Roadster "Pobeda-Sport" - this car shone on the highway-ring races

The GAZ M-20 Pobeda car is still remembered by many Russian drivers, whose experience began in the USSR. The car was excellent for its time - convenient, comfortable, passable.


Now they say that the Soviet "Zhiguli", "Moskvich" and "Zaporozhets" were better off-road than modern sedans, hatchbacks and station wagons. Believe me, they are far from "Victory" in this regard. The car was created taking into account the condition of the roads broken by military equipment. Therefore, its cross-country ability is certainly no worse than that of modern crossovers.

But Pobeda is not only a stylish fastback. Rarely, but there were instances with a convertible-type body. They were produced in small batches especially for the southern republics.


And there was also the Pobeda-Sport roadster. It is believed that only 5 of these cars were produced. None of them have survived to this day. Only archival photographs and replicas remained. But Pobeda-Sport was one of the best racing cars of its time.

Prerequisites for the emergence

The Soviet auto industry paid no attention to racing until about the mid-1930s. It was considered to be bourgeois entertainment. Valuable cars cannot be exploited like that, they should carry bosses, specialists and help build communism.


However, later the point of view was revised. It turned out that the competition is beneficial. They allow you to operate cars to the limit and refine them. Therefore, they initially participated in the races on production models - both on cars and trucks.

However, there were racing cars created in single copies:

✅ GAZ A-Aero
✅ GAZ-TSAKS
✅ GAZ-GL-1
✅ ZiS-Sport
✅ "Star"

The last prototype is already post-war - it debuted in 1946. The Zvezda was built using an engine and other components from a German DKW motorcycle. The engine had a volume of 350 cm3. The racing car accelerated to 140 km / h.

Athletes began to use captured German equipment. It turned out to be more affordable than the domestic one, especially since there was often nothing to repair it with. Therefore, failed cars and motorcycles were dismantled.


In 1948, the Soviet government banned the use of foreign models in races and competitions. For enthusiasts, this was a serious blow. Although, you can understand the point of view of the state. The use of foreign machines did not help the development of domestic industry.

The main manufacturer of racing cars was the Molotov Plant (GAZ). However, ZiS (ZiL) also had its own sports team, and their models were a class higher and more powerful.

Races and their features

In the Soviet Union of the 50s, automobile competitions were divided into linear and highway-ring. In the first case, it is overcoming a certain distance from one point to another. The second is a closed track.


Until 1957, riders competed on the Minsk Ring. This track with a lap distance of 44 km. To understand the difference with the racetracks of our days, it is worth comparing it with Sochi - the largest modern one. There, the length of the circle is only 5,8 km.

Prior to this, line races were usually held in the Soviet Union. The distance between the points is about 100 km, but I had to go back and forth several times. It turns out that the cars were tested more for endurance than for speed. Moreover, the track was standard, not prepared, winding and not with the highest quality surface.

Accordingly, the priority is light vehicles with high acceleration dynamics. The maximum speed in such competitions faded into the background. But both serial and converted models participated in the races.


As a rule, 32 crews started. Each of them included a driver and a mechanic, who is also a navigator. We started in threes - first, less powerful cars. Thus, it was possible to avoid collisions at the start.

Of course, this reduced the spectacle, so after a while they started to start all together. Moreover, it was difficult to count at the finish line who left earlier and who left later.

The emergence of "Victory-Sport"

GAZ M-20 cars dominated the races of the first half of the 50s. There is nothing strange in this - they were the most powerful of the conditionally available. "Muscovites" did not reach them, and rare samples of sports ZiM performed in completely different categories.


The first Pobeda-Sport appeared in 1950. It was a streamlined two-door lightweight sports car. But they created it on the chassis of standard components and assemblies GAZ M-20. Technically, this is a typical, as they would say now, example of the creativity of garage tuning masters.

In total, five Pobeda-Sport cars were manufactured, and each of them differed externally and technically. The engine of the first copy was boosted to 75 hp. With. Recall that the engine of the original "Victory" gave out only 52 "horses".

Power increased due to:

✅ Slight increase in working volume
✅ Increasing the compression ratio
✅ Switching to gasoline with a higher octane rating
✅ Installation of two carburetors

The last and most beautiful was the roadster - the hero of our article. This car received the most interesting engine in the series. Its power was brought up to 85 hp. With.


The car received a body without doors at all. This was done to increase torsional rigidity. The model was a two-seater - just right for a standard crew consisting of a driver and a mechanic.

It is interesting that the car appeared thanks to the racer who planned to perform on it. Vyacheslav Mosolov, showing excellent results in almost serial "Pobeda", was allowed to develop a car for himself on his own.

Career

The most beautiful Pobeda-Sport attracted attention every time she appeared in public. They also took part in competitions. However, her modeling career was short-lived.


In the 1956 race, the crew of Mosolov and Efremychev took second place in all-Union sports competitions. It is believed that the engine power before the last race was brought to the mark of 90 hp. With.

After winning the silver medal, the model was sent to some taxi company. What they did with her and where she disappeared to is still unknown. Given the time, the car could not be sold abroad. Most likely, it was broken or someone from the authorities took it for themselves. Or maybe dismantled for parts.

Revival

In 2015, a group of enthusiasts led by Ivan Panderin managed to make a replica of the Pobeda-Sport roadster. At the time of creation, the goal was not to make a full copy. Firstly, no special information about the original has been preserved - I had to work using archival photographs.

Secondly, the car was not conceived as a collector's car, but to participate in retro races. Thirdly, enthusiasts worked on the basis of their capabilities and needs.


Therefore, the engine on the replica is far from original. Instead of a racing power unit with a volume of 2,1 liters for 85-90 liters. With. and two candles per cylinder, there is a motor from GAZ-24. The gearbox, respectively, is also from the Volga.

By the way, there is at least one more replica of the Pobeda-Sport roadster. It already has the original engine and gearbox. Of course, not from an old racing car, but from a GAZ M-20, but this is closer to the origins.

Despite the fact that the replicas of the Pobeda roadster sport are far from the original, they still attract attention. Enthusiasts managed to convey the spirit of that era - for this they need to be thanked.