GAZ Sadko

The GAZ Sadko (Russian: Садко) is a Russian-built, 2.5-ton, all-wheel-drive cargo truck. The Sadko is produced by the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) and was named after Sadko, a character in a Russian medieval epic bylina, who was an adventurer, merchant, and gusli musician from Novgorod.

History

The current GAZ-3308 “Sadko” series of vehicles serves as a replacement for the GAZ-66, which entered production in 1964 and remained thus for approximately thirty-five years. Production of the GAZ-3308 began in 1996 as per military requirements. Commercial and export versions are also produced. The first of the new all-wheel-drive trucks was created by the Gorky Automobile Plant in 1996 under the symbol GAZ-33097. Series production models, which received the industry index GAZ-3308 and a new name, "Sadko", began in December 1997. The Russian Army's 2.3-ton truck GAZ-3308 replaced the model GAZ-66-40 -cab-over-engine model. On GAZ-3308, a cab from the GAZ-3309 modified using different fenders with enlarged wheel arches and drive axles, and transmission similar to that used on the GAZ-66-40.