On the eve of the 71st anniversaries ofVictories in the Great Patriotic War I would like to talk about cars, in many respects, thanks to which, victory was won in World War II in the war.

Interesting fact. D about the war, in the late 30s, in the Soviet FROM union on a large scale produced military equipment. Its release was significantly more than in any other country. . By the start of the war in USSR, there were about 273 thousand military vehicles, and with the start of the war, yet 160 thousand civilian vehicles and agricultural equipment. Unfortunately, in the first days of the war b s Have lost tens of thousands of vehicles.

The main heroes of the victory cars.

1. Truck GAZ-AA "P olutork a" - l legend FROM Soviet FROM union.

This type of technology was famous for its universal purpose. On the she was even located multiple launch rocket systems "Katyusha". Although for the first time such a system was installed on a four-ton truck with a 6x4 wheel formula ZIS-6.

Little known fact. The decision to mass-produce Katyusha in the USSR was made about 12 hours before the start of World War II (June 21, 1941).

For the first time, the GAZ-AA car was produced in 1932 on the conveyor of the Gaz plant, which was located in Nizhny Novgorod. The truck had an engine that developed a power of 42 horsepower. In the future, this type of engine was upgraded and already had 50 l / s. It was also equipped with a 4-speed gearbox. About again there was a frame, and the suspension had a spring type. The carrying capacity of the car was 1.5 tons, which is where the nickname "one and a half" came from. It is worth noting that due to the frame, rather simple and solid design, the car was operated with a large overload of up to 3 tons. Max Speed the truck reached 70 kilometers per hour, and due to the low compression ratio, it was possible to refuel GAZ-AA with low-quality gasoline. IN stalemate the car was filled with kerosene or alcohol. In service, the car was unpretentious, they coped with repairs “on the spot”. In wartime, in order to save money, one headlight and one wiper were installed on the P olutorka. There were no front brakes. The cockpit was made of plywood. The roof and doors are made of tarpaulin. And the battery was in great short supply, so the car was started using a manual starter. The total circulation of P olutorok, including pre-war production, exceeded one million copies.

2. ZIS-5 -to ultimate truck. Nickname "Zakhar Ivanovich"or "Threeton".

In terms of reliability, this truck was unmatched. And the car was equipped motor with a capacity of 73 horsepower. The maximum speed was 60 km/h. ZIS-5 and chalked a flexible frame that helped the car go over bumps very gently. TO forest formula 4x2. The car was producedat several enterprises at once: UlZIS and UralZIS, behind the plant "and the name of Stalin" licensed by an American company Otokar. Before truck has become a norm"Autocar 5 Es". The car underwent a major modernization, which was carried out by a team of engineers from the ZIS enterprise. P practically from the available spare parts a more modern car was designed,and most importantly, the truck has become simpler and more maintainable.

3. GAZ-64, GAZ-67. Nickname "Ivan Willis" -in war jeep.

The SUV was put into production in record time. On February 3, 1941, an assignment was received from the Soviet government for the production of a light, inexpensive and unpretentious SUV to maintain. Two months later, or rather 51 days, the car was ready for production. On the 60th day, serial production began. The urgency was due to the alarming situation.

GAZ-64 received a reliable and unpretentious engine from a lorry, but turned out to be of little use for driving on dirt roads due to a rather narrow gauge.

As a matter of urgency, the GAZ plant produces a modernized version of the GAZ-67. This model was nicknamed in the army as "Ivan Willis", "goat", "flea-warrior". He mainly served in the army as a headquarters command vehicle, reconnaissance vehicle and high-speed artillery tractor. The car turned out really with off-road qualities. Overcame with ease deep ruts, could b no problem to go to the side of the road through ditches with steep walls. GAZ-67 developed a maximum speed of up to 90 kilometers per hour P when driving off-road, crazy at that time, 25 kilometers per hour. During World War II in the war he showed himself on the good side. The SUV was unpretentious to fuels and lubricants. Le gko, quickly and easily repaired, unlike his American brother "Willis".

Summing up, I would like to say that technological solutions, which were used in cars that participated in World War II in the war, gave a significant impetus to the Soviet automobile industry.

During the war and after it, the Soviet NAMI actively worked. Captured and lend-lease vehicles were studied here, and foreign vehicles were tested. Soviet engineers got the opportunity to get acquainted with solutions and technologies from almost all over the world.

Sincerely, Site Administrator

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The most famous and best-in-class car of World War II is the Willys MB. Light, well controlled and dynamic, the machine was equipped with a 60-horsepower 2.2-liter engine, a three-speed gearbox and a reduction gear

The fate of the Victory was decided not only at headquarters, but also on the battlefields. Fought with each other and engineers who developed various techniques

Most of the fleet of the two main opposing forces of World War II, especially in the early years of the war, were ordinary commercial trucks and Cars. At best, they were adapted to one degree or another for army needs, often simply by simplifying the bodies and cabs. But already in the second half of the 1930s, factories paid much attention to models designed specifically for military needs, and with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, there were more and more such machines in the Red Army and the Wehrmacht. Nazi Germany and the USSR were supplied with such cars not only by their own factories, but also by the enterprises of the allies.

patency academy

The best car of World War II in the class of compact command and reconnaissance vehicles was undoubtedly the American Willys MV. And the secret of its success was that the Willis was built from a “clean slate”, unlike the German KDF 82 and even our GAZ-67, which, although it was an original model, was still based on serial components and assemblies of pre-war Gorky machines. The need for such structures became especially clear in the second half of the 1930s - before the inevitable world war.

The Germans did not make a worthy analogue to the American Willys MB. Although, of course, they did not remain without all-wheel drive vehicles. Probably the most interesting is the Tempo G1200. It was equipped with two two-cylinder engines of 19 hp, each of which brought its own - front and rear wheels. And all the wheels were steerable. The Tempo's flotation was almost phenomenal, but the design turned out to be rather whimsical. The cars served mainly with the border guards and in the SS troops. They were also in the Finnish army, but they did not do the weather in the theater of operations.

German all-wheel drive Tempo 1200G with two 19 hp engines. had steerable front and rear wheels. Until 1943, 1253 cars were manufactured

The idea of ​​all steerable wheels excited the engineering minds of the prewar years. These were the more solid headquarters BMW 325, and Hanomag and Stoewer unified with it. But the most massive staff vehicles of the Wehrmacht were large, heavy, but powerful cars Horch. Model 108 also had all-wheel steering. However, during the war they began to produce a simpler version with the usual hard rear axle. The Horch 108 was equipped with the same engine as the most common Horch 901 - a pre-war 3.5-liter V8 with 80 hp. By the way, they also made fifty cars with a convertible body from this civilian car. Horch 901 analogues were also made by Opel and Wanderer. These solid, strong, powerful machines were good, but complicated and expensive to manufacture, and also extremely voracious.

All-wheel drive car of the middle class - Stoewer R200 with a 2-liter 50-horsepower engine and all steerable wheels (the driver could block the rear turn). Analogues were made by Opel and BMW
Large headquarters all-wheel drive vehicles Horch 901 with a 3.5-liter V8 engine with 80 hp. made over 27,000

Perhaps the closest analogue of the family of German large all-wheel drive vehicles was the American Dodge W50 / W 60 series. The cars, nicknamed by our drivers “Dodge three-quarters” (in terms of carrying capacity - 750 kg), were produced in many modifications. The main one is cargo-passenger with benches in the back. But they also made command vehicles with two rows of seats and other officer attributes, such as a retractable card table. Dodge was equipped with a powerful 3.6-liter 6-cylinder engine developing 92 hp. - more than the German pre-war "eight" used on Horch and Wanderer.

The American Dodge WC 50 series - a universal cargo-passenger and command vehicle - was equipped with a 92-horsepower 3.8-liter engine. During the war, about 260 thousand of these cars were produced, of which 20-25 thousand were received under the Lend-Lease agreement in the USSR. They also made the 60 series WC family with a 6 × 6 wheel arrangement

Before the war, several large German firms began the production of four-wheel drive trucks based on standard vehicles. The most famous and massive became, again, with all the drive wheels. The Wehrmacht received about 25,000 of these machines, which were assembled in Brandenburg before the bombing of the factory in 1944.

The all-wheel drive Opel Blitz 3.6-6700A was equipped with a 75-horsepower engine, a five-speed gearbox and a two-stage transfer case. Until 1945, about 25,000 cars were made

Our auto industry has not made a serial analogue to the German four-wheel drive truck. They designed and brought to production the ZIS-32 - a three-ton version, close to the German one in terms of characteristics. But in 1940-1941. made only 197 such ZISs. Already in the autumn of 1941, the plant was hastily evacuated, and the lineup, of course, was greatly reduced.

The all-wheel drive ZIS-32 would be very useful to the Red Army. But until the fall of 1941, only 197 of these machines were built.

To some extent, the absence of all-wheel drive trucks in the Red Army was compensated by the three-axle GAZ-AAA and ZIS-6 with a 6 × 4 wheel arrangement. They have been made since the first half of the 1930s, but the production of the ZIS-6 was curtailed in 1941, and the GAZ-AAA was made before the bombing of the Gorky plant in 1943. And these cars could not fully compete with all-wheel drive.

ZIS-6, although it was not all-wheel drive, had a 6 × 4 wheel formula. Until 1941, 21,239 vehicles were manufactured. The first guards mortars - the famous Katyushas - were mounted precisely on the ZIS-6 chassis. ZIS-36 with a 6 × 6 wheel formula existed only as a prototype
On the basis of a three-axle truck with a wheel arrangement of 6 × 4 GAZ-AAA, staff and ambulance buses GAZ-05-193 and GAZ-05-194 were produced in Gorky. But this car is most likely the fruit of the labors of an unknown military factory.

By 1943, American models became the main trucks of the Red Army. The main one is the famous three-axle Studebaker US6. It was also made in the 6 × 4 version, but most cars with a carrying capacity of 2.5 tons were all-wheel drive. The six-cylinder engine developed 87 hp, the gearbox was a five-speed, plus a two-speed transfer case. "Student" (as american car called by our drivers) appreciated for its cross-country ability, reliability and relatively easy operation (even compared to some Soviet post-war trucks). The GM CCCKW also had similar characteristics. Such trucks with 91-horsepower engines, although in smaller quantities than Studebaker, were also supplied to the Red Army. They were made with two wheelbases, in a variety of options, including a dump truck.

The famous "Studer" - Studebaker US6 - was equipped with an 87-horsepower engine. Trucks were delivered in 6×6 and 6×4 variants. Of the 200-220 thousand cars built, about 80% were sent to the USSR

A little lower class was the Chevrolet G7100 with a carrying capacity of 1500 kg with an 83-horsepower engine. Like some other models received by the USSR under the Lend-Lease agreement, part of the Chevrolet was assembled from car kits at our factories. In general, American four-wheel drive trucks were, in fact, the best cars Great Patriotic.

Dosborka American Chevrolet G7100 at the Gorky Automobile Plant. A car with a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons had all-wheel drive and an 83 hp engine.

Compensate for the lack of mobility standard cars tried to release half-tracked vehicles. Since the beginning of the 20th century, many companies around the world, including our factories, have been fond of such a scheme. During the war, on the basis of GAZ-MM and ZIS-5, they made GAZ-60 and ZIS-22, respectively, later - 42 and 42M. Trucks under the common name Maultier (mule) became direct German counterparts. Cars of the same type, built on the basis of the Opel Blitz, were also made under the brands Ford and Mercedes-Benz. The main disadvantages of half-tracked vehicles, regardless of the country of origin, were the same: poor handling in thick mud and sticky snow, huge fuel consumption. In general, all-wheel drive models won this battle.

The most massive Soviet half-track trucks of the Red Army are the ZIS-22 and the modernized ZIS-42 (since 1942) with a payload capacity of 2250 kg. The first were made about 200, the second until 1946 - 6372
Half-tracked Opel Blitz Maultier (mule). Analogues were made by several other German factories

A separate, albeit very small, class of wartime vehicles is light amphibians. The most famous is the KDF 166, made on the basis of the KDF82 light headquarters "kubel", which was based on the same "Beetle". On the amphibian under the name Schwimmwagen (floating car) was boosted to 25 hp. motor. This option, unlike the standard "kubel", was all-wheel drive and even had a downshift. Such amphibians came mainly to the SS troops, and a lot of them were built - 14,283 copies. A similar floating car was also made in Germany under the name Trippel SG6. The company that created it has been engaged in amphibians since the mid-1930s, but until 1944 it built only about a thousand cars with a 2.5-liter 55-horsepower Opel engine.

The amphibious KDF 166 Schwimmwagen was equipped with a 25 hp engine, all-wheel drive, and a reduction gear. Of the more than 14,000 vehicles, most went to the SS troops
Trippel amphibians of the SG series came mainly to the border guards. They put 65-horsepower on cars Opel motors

The Soviet industry began to mass-produce a similar GAZ-46 car only eight years after the end of the war. And during the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army received a Ford GPA under lend-lease, created on the basis of the GPW model - an analogue of the Willys MB with the same 60-horsepower engine.

Ford GPA - a floating version of the Ford GPW - a direct analogue of the Willys MB. Most of the machines with 60-horsepower engines entered the Red Army

hardships of service

There were relatively few heavy heavy trucks during the Great Patriotic War. Of course, the military had a need for them, but not all factories could master the production of giants. For example, in the USSR, before the war, only a five-ton YAG-6 was made. Yes, and it is impossible to classify this car with a 4 × 2 wheel formula as a military one, although most of the slightly more than 8000 YAG-6s produced were received by the Red Army.

On decent roads, the all-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz L4500A was able to carry up to 10,400 kg of cargo. The car had a 112-horsepower 7.2-liter engine.

In Germany, a whole family of trucks with a carrying capacity of 5-10 tons, including an all-wheel drive version with powerful diesel engines, was produced until 1944 by Daimler-Benz. By the way, German enterprises made trucks with heavy fuel engines, but not a single German tank received such an engine. In the Red Army, all vehicles (including those supplied by the Allies) had gasoline engines. But Soviet tanks and self-propelled guns received a very successful diesel B2 with a power of 500 hp. - the best, despite the mediocre workmanship, tank engine of the Second World War.

One of the most powerful and powerful trucks during the war was supplied to the Wehrmacht by the Czech plant Tatra. Model 111 had a spinal frame traditional for the plant and an air-cooled engine, which, with a volume of 14.8 liters, developed 210 hp. By the way, this successful car, whose production began in 1942, was then made for two decades.

The Czech Tatra 111 with a 6 × 6 wheel formula is one of the most powerful trucks war. A car with a carrying capacity of 6350 kg was equipped with an air vent of 210 hp. Maximum speed - 65 km/h

Another heavy tractor - the only one of its kind - was produced under the FAMOF3 brand in Breslau, and then also assembled in Warsaw. A huge half-track tractor was able to tow trailers with a gross weight of up to 18 tons. The basic version was designed for towing heavy guns and transporting the crew. A tractor with a 250-horsepower Maybach engine was also used to evacuate damaged tanks, in engineering units.

half-track artillery tractor FAMOF3 was able to tow a trailer weighing up to 18 tons. About 2,500 such cars with V12 Maybach engines (10.8 liters, 250 hp) were made

Americans supplied analogues to the heavy vehicles of the Wehrmacht of the Red Army. Tractors were branded Reo, Diamond and Mack. The latter had a carrying capacity of up to 10 tons. Reo 28 SX towed semi-trailers with a gross weight of up to 20 tons. By the way, the analogue of Reo - the American Diamand T980 - served as the basis for the design of the KrAZ-210. But that was after the Victory...

The American Diamond T980 had a 6-cylinder 11-liter engine developing 150 hp.

By the end of the war, the fleet of the Red Army was much more efficient than the German one. Many factories of the Third Reich cut huge lineups and later stopped production altogether. The Red Army still did not have such a diverse park. But american cars, which became massive in our troops, were much more perfect, more reliable and better adapted to the hardships of a terrible war. Let's not forget, however, that the simple, unsophisticated Soviet three-ton and one-and-a-half stubbornly drove to the West, bringing us Victory ...

Knowing firsthand what a front and a military operation are, Hitler was well aware that without proper support for advanced units, a large-scale military operation could not be carried out. Therefore, a significant role in building up military power in Germany was given to army vehicles.

Source: wikimedia.org

In fact, ordinary cars were quite suitable for conducting military operations in Europe, but the Fuhrer's plans were much more ambitious. For their implementation it was necessary all-wheel drive vehicles able to deal with Russian off-road and the sands of Africa.

In the mid-thirties, the first motorization program for the army units of the Wehrmacht was adopted. The German automotive industry has begun developing trucks off-road three standard sizes: light (with a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons), medium (with a payload of 3 tons) and heavy (for transporting 5-10 tons of cargo).

Army trucks were developed and manufactured by Daimler-Benz, Bussing and Magirus. In addition, the terms of reference stipulated that all cars, both externally and structurally, should be similar and have interchangeable main units.

Source: wikimedia.org

Besides, automobile factories Germany received an application for the production of special army vehicles for command and intelligence. They were produced by eight factories: BMW, Daimler-Benz, Ford, Hanomag, Horch, Opel, Stoewer and Wanderer. At the same time, the chassis for these machines were unified, but the manufacturers installed their own motors for the most part.

Source: wikimedia.org

German engineers have created excellent machines that combine all-wheel drive with independent suspension on coil springs. Equipped with locking inter-axle and inter-wheel differentials, as well as special "toothy" tires, these SUVs were able to overcome very serious off-road conditions, were hardy and reliable.

While hostilities were taking place in Europe and Africa, these vehicles completely satisfied the command of the ground forces. But as the Wehrmacht troops entered Eastern Europe, abhorrent road conditions began to gradually but methodically destroy the high-tech design of German cars.

The "Achilles heel" of these machines was the high technical complexity of the designs. Complex knots required daily Maintenance. And the biggest drawback was the low carrying capacity of army trucks.

Be that as it may, but the fierce resistance of the Soviet troops near Moscow and a very cold winter finally "finished off" almost the entire fleet of army vehicles available to the Wehrmacht.

Complex, expensive and energy-intensive trucks were good during the almost bloodless European campaign, and in the conditions of this confrontation, Germany had to return to the production of simple and unpretentious civilian models.

Source: wikimedia.org

Now "one and a half" began to make: Opel, Phanomen, Stayr. Three-tons were produced by: Opel, Ford, Borgward, Mercedes, Magirus, MAN. Cars with a carrying capacity of 4.5 tons - Mercedes, MAN, Bussing-NAG. Six-ton ​​- Mercedes, MAN, Krupp, Vomag.

In addition, the Wehrmacht operated a large number of vehicles from the occupied countries.

The most interesting German cars from WWII:

"Horch-901 Type 40"- a multi-purpose variant, the basic medium command vehicle, along with the Horch 108 and Stoewer, which became the main transport of the Wehrmacht. completed gasoline engine V8 (3.5 L, 80 hp), different 4-speed gearboxes, independent double wishbone suspension with springs, locking differentials, hydraulically operated all wheel brakes and 18-inch tires. Gross weight 3.3-3.7 tons, payload 320-980 kg, developed a speed of 90-95 km / h.

Source: wikimedia.org

Stoewer R200- produced by Stoewer, BMW and Hanomag under the control of Stoewer from 1938 to 1943. Stoewer became the founder of a whole family of light, standardized 4x4 command and reconnaissance vehicles.

Main technical features of these machines were permanent all-wheel drive with lockable center and center differentials and independent suspension of all driving and steered wheels on double wishbones and springs.

Source: wikimedia.org

They have had wheelbase 2400 mm ground clearance 235 mm, gross weight 2.2 tons, developed a maximum speed of 75-80 km / h. The cars were equipped with a 5-speed gearbox, mechanical brakes and 18-inch wheels.

One of the most original and interesting cars Germany became a multi-purpose half-track tractor NSU NK-101 Kleines Kettenkraftrad ultralight class. It was a kind of hybrid of a motorcycle and an artillery tractor.

A 1.5-liter engine with 36 hp was placed in the center of the spar frame. from Opel Olympia, which transmitted torque through a 3-speed gearbox to the front sprockets of the mover with 4 disc road wheels and automatic system braking one of the tracks.

Source: wikimedia.org

From motorcycles, a single 19-inch front wheel with parallelogram suspension, a rider's saddle and motorcycle-style controls were borrowed. NSU tractors were widely used in all divisions of the Wehrmacht, had payload 325 kg, weighed 1280 kg and developed a speed of 70 km / h.

It is impossible to ignore the light staff car produced on the platform of the "people's car" - Kubelwagen Type 82.

Thought about the possibility of military use new car appeared at Ferdinand Porsche back in 1934, and already on February 1, 1938, the Army Armaments Office issued an order for the construction of a prototype light army vehicle.

Tests of the experimental Kubelwagen showed that it significantly outperforms all other Wehrmacht passenger cars, despite the lack of front-wheel drive. In addition, Kubelwagen was easy to maintain and operate.

The VW Kubelwagen Typ 82 was equipped with a four-cylinder boxer carbureted engine air cooling, the small power of which (first 23.5 hp, then 25 hp) was quite enough to move a car with a gross weight of 1175 kg at a speed of 80 km / h. Fuel consumption was 9 liters per 100 km when driving on the highway.

Source: wikimedia.org

The advantages of the car were also appreciated by the opponents of the Germans - captured "Kubelvagens" were used by both the Allied troops and the Red Army. The Americans especially liked him. Their officers bartered Kubelwagen from the French and British at a speculative rate. Three Willys MBs were offered for one captured Kubelwagen.

On a rear-wheel drive chassis type "82" in 1943-45. They also produced a staff car VW Typ 82E and a car for the SS troops Typ 92SS with a closed body from the pre-war KdF-38. In addition, an all-wheel drive staff car VW Typ 87 was produced with a transmission from the mass army amphibian VW Typ 166 (Schwimmwagen).

amphibious vehicle VW-166 Schwimmwagen, created as a further development of the successful KdF-38 design. The Arms Department gave Porsche an assignment to develop a floating passenger car designed to replace motorcycles with a sidecar, which were in service with reconnaissance and motorcycle battalions and turned out to be of little use for the conditions of the Eastern Front.

Floating a car Type 166 was unified in many components and mechanisms with the KfZ 1 all-terrain vehicle and had the same layout with an engine installed in the rear of the hull. To ensure buoyancy, the all-metal hull of the machine was sealed.

For obvious reasons, the industry of Nazi Germany is associated exclusively with military equipment. But in fact, quite interesting civilian cars were also produced in the Third Reich.

The thirties of the twentieth century are not the easiest period in the history of Germany. The country has just begun to recover from the Great Depression, which directly affected the lives of citizens.

It is not surprising that the Nazis, who seized power in the country, actively played on these sentiments of the population. The automotive industry is by no means an exception. This is one of those areas in which the rulers of the Third Reich tried to show the superiority of their ideology over others, and clearly demonstrate how the new government can make people's lives better with the help of cars.

Today we will tell you about what cars were popular in Germany of that period, and you will also find out what car the fictional Soviet intelligence officer Otto von Stirlitz drove. Just in case, let's make a reservation: we strongly condemn the Nazi ideology, and in no case do we try to whitewash the activities of the Third Reich with this publication. The results of the Second World War and the Nuremberg trials are not subject to revision! We only give curious examples of the technology of that period, and we consider these cars exclusively from a historical point of view.

Mercedes-Benz 770

Mercedes-Benz 770

With the phrase "cars of the Third Reich" in the mind of many, a fairly stable image immediately arises - Adolf Hitler is driving a car. Admittedly, there is nothing surprising in such associations - Nazi propaganda actively showed the Fuhrer in their films and television magazines. Most often, the Nazi leader drove around in them in a Mercedes-Benz 770K with the numbers "1A 148 461".

At the time of the appearance in 1930, the Mercedes-Benz Typ 770, also known as the Großer Mercedes ("Big Mercedes"), was indeed the largest and most expensive car German mark. Under the hood of this car was a 7.6-liter engine that developed 150 hp. in the regular version and 200 hp. - on the supercharged version. Transmission - 4-speed manual. Of course, only the best materials were used in the interior decoration of the "Big Mercedes", including leather and wood. The 770 also had a convertible version.

In general, the Mercedes-Benz Typ 770 was not an easy car, and given the initial price of 29,500 Reichsmarks, not everyone could afford it. But the elite fell in love with the car, and not only the Nazis. For example, Reich President Paul von Hindenburg, Japanese Emperor Hirohito, Popes Pius XI and Pius XII drove such a car. Well, in 1931, Adolf Hitler added to the list. Moreover, the Fuhrer preferred the open version of the car.

Maybach SW38

Just like today, Maybach cars were prominent in Nazi Germany and were among the most prestigious. True, then Maybach was not a division of Mercedes-Benz, but a separate company - Maybach-Motorenbau (this is precisely what explains the two letters "M" on the emblem of the brand). But by the 30s, Maybach had a real history and the glory of a pioneer behind it, because it was Wilhelm Maybach who once helped Gottlieb Daimler to create the first car in the world.

In general, it is not surprising that the SW family of cars, nicknamed the "little Maybach", turned out to be the most massive pre-war car stamps. The first version - Maybach SW35 - appeared in 1935, was equipped with a 3.5-liter engine with 140 hp. But only 50 of these cars were built.

The Maybach SW38 deserves much more attention, equipped with a 3.8-liter 140-horsepower engine and a 4-speed transmission, which was produced from 1936 to 1939. The body of this car was created in the studio of Hermann Shpon. And in different years released several versions: there was a four-door convertible, and a two-door car with open top, and a special roadster. It is not surprising that in the summer of 2016 one of these cars went to auction at Sotheby's for $1,072,500.

By the way, in 1939 Maybach released new modification a car of the SW - 42 family. It was already a sedan with a fundamentally different body and a 4.2-liter engine, the power of which, due to the peculiarities of the then technical regulations, remained the same - 140 hp. True, the same obvious reason - the war - prevented this model from gaining mass distribution and popularity.

Volkswagen Kafer

Volkswagen Kafer

If the party bosses of the Third Reich drove Mercedes and Maybachs, then ordinary burghers should have received a simpler car. With this, the Nazis wanted to demonstrate the growth of the welfare of citizens. That is why Ferdinand Porsche, commissioned by Hitler, began to develop a truly "people's car". Actually, the title Volkswagen brands that's how it translates.

The result of the work was Käfer, or in translation - "Beetle". For the first time, the new model was shown in the spring of 1939 at an exhibition in Berlin, although at that time the Beetle was not yet a Volkswagen, but was produced under the KdF-Wagen brand. The rear-engined car was equipped with a 25-horsepower engine with air-cooled and was extremely simple to maintain and manufacture. Of course, the public was very, very supportive of such a machine.

Volkswagen Kafer

True, an interesting nuance was associated with the purchase of Volkswagen Käfer. Although the nominal price of the car was 990 Reichsmarks, it was impossible to buy a car for cash. Instead, it was necessary to purchase a special "Savings book" and paste it there every week special brands. Any missed payment meant the loss of all invested funds. Nevertheless, the Germans were still reaching for the "People's Car",

True, in 1939 more than 330,000 people were still left without the coveted "Beetle". The reason is that the plant where Käfer was produced had already been completely transferred to the war footing. Only in the 60s, Volkswagen management went to meet the deceived depositors and offered them a discount on new cars. Well, the Beetle itself successfully survived this period, and was produced with various changes right up to 2003. True, the last copy of this model was not made in his native Germany, but in Mexico.

Opel Kadett

One more" people's car", which appeared in the Third Reich was the Opel Kadett. This car was built on the basis of another Opel model, the Olympia, and since 1937 it has been produced at the plant in Rüsselsheim.

I must say that the Opel Kadett turned out to be a very progressive car for its time. Firstly, the model inherited from the "Olympia" design with an all-metal load-bearing body. Secondly, the car was distinguished by a very advanced design. What are the lights alone, integrated into the wings! Finally, thirdly, and Opel equipment Kadett gave odds to many competitors. For example, here are installed hydraulic brakes for all four wheels, and in the cabin there was, for example, a sensor for remaining fuel and oil pressure.

The Opel Kadett was powered by a 1.1-liter four-cylinder engine with 23 hp. Although this is not much, due to its small mass of 750 kg, the car could accelerate to 90 km / h, which was considered a very good indicator. And the Opel Kadett cost 2100 Reichsmarks - even if it was more expensive than the Beetle, but the car could be bought right away.

However, our Opel readers Kadett will be interesting for one more reason. The fact is that it was this model that became the basis for the future soviet car"Moskvich-400". And there is no secret in this. The fact is that the Soviet side received technical documentation and equipment from the Opel plant in Brandenburg as part of the reparations. And although the original Opel Kadett was produced elsewhere - at a plant in Rüsselsham, the Soviet Plant small cars thanks to the help of German designers, he actually recreated the model and gave it the name "Moskvich-400". By the way, they say that the choice in favor of the Opel Kadett was also not accidental - supposedly Joseph Stalin liked this model.

Mercedes-Benz G4

Mercedes-Benz G4

If you like the six-wheeled off-road monster Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6x6, then you will surely like its distant relative - the Mercedes-Benz G4. This car was originally created in the Third Reich for the needs of the army. The car was initially driven by a five-liter eight-cylinder engine with a capacity of 100 hp. and had a complex all-wheel drive system.

The military car did not like it. But in the Reich Chancellery they were delighted, and from 1938 they began to use it for trips to the occupied territories, primarily to Czechoslovakia and Austria. Besides moment Mercedes-Benz The G4 was already equipped with another V8 engine - a 5.2-liter 115-horsepower unit. And over the next two years, it was replaced by a 5.4-liter "eight" with a capacity of 110 hp.

In general, from the "SUV" Mercedes-Benz G4 pretty quickly turned into almost a front limousine. In addition, this model was one of the models that Adolf Hitler personally drove. Moreover, the Fuhrer presented one car to Generalissimo of Spain Francisco Franco. True, the circulation of the G4 was quite small: in total, only 57 cars were produced during the entire production period. Of these, only three cars have survived to this day. One of them, a car that belonged to Franco, is now kept in the automobile collection of the Spanish royal family. Another car in which Hitler took the parade in the annexed Sudetenland is stored in the Museum of Technology in Sinsheim. Finally, the third car is located in American Hollywood, where it has been repeatedly used in the filming of films.

But what about BMW? Did the Bavarians really not produce cars during the period of the Nazi dictatorship? Released. True, we must not forget that, firstly, BMW has become automobile company only in 1929, and before that it was engaged in the production aircraft engines and motorcycles. Secondly, call them completely "Bavarian" bmw cars that time will not be quite right. The fact is that in 1929 BMW acquired a plant in Eisenach, which is located in another part of Germany - Thuringia.

But BMW managed to quickly establish car production there, and by the mid-30s, the brand pleased buyers quite interesting cars. Such as, for example, the BMW 326 - a four-door model produced in a sedan and convertible body. The car was equipped with a two-liter six-cylinder engine with a capacity of about 50 hp, combined with a four-speed transmission. The maximum speed is 115 km / h, which at that time was considered a very good indicator.

The BMW 326 proved to be a fairly successful model. From 1936 to 1941, 15,936 cars were produced, despite the rather high price. For example, for a convertible, which was considered small, they asked for 6,650 Reichsmarks. Not surprisingly, in 1940, BMW planned to replace the 326th new model, built according to the same scheme - BMW 332. However, the Second World War left from these plans only three pre-production prototypes.

You can have different attitudes towards the perfection and quality of cars with which our country entered that war. But at least one achievement of the Soviet automobile industry of the pre-war period is beyond any doubt: in the 1930s, the Soviet Union managed to establish a truly mass production of vehicles that were equally suitable for use both in the army and in civilian life. GAZ and ZiS by 1941 provided the Red Army with rolling stock of all types and classes most in demand at that time: starting with the commander's GAZ-61 based on the famous "emka" and ending with the three-axle ZiS-6 with a payload of 4 tons, capable of equally successfully towing any field guns of that time and serve as a chassis for a variety of weapons systems, including the famous Katyusha. Is it a joke: in 1932 Soviet car industry produced 23.7 thousand, and in 1940 - already 135.9 thousand trucks, that is, more than five times more! True, there were already problems with the transportation of goods from 5 tons and above: relatively few heavy trucks were produced in Yaroslavl. Nevertheless, for most of the tasks being solved, our army was provided with cars.

BMW 325 model 1938: four-wheel drive, fully independent suspension, steerable wheels on both axles

What was this technique? In the vast majority of domestic serial trucks of those years, regardless of type, class and purpose, they received a simple, and therefore simple to manufacture and maintainable in the field undercarriage with continuous bridges and spring suspension. The cabin is wooden, without a hint of any comfort and aerodynamics, the engine is gasoline, as a rule, working at the limit of its power. Four-wheel drive- only on prototypes, application independent suspension on mass technology was not even considered. Of course, work was also carried out on more complex and interesting samples from a technical point of view. Let us recall at least the experienced four-axle YaG-12 or the semi-tracked GAZ-60 and ZiS-42 produced in small series, which are distinguished by phenomenal cross-country ability, primarily in deep snow. One can even recall the new generation of Soviet trucks that managed to reach the stage of pre-production samples: in Gorky it was a handsome 2-ton GAZ-11-51, in Moscow - a 3.5-ton medium-tonnage ZiS-15, and in Yaroslavl - a heavier YAG-7 with a carrying capacity of 5 tons. True, the latter did not receive an engine corresponding to its class - power unit has always presented a problem for the national auto industry: it was so then, it remains so to this day.

The GAZ-64 light SUV is the brightest, but, unfortunately, a rare example of rapid development and no less rapid introduction into a series of domestic vehicles.

Yes, the new generation of Soviet vehicles did not have time to be put on the conveyor before the start of World War II. But the old one fully met the conditions of the coming battles.

Launched into series in 1934, the three-ton ZiS-5 was easy to manufacture and unpretentious in operation. During the war, this played a decisive role

Firstly, by 1941, the production of trucks became not just serial - mass, the supply of components - well-established, the design of the machines - worked out, and most of the components and assemblies within at least the models of one plant - interchangeable.

The three-axle ZiS-6, produced in small numbers, served both as tankers and Katyusha carriers.

Secondly, and this is also an important fact, which for some reason has never been particularly focused on: with the rarest exception, domestic materials and components were used in the production of Soviet automotive equipment. That is, neither a break in relations, nor even a war with any of the other countries actually threatened to affect the rhythm of the work of the national auto industry.

Well, the shortage of those types of cars that the Soviet industry was unable to start producing by the beginning of the war was successfully filled by the deliveries of the allies. Under the famous Lend-Lease, dozens of cars entered the country, but three of them played the most important role: the Willis, the Dodge (the one that is three-quarters) and the Studebaker.

Indirect confirmation of the role of these cars: among the foreign cars of the military era, it has always been customary for us to write them in Russian transcription.

I must say that conceptually, the Soviet and American automotive industries at that time were in many ways similar. The Americans, for nothing that they invented the conveyor, also preferred mass production to the detriment of specialization, were also supporters of maximum unification, including even products from different companies, and also preferred practicality to technical refinements. True, in the latter case - not at the expense of comfort. Of course, the American auto industry also had serious differences from ours. If in the Soviet Union to develop, and even more so to introduce a new unit or unit, the same engine, gearbox, cab, and what’s there - a walk-through bridge, it was an extremely difficult task, the solution of which was not much stretched in time, but was often accompanied by tension efforts of the entire industry, then the Americans solved the same problem much easier: hey, guys, in two weeks you need to make a project, in four - a prototype, in two months - to introduce a new unit on serial products. And it did work! It cannot be said that we have not had breakthroughs: take, say, the GAZ-64/67, developed and mastered in production in the shortest possible time. But among the Americans, such work was not at all considered something outstanding and was a streamlined, one might say, routine process that allows you to quickly create, test and put on the conveyor essentially any vehicle that Uncle Sam needed for military operations. Perhaps the Americans were the only ones in the anti-Hitler coalition who were able to quickly develop, quickly put into production and then stamp tens and hundreds of thousands of cars that were advanced in design, with high performance, but at the same time simple, unpretentious, perfectly suited for use on all fronts. .

Two-ton GAZ-AAA: in the second half of the 1930s, they tried to increase the cross-country ability and carrying capacity of domestic trucks by switching to the 6x4 wheel arrangement

And what about our main enemy, Nazi Germany? It is clear that her engineering school was no worse, and perhaps better, than anywhere else. And the way from an experimental to an industrial design for the Germans, like the Americans, took relatively little time. Confirmation of this is the pre-war rearmament of the Wehrmacht with the latest vehicles. And what level! Perhaps, at that time, nowhere were fully independent lever-spring suspension, all-wheel drive multi-axle transmission, steered wheels of both axles, diesel engines, as well as a variety of wheeled and half-track schemes. But to the extent that these innovations made machines more perfect, they complicated and increased the cost of both their production and subsequent repairs. And most importantly, the Wehrmacht's vehicle fleet turned out to be disunited, simply speaking, variegated, which made it extremely difficult to operate, maintain and restore vehicles in a combat situation. As a result, the Germans stopped the production of most specialized army vehicles in 1943-1944.

The Studebaker, which was not actually used in the American armed forces, became the main heavy truck in our army by the end of the war. Including as a chassis for the famous rocket launchers

Thus, despite the fact that in the Soviet Union at the time of the start of the Great Patriotic War, the machines of the 1930s generation were still in the series, which were technically inferior to the newer and more advanced in design analogues of the leading world powers, in a fight not on life, and in death it turned out to be not so much their weakness as their strength.