GAZ M-1 Emka: the second-generation GAZ passenger car, 1936–1942

The GAZ M-1, nicknamed “Emka”, was a Soviet passenger car built by the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) from 1936 to 1942. It was the second generation of GAZ passenger cars and the successor to the GAZ-A. A total of 62,888 units were built. This page covers the key facts, the history and the questions people ask most often.

GAZ M-1 at a glance

The Russian source gives the production years and the unit count. The English encyclopedia has no page for the M-1, so this entry rests on one source.

History

The M-1 name stands for “Molotov-first”, after the head of the Soviet government, Vyacheslav Molotov. In the literature of the 1930s and 1940s the car was usually called simply “M-1” or “M1”, without the plant name in its designation.

The M-1 was the second generation of GAZ passenger cars and the successor to the GAZ-A. It was built at the Gorky plant from 1936 until 1942.

Design and features

• A passenger car from the Gorky plant, built as the second generation of GAZ cars.
• The name “Emka” is the popular nickname, which is still used for the model.

Variants

• GAZ M-1 (Emka): the car described here, 1936–1942.
• GAZ-A: the predecessor, which the M-1 succeeded.
• GAZ-11-73 (M-11): a modernised sedan built in 1939–1941 and 1945–1948 with the 6-cylinder GAZ-11 engine and improved brakes (Russian Wikipedia). The old “GAZ 11-73” page of this site is covered here.

See also: the GAZ collection, the GAZ M20 Pobeda and the GAZ 21 Volga.

GAZ M-1 questions and answers

What does the M-1 name mean?

The source says it was decoded as “Molotov-first”, after Vyacheslav Molotov, the head of the Soviet government.

When was the M-1 built?

From 1936 to 1942.

How many M-1 cars were built?

62,888 units.

Video: GAZ-M1 1936

Video on YouTube.

Sources

• М-1 (автомобиль), Russian Wikipedia: production years 1936–1942, 62,888 units, name, succession from GAZ-A
• GAZ-M1 in the UMMC museum, Wikimedia Commons: photo and licence