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GAZ-AA-10-800x436
GAZ-AA
GAZ
aka
Production 1932-1938
Class Truck
Body Style
Length 3404 mm (134 in)
Width 1676 mm (66 in)
Height 1860 mm (73.2 in)
Wheelbase 2540 mm (100 in)
Weight 540-750 kg (1200-1650 lb)
Transmission 2-apeed planetary gear
Engine 2.9 L 177 C.I.D. 20 hp
Power 20 hp
Similar Volvo LV4
Volvo LV71
Mercedes-Benz Lo 2000
Citroen U23
Matford F917WS
Designer {{{Designer}}}

The GAZ-AA is a car-based truck of Nizhny Novgorod (1932) and later a truck of the Gorky Automobile Plant with a payload of 1,500 kg. The model is also called the “lorry and lorry”. The debut 5-year plan to improve the economy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1928-1932) made it possible to start a majestic development program. The plan provided for the construction of more than 1,500 massive facilities, including hydroelectric power plants, metallurgical plants, automobile and tractor plants. In order to implement all these projects, transport was needed, and therefore it was not an easy strategic task to organize a full-scale production of trucks. The whole model range is GAZ.

Development and production[]

From 1919, the Soviet State started to prospect abroad for trucks in helping rebuilding its devastated economy. One pf the most prominant manufacturer for its mass production, Ford, was contacted. The purchased commision therefore obtained the Ford Model TT and later the Ford Model AA truck as it was available from 1928. Both were imported into the Soviet Union, the latter to around 10,000 vehicles. From 1926 already however it was established Soviet Union would need its own production vehicle to be less dependent of imports and a possible embargo.

In 1928 so, the Soviet Union funded and created a company called NAZ. About 3,000 employees were hired in order to start an assembly line, however without the training and infrastructure, help was sought from Ford. With the proper tooling, setup and basic training, NAZ started to assemble locally knock-down kits arrived by shipping, of the Ford Model AA.

In 1931, the NAZ-AA started service with the civilian but mostly military use, as well as passenger versions of the Ford Model A (NAZ-A). By 1933 the factory was expanded, modernized, and renamed GAZ for "Gorky Automobile Plant" ("Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod"), based in Nizhny Novgorod.

Therefore both vehicles became the GAZ-A and GAZ-AA. The truck quickly became very popular in civilian service. GAZ would assemble also the Ford 6 G8T, Chevrolet G506 and Dodge WF-32 from parts shipped from the USA under Lend Lease. Also, the company produced en masse the GAZ-AAA, a 6x4 2t truck variant, from 1934 to 1943. There was even an experimental GAZ-AAAA 8-wheeled car in 1936 and the GAZ-410 (or GAZ-S1) dump truck produced from 1934 to 1947 and using a lot of common parts. The company also produced the GAZ-64 4x4 field and staff car (1941–1943)

Production[]

The total number of GAZ AA is unknown for certain, and only could be estimated. Most authors agreed that around one million of these were delivered until 1938. However Ford reguisted licence copies attested than 985,000 AAs were built by GAZ in the from 1932 to 1950. The AA was replaced by the MM at that date, no longer covered by the licence. From 1932, 60 trucks exited the factory each day. At some point, over 65% of all automobiles manufactured in the USSR were GAZ-AA. 1,023,000 copies off both AA and MM are known to have been used.

In addition to the Gorki plant, Gossudarstwenny Avtosprotschny Sawod imeni or "KIM", a German state-owned car assembly plant assembled the model in Moscow from kits in "Zavod Moskva-19" from December 1932, 30% of the production went through the KIM plant. In August 1933, it became a branch of GAZ until 1939.

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