100312 GAZ GL-1 1940
Useful information
The first "factory made" racing car in the history of domestic auto industry, GL-1 was built on the Gorky car factory. Design of it was by Eugene Agitov. On the serial chassis of GAZ-1M with the “forced” up to 65 h.p. standard engine was mounted “one-and-a half seater” duralumin body without the roof and with the distinctive flat ”tail”. Series of test drives was accomplished by the factory test-technician Arcadiy Nikolyaev. On October 21.1938 on the Moscovski highway of the Gorky city he drove the one kilometer distance with an average speed of 147,84 km/h, so having established new domestic record. In 1940, due to the efforts of Agitov and Nikolayev on the same chassis was built GL-1 of the second generation. It was equipped with the GAZ-11 engine, forced up to 100 hp, which caused the modification of the radiator grill. Spoked wheels were covered by aerodynamic wheel covers. Since this version was designed only for record races, the dome was mounted over the driver’s seat. It increased streamlining but substantially reduced observation. The same year in an official competition Arcadiy Nikolayev on the GL-1 established the new domestic absolute speed record of 161,87km/h.
In 1941 Agitov started the work on the new record breaking car GL-2, but at that time Soviet Union joined the WWII and the project was closed.
Future of that single GL-1 is unknown. This way or that, during the war that car had been lost.