GAZ M21 Review: Generations, Specs and Which Version to Buy
Overview of the GAZ M21, a rear-wheel-drive cabrio built from 1956 to 1970 with a 75 hp 2.5-liter engine and manual gearbox, covering its single generation and the version worth buying.
The GAZ M21 is a cabrio produced from 1956 to 1970 with a single power output of 75 hp across the range. Every version pairs a manual gearbox with rear-wheel drive. It suits buyers looking for a classic open-top car from the late 1950s and 1960s with simple mechanical underpinnings rather than modern performance: the 2.5 MT needs 25.0 seconds to accelerate and consumes 13.5 l/100 km.
GAZ M21 generations
1 generation
The first and only generation of the GAZ M21 was built from 1956 to 1970, an unusually long fourteen-year production run for a single generation. It was offered exclusively as a cabrio and in exactly one modification, so there is no spread in specifications: every GAZ M21 of the 1 generation delivers 75 hp. The sole version is the GAZ M21 2.5 MT, powered by a 2445 cc engine producing 75 hp, driving the rear wheels through a manual transmission. The GAZ M21 2.5 MT (1 generation) accelerates in 25.0 seconds and consumes 13.5 liters per 100 km, figures typical of a heavy open-bodied car of its era. Because the lineup never branched into different engines, gearboxes or drive types, the buying decision comes down to the condition of the individual car rather than choosing between technical configurations.
Which GAZ M21 to buy
- 2.5 MT (1 generation): the only modification offered, with 75 hp from its 2445 cc engine, a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive; it was the mass version of the model.
When buying used, remember that even the newest GAZ M21 left the factory in 1970, so every car on the market is a classic that is over five decades old, and the earliest examples date back to 1956. The upside of a one-modification lineup is simplicity: with a single 2.5-liter manual rear-wheel-drive configuration across the entire 1956–1970 run, parts interchange and specification checks are far more straightforward than on models with many engine and gearbox combinations. Verify that the car you inspect actually matches the 2.5 MT specification — 2445 cc, 75 hp, manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive — since deviations indicate non-original components rather than a rarer factory version; the factory never offered one.
There is no version of the GAZ M21 to avoid on the numbers: with one modification in one generation, no variant is dominated by another. The choice is not which GAZ M21 to buy, but which surviving example of the 2.5 MT is in the best state.