The GAZ-AAA was a three-axle, all-wheel-drive truck with a 6×4 wheel arrangement, produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1934 to 1943. A total of 37,373 units were built, making the GAZ-AAA the most widely produced off-road truck of the Red Army.[1][2]
Development
The three-axle vehicle was created in 1934 using components from the GAZ-AA "poltorka" light truck, with the involvement of designer Vitaly Andreyevich Grachyov — later the creator of the Gorky-built BA-64 armored car and a 1942 Stalin Prize laureate.[1][3] The second driven axle sharply improved off-road mobility while keeping the vehicle within the plant's familiar set of components.
Design and service
The engine produced 50 hp; fuel consumption reached 27 liters per 100 km — the price paid for off-road capability was thirst for fuel.[2] Payload capacity was two tonnes.[3]
The GAZ-AAA served as army transport and as a base for radio stations, command vehicle bodies, fuel tankers, and other special-purpose vehicles. Armored vehicles were also built on its chassis: the three-axle chassis allowed it to carry considerably more weight than a two-axle one.
Sources
- automotomuseum.ru — Auto-Moto Museum — GAZ-AAA (1934 — 1943) (archive)
- trucksreview.ru — GAZ-AAA: technical specifications (archive)
- 5koleso.ru — 5 Koleso — Gorky Automobile Plant (archive)