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{{Infobox automobile
| name = GAZ-51
| image = LKW GAZ-51.jpg
| caption = 
| manufacturer = [[GAZ]]
| aka = [[FSC Lublin-51]] (Poland)<br>Sungri-58 (North Korea)<br>Yuejin NJ-130 (China)
| production = 1946–1979 (production in the USSR halted in 1975)<ref name=autogenerated1 />
| layout = [[FR layout]]
| engine = 3.5L ''GAZ-51'' [[straight-6|I6]]
| transmission = 4-speed manual
| wheelbase = {{convert|3289|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
| length = {{convert|5726|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
| width = {{convert|2279|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
| height = {{convert|2135|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|2710|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}
| predecessor = [[GAZ-MM]]
| successor = [[GAZ-53]]<br>[[GAZ-66]]
}}
The '''[[GAZ]]-51''' (Russian: ГАЗ-51) is a [[light truck]] manufactured by the Soviet vehicle manufacturer [[GAZ|Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod]]. The vehicle was designed before the [[World War II|Second World War]] and mass-produced together with the all-wheel-drive version [[GAZ-63]] after the end of the war. Under the designation '''GAZ-93''', a [[Dump truck|tipper]] was produced on the basis of the GAZ-51.

The GAZ-51 was a 4x2 2.5 ton truck while the GAZ-63 had all-wheel drive.<ref name=autogenerated1>инженер Л. Шугуров. Грузовики // журнал "[[Nauka i Zhizn|Наука и жизнь]]", № 12, 1979. стр.30-32</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Почтовая марка СССР № 4579. 1976. История отечественного автомобилестроения.jpg|thumb|USSR postage stamp No. 4579. 1976]]
[[File:Former estonian military truck.jpg|right|thumb|Former [[Estonian Land Forces|Estonian]] military truck]]
[[File:GAZ-51 1963.jpg|thumb|Fire truck based on the GAZ-51 (2010)]]
[[File:GAZ-51A (7663537188).jpg|thumb|Front view of a GAZ-51A (2012)]]
[[File:GAZ-51 during the VII Aircraft Picnic in Kraków.jpg|thumb|GAZ-51 in Krakow (2010)]]
The ideas for the development of the GAZ-51 date back to the mid-1930s. The [[GAZ-AA]] proved to be increasingly outdated, even by Soviet standards. The American model, the [[Ford Model AA|Ford AA]], had already been taken out of production in 1931. Accordingly, the GAZ-11-51 was designed from February 1937, a light truck with a more powerful engine and a completely revised cab.<ref name="[1]">{{cite web |title=Website of the prototype GAZ-11-51 with historical photographs and the history of the vehicle (Russian) |url=http://www.denisovets.ru/gaz/gazpages/gaz1151.html |website=Denisovets |access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref> The latter was visually similar to that of the [[UralZIS-355M]], which was produced later.

The installed six-cylinder gasoline engine was a copy of the [[Chrysler flathead engine]] as used in the [[Dodge Series D5|Dodge D5]] passenger car. As early as 1936, the Soviet Union had bought a large quantity of these engines in order to replicate them. Production began at GAZ in 1937 under the name GAZ-11. Before the war, it was initially only installed in passenger cars, for example in the [[GAZ-M1#Engine_upgrade|GAZ-11-73]] and the [[GAZ-61]]. It was not until after the war that it was also used in production trucks – as originally planned.<ref>{{cite web |title=Information about the GAZ-11 engine (Russian) |url=http://www.denisovets.ru/gaz/gazpages/gaz1173.html |website=Denisovets |access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref>

By 1939, two prototypes of the GAZ-11-51 had been completed. Due to the war, work on the project was interrupted and not resumed until 1943. Further prototypes were built, incorporating many components from the [[Studebaker US6 2½-ton 6×6 truck|Studebaker US6]], which proved very reliable and durable when in service with the Soviet army.<ref>{{cite web |title=Самый первый «полстапервый» |url=https://www.gruzovikpress.ru/article/1027-gaz-51-samiy-perviy-polstaperviy/ |website=Gruzovnik Press |access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref> In June 1945, pre-series production began. On July 19, 1945, a presentation took place in the Moscow Kremlin, after which large-scale production was approved. This began on January 6, 1946. Models from this early stage can be recognized by the fact that the side windows do not yet have the rounded upper edge that would later be typical.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the GAZ-51 (Russian) |url=http://www.denisovets.ru/gaz/gazpages/gaz51.html |website=Denisovets |access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Detailed website on the GAZ-51 and many model variants built (Russian) |url=http://xn----7sbb5ahj4aiadq2m.xn--p1ai/guide/army/tr/gaz51.shtml |website=Russian army |access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref>

From 1955, the modernized version GAZ-51A was produced. In the summer of 1957, Molotov's name was deleted from the factory name, which was reflected in the fact that "Gorkovsky Avtozavod" (Горьковский автозавод) was now engraved on the fenders instead of "Avtozavod imeni Molotova" (Автозавод имени Молотова). In 1958, annual production reached its peak of 173,000 units. In 1961, production of the successor [[GAZ-53]] started and a few years later there was the GAZ-52. Nevertheless, the GAZ-51 continued to be built until April 2, 1975 and some special versions such as the GAZ-93 tipper until 1976. In total, 3,481,033 GAZ-51 trucks rolled off the assembly line in almost 30 years.

==Variants==
[[File:GAZ-51 truck covered by snow.JPG|thumb|GAZ-51, side mirrors from GAZ-53 installed]]
Based on the GAZ-51, countless modifications and special vehicles were created over the course of almost 30 years of production. The following list is therefore not complete and is only intended to provide an overview.<ref>{{cite web |title=List of other model versions and special vehicles based on the GAZ-51 (Russian) |url=https://www.autowp.ru/gaz/51/ |access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref>

* GAZ-11-51 – prototype from 1939 with a completely different cab
* GAZ-51 – basic [[truck]] version, mass-produced from 1946 to 1955
* GAZ-51A – basic version, built from 1955 to 1975
* GAZ-51F – prototype with optimized engine from 1961, no series production
* GAZ-51K – [[Ambulance]] on the chassis of the GAZ-51
* GAZ-51L – model with reinforced frame and a payload of three tons, built from 1953 to 1975
* GAZ-51M – chassis for PMG-12 [[fire trucks]]. Built from 1949 to 1953.
* GAZ-51P – [[tractor unit]], manufactured from 1956 to 1975 on the basis of the GAZ-51A
* GAZ-51R – freight taxi, which was also suitable for passenger transport. Production took place from 1956 to 1975.
* GAZ-51Sch – model with conversion to operation on natural gas, mass-produced from 1950 onwards.
* GAZ-51 [[half-track]] – prototype, two were built in 1953 and 1954
* GAZ-93 – mass-produced tipper based on the GAZ-51, several versions were produced from 1948 to 1976. Over 300,000 units were built.
* GZA-651 – [[minibus]] on the chassis of the GAZ-51. Over time, there have been various variations from different manufacturers. The [[Pavlovo Bus Factory|PAZ]]-652 and [[Riga Autobus Factory|RAF]]-251 also use the chassis of the truck.
* K-2.5-1E – Mobile crane, built from 1950 to 1963.
* KI-51 – refrigerated transporter built from 1955 to 1958 based on the GAZ-51
* AZU-20 (51) 60А – Fire engine, built from 1959 to 1975. About 10 to 15 other fire engines such as turntable ladders or tank fire trucks were manufactured on the basis of the GAZ-51.
* AKS 51-22 "Aremkuz" – minibus produced in Moscow from 1950 to 1962, very similar to the GZA-651.
* Progress-8 – This minibus was produced especially for the Soviet Army in a repair plant based on GAZ-51 chassis.
* AZPT-1,8 – 1800 litre milk tanker
* MPR-812D – Tool Trolley
* S-4M – snow loader. Only the chassis and part of the technology were used, and the body was completely redesigned. Vehicles of this type were in use at least from 1975, there were various other versions. The purpose of the machine is to automatically pick up snow and load it onto trucks via a conveyor belt. 

In addition to the listed versions, the GAZ-51 was built under license in some states. In [[Poland]], the [[FSC Lublin-51]] was built in the [[FSC Lublin Automotive Factory|Fabryka Samochodów Ciężarowych]]. It was produced on a trial basis from 1948 and in series production from 1952, and by July 1959 17,497 to 17,840 units had been built, depending on the source. The successor there was the [[FSC Żuk]] delivery light van. In [[China]], both the GAZ-51A and the GAZ-63 were built under license from 1958 onwards, manufactured by the later [[Nanjing Automobile|Nanjing Automobile Group]]. The model was given the name Yuejing NJ-130/230.

In [[North Korea]], too, a licensed version was created with the Sungri-58, which was produced in the [[Sungri Motor Plant]] from 1958 onwards. With some modifications, this happened until the 1990s, and the GAZ-63 was also rebuilt there.<ref>{{cite web |title=SUNGRI 58 |url=https://www.chinesecars.net/content/sungri-58-0 |website=Chinese cars |access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref> In 1979, the truck received a new cab and continued mostly unchanged mechanically until the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |title=SUNGRI 58KA |url=https://www.chinesecars.net/content/sungri-58ka |website=Chinese cars |access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref> Modernized versions of this truck were still being built until the 2010s, but it is unknown if they are still produced today.<ref>{{cite web |title=SUNGRI 61NA SQUARE HEADLIGHTS 4x2 |url=https://www.chinesecars.net/content/sungri-61na-square-headlights-4x2 |website=Chinese cars |access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref>

The GAZ-51 engine also turned out to be quite resilient and durable.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}} Being in production since 1946, in addition to the GAZ-51, was used for many years (boosted to 90 hp by installing two carburetors and equipped with a fluid coupling) on [[GAZ-12 ZIM|GAZ-12]] passenger cars, and also in the [[BTR-40]], [[BTR-60]], and [[BRDM-1]] armoured personal carriers, and it was used in the [[GAZ-53|GAZ-52]] truck until 1989.

== GAZ-63 ==
[[File:GAZ-63 01.JPG|right|thumb|GAZ-63 from the former stocks of the Hungarian army (2011)]]
The '''GAZ-63''' (Russian: ГАЗ-63) is a light truck with four-wheel drive by the Soviet vehicle manufacturer Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod. It is a development from before the Second World War and is based on the GAZ-51, which does not have all-wheel drive.

Apart from these, it is largely identical to the GAZ-51, and only differs in that it has a higher stance and all-wheel drive. It was built until 1968, when it was replaced by the new and more modern [[GAZ-66]], with which it shared no components or parts. The GAZ-63 was used in the Soviet Army as a transport vehicle, but also for special superstructures such as the [[BM-14]] projectile launcher. 

The GAZ-63 served as the basis for the BTR-40 armoured personal carrier.<ref>полковник И. Агибалов. От броневика революции до современных бронетранспортеров // журнал "Наука и жизнь", № 2, 1968. стр.36-41</ref>

== Technical data ==
For the basic model GAZ-51A, as of 1965.

* Engine: water-cooled in-line six-cylinder four-stroke gasoline engine
* Engine type: "GAZ-11"
* Power: 70 hp (51 kW) at 2800 rpm
* Displacement: 3480 cm³
* Bore: 82.0 mm
* Stroke: 110.0 mm
* Maximum torque: 201 Nm (20.5 kgm)
* Compression: 6.2:1
* Mixture preparation: carburetor, type K-22G
* Valve timing: upright valves
* Firing order: 1–5–3–6–2–4
* Starter: ST8, 1.3 hp (950 W) power
* Alternator: DC alternator type G108-G, 250 W power
* On-board voltage: 12 V
* Batteries: 2× 6 V in series, type 3-ST-70
* Clutch: Single disc dry clutch
* Transmission: Four-speed manual transmission with reverse gear
* Maximum speed: 70 km/h
* Fuel consumption: 20 l/100 km at 30–40 km/h on flat, paved roads in summer with 2.5 t payload (setting value)
* Tank capacity: 90 l petrol
* Brake: hydraulically operated drum brakes front and rear
* Drive formula: 4×2 (rear-wheel drive)

Dimensions and weights

* Length: 5726 mm
* Width: 2279 mm
* Height: 2135 mm above cabin
* Wheelbase: 3289 mm
* Front track: 1589 mm
* Track width rear: 1650 mm (double tyres)
* Minimum ground clearance: 245 mm
* Turning circle: 15.2 m diameter, measured at the front wheel
* Flatbed: made of wood, internal dimensions 3070 × 2070 × 610 mm (L × W × H)
* Curb weight: 2710 kg
* Payload: 2500 kg on paved roads, 2000 kg on unpaved roads
* Permissible total weight: 5350 kg
* Permissible towing capacity: 3500 kg
* Tire size: 7.50-20"

==Operators==
* {{CHN}}
* {{HUN}}
* {{POL}}
* {{ROM}}
* {{ALB}}
* {{SYR}}
* {{UKR}}
* {{RUS}}

==Literature==
* Andy Thompson, ''Trucks of the Soviet Union: The Definitive History'', Behemoth Publishing LTD, 2017. {{ISBN|978-0992876951}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|GAZ-51}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110711080249/http://gaz51.com/ Fan-Club GAZ-51]
*[http://www.photoka.info/gaz51/ Gallery]

{{GAZ timeline 1960-present}}

[[Category:GAZ Group trucks|51]]
[[Category:Soviet automobiles]]
[[Category:Vehicles introduced in 1946]]
[[Category:Rear-wheel-drive vehicles]]
[[Category:Military vehicles introduced from 1945 to 1949]]