Say hello to Soviet Russia’s famous Willys MB (the Jeep), a four-wheel-drive light truck with rough terrain, available in civilian or army versions.
GAZ 69 replaces the GAZ-67B. It is designed to be more fuel efficient and have better off-road capabilities. The car was developed in 1946, and the first operational prototype was completed a year later. GAZ, a Gorky-based company, began production of the GAZ 69 on August 25, 1953. More than 600,000 units were built by 1972. Most of these were manufactured by UAZ which took over production in 1956.
GAZ 69 is a classic off-road vehicle. It features a four-cylinder petrol naturally-aspirated engine that sends power to all four wheels via a three-speed manual transmission. The car has two fuel tanks, one underneath the floor and one below the passenger’s seat.
The standard GAZ 69 is powered by 55 horsepower (41 kilowatts), and can reach speeds of 56 mph (90 km/h). However, the GAZ 69M is more powerful and produces 65 hp (48 kW) at top speed. It was a military car but it was also available to civilian customers. This machine is extremely capable off-road, with a sturdy chassis and good road angles. It uses the 2.1-liter engine of the GAZ M20 Pobeda sedan. This motor is based on a classic Dodge engine that was built in 1935. The blueprints were purchased at $20,000. It’s indestructible. It’s indestructible. Seriously. The GAZ 69 continues to be used in Eastern Europe, more than 50 years since its launch. The GAZ 69 is a super sought-after model, with unrestored examples selling for around $10,000. It was used as a base to many projects in Soviet Russia. The UAZ-469 , its successor (also featured in our “Soviet Bloc Cars Were Weird” series), traces its roots back to the construction of the 1969. Some quite remarkable machines, such as the 2P26 tank destroyer or the GAZ 46 4×4 amphibious vehicles, were also built on the 69. Several GAZ 69 examples are currently enjoying a well-deserved rest in museums around the globe, including the Museum of Transportation, in western Missouri, United States, as well as the Fort aan den Hoek van Holland, in the Netherlands.