Studebaker US6 - this American truck was loved by the whole Soviet Union

The history of Soviet all-wheel drive trucks began in the 1930s. But the pre-war models were not distinguished by reliability and workmanship. And their patency was far from ideal.


The beginning of the Great Patriotic War and the supply of American technology showed that the Soviet Union was far behind in the automotive industry. This was especially true of all-wheel drive army trucks.

It is bitter to admit this, but let's be objective - military vehicles from the United States surpassed their Soviet counterparts in almost everything. However, we did not have specialized serial trucks before.


The most popular 6x6 vehicle in the Red Army was the Studebaker US6. This machine turned out to be so successful that the military demanded to create just such a model, with all its nuances and design features. As a result, the specialists of the Stalin Plant showed the world the ZIS-151, but it turned out to be far from being as successful as the Student.

Today we will tell you about the legend - Studebaker US6. This car appeared thanks to German emigrants who founded a company in the United States. It was back in 1750 and they first built horse-drawn carriages. Ironically, trucks built by ethnic Germans helped the Soviet Union defeat Germany.

Appearance

Describing the design of the Studebaker US6, one cannot help but think that this is a typical car from the USSR. It is especially similar to the ZIL-157, and if there are experts who remember what the post-war ZIS models looked like, then the “Student” is also recognized in them.

But in the first half of the 1940s, the American car seriously stood out against the background of Soviet models. The Studebaker US6 was distinguished by its smooth forms, it has no angularities. But this is not the most important thing - an American three-axle and all-wheel drive truck, there were no such trucks in the USSR in the early 40s.


By the way, there were modifications of the military Studebaker with a 6x4 wheel arrangement, that is, without a leading front axle. They were also supplied to the USSR, but in small quantities.

The lighting equipment of the American truck was developed with an eye on military operation. For example, the car does not have direction indicators, they are not needed for the front, there are not enough roads there.

But the truck has three pairs of headlights:

✅ The first standard, the largest - dipped and main beam
✅ Medium with peaks on top - they made the rays narrowly focused
✅ Small - for marker lights when moving in a column

The Studebaker US6 doesn't just look stylish. The fact is that the manufacturer started with cars. Wanting even military trucks to have a distinctive and recognizable design, they were made with love.


The car is maximally worked out for the most difficult operating conditions. Behind the cab are two canisters - oddly enough, only one of them is for gasoline. The second is designed for water and is distinguished by a neck so that no one confuses.

The wooden sides of the body are interestingly made. If the truck is used to transport personnel, then they have an average height. When necessary, the benches rise, increasing the sides.


Unlike Soviet trucks, the Americans even took care of the convenience for the driver during repairs. No wrenches are needed to remove the side engine protections - instead of nuts, the Studebaker US6 has convenient “lambs” that lend themselves to strong driver's hands.

Cabin features from the inside

The oldest Soviet truck that many Russian drivers still remember is the ZIL-157. It’s not for nothing that it is now mentioned about it - this car looks like a “Studer” in appearance, although the cars no longer have much in common.


So, compared to the military Studebaker US6, the cockpit of the ZIL-157 is frankly crowded. It seems that in the United States the average height of a soldier in the 1940s was at least 180 cm. From afar, the cabin seems neat and small. The hand of an experienced designer is visible.

There are many signs on the dashboard telling the soldier how to handle the heavy truck. This helped a lot, but not the Red Army. It is unlikely that most of them knew how to read English, and indeed, then German was most often studied in schools.

The gearshift scheme is strangely implemented. The first turns on as a back one - to the right and back. But this is a conscious and correct design decision. The fact is that the Studebaker US6 gets under way from the second gear, and the first was used instead of the increased one. Accordingly, the need for it arose infrequently. Therefore, it was placed in this way. All to simplify the life of young soldiers-drivers.

Compared to the Soviet ZIS-5, the American truck has a huge number of instruments, ranging from an oil pressure gauge to an ammeter. And here the starter button is located under the clutch pedal and the air-operated wiper blades.

How he drives

If we compare the Studebaker US6 with the Soviet trucks of the early 40s, then the “American” seems to be an alien from other worlds. Apart from the level of comfort, even the truck is driven differently.


Gears are switched easily and naturally, there are no terrible howls of the transmission during this procedure. Even the moves of the gearshift lever do not spoil the impression.

The Studebaker US6 engine produces 95 hp. With. The maximum speed is only 70 km / h, but for the military this was more than enough. But thanks to a working volume of 5,5 liters, the car had more than enough traction.


The only serious minus of the "Studer" is the lack of a stove. Why the Americans decided not to install it is hard to say. Perhaps they were counting on operation in a hot climate. Although, there are no gaps in the truck cab, like the ZIS and GAZ, and the front partition heats up from the engine. But still, in the winter I had to ride in full uniform.


The work of the brakes in comparison with GAZ and ZIS is ideal. It could not be otherwise - the Studebaker US6 has hydraulics. Recall that Soviet trucks have a brake system with a mechanical drive.

This does not mean that cars from the USSR were bad - they were just considered ideal for military equipment - inexpensive and easy to repair and maintain. Given that the "life" of the machine in the war is short, it makes no sense to spend resources on them.

What do you remember about "Studer"

The military liked the American four-wheel drive truck with a 6x6 wheel formula. It was reliable, passable and gave an unheard of level of comfort. But there were problems with the maintenance of these cars, especially in the post-war years.

There was nowhere to get spare parts for the Studebaker US6 in the USSR, the only thing that saved it was that the trucks rarely broke down. By the way, they often arose through the fault of drivers who do not understand how to properly exploit the "foreigner".


Despite the fact that the "Studer" was developed specifically for the military and stopped assembling after the end of hostilities, American designers did not understand many of the nuances. The equipment for the front was supposed to be the simplest, comfort for the driver and passengers was in last place.

But in any case, the Studebaker US6 helped rebuild the war-ravaged Soviet Union longer than other foreign cars. German trucks worked until the first serious breakdown - it was easier to melt them down than to try to restore them.

Interestingly, the "Studer" became an epoch-making machine that gave impetus to the development of Soviet all-wheel drive trucks with a 6x6 wheel arrangement. In Russia, its distant “descendants” are still being produced - the Ural models.