Soviet car GAZ-22 ("Volga"): description, technical characteristics, photo

The GAZ-22 is known to the general public as a station wagon. The series was produced at the Gorky Plant from 1962 to 1970. In the cabin could easily accommodate 5-7 people due to the transformation of armchairs. The body was made of special material, which formed the bearing structure.

During all production time, several types of cars were created . The GAZ range in its time could completely surprise the domestic buyers. The base for the Volga was a sedan.

Initially, the 22nd model was produced specifically for the transport of goods and passengers. It was based on such machines as modification B (ambulance) and A (van). The follower of the model was GAZ-24-02 - one of the most popular, in addition, he went on sale in the domestic market. The latter is quite often found now on the roads in very good condition.

Production history

Simultaneously with the creation of the presented sedan a model with a body wagon was developed. However, it did not reach serial production. After a while the station wagon, created on the basis of the third generation of the GAZ-21R, came off the assembly line. For that period there were already successfully created copies. They were the "parents" of the 21I model. The produced GAZ-22 is quite different from the original sedan, it has its own peculiarities and advantages.

In 1965, the serial production of the basic model, called the 22B, began. She did not differ much in appearance from her prototype, but had a slightly different technical characteristics. Some specimens for a long time were published under the name GAZ-22G.

The styling of this model had improved characteristics. Most of the car went to other countries, as the machine was being exported. But still some were sent to domestic markets. The model had chrome parts (we are talking about a radiator grille, moldings, surfaces under the front and rear windows) and waist pads. This "Volga" (wagon) was quite famous in the Soviet Union.

A small characteristic

Very decent (and impressive) spaciousness in the cabin is easily determined by certain properties of the car. First, the rear seats are installed so that they can be folded without much effort. This nuance allows you to transport large loads in the car. Secondly, a high role is played by a high ceiling. One of the main differences from the sedan - the presence of a harder suspension spring. When carrying two passengers, the maximum carrying capacity of the GAZ-22 is 400 kg; If it is a question of transporting five people at once, then to fit the car in addition is capable of not more than 180 kg.

Speaking about the materials used in the assembly, it should immediately be clarified that the body side completely in quality corresponds to the one that is installed on the GAZ-21. She had manually cut off the top and rear, and instead of her, a door was installed in the factory.

Another difference from the original model is the tire. The newer GAZ-22 model received a stable version of the coatings.

The popularity of the machine

The car was not originally manufactured for sale to an ordinary buyer. All copies were distributed among state organizations. We are talking about hospitals, police, taxis. Most of all, this series of cars used by taxi drivers to transport passengers with a rather large cargo. Also often these cars were used as ambulances.

For the first time GAZ-22 (Volga) became a personal car in 1964. It was donated to Yuri Nikulin for the carriage of circus accessories.

Due to the fact that the car was most used in state organizations, today it is quite difficult to meet this series on the roads of the "Volga". There are few models left in proper form. This is due to the fact that the material used in the assembly was too unstable.

The "Volga" station wagon, like the sedan, was delivered to other countries, no matter how odd it seemed, at dumping prices. Many Americans, in spite of a large number of minuses, noted good spaciousness, stability at corners, strength, durability and patency. Do not leave without attention and the very cost of the car.

GAZ range: modification 22B

Those specimens that were created for hospitals had special attachments for stretchers. This greatly facilitated the work of doctors. Of course, the manufacturer also took care of the minimum medical support. The front seats in the GAZ-22B are separated from the rear by means of a partition. Good lighting and heating are what differentiated the model from other specimens of the same series. Neglect these issues did not make sense, because medicine is a serious sphere of life.

Van 22A

For the first time the 22A descended from the assembly line in 1961. The middle and rear rows of the car seats did not have windows. Unfortunately, the machine was never launched into mass production. However, many automobile factories built their vans on this model, finishing them and improving them with each new time. Their need was explained by the constant need for transportation of goods.

Development of a lineup

It was quite frequent practice to create pickups from universals and sedans of this model. The Moscow Repair Plant (ARZ) constantly produced new versions of old known machines, adding angular platforms. Most of the cars were painted in chocolate color. The most qualitative specimens were those that descended from the assembly line in Latvia. There were more finished cars out there. They were added complex platforms, so they were more resistant to heavy loads.

Those cars that were vans and pickups never had a special build quality. Their resource was small, and for personal use they were never sold. Now it is practically impossible to find at least one representative of GAZ-22 (technical characteristics are described below) of this type.

It is known that the "Volga" was manufactured as a station wagon with four-wheel drive. One such machine used, according to rumors, Leonid Brezhnev for going on a hunt. In addition to these means of transport, the assembly line was also used to simply rework existing copies. They were constantly supplemented and changed a little.

Specifications

The manufacturer of this "Volga" model is the Gorky Automobile Plant, which, in principle, is understandable from the base name. The car belongs to the class E (in other words, to the middle one). This station wagon has five doors and is designed for five to seven people. If you look at different configurations, then you can clarify that the "Volga" was produced with a rear-wheel drive, it was front-engine.

The car was put three different engines: a power of 75 hp. (For internal implementation), 85 hp. And a diesel engine of 58-65 hp. (These cars were exported). The transmission has four stages, it is of a mechanical type and fully synchronized. The tank is designed for 55 liters of gasoline. The maximum speed that can be obtained does not exceed 115 km / h. At 100 km, it consumes about 15 liters of GAZ-22 fuel. The price fluctuates within 150 thousand rubles.

Development of the 22nd model in the gaming and souvenir sphere

So it turned out that large-scale models of GAZ-22 in mass production did not hit both the USSR and Russia. Initially, they were issued in units, a little later small parties were manufactured by individual companies and companies, among which one can be located in Ukraine (Kherson and Kiev).

At the moment the souvenir "Volga" is produced by a Chinese company. The Dutch company provides high-quality copies for a very high cost. Among collectors, they are considered as close to the original copies.

Fans of computer games can admire the GAZ-22 in the game GTA. Here in the catalog are just three modifications, among them a taxi and a van. Also you can find a pickup truck model GAZ-21.