The GAZ-67 and GAZ-67B were Soviet military four-wheel-drive light vehicles built by the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) from 1943. They were a further development of the GAZ-64 and, by the end of the Second World War, were the Soviet equivalent of the American jeep. This page covers the key facts, the history, the variants and the questions people ask most often.
GAZ-67 at a glance
| Manufacturer | Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) |
|---|---|
| Production | From 1943; GAZ-67B from January 1944 |
| Drive | Four-wheel drive |
| Units built during the war | 4,851 (GAZ-67 and GAZ-67B together) |
| Predecessor | GAZ-64 |
The unit count of 4,851 comes from Russian Wikipedia and covers the wartime production only. The English article gives the production start and the jeep comparison.
History
The GAZ-67 was a further development of the earlier GAZ-64, and it used units from the GAZ-M1. Both were designed under the lead designer V. A. Grachev. The GAZ-67 had a simplified open body with cut-outs instead of doors.
Production during the war was modest. Deliveries to the USSR under Lend-Lease, such as the Willys MB and Ford GPW, were more than ten times larger. Towards the end of the war and during the Korean War, the GAZ-67B was widely used as a staff and reconnaissance car, troop and casualty carrier, and a light artillery tractor.
Design and features
- Four-wheel drive and a simplified open body with cut-outs instead of doors.
- Drivetrain units taken from the GAZ-M1 passenger car.
- Used in several roles: reconnaissance, transport of troops and wounded, and as a light artillery tractor.
Variants
- GAZ-67: the first version, from 1943.
- GAZ-67B: the improved version from January 1944, used widely at the end of the war and in the Korean War.
- GAZ-64: the predecessor that the GAZ-67 developed from.
See also: the GAZ collection, the GAZ 69 and the GAZ 66.
GAZ-67 questions and answers
What was the GAZ-67?
A Soviet military four-wheel-drive light vehicle, built from 1943, often compared to the American jeep.
How many GAZ-67 vehicles were built during the war?
4,851 units, which was less than a tenth of the Lend-Lease deliveries of the Willys MB and Ford GPW.
What was the GAZ-67B used for?
As a staff and reconnaissance car, a carrier of troops and wounded, and as a light artillery tractor.
Video: GAZ-67 off-road test
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- GAZ-67, English Wikipedia: development from GAZ-64, war role, jeep comparison
- ГАЗ-67Б, Russian Wikipedia: production numbers, Lend-Lease comparison, roles
- GAZ-67 in the Moscow Defence Museum, Wikimedia Commons: photo and licence
