GAZ-64

The GAZ-64 is considered the first Soviet mass-produced four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle. Designed for military use, it had an open body with simple cut-outs in place of doors. The army used it as an artillery tractor and command vehicle, and often simply to transport infantry.

Soldiers nicknamed the GAZ-64 the “Little Goat”, while some called it “Ivan-Willys”.

According to one account, the initiative to build the GAZ-64 came from V. A. Malyshev, People’s Commissar for Heavy Machine Building. His main requirement was to make no changes to the reference vehicle, the Bantam BRC40 jeep. The development task was assigned simultaneously to two teams: specialists from GAZ and NATI.