The GAZ M1 (“Эмка“/”Emka”) was a passenger car produced by the Soviet automaker GAZ between 1936 and 1943, at their plant in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod, Russia).
Systematic production ended in 1941, but the factory was able to continue assembling cars from existing inventory of parts and components until 1943. In total, 62,888 GAZ M1 automobiles were produced.
Much of the car's production period coincided with the Great Patriotic War (World War II), and many Emkas, as they were commonly called, were used by the army as staff cars. Various special versions were produced such as the GAZ M - FAI and BA-20 armoured car models.
The car has subsequently become an icon of its time in Russia, having been relatively popular, and featuring in film and photographic images of a defining period in the history of the Soviet Union.
Background
The Soviet Union's first passenger car had been the GAZ-A, produced between 1932 and 1936, and based on the Ford Model A (1927–31), built under license/technology sharing agreement with and using parts purchased from the American Ford Motor Company. It was many years before passenger cars became available for private buyers in the Soviet Union, and passenger cars at that time were produced for official and military use.