Ulyanovsk "Loaf" is baked for 60 years!

A series of commercial UAZ, popularly known as "Loaves", celebrates 60 years of production

In addition to the famous "goats" GAS(UAZ)-69 and -69A from the end of January 1958 with the conveyor Ulyanovsk automobile plant began to go first "jeep" wagon UAZ-450, later popularly known as "the Loaf."

This ultra-compact layout scheme was then in fashion: company Jeep, Land Rover, Volvo and Steyr produced something like that, but mainly in the form of pickups. Emphasis on wagon, not only onboard the truck (popularly known as "Tadpole") were made at the Ulyanovsk automobile plant.

Combination wagon, endurance, and high cross still remains the hallmark of this "commercial series" cars UAZ.

– The prototype of the UAZ-450 with trailer

Demand already the first model of UAZ-450, chassis is almost completely unified with the army "jeep" GAZ-69 was huge from the beginning, since the class of malotonnazhnogo after the termination of the 1950 release of the lorry GAZ-MM no domestic business model left, and light cargo and small consignments of goods to carry was necessary.

– Experienced UAZ-450 was different, we can say, delicate design, however, too intricate for utilitarian machine

The timeless appearance of the "Loaf" gives smooth transitions of lines of body parts in combination with the one-piece curved windshield. This Spartan "styling" remains virtually unchanged to the present day, except for the shape of the grille on the mask cabin in 1965 during the transition to the model of the UAZ-452.

– Rear-wheel drive van UAZ-451 first years of release was not different in appearance UAZ-450

This "buanoy" appearance that gives not only instant recognition, but also quite a good review, but two leading bridge, combined with the simplicity of the engine and chassis endurance has created a unique combination of low operating costs and huge functionality, which ensured stable long-term popularity of these machines in all parts of the country where there is a need to move on bad roads and off-road.

– Photo pre-production version of the health van UAZ-450A, but she's already got the corporate design, but that and a whole lot of people have been dubbed the "loaves"

The first prototypes of the UAZ-450 with different body versions (delivery vans, ambulance, on-Board a minibus which, however, the series did not go) passed to the factory and interagency (including military) test the patency of off-road and ride comfort on the highway in 1957.

During these test runs UAZ-450 successfully crossed the Karakum desert, visited the Pamirs and Kazakhstan, as well as the cold pole of the Northern hemisphere in Oymyakon. The tests confirmed that the Ulyanovsk-wheel-drive trucks and vans can be operated in literally any road and climatic conditions.

– After testing in the hot Sands of the UAZ-450V. The late 1950s

By January 1958 factory power prepared for production of the UAZ-450 in the amount of 4 thousand a year, which, of course, was a drop in the bucket amid the enormous needs of a huge country in delivery vans and ambulances.

The first vans UAZ-450 off the factory line in January 1958

Gradually, the plant switched from the production of pilot batches for stable mass production of much-needed vehicles. Given that most of the UAZ-450 was taken by the Soviet army, the shortage of UAZ emerged immediately and remained so all the years of the Soviet Union (by the way. and all civil machines of this series was assigned to the military enlistment office).

– Sanitary UAZ-450 was irreplaceable and the far North

For several years, on the basis of the original panel van UAZ-450 was launched in the series and two major modifications: flatbed truck UAZ-450D with a lifting capacity of 750 kg and ambulance UAZ-450A.

Previously, the family of UAZ-450 was produced until 1965. Total produced 55 319 cars of this model in various modifications of which 30 units 103 sanitary UAZ-450A and 13 276 units of airborne UAZ-450D. But van UAZ-450 V with no luck, as due to the particular construction of the frame of the "GAZ-69" to make the side door failed and the passenger "loaf" went into production only ten years later, in a series of UAZ-452 (UAZ-452В).

Van UAZ-450 was officially carrying 700 kg of cargo, but could work with overload

In 1959, the first batch of 35 "nurses" went for export. These machines went to travel on the roads of Albania, Indonesia and Syria. The national economy was in desperate need of utility vehicles and while it is based could be solely UAZ-450. So in 1960 on the basis of four-wheel drive ATV there was a series of rear-wheel drive commercial vehicles: on-Board 1-ton truck UAZ-451Д, van UAZ-451 UAZ and sanitary-451А.

– Solid truck UAZ-450D not had good handling but were hardy

Van UAZ-451 externally of the second issue repeated the UAZ-452, but the series lasted only until 1982

Minibus in this series did not take place, and because at the same time in Riga began producing the minivan with a monocoque body RAF-977 "Latvia".

In 1966, the family UAZ-450 was quite a major upgrade: apart from "smiling" grille, the car received a more powerful overhead valve engine of the M-21, four-speed gearbox, but the main thing was changed frame (the location of the gas tank), allowing, finally put to starboard a full swing door.

Chassis UAZ-452 is already quite markedly different from the original UAZ-450

The result is in addition to our usual vans and onboard truck in 1968, the series has gone and extremely popular 10-seater minibus UAZ-452В. According to the results of the modernization of the family four-wheel drive cars found it possible to assign to the new industry index UAZ-452.

– This is not a company minibus UAZ-452В (1968-1986), and a car for transportation Miloshevich groups LEK-452-71 – such "barbujani" on the basis of the UAZ did many enterprises in the country

In the future, the series UAZ-452 took a few more upgrades, consistently unofficiously her SUV UAZ-469, and in 1985 the series was awarded a number of new sector indices from a UAZ-2206 (minibus) to UAZ-3962 (ambulance), which was replaced by the new intra-company only recently.

– A modern van UAZ-3741 outwardly does not differ from the minibus UAZ-2206

The relevance of a "Loaf" has not decreased and market days, when instead of the army and state organizations in the main clients were the cooperatives and the private traders, poluchivshie a choice of any body type.

Version UAZ-39095 with a sleeping bag in the cab enjoyed popularity not

A lot of popularity in the mid-1990s found utility subfamily "Farmer" in the truck UAZ-39094 with comfortable double cabin and wagon-Kombi UAZ 3909 with cabin for 6 people. Extended and reinforced (lifting capacity was raised up to 1.3 t) version of the truck UAZ-33036 since the mid-1990s, not only successfully resisted the rival all-wheel drive "GAZelle" (GAZ-33027/ -330273), but gradually supplanted line of rough terrain "Tadpole" (UAZ-3303).

– But the "Farmer" UAZ-39094 with a spacious double-cab has become very popular

– Kombi-van "Farmer" UAZ 3909 massively applies even Mail of Russia

In 2007, the legendary "Loaf" found "the second breath". In the framework of the national project "Health" the car factory has supplied 2304 ambulances in all corners of Russia. The first 45 vehicles equipped with power steering, driving axles of the type "Spicer", multi-function steering switch and ignition switch with lockable anti-theft device, the company delivered to the medical institutions of the Ulyanovsk region. Today Ulyanovsk automobile factory continues production of these vehicles, indispensable in the national economy and well-adapted to Russian roads. Only in the last 5 years the company produced more than 156 thousand cars classic commercial series. By the way, the share of UAZ on today in the Park LCV of the country is nearly 18% (over 640 thousand).

In 2016 the trade show "Buhanka" was a little usovershenstvovany: pojavilis electronic odometer, a comfortable heated seat (option) and improved the engine hood

Interesting facts from the history of the UAZ-450

The nickname "Loaf" the car got a kind of body shape, resembling a loaf of bread. Another version of the "Loaf" was called a car that was transporting products, and the ambulance was called "the pill", thus emphasizing the purpose of the van.

In 1959 the first model of the Ulyanovsk car UAZ-450ЭМ was developed on the base of a serial UAZ-450 UAZ-450A. It was intended for the maintenance of airfields. Electric cars used traction batteries, broken into 2 sections, installed under the floor of the body on both sides in special boxes.

– Electric cars of UAZ did often, so the photo version of the UAZ-451МИ the sample in 1975, of course, too experienced (real reserve does not exceed 40 km)

UAZ-452 are still used to transport tourists to the volcanoes Vesuvius and Etna. On the basis of the Ulyanovsk SUVs in Italy created fire trucks, "cottages on wheels". They are used for rescue work, geological exploration, shipping, water and food to remote mountain villages.

In the 1960-ies at the factory produced the first samples of sanitary vehicles for the far North and Siberia UAZ-452АС – with optional heating, double glazing in the passenger compartment, reinforced insulation of floors, roof and sidewalls. The work was carried out at temperatures that reach 60 degrees below zero. Under such conditions, could not operate air ambulances.

In 1963, Ulyanovsk SUV starred in the cult Soviet film "Queen of the gas station". Also UAZ-450 starred in the films "Thirty three", "passing In Moscow", "there Lived a song thrush".

At the end of 1960, work began on snegohodnyh car UAZ-451С, which was equipped with interchangeable, seasonal equipment and to overcome snow and off-road virgin. Instead of the front wheels had installed metal-driven romance, but instead rear — rubber-to-metal caterpillar tracks.

UAZ-450 1026 contains the original parts and components, 491 detail of the chassis and 535 parts of the body. For comparison, in modern cars the number of items ranges from 5000 to 7000 pieces.

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