Puzzle #1731 - GAZ-25 Wooden Prototype 1944

[Otto Puzzell]

Please, respond below and share your knowledge of what this is, and what it's for.

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Thanks!

[Brokkenpiloot]

That is a Russian Pobeda-GAZ 25 prototype made in 1944

[Otto Puzzell]

Sure - but what's unusual about it?

[fyreline]

I don't recall that the production model had suicide doors.

[Otto Puzzell]

Looking for something bigger than that

[fyreline]

OK, what else?  The wheels are unusual, but that may be due to the car's prototype status (they used whatever they had around).  The car in the photo does have an unusual cut line just forward of the front door opening, as if the car were "stretched" a bit.  Is it possibly a six-cylinder car (production cars were fours)?

[Otto Puzzell]

OK, what else?  The wheels are unusual, but that may be due to the car's prototype status (they used whatever they had around).  The car in the photo does have an usual cut line just forward of the front door opening, as if the car were "stretched" a bit.  Is it possibly a six-cylinder car (production cars were fours)?

Bigger...

[fyreline]

Hmmm.  As a prototype, did this one have front-wheel-drive?  I know they later built Pobiedas with 4WD.

[Otto Puzzell]

The unusual feature is visible in the photo.

[fyreline]

Playing amateur Sherlock Holmes here, I went back to your original post and noticed that we are asked to "share your knowledge of what this is, and what it's for."  Kind of an unusually worded request.  

While it doesn't seem likely due to the car in the photo seeming to have a full interior, is it possible that this is a photo of the clay styling model?

[Otto Puzzell]

You've already hit on the "what it's for". It is indeed an early prototype. And though it's not a clay mock-up, you are getting closer to the solution.

[fyreline]

OK, not clay, then.  How about this being the wooden prototype "Rodina"?

[Otto Puzzell]

That's it!

[fnqvmuch]

can you tell me more about Rodina?
afaik M20 = Pobeda = "Victory"
4WD = M72
and later as FSO "Warszawa"
" Re: SOLVED! Guess what! #8 - FSO Warszawa M20 U    on: December 11, 2008, 08:07:38 PM
bugger - i was imagining it was an asian background - found something about licensing the m20 in nth korea but no pics - and  ho chi min was given a pobeda by thailland but. probl'y prefered his 404... (i have a theory peugeot got the 203 lines from america via gorky autos - and then theres the indenor in volgas later...)"

[fyreline]

That was a great puzzler . . . . and it took some fairly extensive research to solve.

Just the way we like 'em!

[faksta]

can you tell me more about Rodina?

The car has been developed as GAZ 25 Rodina ('Motherland'), but later the name was changed to GAZ 20 Pobeda.
This example was used as a demonstrational full-scale mockup.

[fnqvmuch]

was the pobeda what your avatar is based on, Faksta?

[faksta]

Yes, indeed. My avatar car is a GAZ SG1M, or, unofficially, Pobeda Sport. It was a factory built special. Sadly, none of the two cars have survived.