«Ну что ж ты, полуторка?» Легендарной машине ГАЗ-АА исполнилось 93 года

In 1932, the first GAZ-AA truck appeared on the assembly line of the Gorky Automobile Plant, which later became a symbol of the Soviet era. This car, known as the «One-and-a-Half Ton Truck», got its nickname for a reason. It could carry one and a half tons of cargo, which was quite a lot for that time. The «One-and-a-Half Ton Truck» became a real «tough worker» and a reliable assistant during the Great Patriotic War.

History of the legendary «One-and-a-Half Ton Truck»

In the 1930s, the Soviet Union was experiencing an industrial boom, and automobile construction became one of its main components. Special attention was paid to trucks, which were necessary for the development of the economy and the strengthening of the country.

In May 1929, the authorities signed an agreement with the American company Ford Motor Company on technical support for the production of trucks. This cooperation was an important step in the development of the Soviet automotive industry.

The «One-and-a-Half Ton Truck» was first produced at the factory on January 29, 1932. Initially, the car was called NAZ, and after the city was renamed Gorky, it was called GAZ. By 1933, the plant had already reached an impressive figure - 60 trucks per day.

Despite the fact that the GAZ-AA was created on the basis of the American Ford-AA, the Soviet truck had a number of significant differences. It was adapted to harsh operating conditions, equipped with a reinforced clutch housing and steering mechanism, a metal body and cab. The simplicity of design, high cross-country ability, reliability and maintainability made the «One-and-a-Half Ton Truck» indispensable.

The GAZ-AA engine was unpretentious - it ran on low-octane gasoline and even kerosene. The car was cheap and manufactured using advanced conveyor technology.

Since 1933, GAZ-AA cars have been assembled exclusively from Soviet parts. Until 1934, the cabs were made of wood and pressed cardboard, but then it was replaced with a metal one with a leather roof.

«Well, what's wrong, One-and-a-Half Ton Truck?»

In 1938, the truck was modernized. It acquired a more powerful engine, a reliable cardan shaft, an improved steering mechanism and a new designation - GAZ-MM. There were no external differences between GAZ-AA and GAZ-MM.

On June 22, 1941, GAZ-AA and GAZ-MM trucks accounted for almost 60% of the Red Army's vehicle fleet. The main advantage of the pre-war «One-and-a-Half Ton Truck» was its simplicity. During the war years, these cars were simplified as much as possible: a military version of the GAZ-MM-B was produced, which did not have bumpers, mufflers, front brakes, or folding sides. The cab had no doors, and there was only one headlight.

«One-and-a-Half Ton Trucks» are real «workhorses» of the front and rear. They delivered reinforcements and shells to the front line, towed guns, served as ambulances, and were also indispensable for transporting bread to besieged Leningrad along the «Road of Life». These cars went through all the trials and tribulations of the war, steadfastly enduring all the hardships.

The «One-and-a-Half Ton Truck» became one of the symbols of victory in the Great Patriotic War, along with the T-34 tank and the «Katyusha».

The history of «One-and-a-Half Ton Trucks» did not end with the end of the war. The last GAZ-MM rolled off the assembly line of the Gorky Automobile Plant on October 10, 1949. Over the years of production, the GAZ, KIM, UlZIS and Rostov assembly plants produced 985,000 trucks, of which 102,000 were assembled during the war.

The «One-and-a-Half Ton Truck» is a car that has become a symbol of the Great Patriotic War. It is captured in films and immortalized in songs, such as in Alexander Rosenbaum's famous composition «On the Road of Life»:

Can't turn the steering wheel,

Something makes me sick...

The earth is very close,

Well, what's wrong, One-and-a-Half Ton Truck?..