GAZ celebrates the 30th anniversary of minibuses “Gazelle”

On May 15, 1996, the first 13-seater minibus GAZ-32 213 was assembled at the Gorky Automobile Plant, reports the press service of the GAZ brand. The model was focused primarily on official passenger transportation, but was often used as a minibus.

All seats were initially located in the direction of travel, but this layout made it difficult for passengers to move around the cabin. In addition, there was no access to emergency doors in the rear, and for route transport this soon became a mandatory requirement.

Therefore, in 1997, a separate modification of the GAZ-322 132 appeared, created specifically for route transportation. With the same capacity, this option had a interior with a mixed layout, where some of the seats were turned sideways or against the direction.

It is worth remembering that minibus taxis (or, as ordinary people called such equipment, “minibuses”) did not require the presence of a conductor. Therefore, the driver collected the money on his own, announcing the now textbook phrase “We’ll pass on the fare.”

Earlier, enthusiasts found an articulated Pilgrim bus based on a Gazelle. The bus, called “Pilgrim,” was made in 2000 by order of the Saratov administration. The development was carried out by the Saratov State Technical University, and the production was carried out by the Saratov Aviation Plant.

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