The unusual project rover was invented in the Soviet Union in 1955. This car was designed for the needs of the village, in particular for machine operators.
GAZ-M73 (1955) - a prototype of a small four-wheel drive car, developed by specialists of the plant led G.M.Vassermana, initially to the needs of rural machine operators, foremen, chairmen of collective farms, etc.
There were two versions of the machine: small double pickup and a coupe. Lightweight double body with larger baggage set up on the chassis of the all-wheel drive SUV Army GAZ-69 and added a Moskvitch motor and three-stage gearbox (all models from the Moskvich 402). With a small and short overhangs base this car could valiantly to overcome various obstacles and jumping on the collective farm fields. Also contributed to this lightweight off-road vehicle (a little less than a ton) and 15-inch wheels. Yes, and engine displacement of 1220 cm3 and a power of 35 hp for such a small avtomobilchika quite enough.
Besides coupe was also made pickup. Up to this point the Gorky Automobile Plant workers had experience building pickups - GAZ M-415.
According to the GAZ-M73 did not concede a GAZ-69 and GAZ-M72. One of the prototypes M73 was subsequently transferred to the MZMA, which served as the prototype for all-wheel drive Moskvich-410, is issued later in series.
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