The GAZ-3106 Ataman II is an experimental all-wheel-drive off-road vehicle built by the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ). It was first shown in 2003 and was a continuation of the unrealised GAZ-2308 Ataman project. A year later it was modernised and prepared for production, but it never entered series production. This page covers the key facts, the design, the history and the questions people ask most often.
GAZ-3106 at a glance
| Manufacturer | Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) |
|---|---|
| Type | Experimental off-road vehicle (prototype) |
| First shown | 2003 |
| Drive | Permanent all-wheel drive with a lockable centre differential and a reduction gear |
| Brakes | Ventilated disc brakes at the front, drum brakes at the rear |
| Planned price | On the level of the UAZ Patriot |
| Series production | Never started |
The Russian Wikipedia article describes a prototype, so the figures are for the prototype, not for a production car.
History
The GAZ-3106 continued the GAZ-2308 Atamán project, which was never completed. It was first demonstrated in 2003. A year later it was modernised and prepared for production, but the car did not go into series. The planned retail price was set to match the UAZ Patriot, one of its main rivals in the Russian off-road market.
The prototype is kept in the collection of the GAZ museum, where a photo of the car was taken for the article above. The museum also shows the wider history of the plant.
Because the GAZ-3106 never went into series production, only prototypes and demonstration cars exist. The 2003 and 2004 cars, and the museum example in the photo, are therefore the main surviving records of the project, and the sources describe the car mostly through its design work and planned price.
Design and features
- Permanent all-wheel drive with a lockable centre differential and a reduction gear.
- A new transfer case with a multi-row Morse chain.
- Front ventilated disc brakes and rear drum brakes, with ABS and a ‘PBS’ system planned.
- An electric winch was planned as an option.
Variants
- GAZ-2308 Atamán: the earlier project that the GAZ-3106 continued; it was never completed.
- GAZ-3106 Atamán II: the 2003 demonstration car and the 2004 modernised prototype.
See also: the GAZ collection, the GAZ 69 and the GAZ 3110 Volga.
GAZ-3106 questions and answers
Was the GAZ-3106 ever put into production?
No. It was modernised in 2004 but did not go into series production.
When was the GAZ-3106 shown?
First in 2003, and in a modernised version a year later.
What was the GAZ-3106 meant to compete with?
Its planned price was set on the level of the UAZ Patriot.
Video: GAZ-3106 Atamán II prototype
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- ГАЗ-3106, Russian Wikipedia: prototype history, 2003 and 2004, design, planned price
- GAZ-3106 Ataman II, GAZ museum, Wikimedia Commons: photo and licence
