Russian Trucks and Cars

[Eduard Sorokin]

Originally Posted by Kuno

I have not seen many KrAZ 214 heavy trucks:

This is, most probably, KrAZ-256 with early type forward wheels.

Originally Posted by Kuno

Looking pretty similar as the ZIL-130: The GAZ 53 truck. The truck was introduced in 1961 and manufactured until 1993. The only obvious difference to its counterpart is the front grille... even the painting, blue cabin and white front is similar:

This is could to be also GAZ-52 truck, which was the same as GAZ-53, but had another engine and smaller weight-carrying ability - 2,5 ton instead 3 ton.
ZiL-130 and GAZ-52/-53 differs by engines, dimensions and weight-carrying ability: ZiL-130 could to carry weight up to 6 ton. GAZ-52 had 75 HP engine, GAZ-53 - 115 HP engine, ZiL-130 - 150 HP engine.

Note: behind this GAZ-52/-53 truck on the photo the blue vehicle is seen. This is old, also rare today, ErAZ-762 delivery van. These vehicles were produced in Armenia from 1966:



If anybody have the questions about Russian vehicles - please feel free to ask those.

[Kuno]

ErAZ-762... that means.... I have missed the real rarity :-(

And - I have a question: Would you know, why the Russians did not produce trucks which were more different to each other in the look?

[Eduard Sorokin]

This is very large and difficult question.
The main version of answer - Soviet designers were aimed to provide mainly the National Defence with their vehicles. It is known, that all vehicles (or their most part) in any country are the "military reserve", and this reserve could to be impressed in military use in any moment.
It is not very important, how looks the military truck - this truck must to be hard, cheap, powerful and reliable only. It's appearance is not main subject.

Due these reasons, Soviet designers did not care about civilian customers, and designed those almost similar vehicles.

There were many experimental designs with different appearance in the USSR, of course. However, these designs were abandoned, or not adopted, or cancelled in favour of more simple, cheaper, or "easier-in-production" types.

[Kuno]

Many thanks for that explanation, Eduard.