Volga GAZ-24 History
History
Full-scale production of the GAZ-24 began on 15 July 1970, replacing the GAZ-21 with a more modern, Western-influenced body. The sedan's clean lines echoed contemporary American and European executive cars, and it quickly became the standard taxi and government transport across the Soviet Union. Over 1.48 million units were built across all variants during a 22-year run — the best-selling model in GAZ history.
The GAZ-24 earned a legendary reputation for durability: Volga taxicabs commonly accumulated more than 1,000,000 km on their odometers, a figure attributed to the car's reinforced unibody and overbuilt mechanicals. Despite this, it was not freely available to the Soviet public; purchases by private citizens required special permits, keeping the Volga a symbol of privilege. A V8-powered GAZ-24-24 (later GAZ-24-34) was produced in limited numbers from 1974 onward for KGB protection duties.
A significant facelift in 1985 produced the GAZ-24-10, which updated the interior and revised the grille while retaining the same basic body. This updated variant continued until 1992, when the GAZ-31029 (a transitional model carrying the 24-body shell with a new front end) took over. All subsequent Volgas through 2010 trace their roots to the GAZ-24's platform.
Generations
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GAZ-24
Original production run — the definitive Soviet taxi and government sedan.
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GAZ-24-10 (facelift) · GAZ-24-10
Updated grille and interior; final expression of the original GAZ-24 body before the 31029 transition model.
Body styles
- Sedan
- Station wagon (GAZ-24-02)
- Ambulance
- Taxi
Notable special editions & performance variants
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GAZ-24-24 / GAZ-24-34 (V8 security variant)
Low-volume V8-powered Volga for KGB protection and escort duties — the same sleeper formula as the GAZ-23, built in small quantities. The GAZ-24-24 ran from late 1974; the updated GAZ-24-34 took over from 1987 and continued until production ended in 1992.
Related models