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Bus "Uralets" - "clone" "Kuban" or not?

Bus "Uralets" - "clone" "Kuban" or not?
This unpretentious-looking bus, reminiscent of its "colleague" - "Kuban", has been produced since 1966 in the Urals, in an inconspicuous town. It was not even a factory, but "Mechanical workshops". Once there was a mine here, then they produced spare parts for ZiS and other trucks. Later, the enterprise nevertheless received the official name "Uralets Automotive Plant" (after the name of the settlement where it was located).


The first buses were produced from the 54th year: they were so simple in design that they were not given names or indexes. In the late 50s, the plant was lucky - an order was received for the production of KUNGs for the ZIL-157 and special vans for the MAZ-200. At that time, the enterprise managed to acquire good equipment and qualified specialists.

Автобус «Уралец» – «клон» «Кубани» или нет?The production of KUNGs for the plant was a profitable business, but short-lived. Photo: YouTube.com

In the 65th year, the economic councils were abolished and the USSR Ministry of Defense refused the services of the plant. He would perish! But the Ministry of Culture "reconnoitered" about the free enterprise and offered to produce buses for the department. The management of the plant agreed: where should he go? The bonnet model was immediately dismissed as hopelessly outdated, and a new one began to be “composed”.

"Uralets-66"


The exterior of the experimental (and all subsequent) models was angular and reminiscent of the main competitor - the Kuban bus. At the heart of the "Uralets" is a chassis on which a wooden frame was fixed, sheathed with steel sheets. On each side they made sweat 3 large windows and a couple of additional ones. To give at least some kind of appearance, moldings were attached to the sides, a radiator grill was designed, and a “company” nameplate was placed above it.

One of the first prototypes. Photo: YouTube.com

In terms of safety, there was a bumper. Windshield wiper - only one, for the driver. By the time of release, the bus was already outdated, so in 1967 they built a version with an all-metal body, which was given the index "66B". Under this designation, the bus was put into production. "New" had a number of differences from the experimental 66th model:

✅ changed the configuration of the visor above the windshield
✅ wheel arches have been given a different shape
✅ to increase the rigidity of the body, corrugations were made on its panels
✅ the rear window was divided in half: the whole one turned out to be laborious in production

The cabin is designed for twenty-one passengers, the "package" included a radio. In 69, the bus was finalized: a second “wiper” was installed, the corrugations were removed, the rear window became rectangular, not trapezoidal. The car was stamped in quantities from 200 to 300 pieces per year. In 72, the 66B model was replaced by another one.

"Uralets-67"


From its predecessors, the bus, designed for club work, campaigning, outwardly differed by loudspeakers on the roof. A gasoline power plant was supposed to power the amplifier.

The bus with loudspeakers could be seen from afar. Photo: YouTube.com

Also included was a movie set. They made a special door for it (movies were shown right through it) next to the passenger door.

New "market" niche


However, by the beginning of the 70s it became clear: "Uralets" is clearly losing to its competitor from the Krasnodar Territory, the bus "Kuban". It was necessary to come up with something - and a solution was found! The factory workers began to produce modified models, specially adapted to the harsh northern conditions. And it was quite logical: If the Kuban mainly traveled around the central regions of the country, then the Uralets was operated in the Far East, in Siberia.

Models "66C" and "66CM"


The basis is the same GAZ-51A. The body was insulated, instead of window vents, three hatches were installed in the roof. In 1971, an experimental batch of 44 buses left the factory gates. After testing, by the end of the 72nd, mass production was organized. In 1974, the chassis from the GAZ-52-04 began to be used in the design of the car.

Modification 66C for northern conditions. Photo: YouTube.com

The next version of "SM" appeared in 1976. there were no major improvements: except that some external elements have changed a little.

Other Models


In 67, there was an attempt to master the production of the Uralets-69 bus based on the GAZ-53A. In prototypes, the hull was lengthened, the number of passengers reached 24. However, tests revealed insufficient strength of the body. This was taken into account and a new model "Uralets-70S" was built. The bus received a new exterior, but was released in the amount of 500 pieces.

"Uralets-70S" on the border of Europe and Asia. Photo: YouTube.com

And the company was already engaged in the next model - "Uralets-70AC". It was also made on the GAZ-53A chassis. The plant hoped that the car would become a transitional model to the mass passenger version. The front end was redesigned again, the driver now had a dashboard from the "fifty-third", the engine cover was replaced. Given that the bus will be used in harsh winter conditions, double glazing was installed, a heater was placed between the outer panels and the inner wall, and the interior heating system was improved.

Sunset


“Suddenly” in 1978, it turned out that the buses do not meet the safety requirements for passenger transport in accordance with GOST and therefore cannot be produced. The brake system turned out to be unfinished. Why the plant was not allowed to modernize it is not clear. Nevertheless, the production of buses was stopped and peacefully switched to the production of ... attractions. Thus ended the story of the Urals.

Author:

Photos used: https://youtube.com

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