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Volga ((ロシア語:Волга)) is an automobile brand that originated in the Soviet Union to replace the venerated GAZ Pobeda in 1956. Modern in design, the car survived several generations. Although Volga cars were readily used as taxi cabs, road police interceptors and ambulances (based on the estate versions), it was their role in serving the Soviet nomenklatura, that made them a contemporary cultural icon. Several generations of the car were produced. The original GAZ-M-21 was produced between from 1956 and underwent two facelifts (1958, 1962) and a technical modernisation in 1965 before retiring in 1970. The car marked the blossoming era of Nikita Khruschev's thaw, and despite its very limited private sales, was very sought by the Soviet public, becoming a symbol of style and success. The GAZ-24 followed, and was produced from 1968, underwent one facelift in 1976. The GAZ-24 was to be replaced by the GAZ-3101, but the latter car never reached prototype stage. Unlike the -21, the -24's long production saw the country decay during the stagnation period. It's image portrayed the social inequality between the Soviet ruling class (nomenklatura), whose privilege not only included a chauffeured Volga, but an even more rare opportunity to privately own one. Also it became a major object of speculation on the lucrative Soviet grey economy, officially untolerated, but privately welcomed by the state. In 1980 a replacement was developed in face of the GAZ-3102, which was based on the central platform and body of the GAZ-24, but with original fascia, interior, engine and chassis. However, the political and economic stagnation of the late Brezhnev years delayed the launch, and when its pre-production party was evaluated in Kremlin garages, the leadership was so impressed with the car, that they barred its mass production as to avoid devaluing its status by its use in taxicabs. As a result, from 1982 and all the way until 2008, the GAZ-3102 was produced in parallel with other Volgas, though in much smaller quantity. Originally having its own production line and many distinct features (including a novel, but ultimately unreliable stratified charge ignition), by 1997 the differences between production, trim and accessories of GAZ-3102 and latter Volga's remained only in its exterior. GAZ-3102 originally being an exclusive car for higher ranking authorities, retained its business image during the 1990s and well into the 2000s. As a result the GAZ-24 was produced until 1985, when using some of the technical developments of GAZ-3102 was deeply modified, resulting in GAZ-24-10. Starting with 24-10 the Volga began a slow transformation as the Perestroika reforms took shape. Though still remaining a status car, it quickly lost that prestige as market economy allowed free import of automobiles. However its simple and robust design and still good quality assembly, and due to the fact that the Soviet automobile industry left the Light Commercial Vehicle position void, the GAZ-24-10 was quickly seized by the new generation of commerce. Simultaneously GAZ set out to design and build a new generation of front-, rear- and all-wheel drive cars, representing the family GAZ-3103, GAZ-3104 and GAZ-3105 respectively. Influenced by the Audi 100, the family was to replace the 1960's Volga cars, both 24-10 and 3102. Although the cars had McPherson strut suspension, DOHC engines (the 3105 had a V8) with fuel injection, and CV front and rear axles, the hard economic crises that the post-Soviet Russia was faced with meant that GAZ had no means to launch the cars into production. Only 67 GAZ-3105s were built. Instead in 1992 when the old tooling machines for the GAZ-24 panels disintegrated, GAZ took the panels of GAZ-3102 and stripping them of any decorations, launched the GAZ-31029 Volga. Although being obsolete (kingpin front and leaf spring rear suspensions, front drum breaks, carburetted OHV engine etc.), production was doubled in quantity and halved in quality. As a result the car transformed from a symbol of status to a disposable workhorse. Though deemed temporary until GAZ's own LCV cars the GAzzelle and Sobol entered production, the GAZ-31029 Volga occupied a major market niche, and demand for the vehicle remained. Thus in 1997 GAZ modernised the car once more, creating an original body panel that removed the visual dissonance that the 31029 created, and taking most of the chassis and powertrain developed for the new Gazelle families, combined with a new interior created the GAZ-3110 Volga. Given the timing, with the 1998 financial crises that followed and left its foreign analogs outside the budget Russia's business and public alike, the GAZ-3110 proved a necessity rather than a cheap alternative during the post-crises years. Originally GAZ hoped to launch its 3103 family, but as the years went, and despite the economy improving, its mid-1980s exterior design became archaic. As a result, the factory went to length in creating a new exterior and the "second generation" GAZ-3103 was first shown at the 1996 Moscow car show. However the high manufacturing costs would have put its price well above the money a Russian was willing to pay for a Volga and thus in 1997 a much simplified car, GAZ-3111 was shown, retaining most of the chassis from the GAZ-3110 (single rear axle with leaf springs, A-bar front suspension, traditional propshaft drive, etc.) The GAZ-3111 was scheduled to launch in 2000, but the factory's new owner Oleg Deripaska, was unimpressed with the vehicle visually and once again, the high price of the car prevented any interest to sales, as a result only 428 cars were built as part of the pre-production batch. Nonetheless the car did influence the next facelift - the GAZ-31105 and its front axle with ball-joints finally rid the Volga of its archaic kingpins in 2004. In 2006 the cars begin to receive new Chrysler 2.4 engines. Simultaneously Deripaska purchased a factory from DaimlerChrysler and shipped it to GAZ, along with licence to locally manufacture the Chrysler Sebring, re-badged as Volga Siber. Although the car made a promising start in 2008. The onset of the financial crises put the plan to halt and in late 2008, both the Siber, the -3102 and the -31105 went into history. == First Generation, the GAZ-M-21 == (詳細はウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「GAZ Volga」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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