GAZ Volga

Where the GAZ-3110 fits in the Volga line

The GAZ-3110 is the middle link in a chain of updates that runs from the GAZ-24 of the late 1960s to the last Volga Siber. The order is GAZ-31029, then GAZ-3110 in 1997, then GAZ-31105 from January 2004, and finally the Siber, built from 2008 to 2010. Each step reworked the previous car rather than replacing it, which is why the GAZ-3110 still shares its core structure with the GAZ-24. That car entered series production in 1968–1970, depending on how the start is counted.

The GAZ-3110 also took over from the GAZ-3102, another descendant of the same platform. The 1cars catalogue lists the GAZ-3110 for 1997–2004, which covers the first-phase car. The line itself did not end in 2004: the GAZ-31105 continued it, and the estate version is reported to have stayed in production until 2010. Sources give the end of the whole family as 2009 or 2010.

Most cars came from the main GAZ plant. English-language Wikipedia also records assembly at KrymAvtoGAZ in Simferopol, Ukraine, from 1997 to 2004. For the wider story of the company, see the history of GAZ.

Development and design changes

Work on the GAZ-3110 began in 1995, and a prototype was shown publicly that year. Series production followed in 1997. The brief was a thorough modernisation of the ageing Volga rather than a clean-sheet design, so the GAZ-24 underpinnings and body structure stayed. The changes concentrated on the styling and the engine range.

The car was then updated almost every year:

The 2003 changes are the most significant for anyone looking at a car today. English-language Wikipedia describes a transitional 2003 model-year series with ball-joint front suspension, revised rear bushes, an anti-roll bar and equipment for the Euro II emissions standard. The 5-speed manual gearbox was reworked in the same year with double synchronisers. These parts formed the base of the GAZ-31105, so a late GAZ-3110 is closer to its successor than its badge suggests.

Engines and transmissions explained

The GAZ-3110 was offered with three engine families: the ZMZ-406 petrol engine with fuel injection, the older ZMZ-402 with a carburettor and, in the later years, the GAZ-560 diesel.

ZMZ-406: the 2.3-litre injection engine

The ZMZ-406 (factory index 4062.10) is a 2,286 cc four-cylinder petrol engine with two overhead camshafts, 16 valves and Bosch fuel injection. Early versions are usually quoted at about 110 kW (150 PS) with a 9.3:1 compression ratio. After the compression ratio was lowered to 9.2:1 in 1999, the rating is given as 96 kW (131 PS). Spec aggregators list peak torque at 206–211 Nm (152–156 lb-ft).

ZMZ-402 carburettor engine

The ZMZ-402.10 is the long-serving overhead-valve, eight-valve four-cylinder carried over from earlier Volgas, with a displacement of around 2.4–2.5 litres and an 8.5:1 compression ratio. Published power figures for it in the GAZ-3110 do not agree, so we do not quote one here. It powered the simpler versions, some of which used a 4-speed manual gearbox.

GAZ-560 diesel

The diesel option was the GAZ-560, a 2.1-litre four-cylinder built under licence from Steyr. German-language Wikipedia describes it as a turbocharged direct-injection engine offered in the later years and popular with commercial users. Its power figures differ between sources, so they are left out.

Gearboxes and drivetrain

The standard gearbox was a 5-speed manual, and a 4-speed Aisin Warner automatic is recorded as an option. Drive went to the rear wheels on every version. The front suspension is independent with coil springs, the rear uses a live axle on leaf springs, and the brakes are discs at the front and drums at the rear. There was no all-wheel-drive or hybrid GAZ-3110.

GAZ-3110 specifications

The table covers the 2.3-litre petrol saloon with the 5-speed manual gearbox. Figures marked as approximate come from spec aggregators rather than factory data.

One Wikipedia page gives a 2,880 mm wheelbase; the other sources, and the GAZ-31105 data, agree on 2,800 mm. Kerb weight rises to about 1,550 kg (3,417 lb) across heavier versions. We have not included a fuel consumption figure because the published numbers do not state a test cycle.

Estate, ambulance and long-wheelbase variants

Besides the saloon, the GAZ-3110 platform produced an estate, an ambulance and a long-wheelbase executive car.

• GAZ-310221 estate: the five-door version, which kept a rear end of GAZ-24 design. It outlived the saloon and stayed in production after 2004.
• GAZ-310231 ambulance: a medical version of the GAZ-3110.
• GAZ-311055: a long-wheelbase luxury saloon about 300 mm (11.8 in) longer, introduced in 2005 on the GAZ-31105 base.
• Volga-3111: a related small-series model; see the Volga-3111 page for details.

GAZ-31105 and the end of the line

The GAZ-31105 arrived in January 2004 and is described as the second stage of the GAZ-3110 modernisation. Its production is listed as 2004–2009. It used the updated chassis introduced on the 2003 cars and, according to English-language Wikipedia, received a Chrysler 2.4-litre engine from 2006, while the 2.5-litre ZMZ-40525 was used from 2005 to 2010. The last development of the line was the Volga Siber, built between 2008 and 2010, with about 9,000 made.

Buying and owning a GAZ-3110 today

Identify the exact version before checking condition, because a GAZ-3110 can differ from car to car in engine, gearbox and chassis. Published data on typical faults is scarce, so these are identification points and general checks:

• Engine: a ZMZ-406 has fuel injection and a 16-valve head, while a ZMZ-402 uses a carburettor.
• Model year: body-colour bumpers with integrated fog lamps point to a car from the 2001 facelift onwards.
• Chassis: ball-joint front suspension and an anti-roll bar indicate a 2003 car or later.
• Body: as with any steel-bodied car of the era, check sills, wheel arches, floor and the lower edges of the doors for corrosion before anything else.
• Paperwork: check whether the papers say GAZ-3110, GAZ-310221 or GAZ-31105, as the closely related models share much of their structure.

For other GAZ cars and trucks, browse all GAZ models, see more saloons, or compare the GAZ-3110 with other classic cars of the 1990s.