GAZ-3101: the unfulfilled dream of a "Volga" with a V-shaped engine

The earliest attempts to completely modernize the new Volga GAZ-24 were made a little over half a century ago. The first prototype of the so-called GAZ-3101 (classified in this way according to the new Soviet designation system introduced at the same time) was completed on December 15, 1973. Immediately striking is the completely new, strongly Americanized front end, which is much closer to the American fashion of the mid-1970s than the old (also Americanized, but already quite archaic) front end with two round headlights, which is similar to that of the Ford Falcon, model year 1962. A known obstacle to the successful achievement of the desired visual effect are the disproportionately small rectangular headlights (which, according to unconfirmed information, were taken for temporary use from the Wartburg 353). The conservative European influence is noticeable in the layout of the massive panels in which the rear lights are grouped.

GAZ-3101: the unfulfilled dream of a "Volga" with a V-shaped engine

When viewed from the side, the car is almost indistinguishable from the serial GAZ-24, but the small windows on the front doors have now been removed, and the handles are tightly integrated into the doors in accordance with the new standards for passive pedestrian safety. The traditional chrome-plated door mirrors have been retained, but can now be adjusted from the inside. The interior is completely new, with headrests on all seats, a completely modernized dashboard with a polyurethane coating. The fuel tank, which was previously under the bottom of the trunk, has been moved behind the rear seat, and the spare wheel is located in its place. The brake system is split-circuit, and is assisted by a vacuum servo, with the front brakes being disc.

Two of the prototypes are powered by 2990 cc V6 engines, one with a cast iron cylinder block (GAZ-24-14), which was originally developed for the GAZ-24, and the other with an identical block made of aluminum (GAZ-24-18). Both produce 136 hp, but the second is much lighter. The cars of the experimental series are also equipped with automatic transmission, power steering, electric windows and air conditioning.

During this period, permission in principle was given to start production of the GAZ-3101, but it was postponed several times for various reasons. The main one was that the then Minister of the Automotive Industry of the USSR Viktor Polyakov provided the Volga Automobile Plant with solid investments as a priority for the fastest development of modern, completely new models with a two-volume body and front-wheel drive. On the other hand, the Zavolzhsky Motor Plant (ZMZ), which was a subcontractor of GAZ, failed to master the planned production of V6 engines. The foreign trade association "Avtoexport" was also cautious about this type of engine, since after the oil crisis of 1973, fuel economy became a major problem.

Faced with such limitations, GAZ continued to modify and change (and in many ways simplify) the “content” of the car. As a result, and in order to maintain lower production costs, it was decided to equip the future car with a 4-cylinder ZMZ-4022 engine, quite similar to that of the GAZ-24, but the cylinder block and head were now made of aluminum. Compared to the standard ZMZ-24D, power was increased by 10 hp and now reached 105 hp at 4750 rpm. Although the car was 50 kg heavier, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h was reduced to 16.2 seconds (while for the GAZ-24 it was 22 seconds), and the maximum speed increased from 145 to 152 km/h. Fuel consumption has also been reduced from 10.5 to 8.5 liters per 100 km.

In this configuration, with the new 4-cylinder engine, without power steering, without automatic transmission and with simplified equipment, the car was renamed GAZ-3102. It was sent for approval to Moscow in early 1980 and was shown to the general public for the first time during the Olympic Games held in Moscow at the same time. However, it was another two years before production began.

In fact, the idea of a serial Volga with a V-shaped engine was still implemented, albeit in a very limited edition. In the period 1982-1989, a small series of cars with the numerical designation 3101 was produced, equipped with 5.52-liter V8 engines with a capacity of 195 hp at 4400 rpm, which reached a maximum speed of 170 km / h. They were intended exclusively for the special services of the USSR.

Car parts AutoPower
Car parts AutoPower

When viewed from the side, the car is almost indistinguishable from the serial GAZ-24, but the small windows on the front doors have now been removed, and the handles are tightly integrated into the doors in accordance with the new standards for passive pedestrian safety

Two of the prototypes are powered by 2990 cc V6 engines, one with a cast iron cylinder block (GAZ-24-14), which was originally developed for the GAZ-24, and the other with an identical block made of aluminum (GAZ-24-18)