GAZ-69 is a four wheel drive light truck, produced by GAZ (ГАЗ, or Gorkovsky Avtomobilnyi Zavod) between 1953 and 1955. From 1954 until 1972 it was produced by UAZ, as UAZ-69, though they were commonly known as GAZ-69s as well. It was also produced under licence by ARO in Romania, first as IMS-57, then as Muscel M59, later modernized as the Muscel M461. Many GAZ-69 trucks were used in Poland during the Cold War.
The basic variant GAZ-69 has a pair of doors only and most often appears with standard canvas top and upper sides. Further variant GAZ-69A (UAZ-69A) has two pair of doors. From the UAZ-69 there were developed off-road van and light truck UAZ-450 and newer jeep UAZ-469.
The GAZ-69 was the basic light off-road vehicle of the Soviet Army, replacing GAZ-67s and Willys Jeeps. The GAZ-69 was itself replaced with the UAZ-469.
It was also used as the basis for the 2P26 tank destroyer - see AT-1 Snapper - as well as for the GAZ 46 MAV, a light 4x4 amphibious vehicle, whose design was largely copied from the World War II Ford GPA Seep.
In the Cinema
In the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, one of the many vehicles Dr. Spalko drives is a GAZ 69 M. In the jungle chase scene, this vehicle crashes over the GAZ 46 MAV when it crashes into the fire ants hill.
| Manufacturer |
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|---|---|
| Also called |
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| Production | 1953-1972 |
| Predecessor |
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| Successor | UAZ-469 |
| Class | Light truck |
| Layout | F4 layout |
| Engine | 2.1L GAZ-69 I4 |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual |
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