GAZ-63: the all-wheel-drive version of the GAZ-51 truck

The GAZ-63 is the all-wheel-drive version of the Soviet GAZ-51 truck, built by the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) after the Second World War. It was mass-produced together with the GAZ-51 and shares most of its design. This page covers the key figures, the history and the questions people ask most often about the 4×4 version.

GAZ-63 at a glance

The sources give no separate production years or specifications for the GAZ-63. The GAZ-51 article covers its payload and history.

History

The GAZ-51 was designed before the Second World War and mass-produced after it. The all-wheel-drive GAZ-63 was made alongside it on the same basis, so the two trucks share most of their design. The GAZ-51 was a 4×2 truck, while the GAZ-63 had all-wheel drive.

The GAZ-63 chassis also carried special bodies, such as a fire-fighting water tank, shown in the photo of a unit in Taraz, Kazakhstan.

For readers comparing the two, the key difference is the drive: the GAZ-51 is a 4×2 truck, while the GAZ-63 is all-wheel drive. Both are 2.5-tonne trucks from the same post-war period, which is why they are usually described together.

Design and features

• Four-wheel drive, which set it apart from the rear-wheel-drive GAZ-51.
• The same 2.5-tonne class as the GAZ-51, built on a shared design.

Variants

• GAZ-63: the all-wheel-drive version itself.
• Fire water tank: a special body built on the GAZ-63 chassis.

See also: the GAZ 51, the GAZ 66 and the GAZ collection.

GAZ-63 questions and answers

What is the GAZ-63?

The all-wheel-drive version of the GAZ-51 truck.

What is the difference between the GAZ-51 and the GAZ-63?

The GAZ-51 has a rear-wheel drive layout (4×2), while the GAZ-63 has all-wheel drive.

Video: GAZ-63 4×4 truck

Video on YouTube.

Sources

• GAZ-51, English Wikipedia: GAZ-63 as the all-wheel-drive version, shared history
• GAZ-63 fire water tank, Taraz, Wikimedia Commons: photo and licence