GAZ-67

History

All Allied forces in WW2 had success with the American designed Bantam/Willys "JEEP" - a 4x4 utility vehicle that proved as important as any tank, plane or battleship. The Soviet Union received about 20,000 of them under Lend-Lease and copied this design as the "GAZ-67" of the famous Gorky Automobile Works, with a whopping 92,843 produced from 1943 to 1953.

By the end of the war, the car proved as important to the Soviet Army as the Jeep was to the Allies. Armed with such data, the GAZ-67 remained in service into the postwar yearsdeployed in the Korean and Indochina wars.

Externally, the GAZ-67's design was no different from the rival Willys, although its lines were in some ways more similar to 1930s cars. The driver sits behind the steering column in the front left, with the steering wheel in a conventional layout, with the passenger seat to his right, right behind him. Wheels are placed at extreme corners of the chassis to facilitate better handling in corners and rough terrain. As usual, the engine is mounted under a covered compartment at the front of the vehicle and behind a vertically slotted grille.

The headlights partially protrude from the front fenders and are rounded to give the vehicle a unique look on approach. The two-piece windshield can be folded over the hood or removed entirely. The spare wheel is mounted on the rear wall (offset to the right) of the fuselage superstructure.

The hull sits high on the chassis for improved ground clearance. Power is provided by a 4-cylinder 3.3-liter A-type (Ford) gasoline engine rated at 50 hp, and the transmission arrangement drives all four wheels through a conventional 4x4 configuration. Top road speed is 56 miles per hour.

Dimensions include a length of 3.3 meters and a width and height of 1.7 meters. Curb weight is 1,320 kg (2,900 lb). Interestingly, the car's fuel tank is mounted under the dash. Wheels and suspension (quarter oval spring set) are based on other GAZ car designs. Seats are for four people, including the driver, although more can be carried under the pressure of war.

Doors and fabric roof coverings are optional, and the roof is supported by a thin tubular frame.

Golgi began production of the GAZ-67 in September 1943. By this time, the Eastern Front had turned into a bloody affair against the power of the Axis powers, led by Hitler's Germany. In practice, the GAZ-67 with its 50-horsepower layout proved unresponsive compared to the American JEEP.

The vehicle line was then slightly improved with the introduction of the "GAZ-67B" model line, which featured several improvements, including a 1.85-meter longer wheelbase and a more powerful 54-horsepower engine. The Model B appeared in January 1944 as the final production form.

GAZ-67 and GAZ-67B were adopted in 1953 when GAZ-69A was introduced.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on the weapon carried.

Changes