Until the late 1930s, the USSR focused on three-axle vehicles. The Gorky Automobile Plant was already preparing to launch the GAZ-21 with a 6×4 wheel formula based on the “Emka”, and funds were allocated and equipment ordered for the project.
But designer Grachev wrote a letter to Voroshilov, stating: the future is not in the three-axle scheme, but in all-wheel drive. For 1938, such a step was risky, but instead of punishment, the engineer was tasked with developing a new machine.
For study, an American all-wheel drive Marmon-Herrington LD-2 based on the Ford V8 was brought to Gorky. The car was disassembled, and work began on creating its own analogue. The Americans refused to sell a license for CV joints, so the designers had to develop a solution independently.
The GAZ-61 was assembled from existing components:
- the body was taken from the “Emka”
- the chassis – from the experimental GAZ-11-40
- the gearbox – from the GAZ-AA
- the front axle and transfer case were newly created
During testing, the Soviet machine proved to be more off-road capable than the American model.
A total of six GAZ-61-40 phaetons were built. Voroshilov received a blue car, Timoshenko a dark green one, and Zhukov a gray one. The last car was delivered on June 11, 1941.
The car was distinguished by high off-road capability. Zhukov's driver, Alexander Buchin, later recalled that the GAZ-61 drove through snow, mud, and ice where tractors stopped.
Under the hood was a 6-cylinder GAZ-11 engine, modeled after the Dodge D5. Depending on the cylinder head, it produced 76 or 85 hp. The car accelerated to 107 km/h, and fuel consumption on the highway was about 15 liters per 100 km.
But serious shortcomings soon became apparent.
In summer, passengers were constantly covered in dust due to the open body. In winter, the situation became even worse: the canvas top barely retained heat, and there was no heater in the car at all. During trips, one had to wear sheepskin coats, felt boots, and mittens.
After the first wartime winter, almost all phaetons were sent to Moscow Plant No. 101, where the open bodies were replaced with closed ones from the GAZ-11-73. However, a heater was never installed.
There were also problems with the design itself. The GAZ-61 was created on the basis of a civilian car, so the long wheelbase and high body were poorly suited for rough terrain. The car scraped its bottom on uneven surfaces and leaned heavily on slopes.
In addition, on broken front-line roads, the car constantly shook due to stiff springs.
In December 1941, Zhukov switched to a German Horch with an insulated body and all-wheel drive. Later, it was replaced by a “Willys”. The Marshal never returned to the GAZ-61.
The reason was simple: generals needed not only off-road capability but also the ability to work normally on the road.
The GAZ-61 also did not become a mass-produced vehicle. Only 238 cars were produced in five years:
- 6 phaetons
- 194 sedans
- 2 pickups
- 36 tractors
The main problem was the GAZ-11 engine. These engines were required for light T-70 tanks, so the production of passenger all-wheel drive vehicles was quickly reduced.
An additional difficulty was the all-metal body of the “Emka”, which required a lot of metal and complex stamping. Therefore, in the autumn of 1941, the plant switched to the simpler GAZ-64, which later gave rise to the GAZ-67, GAZ-69, and UAZ-469.
The GAZ-61 became the third civilian all-wheel drive car in the world after the Mercedes-Benz G5 and Marmon-Herrington LD-2, and also the world's first all-wheel drive sedan.
But the very idea of turning an ordinary passenger car into a full-fledged army SUV ultimately proved to be a dead end.