From way back in the USSR - GAZ 21

Today's post is dedicated to my friends at TNF, Alexander, Robert S and Alexey who last week unwittingly conspired to introduce me to the delights of Russian Truck Cross.



I don't have any pictures of Russian trucks but I did find these pictures of a GAZ 21 in my archive taken at the old East /West German border crossing at Marienborn on the A2 between Hannover and Berlin. The GAZ 21 was designed by Lev Yeremeev who appears to have taken his styling queues from the '52 - '56 Ford Mainline.



The three series of this model were in production from 1956 - 1970 powered by either a 2,445 cc / 149 cui 4 cylinder engine or in a few cases by a 5520 cc / 336 cui V8. These vehicles were used as taxi cabs, police interceptors and estate versions, known as GAZ 22's were used as ambulances.

Thanks for dropping by and as they might say in Russia, Не забудьте вернуться сейчас!

PS some fab pics of GAZ 21's on the race circuit here.

Correction : it turns out that the V8 cars mentioned above were made for the KGB and actually known as GAZ 23's with more or less identical bodies to the GAZ 21 in order not to attract any attention from the observed populace. Thanks to Alexander for the new information.