The second version of the GAZ GL-1. Photos from www.kustomrama.com

Before the cold war had American children hiding under their desks during mock air raid/atomic bomb drills, the Soviet Union and Detroit were actually in business together. Despite the Russian’s resistance to capitalism, the people’s government in Russia entered an agreement with Ford Motor Company in 1929 to supply cars and parts, along with technical assistance, until the Soviet Union could build their own automobile manufacturing facility.

The first version of the GAZ GL-1.

This cooperative enterprise continued to grow with production of car actually starting on New Year’s Day in 1932. The Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (translated as Gorky Automobile Plant and referred to as GAZ) factory displayed their marque along with Ford’s iconic marque. Production lasted until 1936 and resulted in over 100,000 GAZ/Ford vehicles built. 

With that many Ford Model A cars running around, it was only a matter of time before some young men with a love for speed started to hot rod these GAZ cars. According to Kustomrama, one of these hot rods was built by Evgenie Agitov. The Ford based GAZ was powered by the legendary V8-40 that was boosted 15 horsepower by improved compression ratio and experimental cylinder heads with larger valves.  (86.99 mph). The body of the car was built on top of a stock GAZ M1 frame. A GAZ M-1 engine powered the car. Once completed, the GL-1 debuted in Kiev in October 1938 and was driven by a GAZ test technician, Arkady Nikolaev. The car was able to reach a top speed of 148 kph (86.99 mph) with the modified GAZ M-1 engine.

According to Kustomrama, there are several stories on the whereabouts of the GL-1 hot rod. One of those stories, which seems to be more likely than others, claims that the car was destroyed during a bombing of the factory during the war. Another claims that the car was cut up into pieces at the factory. In any case, it is a shame that the car is no longer here for us to examine and appreciate. A recreation of the pre-war Russian hot rod was built on the frame of a 1933 Ford by Russian coach builder Boushuev Coachbuild over three-years and then exhibited at a Moscow museum in 2010.

The original version of the GAZ GL-1

As an ironic afternote to the GAZ story, the company has gone on to work with General Motors, the Volkswagen group, and Mercedes-Benz. About the same time that American auto manufacturers were asking the U.S. Congress for a loan to stay afloat, GAZ was turning historic company record profits in revenue. By 2011, the Adam Smith Institute honored GAZ’s executives with awards for their achievements. The irony that Adam Smith, the classical economist that believed free market was the only method of success, would have an institution that acknowledged a company from the former bastion of Communism is truly an indication of how the world has changed.