The GAZ-12 car, or the ZIM car, was the most original model of all the vehicles that the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) produced for all time. The cabin was designed for 6 or 7 people, had three side windows on both sides and was slightly longer than a regular sedan. Serial production was started in 1950, and the last car left the factory 9 years later. At this time, the production of another, no less familiar, GAZ-13, or "Seagull" machine, was begun. But it’s not about her, her predecessor has an interesting history of creation.
How did it all start?
The Great Patriotic War left its negative imprint in the memory of many millions of people. There were huge losses and destruction, but time passed, and we had to move on, restoring production. And as the USSR "healed the wounds", the government needed a good car.
According to Minavtoprom, this should be a machine that would be distinguished by good comfort, economy and have high performance in terms of dynamics.
From this moment on, the creation of the ZIM machine began. At the same time, preference was given to the middle class, that is, the finished result should take its place between the more representative class ZIS-110 and a car simpler GAZ M-20 “Victory”.
And in 1948, the order went to the Molotov Automobile Plant. However, workers have not yet encountered the production of vehicles of the elite category, and therefore there was simply no corresponding experience. In addition, very tight deadlines were set - 29 months were allotted.
First difficulties
To keep up to date, Deputy Minister of the Automobile Industry Garbuzov V.F. advised to take some Buick model as a basis. However, the current engineer of the Lipgart plant, Andrei Alexandrovich, had a different opinion on this matter. During the war, due to the unification of machine parts and assemblies in a short period of time, the GAZ-64 was first created and put into mass production. At the same time, all the components and assemblies were already mastered, so it remained only to assemble them together, from scratch only the body of the ZIM machine was created. In history, cars have been assembled this way before, and very successfully.
We also decided to do this, but there was one problem. The GAZ-11 power unit, which was designed back in 1937, was ideally suited for GAZ-51 trucks. In a passenger car, even a large car, it was impossible to put it. The standard version developed a capacity of 70 liters. s., while the forced version was more powerful - 90-95 liters. from. For a party machine, whose weight was more than 2 tons, this was not enough.
Solution found
To solve the problem, there were two options:
- Create a new engine.
- Reduce vehicle weight.
The first option immediately dropped, because the timing was too tight. The second was just on the verge of fiction. But Lipgart still found a solution, proposing to make a frameless car with a supporting body. And this despite the fact that the wheelbase was 3.2 meters. Not a single engineer around the world had to translate such an idea into reality.
If the designers had not made such an attempt in relation to the ZIM machine, the history of the car would have been completed before it began. Nevertheless, at the Gorky plant they decided to try and did not lose - the car dropped more than 200 kg.
Domestic novelty
But the innovations did not end there, and in addition to the supporting body, the car was also equipped with a clutch. For domestic transport, this was a novelty. The clutch replaced the flywheel and allowed you to smoothly transmit torque from the crankshaft to the clutch plate. As a result, the car began to move very gently, which is important for this class.
What is characteristic, this unit allowed the car to move, excluding unnecessary gear changes. The fluid coupling had an almost unlimited resource, and no special maintenance was required. However, there was no rigid connection between the engine and the wheels, so this negatively affected the parking - on a slope, the car could go on its free trip. For this reason, the parking brake should always be in good condition.
Other design features
The ZIM machine has both characteristics and a special history - in comparison with other vehicles of the Gorky Plant. The car body was created with a high degree of tightness, which was confirmed by tests. The car freely crossed fords up to one and a half meters deep, and the interior remained dry. A race in the countryside was also undertaken at an air temperature of 37 ° C beyond the swamp. There were also excellent results - the dust never entered the cabin.
The hood design was also interestingly invented - a one-piece stamped lid opened in any direction. And if necessary, it was easily removed at all. To do this, it was only necessary to unfasten two side locks.
As a power unit, a modified version of the GAZ-11 engine with a volume of 2.5 liters was made. Power was 90 liters. s., the modernization was done well. The cylinder head became aluminum, the compression ratio increased, there was no speed limiter, a two-chamber carburetor and a new intake pipe were installed.
Especially for the representative ZIM car, there was a designed three-speed gearbox. Moreover, the main feature was the availability of synchronizers of the 2nd and 3rd gear. The shift lever, the creators placed on the steering column.
Thanks to this, the car could start moving from any gear, however, the designers recommended starting off from the second. The first gear was designed for difficult road conditions and lifting.
Beautiful appearance
In addition to technical features, it was important to create a beautiful look. While work was underway on the car, the chief designer moved closer to the designers for convenience. Although the car had an impressive length, it was distinguished by harmonious forms. For a long time, designers worked on working out the section so that the glare does not break, but is created smooth. To do this, some car models were lit from different angles.
On the hood of the ZIM car there was a red ridge with internal illumination, nearby there was a “plaque” with the inscription “ZiM” nearby. Moreover, the inscription was not only outside, but also in the cabin. And this is no accident, because a representative car, which neither the driver nor the passengers should have forgotten.
The rear doors opened in the opposite direction relative to the movement of the machine. Designers considered such a landing more convenient. A kind of calling card was painting in black and a lot of chrome details.
Executive Salon
Three rows of seats were provided in the cabin. Moreover, the middle row could be folded and removed. As a result, significant room was opened for the rear passengers. Moreover, the sofa was originally created for two people, however, three passengers could easily fit in it.
As for the decoration, for that time it reflected high quality and wealth. In the cabin of the ZIM car, a radio receiver with three bands was available, it was also decided to place a watch, one factory of which was enough for a week. And since some senior leaders had a bad habit, there was a place for an electric cigarette lighter with an ashtray.
Another feature is a flat floor on which there was no propeller shaft cover. The dashboard was painted in such a way that the wood look was simulated. It was also “decorated” with warning lights, which notified of the excess temperature of the coolant and the raised hand brake.
Main symbolism
What is typical, it was on this car - GAZ-12 (ZIM) - the emblem of the manufacturer appeared. It was in the form of a heraldic shield on which a deer flaunted - the main symbolism of the city of Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod). The main symbolism, originally created for a representative car, is currently visible on any transport from the Gorky manufacturer.
True for modern models, the emblem has been slightly modified and simplified. But at that moment in time, on a ZIM machine, it looked quite luxurious due to its massiveness: a wide chrome salary, and the Kremlin wall and the Kremlin tower rise above the coat of arms, on top of which a huge star flaunts.
An interesting fact is that the Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin are identical with respect to the walls. The designers of the plant decided to take advantage of this.
Various modified versions
In addition to the main car GAZ-12, several modifications were made:
- GAZ-12A,
- GAZ-12B,
- GAZ-12 "phaeton",
- GAZ-12 "hearse".
At present, you can find several large-scale models of this “elite” car for its time. Among the companies specializing in this type of product, one can distinguish the Ukrainian manufacturer Kherson-models, which released its version of ZIM at a scale of 1:43. No less interesting analogue was obtained from the Chinese company IST-models.
Since 2010, two models of the ZIM machine have been released in two shades: black and ivory. A limited number of models were also released in the Celestial Empire on a scale of 1:12, where you can clearly see not only the exterior and interior, the technical part of the machine is also clearly visible.
GAZ-12A
This modification was created for the taxi service and was produced from 1955 to 1959. Faux leather was used in the trim, and the front seats were already separate. Instead of a radio on the dashboard there was a taximeter.
Shuttle taxis not only ran around the city, but also traveled beyond it. The price of trips to the GAZ-12A exceeded the cost of the Pobeda taxi one and a half times. For this reason, the number of ZIM cars produced was small, and its direct competitor remained the main car in the taxi service.
GAZ-12B
For this ZIM machine, the story begins in 1951, when the first machine was released. Serial production lasted 9 years.
It was a sanitary modification, which was painted in a light beige shade. The car was equipped with a stretcher that slid through the back door. Also on the roof was a lantern with a red cross, and on the driver's side there was a searchlight headlamp.
As in current ambulances, the front seats of the GAZ-12B were separated by a glass partition from the rest of the cabin. In fact, the car did not differ from the usual ZIM, with the exception of the outer hinges of the trunk lid. This allowed the rear door to open at a larger angle for convenient removal of the stretcher. Otherwise, this is the same GAZ-12, only served patients already.
GAZ-12 "phaeton"
In 1951, engineers made a kind of three prototype GAZ-12A with an open four-door body "phaeton". However, the serial production of this modification was not established due to certain difficulties. A photo of a ZIM machine will say more about it than simple words.
The mechanism for removing the roof required reinforcement of the body structure, which led to a set weight of the car. Moreover, to such an extent that the engine could no longer cope with its duties. In addition, the dynamic characteristics of the car have deteriorated significantly.
GAZ-12 "hearse"
This version is no longer a factory development, but a local version that was created in Riga. The car was assembled from parts of the GAZ-13 and ZIM.
Racing variations
Especially for the 1951 USSR championship in automobile racing, the Gorky Plant produced the GAZ-12, which had a high compression ratio (6.7-7.2). Engine power ranged from 90 to 100 liters. from. (at speeds of 3600 and 3300, respectively). In addition, the power unit was equipped with a K-21 dual carburetor. The transmission also underwent improvement by adding an overdrive, which was activated remotely. Racing GAZ-12 developed a speed of 142 km / h.
The Kharkov plant did not stand aside and also released its version of a race car with a streamlined body. In a kind of analogue of the ZIM machine, the technical specifications were slightly different. The engine was located at the rear, and some components and assemblies were taken from the previous design:
- transmission;
- clutch;
- steering;
- brake system.
The volume of the power unit was slightly reduced (instead of 3485 cubes, this is already 2992 cm 3 ) thanks to O75 mm sleeves and pistons. Initially, only inlet valves were in the top-mounted cylinder head, but in later versions the exhaust parts became the same. A high compression ratio - 8.1 - coupled with a rotary supercharger allowed to develop an unprecedented power of 150 liters. from.
Specifications
As a conclusion, we summarize in the form of detailed technical specifications, which are also at the representative level. In length, the car reached 5.5, in width about two, and in height a little more than one and a half meters. The dimensions of the wheelbase are 3200 mm, and the ground clearance is 200 mm.
The machine ZIM characteristics of the power unit is also up to par. It works on gasoline, has 6 cylinders, and the total volume is 3485 cm 3 and power is 90 liters. from. All this allowed to accelerate the car to a speed of 120 km / h. Gearbox of mechanical type with hydraulic clutch and three speeds.
What is the fuel consumption of this handsome man? For ordinary trips around the city, 15.5 liters were spent per 100 km of track. If we consider the mixed type of ride, then for each hundred it was consumed, respectively, a little more - 18-19 liters. The tank volume was 80 liters.