ZIS-151

The ZIS-151 (Russian: ЗИС-151) was a general-purpose truck produced by the Soviet car manufacturer Automotive Factory No. 2 Zavod imeni Stalina for ten years, from 1948 until 1958. In 1956, the factory was renamed to Zavod imeni Likhacheva, and the new trucks were called the ZIL-151 (ЗИЛ-151). The ZIS-151 was the first major Soviet military all-wheel-drive truck built following World War II, replacing the Lend-Lease U.S. Studebaker US6, GMC CCKW 2½-ton 6×6 truck, and the earlier Soviet ZIS-6, which was in turn a license built version of the Autocar Dispatch SD truck . In early 1948, the cabs were made of wood, soon replaced with a steel cab. Tens of thousands were produced, including specialized versions for hauling different types of cargo. The Soviets also found the trucks an ideal platform for BM-13 Katyusha rocket launchers. The most famous developments of ZIS-151 were the BTR-152 armoured personnel carrier and the BAV 485 amphibious vehicle. Due to de-Stalinization the ZIS-151 was renamed in 1956 to ZIL-151. In 1958, an improved model, the ZIL-157, was introduced and replaced the ZIS-151. It differed outwardly by its grille and having single rear tires, instead of the ZIL-151's dual tires. In 1956, the Chinese began building the ZIS-151 under license as the Jiefang CA-30 at First Automobile Works, with slightly more power and angular front fenders. The improved single tire CA-30, introduced in 1958, remained in production until 1986.