The principal developer behind Gazelle (GAZ-3302), Vladimir Chetverikov, has retired, according to reports from the Quto.ru portal.
Chetverikov earned the State Prize of the Russian Federation in science and technology and is named an Honored Designer of Russia. He led the United Engineering Center at the Gorky Automobile Plant, directing 25 specialized centers that advanced new car concepts.
The first Gazelle rolled off the Gorky Automobile Plant assembly line on July 20, 1994. Work on the vehicle began in the final years of the Soviet Union, intended as a delivery vehicle for collaborators as entrepreneurial activity began to be allowed for non-prohibited ventures in 1988.
Among the early Gazelle designers, Vladimir Chetverikov stands as a key figure, with colleagues Stanislav Volkov and Vladimir Fuzeev contributing to the project. By the late 1990s, the term “Gazelle” had entered common usage as a reference to light minibuses.
Earlier developments in Russia included the appearance of a new line from the Chinese brand Forland. The importer for Russia was a company identified as MB.
In the domestic market, buyers gained access to vehicles built on the basic chassis with a range of add-ons. The initial model in this series was the Forland 3, a three-and-a-half-ton truck, envisioned to compete with the Gazelle Next. The Chinese truck was offered at a price of no less than 3.26 million rubles and was equipped with a 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine delivering 157 horsepower.
Historically, AvtoVAZ and GAZ continued continuous car production alongside these developments.
[Attribution: Quto.ru]