Production
Serial production of the new truck started on October 1, 1933. The truck was an instant success and, which together with the GAZ-AA, became the main Soviet truck of the 1930s through the 1950s. It also evolved into the workhorse of the Soviet Armed Forces 104,200 trucks were in use by the Red Army as of 20 June, 1941.[6]
Facing the German invasion, in the autumn of 1941 the production line at Moscow plant was stopped. Some 12,800 pieces of equipment were moved to Ulyanovsk (on the Volga), to Miass (in the Chelyabinsk region of the Urals), and also to Shadrinsk and Chelyabinsk.[7][8] Production at Ulyanovsk UAZZIS lasted from February 1942 to 1944. UralZIS at Ulyanovsk installed radiators with their own label and production there ran from July 1944 to 1955, well after the war.
At the end of 1941 war shortages of raw materials forced change to the construction of the ZIS-5. All changes were focused on simplifying manufacture and using less raw materials: the round, stamped fenders were replaced with flat, bent ones, cabs and foot boards were now made from wood, brakes were removed from front wheels, and the rear body had the tailgate swinging only. Sometimes the right headlight was also removed, while bumpers were omitted from these versions.[9][10]
The simplified model, designated ZIS-5V, was produced from May 1942 in Ulyanovsk, and later also in Moscow and Miass. Overall production of all models tallied about 1 million units (all plants),[11] with ZIS alone producing 532,311 examples. During the War years about 83,000 ZIS-5 of both versions were produced.
The Moscow ZIS plant restarted production of the ZIS-5V in April 1942. Near the end of 1947 the new ZIS-120 engine was complete, but the truck (the ZIS-150) was not, so these engines were placed in ZIS-5V chassis, where they were named the ZIS-50. 13,701 ZIS-50s were produced in 1947 and 1948. The Moscow plant discontinued ZIS-5V & ZIS-50 trucks on 30 April, 1948, in favor of the ZIS-150 replacement. In 1956 UralZIS modified the ZIS-5 with a new engine, carburetor, steering mechanism, 12V electrical system, and oval fenders. This new model received the designation of UralZIS-355 or ZIS-355. The Miass plant continued to produce the ZIS-5V until 1958.[12][13]
