GAZ-31029 - the first Volga available to the people, it is also the most unloved

Passenger cars of the Gorky plant are known under the Volga brand. These models have gone through different stages in their history, ranging from popular admiration to outright neglect.


The worst "Volga" is now considered GAZ-31029. Often this car is called "Oslobyk". Apparently, a hint that it looks like a transitional model between 24-10 and 3110. Although, in fact, it was GAZ-31029 that made the Volga accessible to the people.

Moreover, this model was commercially profitable for the Gorky Automobile Plant in the early 90s. Few people know that after the appearance of the GAZ-31029, the production rate of Volzhanka increased one and a half to two times compared to Soviet times. For the beginning of the 90s, when almost all factories were rapidly sliding into the financial abyss, it was just a resounding success.


As for the GAZ-31029, this car has become a victim of mass character in every sense. Firstly, from an inaccessible dream, the car turned into a commonplace with its own characteristic flaws. Secondly, the reduction in the cost of production had a negative impact on quality.

In any case, GAZ-31029 has been poorly studied. This "Volga" flashed in the firmament of the "dashing 90s" quickly, lost in the shadow of the legendary 24 and more massive 3110. Today we will correct this annoying gap.

Prerequisites for the emergence

By the end of the 80s, the leadership of the Gorky Automobile Plant was aware that the GAZ-24-10 urgently needed a generation change. The next modernization of the car would obviously not help, because the new Volga, in fact, became a restyling.


There is no need to think that the GAZ management was very worried about the technical lag of their passenger cars from the global automotive industry. Not at all - in the late 80s, the Volga were bought up by state offices. Even in the worst dreams, the management of the enterprise could not imagine that they would be left without a job. One had only to offer the "Volga" to the people - there will be no end to the buyers.


Only in the era of "perestroika" there were already problems with cash. The decision came quite unexpected in its simplicity - to use GAZ-3102 body stamps. Fortunately, these luxurious "nomenclature" models were produced a little, since 1981 the equipment has been well preserved.

Therefore, the Gorky people decided to make a new car based on the GAZ-3102. The point is small - to develop it, making it more budgetary.

Problems

Having solved, as it seemed to them, the problem, the Gorky engineers shared their findings and plans with the management. They approved the idea, realizing that it would be really financially profitable, and it was possible to quickly launch the release of the model.


It remains to tell about their production plans to the party leadership of the Soviet Union. This was done, in full confidence that the project would be approved.

But the party suddenly "stood on its hind legs". How is it, petty leaders, the creative and scientific elite will drive around in a "director's" car! In the end, it was decided that the new car would be revised by designers so that differences in appearance were evident from afar.

The second nuance is the engine. In theory, when releasing a new model on the GAZ-3102 chassis, it was necessary to take ZMZ-4022.10 for it. The same, advanced and pre-chamber torch. Only at the end of the 80s it was already clear that this direction in engine building was unpromising.


The power unit turned out to be capricious and sensitive to high temperatures. Soviet drivers, especially those working in state garages, categorically did not like this. Moreover, the ZMZ-402.10, installed on the GAZ-24-10, was unpretentious in operation and maintenance.

As a result, this problem was also sorted out by going in a simple way - abandoning the complex engine in favor of the 402nd motor. Let it not differ in efficiency and dynamics, but it was reliable.

"Birth"

Since the creation of a new model was a decided matter, the Gorky Automobile Plant at the same time followed the trends of modern fashion. They decided to make the car round, smoothing out the sharp "Volgov" features.


Unfortunately, it was not possible to “inflate” the car on all body panels - stamps from the GAZ-3102 did not allow this, and no one would allow them to be spoiled. I had to be content with changing the front end and lighting technology.

GAZ-31029 received plastic safety bumpers, which made the appearance even more modern. Yes, in those years, the abundance of metal was considered a relic of the past. And plastic was the material of the future.

As a result, the new Volga satisfied both the creators and the party elite:

✅ The minimum amount of chrome showed that the model is not as prestigious as the GAZ-3102
✅ Plastic made the car look more modern
✅ Innovations made it possible to reduce the cost of the car

GAZ-31029 was supposed to take the place of the previous model with an index of 24-10. The Volga remained a car for select citizens of the USSR, but not equal to elite models.

That's just a serial car appeared in 1992, when the Soviet Union collapsed. Therefore, the fate of the model was not at all the way it was originally intended. The new car immediately received the nickname "Oslobyk" from Russian drivers who managed to get a little familiar with used foreign cars. Although those were available at that time to units, it was possible to buy them. Fortunately, the ferrymen had already begun to appear.


And the new model was called "Pull-Push". The GAZ-31029 received this nickname for a clear discrepancy between the front and rear parts. If the “muzzle” looked like it should be in fashionable modern trends, then the back obsessively pulled the “Volga” into the past.

Revisions

Like any model born in the throes of the convulsions of the USSR, the GAZ-31029 turned out to be unfinished. The new "Volga" of the first issues did not differ structurally from the 24-10. But the main thing was to launch the car in a series, and the rest came in the process.

In 1994, the car was "made happy" with a 16-valve ZMZ-4062.10 engine with distributed fuel injection. Despite the fact that this power engine was structurally seriously different from the 402nd motor, it retained the same proportions and was not inferior in reliability to its predecessor.


Interestingly, in the mid-90s, Volga with injection engines were sold as 150-horsepower. Of course, the motor is not bad, but its real power is about 131 hp. With.

Gradually, new transmission parts appeared - for example, the split bridge was replaced with a unit with a one-piece crankcase. Then they began to install a 5-speed manual transmission and disc brakes.

Since 1996, GAZ-31029 began to be equipped with a salon from a new model with an index of 3110. Some modifications even had power steering, automatic windows and catalysts.

Success

For the Gorky Automobile Plant, Oslobyk became a commercially viable model. It is useless now to remember how many rubles they asked for in those years for such a car - this will not say anything. But GAZ-31029 cost about $3.


By the way, they bought new Volgas not only because of the low price. It’s just that in those years there was crazy inflation, so people preferred to invest in cars.

Now it seems incredible, but it was because of the GAZ-31029 that the Gorky plant had to switch to a round-the-clock operation. Although, the build quality has dropped.

In 1997, the model gave way to the GAZ-3110 conveyor. Sales by that time began to fall. Russian drivers have ceased to treat the Volga with trepidation. And now GAZ-31029 can generally be bought from just 40 thousand rubles.