This is GAZ 51

Gorki Avto Zabod is one of the main figures of Soviet-Russian car industry. It s more than a car producer, it s a part of Russian destiny and also it has taken part a portion n Russian destiny. This model is a small truck but very successful. It appeared just after the war as a victory gift. Actually was designed before the end of the war. First prototypes appeared in 1944 but mass prodoction started at end of 1940s. It has been a very long period producing vehicle till end of 1980s. But it deserves to be producing 40 years. Very reliable car, quite strong and popular. It has a 3500 cc I6 70 hp. petrol engine. It was not a 4x4 but could work on any terrain from highway to off road. Medium size with a 2,5 metric tons payload.

I learned driving on this truck. I know it s a bit unusual. My uncle had a GAZ 51 and he taught me to drive. His name was Kadri and was my mom's senior brother. He had never been married and was quite old. He was living with us as my mom, my dad, me and him for long period and loved me. I had a great interest for cars since my childhood and he allowed me to try to drive it in empty fields. I was in frist school I think 12 years old or something like that when I drove it first time. And I remember some Russian writings in his car with Cyrill alphabet seemed to me very interesting and mysterious. I remember I felt sympathy for Russia even then despite the poisining effect of cold war on us as a NATO member. As Turkish people we knew Russians as our enemies are very bad and strange people under the cutthroat negative propaganda about them. It was a remarkable PR job against Russia, even there was a preverb of "Communists may come this winter." to pump a fear to the people.

So my uncle carried every kind of loads, furnitures, metal hardware, sand, bricks but mostly woods and coals since 1970 to 1991. Those days the number of appartments with a heating system were still very few and most of the buildings were heated by stoves in flats. People had to buy wood and coal to burn in their flat and my uncle had a friend named Kazim. He had a field and brought woods from forrests and sold them to people. This business was quite popular in Turkey then. My uncle waited in his place and helped Kazim's clients to carry the woods to their homes while his own trucks were busy. There was a rumor about Kazim that he stole woods from people by measuring less. I dont know if it was truth or not but he became very rich soon. My uncle's truck was 1961 model year and he bought it from that Kazim as second hand. The vehicle's the only one problem as a typical problem of all Russian cars the cooling system. It caused problems with Turkey's climate up to 35 degrees in summers.

Not the truck but he got old and ill by the begining of 1990s and sold it in 1991 while it still could work very well. But GAZ 51 remains in my heart familiar as a warm memory.