Ural- 377 (1965–1983)

Why UralAZ built a 6×4 Ural

The Ural-377 existed because not every job needed drive to all three axles. A collector-market guide describes it as using the same bonneted layout and petrol V8 as the 6×6 trucks, with 6×4 drive for more conventional haulage. The German-language reference says it appeared at about the same time as the steel-cab Ural-375D, in 1964 or 1965, as a civilian version without all-wheel drive.

Removing the front-axle drive and the tyre-inflation equipment simplified the truck and raised its rated payload. The 377 was still a heavy bonneted three-axle lorry, built for serviceability, traction and load carrying at modest speed rather than for comfort. The 6×6 family it came from is described on the Ural-375 model page.

How the 377 differs from the 6×6 trucks

The differences come down to drive, tyres and payload. The sources agree on the following points, and the table lists the figures that could be confirmed.

Engine figures are given by the collector-market guide, which lists the 377 with the same 7.0-litre ZIL V8 and 180 PS as the 375D. The power in kW is converted from that metric figure. No source we could verify gives the 377's length, wheelbase, kerb weight, gross weight or top speed, so they are not shown here. The cab is closely related to the 375D's: according to the German reference, the steel cab of the 375D was developed from the one first used on the 377.

A wheelbase of 4,200 mm (165.4 in) is sometimes printed for "the 6×4 Ural", but we could not trace it to a reliable source. Because the 377 shares a name family with the 6×6 trucks, its data is easily mixed up with theirs; check which version any specification sheet actually describes. The engine's roots go back to the V8 of the ZIL-130 medium truck.

Ural-377S tractor and the later 377N

The 377S is a semi-trailer tractor based on the Ural-377. The German reference on the plant gives it the same production span, 1965 to 1983. No coupling load or semi-trailer rating for it appears in the sources we checked.

The English-language article on the plant also names a Ural-377N, which it says appeared in 1975, and states that production of the 6×4 versions continued until 1983. It gives no details of what the N suffix changed, and we found no second source, so the 377N is best treated as a lightly documented late version.

Orange cabs for remote regions

The colour is the 377's most distinctive feature. According to the German-language reference, the trucks were supplied from the start with the cab painted orange, so that a vehicle that had broken down in a remote region could be found more easily from the air. Original orange paint is therefore a useful clue when identifying a surviving truck, although a working vehicle may well have been repainted during its life.

What the sources do not tell us

Coverage of the Ural-377 is thin, and an honest page has to say so. No production total, no detailed dimensions and no official fuel figure for the 6×4 version were found in the sources we checked. The 375D, with its V8 and heavier 6×6 drivetrain, is quoted at 45–50 L/100 km on the road; the 377 used the same engine, but a separate figure for it is not published. The exact gearbox, axle ratios and tyre size of the 377 are also undocumented in the material available to us.

Finding and checking a Ural-377 today

The 6×6 trucks dominate what little collector coverage exists, and no price guide is published for the 377. The checks below are the ones that matter most for this version:

• Confirm the model. A non-driven front axle and the absence of tyre-inflation equipment point to a 377 or 377S; compare the chassis number with the data plate and documents.
• Tractor or truck. The 377S has a fifth-wheel coupling instead of a cargo platform; make sure the configuration matches the papers.
• Heavy-vehicle basics. Frame rails and cross-members, the air brakes and the age of the tyres need the same attention as on any old heavy truck.
• Parts. The engine family is shared with the 375D, which helps; parts unique to the 6×4 driveline may be harder to find.

The 377 belongs with the working classic vehicles of the 1960s. For a modern view of the same idea, the Ural-63685 is a later Ural with a 6×4 layout, and the Ural model range lists the brand's other trucks.