The GAZ-M72 is an all-wheel-drive passenger car from the Gorky Automobile Plant, combining the body of the GAZ-M20 Pobeda with reworked components from the GAZ-69 off-roader. It was produced from 1955 to 1958, with 4,677 cars built.[1][2] It is considered a forerunner of the modern crossover.
How the car was built
A prototype of the all-wheel-drive Pobeda was built in 1954, and series production began in 1955.[1] The Pobeda's body had to be reinforced: its unibody construction, designed for smooth roads, gained additional stiffening elements to withstand off-road loads, while the transmission and axles were taken from the GAZ-69.[2]
Who it was made for
The car was intended not for city dwellers but for rural specialists, district officials, and services who had to drive on dirt roads every day: the comfort of a passenger car combined with the off-road capability of an SUV.[2] The idea was decades ahead of mass demand — cars with a similar concept did not return to production until the late 20th century.