GAZ-M73 "Ukrainian" is a Soviet four-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle developed by the group of Georgy Moiseevich Wasserman at the Gorky Automobile Plant in parallel with the GAZ-M72 , but, unlike him, did not go into series. It was created as a "fly" for rural machine operators , which seemed especially relevant in the light of ongoing development of virgin lands .
| GAZ-M73 "Ukrainian" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Total information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer | GAS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of production | 1954 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assembly |  GAZ ( Gorky , USSR ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Design | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Body type | 2-dv. compartment (2-seater) 2-dv. pickup (2-seater) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Layout | front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wheel formula | 4 × 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Engine | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Transmission | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MKPP-3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Specifications | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mass-dimensional | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 3440 mm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Width | 1660 mm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1655 mm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clearance | 220 mm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wheelbase | 2000 mm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rear track | 1360 mm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Front track | 1335 mm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 1081 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On the market | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
If the GAZ-M72 was a combination of the Pobeda M-20 body and the GAZ-69 undercarriage, then the M73 and the body and the aggregate were original designs; only the power unit was unified with the basic production model Moskvich-402 . The transfer case, suspensions and drive axles were designed specifically for this car, reminiscent in design of smaller versions of the corresponding GAZ-69 units, but unified in a number of parts, mainly the brake system, with Moskvich. The car body was a carrier, had a simple and functional design.
In December 1954, two prototypes were built - a coupe and a pickup truck, their development tests were carried out from February 12 to March 22, 1955. During this time, cars in total passed on roads of various types of more than 3.5 thousand km, which allowed us to come to certain conclusions regarding their prospects.
The tests revealed a high cross-country ability of the M73, especially in loose soils and snow, where the car was superior to the GAZ-M72 - this was explained by the lower weight and the use of special tires with a large width and off-road tread pattern, which helped to reduce the load on the ground. Meanwhile, a number of shortcomings were revealed: for example, leaks in the engine compartment, cabs and braking mechanisms reduced the ability to overcome wetlands, and the maximum speed of 85 km / h was excessive for a car of this purpose - during subsequent refinement, it was limited to 70 km / h due to changes in the gear ratios of the transfer case allowed to increase the grip on the wheels and significantly improve the acceleration dynamics. In addition, the car’s weight was estimated to be slightly overweight, the interior was too tight, and the Moskvich 6-volt electrical equipment was less reliable than that used on GAZ cars, including the M-72, 12-volt.
Since the Gorky Plant did not have reserves of production capacities for organizing mass production of a new car, on June 2, 1955, the branch ministry decided to transfer the design and development of the M73 to the Moscow Small Car Plant ( MZMA ). But they didn’t master a completely new body there, instead, on the basis of M73 units, all-wheel drive modifications of the Moskvich-402, which was being prepared for production at that time, were created - the Moskvich-410 sedan and the Moskvich-411 station wagon, which reduced production costs, but it deprived the car of a part of its inherent advantages.