The GAZ-69 is the four-wheel-drive light truck that the Soviet army used before the UAZ-469. GAZ built it from 1953 to 1956 and the Ulyanovsk plant, UAZ, from 1956 to 1972, but the name never changed: all of them were GAZ-69s. Its chassis and engine later went into the UAZ-450 van and, through it, into the whole UAZ utility line.
UAZ-69 at a glance
| Maker | GAZ, then UAZ in Ulyanovsk |
|---|---|
| Production | 1953–1956 at GAZ, 1956–1972 at UAZ |
| Also built | Romania, until 1975 |
| Engine | 2.1 litre inline four, 55 hp |
| Stronger version | GAZ-69M and GAZ-69AM: 2.4 litres, 65 hp |
| Top speed | 90 km/h, 100 km/h for the 69M |
| Gearbox | three-speed manual |
| Body | two doors and a canvas top; four doors in the GAZ-69A |
| Fuel tanks | 47 litres under the floor, 28 litres under the passenger seat |
| Built | more than 600,000 by 1972 |
| Replaced | GAZ-67B |
The English Wikipedia page on the GAZ-69 covers the vehicle as a whole, including the years when it was built by UAZ in Ulyanovsk.
History of the UAZ-69
Development
The GAZ-69 was designed by the team of chief designer Grigoriy Vasserman as a replacement for the GAZ-67B. It was to use less fuel than its predecessor while keeping the same 55 hp 2.1-litre inline four and three-speed gearbox as the GAZ-M20 Pobeda saloon, and its axles and some other parts came from the GAZ-67B. Work started in 1946, and the first prototypes, known as “Truzhenik” (Toiler), were built in 1947. After long road testing the vehicle went into production on 25 August 1953.
From Gorky to Ulyanovsk
GAZ built the vehicle for three years, and in 1956 production moved to the Ulyanovsk automobile plant, where it continued until 1972 — still under the GAZ-69 name. Over 600,000 were built in the USSR. A copy with some changes was made in Romania by ARO until 1975, first as the IMS-57, then as the heavily redesigned IMS M59 and finally as the ARO M461. The GAZ-69 was the standard light military vehicle of the Eastern Bloc and its client states, with Romania the exception because it used its own ARO models.
Design and relatives
The standard car reached 90 km/h. More powerful versions with a 2.4-litre, 65 hp engine kept the three-speed gearbox and reached 100 km/h; they were called GAZ-69M, or GAZ-69AM in the four-door form. There were two fuel tanks, one of 47 litres under the floor and one of 28 litres beneath the passenger seat. The basic GAZ-69 has two doors, a canvas top and two folding benches for three passengers each; the GAZ-69A, also sold as the UAZ-69A, has four doors and two rows of seats. The GAZ-69 was the basis of the rear-wheel-drive GAZ-19 van of 1955, which never passed the prototype stage, of the amphibious GAZ-46 MAV and of the 2P26 tank destroyer, and both the UAZ-450 and the UAZ-469 traced their origins to it.
Design and features
- Army specification: even civilian cars had to meet military requirements in case of wartime requisitioning.
- Two fuel tanks: 75 litres in total, split between a tank under the floor and one under the passenger seat.
- Simple mechanics: the axles came from the GAZ-67B and the engine and gearbox from the Pobeda, so any workshop could repair it.
- Starting point for UAZ: the UAZ-450 van and the UAZ-469 off-roader were both developed from its chassis and engine.
UAZ-69 versions
- GAZ-69: two doors, canvas top and folding side benches.
- GAZ-69A (UAZ-69A): four-door version with two rows of seats.
- GAZ-69M and GAZ-69AM: 2.4-litre 65 hp engine, 100 km/h.
- Romanian copies: IMS-57, IMS M59 and ARO M461, built until 1975.
- Military derivatives: the GAZ-46 MAV amphibian and the 2P26 tank destroyer.
The GAZ-69 was replaced in army service by the UAZ-469, and its chassis and engine went into the UAZ-450 van. More vehicles are in the UAZ collection.
Video: UAZ 69
Video by VASYA999ful on YouTube.
Sources
- GAZ-69, English Wikipedia: development, production, design, derivatives
