The FAI was built on the chassis of the GAZ-A car, a licensed copy of the American Ford A.

Most commercial car chassis were not powerful enough to move a useful amount of armour or firepower on the battlefield.

The FAI was a typical example of this class of vehicle with a single 7.62 mm DT machine-gun in a revolving turret.

FAIs were employed in the early days of fighting on the Eastern Front in World War II.

The main recognition feature of the FAI is the two dome-shaped armoured covers over the driver and co-driver's stations.