The light armored motorcar FAI was designed in 1932 at Izhorsky plant. The chassis of the passenger car Ford A, the production of which was set at Gorky Automobile Plant under the name GAZ-A, was applied as the base for the armored motorcars. The first armored motorcars were produced at Izhorsky plant in 1933, later the manufacturing of the FAI was transferred to Vyksunsky plant DRO, where they were built till 1936. Altogether 676 armored motorcars of such type were fabricated. Till 1934 the armored motorcars were built on the base of the Ford А, later the domestically made GAZ-A were employed as the chassis. In 1938 a modified version of the armored motorcar (FAI-M) was elaborated, which presented FAI on the chassis GAZ M1. In 1938-1939 the part of the FAI was retrofit into the FAI-M.

Combat weight, t - 2.28
Crew, persons - 2
Length, mm – 3,690
Width, mm – 1,675
Height, mm - 2,240
Weapons: 7.62-mm machine-gun DT 1
Ammunition: 7.62-mm rounds, 1,323 pcs.
Armoring, mm - 3-6
Maximum speed, km/h: 80
Driving distance on highway, km - 200
Engine rating, hp (kW) - 40 (29.4)