The GAZ-61 is a four-wheel-drive car from USSR manufacturer GAZ first introduced in 1938 by designer V. A. Gratchev, to replace his too-complex model GAZ-M2.

History

It was made by putting a GAZ-M1 body on a four-wheel-drive chassis (one of the world's first all-wheel drive passenger cars). It could climb angles up to 38 degrees and cross water up to 72 cm deep. The first version, produced from 1940 until 1941, was a five-seat four-door phaeton. It was powered by a 3485 cc six-cylinder four-stroke engine with 85 hp and a top speed of 100 km/h. Many supreme commanders of the Red Army headquarters used this car in 1941. In 1941, the updated GAZ-61-73 was introduced. It became a five-seat, four-door six-light saloon with the same engine, but now rated at a top speed of 107 km/h. The GAZ-61 was produced not only in civilian black but also in blue and Russian 4BO green, together with the typical cross-country tread tires.