Characteristics and history of the ZIM machine

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

The GAZ-12 car, or ZIM car, was the most original model of all vehicles produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) of all time. The salon was designed for 6 or 7 people, had three side windows on both sides and was slightly longer than a regular sedan. Serial production began 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", began. But this is not about her, her predecessor has an interesting history of creation.

How did it all start?

The Great Patriotic War has left its negative imprint in the memory of many millions of people. There were huge losses and destruction, but time passed, and it was necessary to move on, restoring production. And as the USSR healed, the government needed a good car.

According to the Ministry of Automotive Industry, this should be a car that would be distinguished by good comfort, efficiency and would have high performance in terms of dynamics.

From this moment the creation of the ZIM machine began. At the same time, preference was given to the middle class, that is, the finished result had to take its place between the more representative class ZIS-110 and the simpler car GAZ M-20 Pobeda.

And in 1948, the order was received by the Molotov Automobile Plant. However, workers have not yet encountered the production of vehicles of the elite category, and therefore there was simply no relevant experience. In addition, very tight deadlines were set - 29 months were allotted for everything.

First difficulties

To meet the deadline, Deputy Minister of the Automotive Industry Garbuzov VF advised to take some Buick model as a basis. However, Andrey Aleksandrovich Lipgart, the current engineer of the plant, had a different opinion on this matter. During the war, due to the unification of machine parts and assemblies, the GAZ-64 was first created in a short period of time and put into mass production. At the same time, all components and assemblies had already been mastered, so it only remained to assemble them together, only the body of the ZIM car was created from scratch. In history, cars have been assembled in this way before, and very successfully.

We also decided to do the same in this case, but there was one problem. The GAZ-11 power unit, which was designed back in 1937, was ideal for the GAZ-51 trucks. On a passenger car, even a large car, it was impossible to put it. The standard version developed a power of 70 liters. s., while the forced version was more powerful - 90-95 hp. With. For a party car, the weight of which was more than 2 tons, this wasnot enough.

Solution found

To solve the problem, there were two options:

1. Create a new engine.
2. Reduce the weight of the car.

The first option was dropped immediately because the deadlines were too tight. The second one was just on the verge of fantasy. But Lipgart still found a solution by proposing to make a frameless car with a load-bearing body. And despite the fact that the wheelbase was 3, 2 meters. No engineer in the world has had to turn such an idea into reality.

If the designers had not made such an attempt in relation to the ZIM car, the history of the car would have been over before it could begin. Nevertheless, at the Gorky plant they decided to try and did not fail - the car dropped more than 200 kg.

Domestic novelty

But the innovations did not end there, and in addition to the load-bearing body, the car was also equipped with a hydraulic clutch. For domestic transport, this was a novelty. The clutch replaced the flywheel and made it possible to smoothly transfer torque from the crankshaft to the clutch drive. As a result, the car started very smoothly, which is important for this class.

Typically, 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 had a negative effect on parking - on a slope, the car could go to its freetravel. For this reason, the parking brake must always be in good condition.

Other design features

The ZIM car has both characteristics and a special history - in comparison with other vehicles of the Gorky Plant. The body of the car was created with a high degree of tightness, which was confirmed in the ongoing tests. The car easily overcame fords up to one and a half meters deep, and the interior remained dry. A run through the countryside was also undertaken with an outside temperature of 37°C. Here, too, the results were excellent - the dust did not penetrate into the interior.

The design of the hood was also interestingly invented - a one-piece stamped cover opened in any direction. And if necessary, it was completely easy to take off. To do this, it was only necessary to unfasten the two side locks.

A modified version of the GAZ-11 engine with a volume of 2.5 liters acted as a power unit. Power was 90 liters. with., the modernization was done quite well. The cylinder head became aluminum, the compression ratio increased, there was no rev limiter, a two-barrel carburetor and a new intake piping were installed.

Specially for the ZIM executive car, a three-speed gearbox was designed. Moreover, the main feature was the presence of synchronizers of the 2nd and 3rd gears. The creators placed the shift lever on the steering column.

Thanks to this, the car could start moving from any gear, but the designers recommendedget under way with the second. First gear was designed for difficult road conditions and climbing.

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 have been working on elaborating the section so that the highlights do not break, but are created smoothly. To do this, some car models were illuminated from different angles.

On the hood of the ZIM car there was a red comb with internal illumination, there was also a “plaque” with the inscription “ZIM” nearby. Moreover, the inscription was not only outside, but also in the cabin. And this is no coincidence, because the car is an executive class, which neither the driver nor the passengers should have forgotten about.

The rear doors opened in the opposite direction relative to the movement of the car. The designers considered this fit more comfortable. Black paint and a lot of chrome details have become a kind of calling card.

Executive Salon

Three rows of seats were provided in the cabin. In this case, the middle row could be folded and removed. As a result, there was a significant scope for rear passengers. Moreover, the sofa was originally created for two people, however, three passengers could freely accommodate on it.

As for the decoration, for that time it reflected high quality and richness. In the cabinThe ZIM machine had a radio with three bands, it was also decided to place a clock, 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 driveshaft cover. The dashboard was painted in such a way that it imitated wood trim. It was also "decorated" with warning lights that notified the excess of the coolant temperature and the raised hand brake.

Main symbols

Typically, it was on this car - GAZ-12 (ZIM) - that the emblem of the manufacturer appeared. It was in the form of a heraldic shield, on which a deer flaunted - the main symbol of the city of Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod). The main symbolism, originally created for an executive car, is currently visible on any vehicle from the Gorky manufacturer.

True, for modern models, the emblem has been slightly changed and simplified. But at that time, on a ZIM car, it looked quite luxurious due to its massiveness: a wide chrome-plated salary, and the Kremlin wall and the Kremlin tower rise above the coat of arms, on top of which a huge star flaunts.

Interesting fact - the Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin are identical in relation 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 the same time, you can find several scale models of this "elite" car for its time. Among the companies specializing in this type of product, one can single out the Ukrainian manufacturer Kherson-models, which released its own version of ZIM in a scale of 1:43. An equally interesting analogue was obtained by the Chinese company ICT Models.

Starting from 2010, two models of the ZIM machine were produced in two shades: black and ivory. China also released a limited number of 1:12 scale models, where you can clearly see not only the exterior and interior decoration, but the technical part of the car is also clearly visible.

GAZ-12A

This modification was created for the taxi service and was produced from 1955 to 1959. The interior trim used faux leather, and the front seats were already separate. Instead of a radio, there was a taximeter on the dash.

Route taxis not only traveled around the city, but also traveled outside of it. The price of trips to the GAZ-12A exceeded the cost of a Pobeda taxi one and a half times. For this reason, the number of produced ZIM cars was small, and its direct competitor remained the main car in the taxi service.

GAZ-12B

This ZIM machine has a history dating back to 1951, when the first machine was produced. Serial production lasted 9 years.

It was a sanitary modification, which was painted in light beigeshade. The car was equipped with a stretcher that moved through the rear door. Also on the roof there was a lamp with the image of a red cross, and on the driver's side there was a searchlight.

As in today's 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 external hinges of the trunk lid. This allowed the rear door to open to a greater angle for easy removal of the stretcher. Otherwise, this is the same GAZ-12, only it served the already sick.

GAZ-12 Phaeton

In 1951, engineers produced a kind of three GAZ-12A prototypes with an open four-door "phaeton" body. However, the serial production of this modification was never established due to certain difficulties. A photo of a ZIM car will say more about it than simple words.

The roof removal mechanism required a strengthening of the body structure, which resulted in a weight gain of the car. And to such an extent that the engine no longer coped with its duties. In addition, the dynamic performance of the car has 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 GAZ-13 and ZIM.

Racing variations

Specially for the USSR car racing championship in 1951, the Gorky plant produced the GAZ-12, which had a high compression ratio (6, 7-7, 2). Engine power ranged from 90 to 100l. With. (at 3600 and 3300 rpm respectively). In addition, the power unit was equipped with a dual K-21 carburetor. The transmission has also been improved with the addition of an overdrive that is engaged remotely. Racing GAZ-12 developed a speed of 142 km/h.

Kharkov plant did not stand aside and also released its own version of a racing car with a streamlined body. A kind of analogue of the ZIM machine had slightly different technical characteristics. 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 has been slightly reduced (instead of 3485 cubes it is already 2992 cm3) thanks to O75 mm liners and pistons. At first, the overhead cylinder head had only intake valves, but in subsequent versions, exhaust parts became the same. A high compression ratio - 8.1 - coupled with a rotary supercharger, made it possible to develop an unprecedented power of 150 hp. s.

Specifications

As a conclusion, let's summarize in the form of detailed technical specifications, which are also at the representative level. The length of the car reached 5, 5, a width of about two, and a height of just over one and a half meters. Wheelbase dimensions - 3200 mm, and ground clearance - 200 mm.

The ZIM machine has the characteristics of the power unit also at the proper level. It runs on gasoline, has 6 cylinders, and the total volume is 3485cm3, and the power is 90 hp. With. All this made it possible to accelerate the car to a speed of 120 km / h. Gearbox mechanical type with fluid 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 kilometers. If we consider the mixed type of driving, then for every hundred, a little more was consumed, respectively - 18-19 liters. The volume of the tank was 80 liters.