chaika". This car was created using many of the latest technological solutions for the Soviet auto industry and replaced the outdated by that time design of the GAZ-12 "ZIM".

Among the innovative technical solutions, it is worth noting, first of all, the two-row V-shaped eight-cylinder engine, the displacement of which was 5.5 liters, and the power of the impressive 195 hp. With this engine, a car with a total weight of about three tons easily accelerated to 160 km / h and consumed 20 liters of gasoline per hundred kilometers.

The power unit turned out to be so successful that, with minor changes, it was used both on trucks, and on armored personnel carriers. Among the new products and automatic transmission transmissions (located on the steering wheel), and power steering, and vacuum brake booster. In total, from 1959 to 1981, a little more than 3100 cars saw the light, including several special modifications: GAZ-13S - an ambulance wagon and GAZ-13B - a convertible. The heir to the GAZ 13 model is the GAZ 14. The car was also not massive and was assembled by hand. In total, from 1976 to 1989, 1,120 GAZ-14 vehicles of all modifications were assembled.

Video about one of the GAZ 13 "Chaika", which visited the workshop of the company:

We present to your attention a list of works on the restoration of GAZ 13, performed by the company "Antique Automobiles", when carrying out repair and restoration work with the cars GAZ 13 "Chaika" and GAZ 14 "Chaika". From this data you can get an idea of \u200b\u200bthe scope of work. To draw up a detailed estimate, you need to inspect your vehicle, troubleshoot and diagnose car systems, as well as agree technical specifications... As a result of these preliminary actions, you will receive an estimate and a visual schedule of work.

The list of works performed by the company "Antique Automobiles" during the restoration of GAZ 13 vehicles:

1. Complete disassembly of the car
2. Troubleshooting, diagnostics of parts, assemblies, assemblies, assembly units
3. Washing and cleaning of parts, assemblies, units, assembly units
4. Cleaning and restoration work of the body and body parts
5. Car frame repair and restoration
6. Overhaul and engine restoration
7. Engine bench tests
8. Overhaul and restoration of the gearbox
9. Overhaul and restoration of the chassis
10. Overhaul and restoration of transmission
11. Overhaul and restoration of control mechanisms
12. Repair and restoration of electrical equipment
13. Repair and restoration (restoration) of the interior of the salon
14. Repair and restoration of awnings, cabriolet mechanisms
15. Electroplating refurbishment of kits
16. Complete painting of assembly units
17. Full painting of the body and body parts
18. Vehicle assembly
19. Car anti-corrosion treatment
20. Adjustment and tuning of all car systems
21. Car break-in

For all work performed, warranty... Further technical and post-warranty maintenance of vehicles is carried out.

It is possible to reduce the cost of restoring the GAZ 13 "Chaika" car in several ways:

1. The first place should be given to the competent choice of the original object for restoration. The number of standard hours of reinforcement, tin-welding and slipway works largely depends on the condition of the car. The completeness of the machine also plays a significant role. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the condition of the chrome parts. We are ready to select a car or offer ready-made options.
2. Instead of tinning parts when repairing the Chaika's body, you can use modern German protective compounds for galvanizing parts. The galvanized car body will be reliably protected from rust and corrosion for a long time.
3. Due to the fact that the number of GAZ 13 and GAZ 14 "Chaika" cars is very limited, and the popularity of this car is great - today there is a rush and high prices for spare parts for the car. In the process of work, we created our own spare parts warehouse and exchange fund. Thanks to this, it is possible to abandon the services of intermediaries and resellers, and our principals, in turn, get the opportunity to complete the machine with the necessary parts with significant savings.

Design interior space and the interior of the passenger compartment plays an important role in the restoration of the GAZ 13 car. many "Chaika" cars are being repaired in order to replenish the fleet of rental and rental cars, an important issue is the finishing of the car. Whether you want an original factory interior or want an individual one, we will always find a suitable option:

Restoration work for GAZ 13:

GAZ 13A for sale -a car with an installed internal partition between the driver's and passenger compartments was produced by special orders of the USSR Ministry of Defense. The limousine with the GAZ-13A index was produced in vanishingly small volumes (according to factory data, no more than 12 units). The car has gone through a full cycle of repair work, run-in and ready for use. The car has a guarantee.

Feedback on the restoration and repair of the GAZ 13 "Chaika" car in the company's workshop:

Antique Automobiles Company: the car of your dreams is our job!
You can get acquainted with other completed works on this page.
You can get advice on the repair and restoration of your car by phone:

The development of the car began when the Gorky Automobile Plant still bore the name of the People's Commissar and Minister of Foreign Affairs Molotov, so it was originally called M-13. But soon Molotov fell into disgrace, and the factory designation changed to GAZ-13... It seems that no one then thought about the fact that the new car had an "unlucky" index - the builders of communism should not be superstitious.
In addition to the digital index, the car was given a new name - "Gull"... One of the creators of the car, B. Lebedev, once said that the decision to call the car that way is quite symbolic. After all, the future car, intended for servicing especially important persons, was supposed to become a class higher than those previously produced at the plant, and if there is a Volga, then a Chaika should hover above it.
But the avenues of the All-Union Association "Autoexport" interpreted the name a little differently: the name "Seagull" is suggested.

Large executive cars in the USSR were always created with an eye on America, but the Soviet industry could not change models as quickly. As a result, ZIM, created according to the patterns of American fashion of the 40s, by the mid 50s already looked pretty outdated. In addition, during this time, the requirements for engine power, comfort and other characteristics of the car have increased.
The question of replacing the ZIM with a car of a higher class was brewing.

To study the latest specimens of American automotive industry at the end of 1955, the Central Research Institute (NAMI) purchased two passenger cars: Packard patrician (pictured on the right) and Packard Cabribbean ... The machines have undergone a comprehensive study by NAMI specialists, designers of GAZ and ZIL. It is quite understandable why the new passenger cars of the executive class ZIL-111 and GAZ-13 in Moscow and in Gorky turned out to be so similar to each other - and at the same time to Packard .
After studying the prototype, work on a new car in 1956 began, as they say, from scratch. Indeed, in addition to updating the appearance of the car, increasing comfort and improving dynamic performance, it was necessary to get rid of the chronic shortcomings of ZIM. And there were a lot of them: increased noise in the rear of the cabin, high efforts on the controls, weak brakes, fragility of lever shock absorbers, weak front suspension, ineffective interior heating, low corrosion resistance of the body.

Unlike ZIM with a monocoque body, new car acquired a kind of backbone X-shaped frame without side spars. The body was attached to it through rubber cushions at sixteen points. Soviet designers did not dare to use the torsion bar suspension of the front wheels, which was then in common use on American cars, therefore chassis the thirteenth model had a conventional front independent suspension on coiled springs and longitudinal semi-elliptical springs at the rear.
For the first time in the domestic automotive industry "Chaika" was equipped with tubeless tires... Our designers also used such units unusual for Soviet citizens as an automatic transmission with push-button control, consisting of a torque converter and a planetary gearbox, a power steering, a vacuum brake booster.
Needless to say, this set of units greatly facilitated the driver's task of driving a large, powerful and heavy vehicle.
Among the features of the GAZ-13 engine are an aluminum block, "wet" liners, a centrifugal oil filter, first used in domestic automotive practice.
In the spacious and comfortable cabin of the "Seagull" seven people were freely accommodated, two of them on special folding chairs - strap-ons.
An efficient heating system evenly heated the entire passenger compartment.
For the first time on a Soviet passenger car, a five-band radio receiver with automatic tuning and an electric drive for raising and lowering the antenna, power windows in the doors appeared.
Taking a look at all the innovations of this car, it can be argued that from a technical point of view, the GAZ-13 was a significant step forward for the Soviet automobile industry.

"Thirty three"

Comedy by Georgy Danelia with Evgeny Leonov in the title role. Released in 1965, the film did not last two weeks at the box office. One of the versions says that the reason for this is the presence in the frame of the motorcade of GAZ-13 "Chaika" cars, accompanied by an escort of motorcyclists. Seeing this scene, the chief censor of the USSR, secretary of the CPSU Central Committee for ideology Mikhail Suslov discovered in it a parody of a meeting of cosmonauts and ordered to remove "slander against our socialist reality." The director refused to cut out "politically incorrect" shots, as a result of which the film was removed from wide distribution.

The cases when the "Seagulls" fell into private hands can be counted on one hand. As a gift from Khrushchev, "The Seagulls" went to the revolutionary Fidel Castro, the writer Mikhail Sholokhov, the first woman astronaut Valentina Tereshkova and ballerina Galina Ulanova.

OUTSIDE AND INSIDE

Undoubtedly, the American auto industry had a great influence on the exterior and interior of the "Seagull"

The GAZ-13 has two exhaust pipes from the V-shaped engine, the ends of which are hidden in the ends of the rear bumper

The eight-cylinder V-engine looks very modest in engine compartment... A multitude of electric drives and an abundance of other electricity consumers at Chaika forced the designers to supply a huge G-101 generator		Instead of an oil filter, the machine is equipped with an "eternal" oil centrifuge: just wash and clean - and you're on the road again		"Accordion" under the hood "Seagulls" is nothing but a vacuum brake booster

PASSPORT DATA

The scheme of the car GAZ-13 "Chaika"

Technical characteristics of GAZ-13 "Chaika"			Weight:
Number of places	7		equipped	2100 kg
Maximum speed	160 km / h		complete	2660 kg
Acceleration time to 100 km / h	20 sec		on the front axle	1305 kg
Fuel consumption at a speed of 40 km / h	14 l / 100 km		on rear axle	1355 kg
Braking distance from a speed of 80 km / h	49 m
Electrical equipment	12 V		Ground clearance:
Accumulator battery	6ST-68		under the front axle	180 mm
Generator	G-101		under rear axle	210 mm
Relay-regulator	RR-101
Starter	ST-221		Smallest turning radius:
Interrupter-distributor	P-13		along the track of the front outer wheel	7.3 m
Spark plug	A-9H-1		on the most protruding part	7.8 m
Tire size	8,20-15

• Front suspension: independent, lever on two coil springs, hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
• Rear suspension: dependent, on two longitudinal semi-elliptical springs, hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
• Steering gear: globoidal worm with double-ridged roller, with hydraulic booster, gear ratio 18.2
• Brakes: working - front disc, rear drum, hydraulic drive with two independent circuits, each of which acts on one front and one rear wheel, vacuum booster
• Transmission: hydraulic transformer working with automatic planetary three-stage gearbox (transformation ratio 2.35)
• Gear ratios: I 2.84; II - 1.62; III - 1.00; reverse - 2.0
• The main gear and its gear ratios: single hypoid - 3.38
• Carburetor: Outdoor furniture-114
• Maximum power: 195 h.p. at 4400 rpm
• Maximum torque: 42 kgf.m at 2200-2500 rpm

The GAZ-14, known as the Chaika, was a Soviet executive class car, produced at the Gorky plant between 1977 and 1988. In just 11 years of production, 1,120 copies were made. The predecessor is the "Chaika" GAZ-13 model, which for a long time was considered the best representative car in the USSR and was used as vehicle for government agencies and the country's top party leadership.

Development of the new "Seagull" began in 1967, with a clear tendency to emulate the style of American cars of that time. However, limousines and Cadillacs from the United States, although they were distinguished by excellent design, had a number of disadvantages, such as high fuel consumption or too wide dimensions. As a result, the external parameters of the second generation "Seagull" were somewhat similar to American models, but were more modest. Nevertheless, for the USSR, the GAZ-14 "Chaika" became a real breakthrough in the passenger car industry.

The car was created on the GAZ-13 chassis, but the body was planned for a completely different configuration. The developers immediately ran into layout issues. The engine turned out to be too high, the hood had to be raised more than 8 centimeters, and in combination with the low-set roof there was a visual disparity in proportions. I had to work on the exterior.

In 1971, the first prototype of the car was assembled, the wheelbase of which was 200 millimeters longer. The engine was positioned lower, and gradually the body acquired the design outlines. In 1975, several prototypes passed road tests, and a year later the car was accepted by the state commission and recommended for serial production.

GAZ-14: technical characteristics

Body type - four-door sedan, type - limousine, capacity - 7 seats. Maximum vehicle speed - 175 km / h, volume fuel tank - 100 liters.

Dimensional and weight parameters:

• body length - 6 114 mm;
• height - 1 525 mm;
• width - 2020 mm;
• ground clearance (clearance) - 210 mm;
• wheelbase - 3450 mm;
• rear track - 1,580 mm;
• car weight - 2 605 kg;
• gross weight - 3 165 kg.

Power point

The engine for the new car was taken from the predecessor GAZ-13, but it was radically modernized. By changing the valve timing, replacing the intake manifold and other measures, it was possible to increase the power from 195 to 220 hp. This significantly improved the dynamic performance of the GAZ-14 "Chaika", increased the speed and throttle response of the car.

Engine characteristics:

• model ZMZ-13;
• type carburetor, gasoline;
• working volume of cylinders - 5526 cubic meters cm;
• number of cylinders - 8;
• cylinder diameter - 100 mm;
• v-shaped arrangement;
• piston stroke - 88 mm;
• hydraulic valve drive;
• compression ratio - 8.5;
• power 220 hp;
• gasoline consumption in the city - 29 liters per 100 km;
• fuel consumption in mixed mode - 24 liters per 100 km;
• cooling - antifreeze, antifreeze;
• recommended fuel - AI-95 "Extra" gasoline;

The GAZ-14 engine was equipped with an electronic ignition system, which made it possible to save up to 15% of fuel.

Transmission

The car was equipped with an automatic transmission based on the American Fordomatic. The transmission turned out to be quite efficient, three-stage, with two modes T (engine braking) and one P (parking mode). The box is equipped with a double clutch, which interacts with a Ravinier-type gearbox that regulates the first and reverse gears.

The second gear is engaged in the usual way. The third, straight line, begins to work after both clutch mechanisms are engaged and the band brakes are removed.

In addition to the planetary gearbox, the torque converter plays a separate role in the gearbox, which provides an extended ratio range of gear ratios.

Chassis

The front suspension of the GAZ-14 was redesigned, the pivots and threaded bushings that regulate wheel alignment were replaced with rounded fist with ball bearings. Double wishbones were attached to the beam by means of rubber-metal hinges. Rear suspension, dependent, on parabolic, low-leaf springs, did not need improvement, but the hydraulic shock absorbers were replaced with more modern ones.

Today leaf spring suspension considered an anachronism, and at that time it was the most effective remedy to achieve comfort. The smooth rocking of the car made the passengers of the Soviet limousine feel calm and relaxed.

Brake system

The GAZ-14 car was modernized in almost all areas. The improvement affected and brake systemwhich had to meet the highest technical requirements and ensure the safety of the machine. The front wheels were fitted with licensed Lucas-Girling, ventilated discs with a double caliper. Rear brakes left the same, drum type, with automatically adjustable shoe clearance. The handbrake was connected only to the rear wheels.

The GAZ-14 brake system is dual-circuit, with a diagonal action, the front left wheel is connected by a pipeline with the right rear, and the left rear - with the right front. A special load sensor is installed on the car, which regulates the intensity of braking rear axle... With an increase in the weight of the machine, a valve is triggered, opening the forward flow of hydraulics into the brake cylinders of the rear wheels, and their coefficient of action in this case reaches 100%.

Interior

Much attention was paid to equipping the internal space of the GAZ-14, since the car was intended to transport not only Soviet leaders, but also foreign guests. The numerous servos installed throughout the cabin attracted attention. Automation, electric lifts, touch switches - all this worked to improve the comfort of the cabin, which was equipped with two autonomous heaters, a sophisticated and efficient ventilation system, automatic air intake dampers and an integrated air conditioner that provides a multilayer distribution of the cooling zone.

In the salon there were a stereo radio receiver of the Riga plant "Radiotekhnika", a cassette set-top box "Vilma" and four compact speakers providing stereo sound. At that time, all this equipment was considered the height of achievements and was perceived as ultra-modern equipment.

They tried to make the GAZ-14 interior as safe as possible, even the upholstery of the seats and doors was used from thickened velor, which could serve as a shock absorber to soften the impact in the event of an accident.

Chronology of production

The serial production of the Soviet limousine GAZ-14 could only be called conditionally. The car was assembled not on an assembly line, but in special workshops, by hand assembly on stocks. About a hundred cars were produced by this method per year. Each machine underwent critical tests and received a numbered certificate, which included all the engineers and workers involved in the assembly.

In 1988, by order of the famous politician M. Gorbachev, GAZ-14 was discontinued. The production of the car was stopped, all documentation was destroyed. The unique machine has sunk into oblivion.

Nevertheless, in 2008, the car was awarded the title of a cultural and technical object of the former USSR.

GAZ-14, the price of which ranges from 650,000 to 2,400,000 rubles, can be purchased at specialized car dealerships in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In the previous four parts, we examined the history of the creation, production and modification of a Soviet executive class car. Today we are finishing our story about him.

Recall that the "Seagull" due to the fact that she had a representative appearance and a very smooth ride, was used to transport various leading workers in the USSR, and sometimes this was done even after their death. This practice also affected the leadership of the "fraternal" countries of the socialist camp. For example, in 1982, two GAZ-13 cars were modified for an unusual purpose. She consisted in the evacuation of the embalmed body of the Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh in the event that a war broke out between Vietnam and the PRC.

The specialists of RAFA and GAZ needed to prepare the main and spare cars for this mission by installing air conditioners on them and removing two side windows. At the same time, the air conditioning system had to ultimately maintain the optimal temperature necessary to keep the body at -16 degrees, even in tropical heat.

The domestic air conditioner was not suitable for this purpose, so I had to use a Japanese one, manufactured by Toshiba. The main reason for using imported equipment was the large weight of the Soviet air conditioner - 300 kilograms. In addition, imported refrigeration equipment made it possible to clearly monitor the temperature in the cabin and even in the main components and assemblies of the car, for example, in the gearbox.

Prepared "Seagulls" from Moscow were sent to Hanoi via Islamabad and Bombay. There they were transferred to the Vietnamese side, which met Soviet specialists in escort armored personnel carriers. The cars were rolled out of the planes by hand, while the crankcase of one of them was slightly damaged, as a result of which an engineer had to be urgently called from the USSR with the necessary spare parts for repair. However, the matter did not go beyond the exercises and soviet cars never had to participate in the operation to evacuate the body of the North Vietnamese leader from the capital.

Design Know-How for "First Persons"

Summing up the history of "Chaika", we can say that the overwhelming majority of the design ones used on this car were completely new in the domestic automotive industry. So for her, the designers created absolutely new engine V8, which replaced the in-line ZIM "six" that was previously used in many projects. This engine had a volume of 5.5 liters and could produce 195 horsepower. It was characterized by the upper type of valve arrangement. All its parts were made of aluminum, which was a unique technical solution at that time.

The new engine could accelerate the "Chaika" to 160 km / h, while the fuel consumption was only 21 liters of gasoline per hundred kilometers. The new engine was serviced by a four-chamber carburetor. The prototype for it was an engine from Chrysler, while Soviet engineers altered it so much that it became possible to install it on armored personnel carriers.

The "Chaika" gearbox was also unique, it was created on the basis of the gearbox from the GAZ-21 "Volga", making it automatic. Driver GAZ-13 switched speeds using buttons, which for Soviet drivers was the pinnacle of achieving technical thought. There were four buttons in total, they corresponded to four modes of movement: H - neutral; D - movement; T - quiet running (only first gear, analogue of L mode in modern automatic transmissions); ZX - reverse. A push-button selector was placed on the panel board on the left. For its good work, GAZ engineers had to significantly modify the torque converter and the planetary part of the gearbox.

As for the body, Soviet engineers also did not lag behind world trends here, using a new, separate frame, to which the body was attached through vibration-insulating rubber gaskets at 16 points. In addition, for the first time in the USSR, an electric window lifter, a hydraulic steering and vacuum brakes, a radio receiver with an autosearch function and an electrically driven antenna were used at the Chaika. Many of these structural elements were later used to create the middle class car GAZ-24 "Volga".

The production of "The Seagull" was curtailed in the 70s of the last century, but until 1981 it was periodically assembled from available spare parts in small batches. Today in various collections there are several dozen of these cars, while one of the "Seagulls" is kept in the GAZ Museum.

Technical characteristics of GAZ-13:

Manufacturer	USSR GAZ, Gorky, USSR
Years of production	1959-1981
Class	large group II
Body type (s)	4-door sedan (7-seater), 4-door limousine (7-seater), 4-door phaeton (6-seater)
Layout	front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engines	GAZ-13 (ZMZ-13), GAZ-13D (ZMZ-13D)
Transmission	automatic hydromechanical 3-speed
Length	5600 mm
Width	2000 mm
Height	1620 mm
Clearance	180 mm
Wheelbase	3250 mm
Back track	1530 mm
Front track	1540 mm
Weight	own - 2100 kg, full - 2 660 kg
Acceleration to 100 km / h	20 s
Max. speed	160 km / h
Predecessor	GAZ-M-12 "ZIM"
Successor	GAZ-14 "Chaika"
Fuel consumption	14 ... 21 l / 100km
Volume of the tank	80 l
Designer	Lev Eremeev