GAZ-21

GAZ-21 at a glance

The GAZ-21 was developed as a modern successor to the GAZ-M20 Pobeda. Design work started in November 1953 under Alexander Nevzorov, with styling by Lev Eremeyev. The first prototype appeared in early 1954 and the car was shown to the public in 1955. Its rounded body, chrome grille and large windows followed American fashion of the time, which is why it is often compared with the Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria and Mainline of the same period. The maker's story is told in the history of GAZ, and all its models are in the GAZ catalogue.

Three series from 1956 to 1970

Production began on a small scale in 1956, with only five cars completed that year, and full-scale production followed in 1957. The car was built in three series, which can be told apart by their grilles:

• Series 1 (1956–1958): a grille with a central "star" motif.
• Series 2 (1958–1962): the "shark" grille with 16 vertical slots.
• Series 3 (1962–1970): the "baleen" grille made of 34 thin vertical bars and updated trim.

Body, cabin and suspension

The GAZ-21 has a drag coefficient of 0.42 and 230 mm of ground clearance. According to the old 1cars text, the body steel was phosphated for corrosion resistance, and the cabin is very spacious, with soft bench seats front and rear: three people can sit in front, and the front bench can be folded flat to make a bed. The dashboard has a transparent hemispherical speedometer, a valve radio and a hand throttle that worked as a simple cruise control. There were no seat belts and the large, thin steering wheel was not adjustable.

According to the old 1cars text, the front suspension is independent with coil springs and an anti-roll bar, and the rear has a live axle on longitudinal leaf springs with telescopic dampers. Until 1960 the front suspension used a centralised lubrication system, which was later dropped, and the third series replaced the old lever-type front dampers with telescopic units. The taxi versions show how robust the design was in daily use.

2.4 OHV engine and gearboxes

The aluminium block and head of the 2.4-litre engine were advanced for a mass-produced car of the 1950s. According to the old 1cars text, the camshaft sits low in the block and operates the valves through pushrods, and the aluminium block has replaceable wet cast-iron cylinder liners, so a rebuild needs only a new piston and liner set. A K-124 carburettor with a fuel sight glass feeds the engine, and a radiator blind in front of the engine had to be closed while warming up in winter and opened again to avoid overheating. The gear lever is mounted on the steering column. From 1957 a three-speed automatic gearbox, built under licence from Ford's Ford-O-Matic, was offered, but only about 700 cars received it before it was dropped because it was difficult to maintain. From 1958 the only gearbox was a three-speed manual with synchromesh on second and third gears.

GAZ-21 specifications

GAZ-21 variants and export versions

The Volga in Western Europe

The GAZ-21 was exported widely. In Belgium, the importer Sobimpex assembled the car as the Scaldia-Volga and often fitted diesel engines, first from Perkins, then from Rover and finally Indenor. In Belgium and the Netherlands these diesel versions sold better than the petrol cars. The Volga's 1958 Grand Prize at the Brussels World's Fair and its class win at Finland's Thousand Lakes Rally in 1959 helped its reputation outside its home market.

In service: operation and legacy

The GAZ-21 was valued for its strength, comfort and ground clearance, and it served for many years as a private car, taxi and official car. Ambulance versions, the M22B and M22BK, were built on the GAZ-22 estate, and taxi versions were made throughout the production run. Its successor, the GAZ-24 Volga, introduced a more modern, boxier body in 1970, and the Volga name continued through the GAZ-3102 and later models. The old 1cars text lists its good body and paint quality, spacious cabin, soft ride and high ground clearance among its strengths. Its weaknesses were its heavy weight, the lack of power assistance for steering and brakes, a weak parking brake and the three-speed gearbox's lack of synchromesh on first gear. Fuel use was about 13.5 litres per 100 km and the top speed about 130 km/h.

Collecting a GAZ-21 today

Today the GAZ-21 is a collectible classic, and many cars have been restored. When buying, check the body for corrosion in the sills, floor and wheel arches, the condition of the chrome trim and the originality of the engine and gearbox. Cars with the original automatic gearbox, of which only about 700 were made, and Belgian Scaldia-Volga diesels are rare variants.