GAZ (Rus. Горьковский автомобильный завод, ГАЗ, Gorkovski avtomobilnyi zavod), Gorky car factory started production in the small Gudok Oktjabrja- workshop, assembling Ford AA lorries car in 1929. Soon with Henry Ford's help they managed to erect the actual GAZ plant in the city, which was renamed Gorky after the poet Maksim Gorky. The factory production consisted at first Ford licensed products, Ford AA and Ford A.
After WWII they started fairly quickly the production of GAZ M-20 'Pobeda' a new modern passenger car, and the legendary GAZ-51 lorry, succeeded by GAZ-66.