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GAZ M-20 Pobeda was the first car with self-supporting body in the Soviet Union. The car was being making from 1946 to 1958. Series production started on 28 June 1946. Bodywork could be called as fastback. The car was created after the Great Patritic War, that time it got its name Victory - Pobeda (in Russian). It is hard to believe, that in the postwar conditions the Soviet engineers could create so unusual car. The body is very unusual for their shapes. The front window is V-shaped, tha back is rounded. Pobeda is one of the first cars in the world that does not have protruding front or rear fenders.
First problems was with production of sheet metal molds because of their comlicated shape. That's why they began make smaller sheets which was welded and grinded. Under hood works four-cylinder engine with SV divorce (with valve on side of cylinder). Engine was unifiqued in details with six-cylinder from GAZ-61. After reminders about lack of fuel was decided about mounting 4-cylinder to Pobed. In 50's vehicle has 3-speed transmission from ZiM vehicle. First time in Russia was braking system controlled by hydraulic. Vehicle also gets heatind with ventilator, two front electronical wipers and side turning signals. Vehicle has 16'' wheels. Brakes are drum based. Vehicle is rear wheel drive, 2.1 ccm engine with output 50HP. Maximal speed is 105 km/h. Consumption 11 liters / 100 kilometers while 60km/h.
An Off-road version was created too. It's have a chassis from millitary vehicle GAZ-69. In the half of 50's was created 4677 of these cars. It was comfortable off-road vehicle with sign GAZ M-72. Signification of Pobed wasn't officialy used despite similar body of the vehicles. In prototypes was aslo sedan which is differed form Pobed by front grille and more parts of body. Sedan was never manufactured. Small amount of Pobed was manufactured in North Korea. In the years 1951-1973 was produced 254 472 pieces in Poland with signification Warsaw. Later was created sedan there.
Smoothness of driving is comparable to present premium classes vehicles. Steerring is without booster but you can drive by one finger. Visibility out of the car is sufficient in front way, little bit worse is it in rear way. Little back view mirror and small rear window does not allow a sufficient view. This problem is also in modern cars with similar conception. Thanks to shape of the roof and height of the vehicle is planty space above your head. In interior you will not find any plastic. Some of the cars was equipped with radio. Part of accessories is clock.
Only second and third gears were synchronized. For quiet shifting of the first gear, it was necessary to shift to the second gear, leave the clutch depressed and thanks to synchronization of second gear you can shift to the first gear quietly. The first verion of Pobed has no gears synchronized. Therefore, you must shift with intermediate gas. The vehicle can be moved with shifted second gear. In winter, the happy owner comes to vehicle with one or two buckets of water. First one was for spilling the water on hot engine block and second one for filling the cooling system. Before the start, it was necessary to pull out the choke rod. After turning the ignition key. The starter button is close to the pedals.
Together with Moskvitch 400 it was the first exported passenger vehicle from the USSR. Exports took place to Finland where car was loved by taxi drivers and to the next countries of Skandinavia as well as Belgia, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, ČSSR an other countries. Vehicles were delivered to UK and USA. Pobeds has been featured in many foregin magazines. The vehicle were delivered to Czechoslovak Socialistic Republic the years 1955-1957. GAZ M-20 has success in sport where rode modified Pobeds. The roof height has changed. A Sport version of Pobed with different body was produced. The cost of Pobed in 50's in USSR was 16 -20 000 rubles. Common citizen have to earn many years for that. For example Moskvitch 401 cost 9 000 rubles and GAZ 12 ZiM cost 40 000 rubles. A total of 235 999 vehicles were produced of which including 14 222 convertibles and 37 792 taxis.
Interestings about Pobed
Some of spare parts in newest Volha comes from Pobed, signed in cataloque by number 20.
Accelaration from zero to one hundred in serial vehicle takes 45 seconds
Front grille has after modernization to M-20V in the year 1955 only three horizontal ribs.
Letter M in name after modernization means Molotovec after ''Vječeslav Michaljovič Molotov''. Whole official name is ''Molotovec the twentieth model''
Precursor of the vehicle was GAZ 11-73 and successor GAZ 21 Volha.
