Photo by Ilya Panov
Previous weekend I, together with two of my friends – Eugene and Ilya, took part in a classic car show. Well, kind of. For the most part, my car, a red European Ford Granada two-door of an unknown year of manufacture (really !), was involved as a towing vehicle for one of the participating cars, which had blown the head gasket and refused to go any further under its own power. The show was dedicated to classic GAZ cars and timed to the 800th anniversary of the city I live in, Nizhny Novgorod – previously Gorky. Therefore, my Granada was one of only two foreign cars present, both of which were Fords… more on that later.
The first stage of the show took place in front of the GAZ plant’s main entrance. A traditional part of each of the Gorky Classic events is when the participating vehicles, ranging from 1930s veteran cars to the last passenger models manufactured by the plant under its own brand, revisit the very place they’ve been built at – the GAZ main assembly line. After passing through the factory gates, the motorcade headed off towards the next destination, the Stadium built for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, to the cheer of the moderately dense, by the standards of our times, crowd of spectators – including us.
As soon as the last of the participating cars – a light grey GAZ-24-12 station wagon which doubled as a support vehicle for the motorcade – left the stage, the road police opened the road and we went in pursuit. Our initial plan was to follow the motorcade, find some parking space near the Stadium and visit the exhibition on foot. Little did we know at the time how much more interesting things were about to get in just a few moments…
As the guy in yellow T-shirt told us, the head gasket had failed the day before, during their trip from Moscow to Nizhny when temperature was abnormally high even for a hot August day, and since then the car was limping and spraying water out of its exhaust pipe. Now it finally gave up the ghost, and no immediate support was coming, because they were supposed to be the support vehicle ! Naturally, we decided to help them by towing the wagon to the Stadium. Thus, it became our ticket directly to the show.
To say that towing a roughly 1600 kg Volga wagon, with 3 or 4 people in it, with a 1240 kg, 2-liter V6-powered Ford Granada was a demanding task is to say nothing at all. But we’ve managed, and the car did just fine.
For self-evident reasons, the event was not as representative as it used to be in some of the previous years, and the number of visitors was also relatively limited. Most cars present at the show were regular GAZ-21 & 24 Volgas – although some of them in immaculate condition, rarely seen outside of events such as this one. However, there were also some cars of particular interest.
This is a genuine GAZ-A, built in Gorky under license from Ford. An extremely rare car today – very few were made in the first place, and the survival rate was abysmally low, considering the tumultuous history of USSR & Russia in the crazy XXth century. Some of the mechanical parts of this specimen quite clearly have been unearthed, in the very literal sense of the word. Despite all the efforts made since 1940s, old battlegrounds still contain a lot WW2-era iron…
Now this is a different beast – obviously a Ford Model A Fordor disguised as a GAZ car. Not sure what it was supposed to represent, probably a GAZ-built closed-body version (which is sometimes called the Pioneer), which was sufficiently similar looking, but technically had a different body from the US sedans built by Briggs or Murray.
The convertible version of the Pobeda was built in some rather significant quantity between 1949 and 1953. While lacking the roof, it actually weighted quite a bit more than the regular sedan, so no, they were not “conserving steel” – to do that, you should make regular sedans. However, the roof was one of the most technologically complex parts of the whole body, and it is possible that at some point they just couldn’t make enough for all of the cars. Regardless, the convertible was not introduced ad hoc, it had been planned as a regular part of the model lineup from the very start.
Due to technological limitations, very few GAZ-22 wagons were manufactured each year, roughly 1500…2000 regular wagons and 4000 ambulances – for a total number of 12744 wagons and 30896 ambulances in 8 years. Despite the fact that more of them have been made, today an ambulances are extremely difficult to find – much more so than a regular wagon (which is extremely rare in its own right).
The wagon with a blown gasket is getting towed away for repair at Eugene’s friend’s shop. GAZ-24-02 & 24-12 wagons are more abundant, but still rare, and start getting some kind of a cult following in the recent years.
This 1974 Volga is probably one of the best in the country, frequenting the covers of publications and calendars. Vladimir N. Nosakov, one of the designers of this model, arrived in it.
This GAZ-24 may look pretty standard from outside, but it is powered by a 2.8 liter Ford Cologne V6. Essentially the same engine, in fact, that powers my Granada, but a larger version of it. This particular GAZ-24 started its life as a standard Volga with a ZMZ-made inline-four, but there were factory made cars with Ford V6’s of this very model. As well as 3.0 liter Essex V6-powered cars assembled by Konela of Finland for the foreign markets.
Now talking about rare cars – only 55 GAZ-3105’s were ever made in 1992-1996, or, more specifically, hand crafted as prototypes. It may look unremarkable – unless you open the hood and see the 3.4 liter EFI OHC V8, coupled to a 4×4 manual transmission. Not quite Audi quattro or Mercedes-Benz 4-matic of the day, but roughly in the same venue. That, however, was exactly the problem with it: it was far, far more expensive than a Russian made car could afford to be in early-to-mid 1990s. And the plant just didn’t have the money to reequip for making more of them and use the economy of scale.
The blue Volga next to it is powered by a Japanese engine, most likely a Toyota UZ.
GAZ-3111 was, and still is, a polarizing design, to say the least. Loaded with lots of chrome and other “retro” features, it was the factory’s last attempt to reinvigorate its independently developed car line in late 1990s – early 2000s. After it ultimately failed, GAZ turned back to its roots – manufacture of cars under foreign license: Chryslers at first, then Chevrolets, and now Skodas.
I’ve also filmed a 15-minute-long video of the same trip:
Just to make a point that not only Russian made cars suffered from heat that day ) On our way back we’ve encountered our friends in their old Ford van, suffering from the very same problem with leaking cooling fluid.
There also was another classic car event in the other part of the city, which we’ve also taken part in (briefly). Yours truly in the background, in a very awkward pose.
BMW 321 convertible replica built on modern BMW chassis.
Lada Natasha convertible (dealer-made), owned by a local classic car shop owner Eugeny Yashin (he’s currently working on some of my cars)
GAZ-69 with lots of off-road add-ons.
Thanx for something completely different to normal fare, Only Lada penetrated our market I think it was done by trade swaps for our butter mountain we got a lot of Belarus tractors that way, why we couldnt have Volgas i dont know but even Ladas are getting rare now such is the magnetism of the used ex JDM car with all the fruit,
As interesting as the various GAZ vehicles are, I am fascinated by the ” lead ” car: the Granada 2 door sedan, I didn’t know that Ford even offered that bodystyle.
The Euro Granada is one of my dream cars, I look forward to reading more about it.
We never had the two door in the UK; the only 2-door was the Ghia coupe from 1974. With the black grille and offset badge I’d say that’s the facelifted 1975-7 version. If it is it should also have the later instrument panel rather than the earlier one with separately recessed dials.
The Ford Granada Coupe, pictured is the German version.
The UK version was the better looking Fastback Coupe, that in away echoed the original Ford Mustang Fastback in style.
At one point in the late 70’s / early 80’s, just about every inner city Pub Landlord seemed to own one. Ofter in Bronze or Dark Grey.
The car can be seen in the video for the song “Park Life” by the band “Blur”.
***
Enclosing a link, but as its to a sales site it my get taken down.
https://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2019-03-02/cars/ref-71-1975-ford-granada-ghia-coup%C3%A9/
Stanislav’s Granada is a 2 door sedan, not coupe. The early German coupe had a upswept rear section, sometimes referred to as ‘Coke bottle’, like this:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_Granada_Coupe_before_rear_three_quarters_reworked.JPG
The later version is a more striking shape though.
Thanks for letting us ride along. That was very, very cool. I love these parallel universes of cars we never get to see, and I admit to knowing almost nothing about this automotive world. I really enjoyed your article.
I do have to laugh about the blown head-gasket though – that is a universal wherever old cars gather for shows. You know that your car needs some work and you swear to yourself that you’ll get it done before show day-and hey! There’s still plenty of time! So you commit to the show (and maybe even as Support Vehicle?) Then somehow life gets in the way. And THEN, right before the show the car starts acting up. Of course. But…. the car IS running… and you promised.
It naturally follows, just like rainstorms follow flat tires, that your car will break down on the way TO the show, never on the way home.
This was a fascinating read. Thank you. It just goes to show that the love of ones car and the desire to show it off is indeed a universal language.
Please write more about old car life in Russia. I would enjoy learning more about this previously unknown part of life there.
And when you wrench on a Russian car, you’ll need to swear at it in Russian, otherwise it won’t understand you. I already knew Blyat from my habit of watching Russian crash videos, but here are some others. It seems the translations are words I’ve used when working on my car!
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/russia/articles/12-russian-swear-words-you-need-to-know/
Wow, what a fascinating look at the show, that was great. The GAZ-24 always reminds me of what a the spawn of a Volvo 144 and a Dodge Dart would look like (in a good way), but I have to say the GAZ 3105 is fascinating, a styling mashup of Audi 100 (C4) and Opel Omega with some Volvo taillights thrown in for good measure…One I’ve never seen or heard about prior to just now. Excellent. And your Granada looks like great fun too, instantly reminding me of our family’s Consul, same body, lower powered engine.
I remember reading in “Za Rulem” about 15 years ago about the cottage industry of aftermarket outfitters that would start with a Volga, most commonly a 3102, and then offer all sorts of drivetrain upgrades, mostly Toyota engines and automatics, but also total interior upgrade packages with import-sourced power accessories, etc. I want to say the 3.4L 5VZE and/or the 1/2JZ were the engines that were used. There were also of course the later factory 3110 cars with the Chrysler 2.4, which made for a fairly sprightly car (relatively speaking).
New (non-fleet) Volga buyers/owners in the 90s-2000s were a very specific bunch. Mostly older men for whom the car still carried prestige, appreciated the very smooth ride, and the relatively low entry price and high servicability in rural areas. They were also the sort that were used to spending their weekends in the garage since Soviet times, so the fact that the cars required tinkering/fixing, undercoating and other attention right from new was not necessarily off-putting.
Some Soviet Army Volga 24s, a sedan and a wagon, on an Allied four-power tour of West Berlin in 1977;
What I’d commented on the video at YouTube about the ’70 Ford Custom seen briefly makes me think the British might well have used V6 Granadas on their four-power tours. Americans, too, for that matter since they tended to use an increasing number of (West) German cars sourced locally.
I was aware that Volga wagons were rare enough not to be even theoretically available to the public in Soviet times, but I didn’t know they were THAT rare
What a fascinating post. Like others, there’s a lot here I didn’t know. That GAZ 3105 is startling, mechanically. Nothing like shooting for the stars, hey. And that GAZ 3111 – a rebodied, king-pinned, pushrod and leaf-sprung old Volga, it seems. Amazing.
Have you ever driven a Volga like the ’74 one shown, Mr Alexeyev? I’ve always been curious what they’re like: they are the one Russian car I DID know of as a kid in the ’70’s, but ofcourse, I’ve never even seen one, let alone heard one run, in far-off Australia.
Probably not that different from a contemporary Holden or Falcon. Similar to an American “compact” car but engineered with far more rugged use in mind.
Thanks for this, and for educating me on the GAZ-3105. I had no idea this existed. Amazing.
Thank you for this. I am especially fascinated by the GAZ-A. I did not think any survived at all, all I have seen are period photos and drawings.
I was a child in Russia when the GAZ-24 came out, and it was a sensation. When I first got to ride in “the new Volga” in 1972, it was something to brag to other kids about. I got to actually drive a restored one when visiting Odessa two years ago, fun way to spend an afternoon.
Here’s a counterpart to the lead pic, the Pobedas under construction on the same assembly line.
Wow, what a fascinating piece Stanislav! I’ve It made me spend the last couple of hours reading about GAZ on line. Like other comementors, I’d never heard of the GAZ-3105. With that much engine that far ahead of the front suspension I imagine it provide a spectacular level of understeer. The Pobedas always remind me of the late ’40s version of the Peugeot 203. Loving the Granada coupe – such a handsome shape, especially in red! Curious why you don’t know the year of manufacture – are all the ID tags gone? No chassis number etched somewhere?
For me the most fascinating part was where Vladimir N. Nosakov attended the show in the car he helped design! The fact he turned up in one 51 years after they were launched speaks volumes about his character and passion for cars. I’d be interested in finding out more about his thoughts of the last half-century – what life and car design was like at the time, how things have changed since, what he thinks about the GAZ-24/Volga all these years later…
Wow, that was fun! Thanks for sharing the event video. I felt as if I was there with you, enjoying the show. Good times, family, and tinkering with classic cars always puts a smile on your face.
So many good looking cars ! .
-Nate