It is enough just to go on the Internet to understand how Russians relate to domestic cars: with bitter irony. At the same time, few people know that less than a century ago, the Russian automotive industry not only flourished, but also outpaced foreign ones in all respects.
Back in the days of the Russian Empire, the Russo-Balt plant was famous all over the world for its cars: limousines, phaetons and even double racing cars were known for their quality and luxury. This is eloquently evidenced by their price: while the European Renault and Opel cost only 5,000 rubles each, the Russo-Balt model C could only be purchased for 7,500.
These cars can no doubt be called the pride of the Russian Empire and thanks to victories in prestigious competitions - for example, St. Petersburg - Monte Carlo in 1912 and 1913.
Moreover, "Russo-Balt" was the first car to reach the top of Vesuvius. The strength of this car is evidenced by a curious incident that occurred during one of the runs: the driver ran into a hut; at the same time, the hut fell apart, and the car remained almost unscathed.
Now many drivers complain about the inconvenience while driving on Russian "harsh" roads. In Russo-Balt, all this was provided for: the rear wheel suspension was made in a special way to ensure a comfortable ride on cobblestones and dirt roads.
In addition, the creators took care of the harsh Russian winter: since there were no studded tires at that time, the car was equipped with skis and rubber tracks with metal combs.
Of course, many Russian famous people of that time could not resist buying such a luxurious car: Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich Romanov purchased three Russo-Balts, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna Romanova, Prime Minister Count Sergei Witte, Prince Boris Golitsyn and many others one car.
So what happened to the brilliant and successful project called Russo-Balt? Its sad story began during the First World War: the plant was evacuated from Riga to Moscow. However, the last blow was the nationalization of "Russo-Balt" in 1918 by order of the Council of People's Commissars - after it, the plant produced almost nothing but military equipment.
However, the legend Russian car industry has not been forgotten. In 2002, an attempt was made to restore the brand, but it was unsuccessful and was forgotten, leaving behind the Russo-Balt Impression concept.
And now, there is a glimmer of hope: according to rumors, the revival of the brand is supported by the Central Research Automobile and automotive institute. Thanks to this, Russo-Balt will be able to produce cars for Russian officials and the presidential motorcade. In the meantime, the plant is engaged in the production of rocket and space technology. Well, let's look forward to news about the revival of the pride of the Russian automotive industry.
Over the past 100 years, car manufacturers have created amazing cars both beautiful and ugly. It is difficult to create a list of the most beautiful cars because everyone has their own taste. We tried to make our list, including the most beautiful, in our opinion, cars in the world.
10.1962 Lotus Elite.
Lotus is an English company specializing in the production of sports and racing cars. The company was founded in 1953 by Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman (Collin Chapman) and was called Lotus Engineering Co. Soon the famous "Lotus-Seven" (that is, "seven") was created, and in 1957 its mass production began. The first Lotus model with a closed body. Fiberglass body, independent suspension of all 4 wheels. All-aluminum 1216 cm3 engine. The drag coefficient of 0.29 is better than the vast majority of modern cars. Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
9. 1972 Lotus Elan
Following the Lotus Elan in 1962, a more beautiful machine followed. First road car Lotus, made according to the now famous, but then innovative scheme - "steel chassis with fiberglass body." The 1558cc twin-cam engine, all-wheel disc brakes and fully independent suspension ensured a comfortable ride and excellent handling. 
8. 1968 Lamborghini Miura.
Just a stunning car. Luxurious forms of Miura, drawn by the 25-year-old Marcello Gandini, attract the eye like a magnet. The car looks at you with headlights framed by black contrasting “eyelashes”. This detail, typical of the fashionistas of the 60s, the abundance of black mascara on the eyelashes, was subtly noticed by Maestro Gandini. Lyndon MacNeil When this car arrived in London in 1968, it was white and left-hand drive. It was bought by Justin de Villeneuve, also known as Nigel Davis, photographer and manager of a super fashion brand called Twiggy. Davis decided to "rock" the prim British: in a country where they still preferred restrained colors in clothes and adhered to the style of the fifties, this car and a supermodel next to it should have had the effect of an exploding bomb. In a world of all those BMCs, Sunbeams, Hillmans and Routemasters white Lamborghini looked completely unusual. It is no coincidence that Miura was first called the word supercar. This is really a super car. The car is very squat - just over a meter high. The cabin is so low that at first glance it seems as if it is simply impossible to get inside. To try this, you first need to press the door lock button hidden in the ventilation slots at the top of the door. By the way, I open the right door. In 1970, the car was shipped back to Italy, to the Lamborghini factory, where it was given right-hand steering, stiffer suspension, wider wheels, and a bright green exterior paint. The engine was tuned to S specification and received a power increase of almost 20 hp. 
7. 1971 Jaguar E-Type.
The 1971 Jaguar E-Type is a two or four-seat coupe roadster on an extended chassis. Added to the external changes chrome grille radiator and four exhaust pipes. The Jaguar E-Type had a 5.3 liter engine. It was equipped with an automatic or manual transmission. Power steering became standard equipment. Cars of this series seemed to be produced forever, but the crisis of the seventies greatly affected legendary brand car. This led to Jaguar producing 49 E-Types in 1975. These were the last machines of this series painted all in black, and they had a plaque signed by the founder of the company, Sir William Lyons. Thus, the company said goodbye to its famous model. Jaguar E-Type cars were produced in 72,000 copies, which is a very good figure for this class. The last Jaguar E-Type has remained forever in the factory museum. This car has taken a worthy place in the history of the British automotive industry, and indeed the whole world. Its silhouettes still have a strong influence on automotive designers today. 
6. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB.
I consider the most beautiful cars and of course we can't forget Ferrari! It's a mixture of beauty and aggression. The great Enzo Ferrari created a multi-billion dollar corporation that creates not just fast and reliable cars, but standards of high automotive design. In the history of the company, the widest range of notable and rare cars. "Beautiful and harmonious style, iconic design, the best option 165 cars of this model were built. Their current price ranges from 3 to 6 million dollars. Production of the Ferrari 250 GT model with a three-liter Gioacchino Colombo engine (Gioacchino Colombo) for more than a decade (from 1955 to 1968) gave Ferrari the unofficial title of “Master of the Roads.” Particularly successful were the long-wheelbase (LWB) GT cars, which received three additional letters in the name - TdF - after winning the Tour de France in 1956. Enzo was inspired by the success Ferrari decided on the serial production of road versions of the 250 GT car with a derated engine. production program the Boano coupe-bodied Ferrari 250 GT was first included, and then the Pinin Farina convertible was added to it. On this the lineup has been completed. However, two people disagreed with this decision. largest dealer Ferrari - Luigi Chinetti in New York and John van Neumann in California. They were convinced that the majority of their customers would want a lightweight sports car, not luxury car Pininfarins. The easiest way out was to apply to Pininfarina with a request to prepare a project for a new car, however, due to the heavy workload, they refused. And Scaglietti was chosen to work on the California Spider. At the request of Chinetti and van Neumann, a Ferrari 250 GT TdF chassis was chosen for the new car, with both long and short wheelbases and slight changes in appearance. As for the engines, in addition to the derated "civilian version", racing engines with a capacity of more than 250 horsepower were installed. Even though the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider is considered serial machine(approximately fifty copies were produced with a long and short base), it can be said with good reason that among them there were not even two identical cars, since they all received finishing and equipment in accordance with the requirements of customers. The short wheelbase Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider shown, made in 1961, featured headlight fairings, a removable hard top and a 277 horsepower racing engine. 
5. 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso.
The first Ferrari 250 GT Lusso appeared in October 1962 at the Paris Motor Show, where it was noticed thanks to the elegant proportions of its magnificent body. The interior of the two-seater sports car was very spacious, which was made possible thanks to the 250-horsepower 3.0-liter engine shifted forward. Although the purpose of the 250 GT Lusso was big tourism, it had a lot in common with the legendary 250 GTO race car. They shared the same wheelbase, suspension, disc brakes, Boranni spoked wheels, and an all-aluminum twelve-cylinder engine. Despite the fact that the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso had a different modern chassis, and in a steel body structure, only the hood, trunk and doors were made of lightweight aluminum, many owners have used these cars for racing, and sometimes, very successfully. Around 350 examples of the 250 GT Lusso were built by Scaglietti with bodies designed by Pininfarina. Almost all of them had the same equipment, with the exception of a few cars that had a different attitude in the final drive, a 5-speed gearbox and carburetors more suitable for a racing career. In 1964, the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso was replaced by more powerful model 275 GTB with independent all-wheel suspension and a complex spatial chassis structure. 
4.1937 Cord 810/812.
Front-wheel drive, V-shaped eight and turbocharger - Cord had a truly revolutionary design. More agile in corners than rear wheel drive vehicles. 1935 - Cord 810 is first shown at the New York Auto Show. And immediately the car finds its first owners. 1936 - Cord 810 is available in sedan and phaeton versions. The open Cord 812 Phaeton and Sportsman series cars were highly sought after by collectors and cost more. Outwardly, these two modifications were similar. Let it go maximum speed was only 145 km / h, the car looked faster. 1937 - On automotive market the Cord 812 model arrives. It is distinguished from the 810 model by a supercharged engine. And the engine power increased to 170/190 hp. With. Acceleration to 100 km / h was reduced from 20 to 14 seconds. Subsequently, the Cord 812 bodywork was used by Graham for the release of the Hollywood sedan. 
3. 1967 Ferrari 275GTB/4 Berlinetta.
And again Ferrari. Another round at RM Auctions, another almost priceless rarity. A 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB 4 Berlinetta went to some lucky guy who paid $1,650,000 for it. This meticulously restored Ferrari 275 GTB 4 Berlinetta is identical to the original inside and out. horsepower capable of pushing this yellow roadster to 165 mph. The form of the car, which became the basis for subsequent models, was developed famous company Pininfarina (Pininfarina). This powerful engine and beautiful exterior, I put the car in third place in the top ten. 
2. 1952 Jaguar XK120.
Lyons' first post-war novelty was in September 1948 a 160-horsepower Jaguar based on the XK engine, recognized as one of the best sports cars of all time. The exquisite XK-120 was also the fastest modern production car in the world, clocking 126 mph at Jebbeck. And this at a price of £998! Produced a novelty for the competition, reducing the weight. This is how the XP-120C (C-type) was born. 
1. 1968 Citroen DS.
The Citroën brand has long earned a reputation as a troublemaker, and its DS model is still the most impressive. Do you agree that this car is the number 1 car? Those who know about cars will certainly agree, as the French car of the 50s is regarded as one of the finest cars ever made. 
All "ancestors" have common features: a sports and pleasure purpose, an external resemblance to a horse-drawn carriage, a lack of comfort, lighting and signaling devices.
At the same time, there is a great variety of combinations of mechanisms: the engine is behind, in the middle, under the body, sometimes in the front, with the number of cylinders from one to four and all sorts of options for their location, ignition, gas distribution, power, lubrication and cooling systems. Transmission - from factory drive belts and bike chains to direct gear box and driveshaft etc.
Only two "ancestors" managed to stay in production for several years of the new century and even become prototypes of a number of car models in different countries. This is the European "De-Dion" and the American "Oldsmobile". They owe their longevity to the simplicity and relative practicality of the design.
The body of the "De-Dion" is a three-seater with a cheerful, colorful canopy. If the passenger of the front seat, located “vis-a-vis” the rear, back-first, “wants to look danger in the face” (as the magazines of that time wrote), then the seat is turned around and the footboard is folded down. Original De-Dionovskaya rear suspension with oscillating axle shafts and a tubular connecting beam, it took root for many years on racing cars and some cars.
Flight Eli Olds (1864-1950) as a young man, observing the growing interest of the public in the imports that appeared in American cities early cars, began by buying a workshop from his father and calling it the "Motor Building Plant". Manufactured and marketed several three- and four-wheeled steam carts. Then, with the support of the Detroit moneybags, he acquired a larger factory, built expensive cars to please his patrons, but suffered a loss. There would be no happiness, but misfortune helped! The plant burned down. Only a prototype of a cheap car was saved from the fire - Olds' favorite brainchild with a characteristic curved front panel (hence its nickname - "carvd-dash"). In order to resume production as soon as possible, there was nothing left but to prepare for the release of the car according to the only surviving model. It was then that it turned out that the demand for cheap "carvd-dash" exceeded all expectations. During the first two years of production, 3 thousand cars were produced, and the output continued to grow ...
The Oldsmobile's engine was under the seat, with a crank protruding from the side like a gramophone. Long springs common to both axles, borrowed from horse-drawn buggies popular in the USA in the 19th century, served as the longitudinal bars of the frame.
The surname of Olds appears in the list of business designers who contributed to the flourishing of such large firms as Ford, General Motors, Dodge, which for the first time undertook large-scale and then mass production of cars.
And in Europe in those years there was already a new layout car. The engine is located in front, the cylinders are in one row. Wheelbase(distance between front and rear axles) relatively long, front and rear wheels identical, enlarged rear tires. The lack of an engine under the seat made it possible to lower the car. A peculiar silhouette was outlined. On some machines, the radiator was behind the engine, the hood was given an iron-like shape. Still-leather leather mudguards-wings are connected by plank footpegs. The transmission stretches under the body, the shaft to separately standing box gears (now already enclosed in a crankcase, i.e., indeed, a box). From it, the force is transmitted to the wheels by a transverse shaft and chains or directly cardan shaft. chain drive used on large cars, cardan - on small ones.
The described scheme has become "classic", there were many reasons for this: uniform distribution of the mass of the car (the engine loads the front wheels, and the body and passengers - the rear ones); simplicity of the cooling system and controls. In order to justify the rearrangement of the engine forward, such naive arguments were also cited: after all, the horse is hitched to the carriage in front, and the locomotive goes at the head of the train! For the time being, they did not attach importance to the shortcomings of the scheme: the transmission, which was difficult to access for maintenance, the still high level of the floor above it, the large length, and, accordingly, the mass of the entire car. There were no traffic jams on the streets yet, and carriages with horses took up much more space. And the high location of the center of mass at the then speeds did not have a significant impact on the stability of the car (not racing!).
Piece and small-scale production of cars favored the satisfaction of individual consumer needs. Benz, for example, reported in a 1909 advertisement that he was selling cars: tourist, city, small, business, van based on a passenger car. The Opel brothers, along with other models, produced a small "doctor's" car. There were many types of bodies that differed in the device, the number of seats and windows - the most common open dashboard, chaise and double chaise, closed limousine, coupe and pullman limousine, partially opening landole, or landau, city coupe, convertible.
The car began to distinguish between two main parts: mechanical - "chassis" (in French - frame) and the body - "carosseri". Chassis made automobile factories, and the body (according to the orders of buyers) - carriages.
Almost all bodies did not have side doors yet. The front seats remained open on the sides, and their backs were so close to rear axle car that did not have enough space for the doors of the passenger compartment. Passengers got into the car either from behind or turned the seat next to the driver to clear the passage to rear compartment body. Turning performed sometimes and rear seats, otherwise the entrance "from the end" turned out to be very narrow. Such bodies were called "tonne" (in French - a barrel). Cases of sudden rotation of the seat on the move are known. Remember, in the novel by I. Ilf and E. Petrov "The Golden Calf": "... the car rushed, and Balaganov fell out of the opened door." The tonne fell into disuse at the end of the first decade as cars became even longer.
The main direction of US automotive technology at that time was the creation of mass cheap individual vehicle, which was high demand. American cars differed from European ones in their compactness, retaining this feature of their "ancestors", high power ratings necessary for mass production manufacturability, the use of light and durable materials, the gradual simplification of management and maintenance. A diametrical change in the positions of the designers of the Old and New Worlds occurred later.
The position of the driver on the car has gone through several stages in its development. The earliest is a hired "chauffeur", a fireman of a steam wagon. Petrol vehicles seemed (and were presented in company advertisements) so much simpler than steam cars that the driver was considered as if one of the passengers of a mechanical span. But by the beginning of the 20th century, its management became again difficult and dangerous. Imagine being asked to drive at 50 km/h in an unstable car with no side walls, no windshield, no wiper, lots of tight controls, weak brakes, and unreliable tires. No one would sit behind the wheel of such a car today, and the traffic police would not allow it to move.
Most car owners (wealthy!) resorted to the services of hired drivers. If passengers were provided with some amenities - on some cars a closed compartment of the body, soft seats - then the drivers were doomed to hard work in the open, in dust, with a headwind.
In the technical characteristics of the car, now you will not find the once-obligatory line about the location of the steering wheel. Needless to say, on the left - based on right-hand traffic. But this was not determined immediately. A strict division of the carriageway into the left and right sides of traffic arose only in the 20th century, and on the streets and roads with not too busy traffic they drove as they should. Until the 60s (!) of the XX century, no preference was given to driving on a certain side of the street. England, its former colonies, Japan still adhere to the left, Sweden rebuilt from left to right only in 1967, Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia - in the 30s.
In Milan they drove on the left side, and in the rest of Italy they drove on the right. With such a diversity of rules, there could not be a single view on the location of the rudder. When, instead of a leash, a steering “steering wheel” appeared, which was supposed to be directly in front of the driver, then the designers showed unanimity - the steering wheel is only on the right!
They argued as follows: pedestrians and carts are most of all on the right, near the sidewalk, and the driver should pay the main attention to them. That is why the steering wheel of all the "veterans" was on the right.
At the time of the "ancestors" workplace the driver bristled with lever sticks. There were only three brakes alone, they acted on the transmission shaft, on the rear wheels and on the so-called “mountain stop” - a pointed rod that was lowered onto the road when driving uphill, since the brakes did not hold the car on a slope. How far to the levers, whether it is convenient to use them - they did not think about it. They put the levers where it is easier to draw thrust to the controlled mechanism. The driver was doomed to acrobatic movements. But there were more cars, and not all drivers agreed to acrobatics, and the growing speed required fast, precise control. It seemed that it was necessary to concentrate the levers in one place, closer to the driver's hands. This place was chosen steering column. When it was tilted (for the first time on a Latil car in 1898), the gear control from the column was no longer possible. At the same time, it was discovered that the accumulation of levers and handles near the steering wheel creates confusion. Some of them were replaced with pedals, and the gear levers and brakes were fixed on the car frame. The levers protruded from the outside, above the footboard and interfered with the entrance. The chassis designers were not embarrassed by the bodies with doors and solid sides created by the coachbuilders: let the driver reach for the lever through the side!
Did it serve sound signal on the first cars, the coachman “hey, beware!” - unknown. But it is certain that there was no signal. However, the car was so noisy that it seemed that he was not needed. The police had a different opinion, they proceeded from the requirements for silent bicycles: the driver must have some kind of device to report his approach.
But if on a bicycle it was limited to a modest call, then on a car, starting with a railway bell and a beep with a “pear”, it reached the beginning of the 20th century to complex structures driven by an engine or a special air pump. Cars frightened passers-by with the barking of dogs and the roar of a lion, delighted the ear with melodies of fashionable songs. The signal trumpet sometimes took the form of an animal or snake head with an open mouth, in other cases it was a whole set of wind instruments. For all the noise and aesthetic effect of the signal, it was not always heard by other drivers, deafened by their own car.
By the beginning of the 20th century, a rear light appeared on cars with red (danger!) Glass and white - to illuminate the license plate. Then paragraphs about driver gestures were included in the driving rules. He was instructed to give signals about slowing down (hand up), turns (hand to the side). We remind you that most of the cars were open.
It took many years until the driver was protected by a windshield. And then, despite the increase in speed, the review began, oddly enough, to be limited. Roof racks appeared, an ever-increasing hood and fenders, awning braces, lights, a figurine or a thermometer on the radiator cap ...
It looked like a car of the “veterans” period, a car for people of the new century.
December 18, 1999 The winner of the award was announced in Las Vegas "Car of the Century". About which cars the jury recognized as the best of the 20th century - in our review.
5th place - 911 (303 points)
The iconic Porsche 911 was the fifth most important car the last century. The Porsche 911 was the first and most significant work of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the grandson of the company's founder. Classic 911s were equipped with a 130-horsepower engine and a five-speed manual transmission. The 911 series is still in production today.
4th place - Volkswagen Beetle (521 points)
In fourth place is the most massive stock car in the world. From 1938 to 2003, 21,529,464 cars were produced. The "people's car" Volkswagen Maikäfer (Maybug) was developed back in 1931 by Josef Ganz, however final version was created by Jacob Werlin, Ferdinand Porsche and Adolf Hitler himself (the Fuhrer was personally involved in the development of the design). According to the assurances of the latter, every German family could afford such a car. Since 1939, the prototype of the "Beetle" was in the service of the Wehrmacht, after the war it began to be produced for "civilians". By the way, officially, there were no Beetles, Käfers and Zhukovs: the car was called Volkswagen 1200 and 1600. Only in 1998 was the New Beetle released - a more modern analogue of the classic "people's car".
3rd place - Citroën DS (567 points)
Third place went to the Citroën DS, a business class car for the highest ranks. The development began in 1935 and was carried out in secret during the Nazi occupation of France. Despite adverse working conditions, engineers were able to develop whole line innovative solutions that would help the future car to get used to the French roads destroyed after the war. After many years of development, on October 6, 1955, the DS was presented at the Paris Motor Show. By the end of the day, 12 thousand orders for the car had been received. Originality, comfort and decent technical characteristics have become the main trump card of the Citroën DS, which is loved by both ordinary motorists and many politicians and celebrities.
2nd place - Mini (617 points)
Mini, produced from 1958 to 2000, became the second "car of the 20th century" according to experts. In 1956, Leonard Lord assembled a team of 8 people and they began to work on the maximum compact car. A car with dimensions of 3 × 1.2 × 1.2 m was supposed to accommodate four adults with luggage. On August 26, 1959, sales of the first series began in almost 100 countries around the world. Subsequently, many shortcomings of the original design were revealed, which were quickly corrected in newer models. In total, more than two dozen various modifications mini.
1st place - Ford Model T (742 points)
The winner in the nomination was Ford Model T. The car, produced from 1908 to 1927, became the first widely known car in the world. It had the most simplified design, ideal for mass production, but this did not affect the comfort and handling. Model T was equipped with a 22.5 hp engine. and was able to accelerate to 70 km / h. A total of 15,175,868 cars were produced in several countries around the world.
+ Bonus: top five nominees who didn't make it to the final
The premium car Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was produced from 1906 to 1926. Like many of the company's cars, the "Silver Ghost" was of impeccable quality, and, of course, an incredibly high price. By the way, the Rolls-Royce Armored Car armored car was created on the basis of the Silver Ghost, which was in service with the British army until 1944.
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
The best car of the 20th century from an engineering point of view was the Corvette C2 Sting Ray. famous car was the winner of many races and competitions. It was equipped with 425 and 435 hp V8 engines, and the exclusive Grand Sport model had 550 hp. In 2013, the Stingray C7 was introduced.
The power of the famous racing model Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB ranged from 240 l / s to 280 l / s. Experienced racers took part in the development: Giotto Bizzarini, Carlo Chiti and Mauro Forgieri. The car was recognized as one of the best sports cars of the 1960s, as well as one of the best Ferraris in the history of the brand.
The legendary Bugatti T35 was the real record holder in the number of races won. On average, he won about 14 races every week. The T35 has held several different challenge cups over the years. The power of the record holder racer was about 90 horsepower.
Alfa Romeo Giulietta was first presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1954, and the model was produced until 1965. The car was equipped with an engine ranging from 62 to 100 hp. and accelerated to 190 km / h. The car has been restyled several times. In 1977, the new Giulietta series was launched.
+ Second bonus: "Car of the century in Russia" - Gaz-21 "Volga"
In the history of the Soviet automobile industry, it is worth highlighting the legendary Volga - GAZ-21. In 1953, designer Lev Eremeev created an elegant Volga concept based on modern trends in Western automotive industry. The GAZ-21 even outperformed many of its competitors, such as the Ford Zephyr Mk. II and Renault Fregate. The car was produced from 1956 to 1970. GAZ-21 was widely used in various special services: from GorGaz to taxis. A total of 639,478 copies were produced.
Since the publication of the first paper newspaper, many events that usually passed without a trace, got a chance to remind themselves again sometime. The life of a newspaper is short; every other day its news is superseded by fresher ones. But, after hundreds of years, the old newspaper is again worthy of attention! What is obsolete the next day is again news a hundred years later, and on the yellowed spreads there is a snapshot of the era. Reading through the prism of past years, we see what eluded the first readers.
Car of the Russian Empire. Contemporaries of its creators argued about technical specifications, compared with foreign samples, doubted the prospects for a passenger car due to bad roads and rested on the need for cargo. But no one imagined that very soon it would turn into a historical phantom. That is why it is so nostalgically sad to read the inspirational accounts of his first successes. And it's so nice, at least for a minute, to be there, next to him and with those who saw everything in reality.
The one who believes that travel by a time machine is the privilege of crazy science fiction writers is mistaken. Everyone has a real opportunity to ride into the past. It is enough to look into .... the hall of periodicals of the public library. Well, I, I don’t even need this, since I was lucky to become the owner of a personal model in the form of a collection of newspaper clippings for more than a hundred years. And not just meetings, but by topic.
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Rustled sheets, we are more than a hundred years in the past. On May 19, 1907 (according to the old style), we walk among the large number of visitors to the Mikhailovsky Manege in St. Petersburg. We bought a ticket for 50 kopecks, or maybe for a ruble! The spectacle is worth it. The Manege hosts the "First international exhibition cars, engines, bicycles and sports”, organized by the Russian Automobile Society under the auspices of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich ( younger brother Nicholas II) with the support of the French magazine "L'Auto" and the Russian magazine "Avtomobil".
Beginning of XX century. Techniques and technologies are developing by leaps and bounds, not even by leaps and bounds. The number of “self-propelled vehicles”, “self-propelled crews”, “motors”, “cars” on the roads of the same St. Petersburg became so noticeable that already in 1899, by order of the mayor, they were forbidden to drive without the permission of the council and license plate, and fast driving recognized as incompatible with safety traffic, punishable by the payment of the amount of 500 rubles. The fine is equal to the monthly salary of the official of the highest rank. But anything that allows a person to move faster, to push harder, or to rise higher, causes a wild delight of the watching public.
Exhibitions of such devices are held all over the world, and automobiles occupy one of the first places among them. Created in 1903, the Russian Automobile Society not only united the domestic owners of this newfangled vehicle, athletes and just speed lovers, but also undertook its wide propaganda in all sectors of society, especially the highest. After all, the Russian aristocracy is dominated by the opinion of self-propelled crews as entertainment for more low class. Circus, man Emelya on the stove, fi. Most likely, not very presentable appearance is to blame for this.
And indeed, the first cars, similar to a cab, suddenly abandoned by a horse along with a coachman, did not meet any aesthetic requirements at all. “The wild phenomenon of a draft horse carriage, in which there are no and never will be either horses or harnesses” - this is how the St. Petersburg newspaper Novoe o vremya described the design of the car in 1901. And she also assumed that “as soon as the designers of motors part with the unfortunate idea of building a horse carriage, their free imagination and habitual taste will easily find a form that will not shock the most sophisticated riders ... The motor may have the shape of a tiny four-seat carriage, it may resemble on a boat, etc.”
Let's return to St. Petersburg in 1907. At the opening of the exhibition in the Manege, there are ministers of the tsarist government, in particular, trade and industry of the Philosophers, communications Chaufus, high-ranking diplomats and representatives of high society. Among the participants are manufacturers from France, Germany, Belgium, England, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland and America. More than seven dozen well-known and not so famous companies: Opel, Brazier, Renault, Mercedes, Itala, Fiat, Lauren-Dietrich, Foster. In front of us on the stands are solid novelties, sparkling to a shine with polished metal parts, smelling of varnish and leather. Gorgeous! No, these are not cabs without a horse.
France, a trendsetter in automotive fashion, is particularly well represented at the exhibition. This country produces, sells and exports cars worth millions of francs. Everyone else, including America, is just "swallowing dust". It is not surprising that in Russian the borrowed French “car” (automobile) is used in print and conversation much more often than the proper name “self-propelled” or “self-propelled crew”.
The Russian Empire is also represented at the exhibition by a considerable number of manufacturers of machines, chassis and engines. Crews-self-propelled brands "Frese", "Lessner" look no worse than foreigners. They will even be marked with imperial medals. To be honest, they cannot be recognized as completely Russian, since a rather impressive number of components and parts are supplied from abroad.
The only completely Russian one will be, over time, the car of Ivan Puzyrev, who, just in 1907, will think about its creation. But many designs are Russian, the engineering basis is ours, the factories have been built here! And although the Russian Empire, which has just joined the automobile derby, cannot boast of great success in creating cars, it has already burst into the group of leaders, at least in terms of production automotive components. Tires from the Association of rubber, gutta-percha and telegraph production under the firm "Provodnik" and from T.R.A.R.M. "Triangle" successfully compete worldwide with "Michelin" (Michelin) and "Continental" (Continental). And the bodies (carosseri) produced by the court carriage factory “Iv. Breitigam does not disdain to put the same Mercedes on its chassis.
The first Russian automobile exhibition turned out to be a grandiose event. And not because even the residents of St. Petersburg, satiated with an abundance of spectacles, poured on it, enthusiastically passing on to each other the impressions from the “motors”, from special film screenings about cars, from the restaurant for visitors. Most importantly, she has changed the way people look at the car among those on whom a lot depends. According to the Vice President of the Russian automobile society adjutant wing Svechin, expressed by him in an interview later, in 1910, it was the exhibition of 1907 that became the basis for understanding in government circles that a car can be not only an expensive toy, but also a means of improving public and state life.
After her by Russian roads postal, fire and ambulance cars, city route fiacres (that is, taxis), omnibuses will go. True, mostly imported. Well, there is nothing to say about private cars. Almost all exhibited copies found owners by the end of the exposition. And then their number only increased. Although, for historical accuracy, I will say that car transport has been practiced in St. Petersburg since 1902.
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Some of the firms that traded in the first imported cars received permission from the city to open haulage yards. As Peterburgskaya Gazeta wrote, these "stables" are dominated by cars with gasoline engines but there are also electric ones. Here is another interesting detail. From the very beginning of auto production both in the world and in the Russian Empire, the mechanical heart of the car, the engine, was designed by no means only with gasoline.
Moscow plant of the company "Dux", manufacturer popular brand bicycles, engaged in the production of steam vehicles in modifications from cars to seeders. Very successful, I must say. In 1905, the magazine Avtomobil devoted an entire issue to his silent, high-speed works, and then locomobiles ran even through the fields of Soviet collective farms. Well, already in 1899, engineer Romanov created a domestic electric car, although he was unable to establish production due to financial problems. Recognizing the need to support own production With brilliant inventors the imperial government officials never came. Perhaps they simply did not have enough historical time.
Our journey is drawing to a close. Finally, it would be interesting to look at a practical demonstration of the capabilities of the car. Race. To do this, we will move to Moscow, where on May 25, 1907 (according to the old style) at 2:10 am, a start was given to the run to St. Petersburg, which coincided with the exhibition.
After 10 hours 2 minutes, with a mandatory stop for 40 minutes, the first to reach the finish line in Tsarskoye Selo is the French racer Duret in a 70-horsepower Dietrich car (the same as Lauren-Dietrich). He managed to develop a speed of almost 69 miles per hour (about 80 km / h). And this despite the fact that the state of the highway between Moscow and St. Petersburg is estimated by contemporaries as absolutely terrifying. Yes, there was a small accident near Tver. The car ran into a large dog and the steering wheel was damaged from the collision.
Second came Champezo on a 35 hp Sharon (12h 53m), third was Fokine on the Italian F.I.A.T. at 16 forces (13h 54m). Amateurs also participated in the race (they were also called "tourist racers"). The best of them, Zhemlichka, arrived much later, after 16 hours and 18 minutes. True, his car "Dirrak" is only 10-horsepower. Well, for comparison, I’ll say that the courier train of Nikolaevskaya railway follows from Moscow to St. Petersburg a full 11 hours on a more direct route. Duret received the Imperial Prize of 1,500 rubles (in terms of today's money, this is more than one and a half million!), the prize of the Exhibition Committee and the prize of the St. Petersburg Automobile Club.
A very bad result. Even one of our two troubles turned out to be quite surmountable. Unfortunately, after a while, the second Russian trouble brought down the history of the Russian Empire's auto industry on the rise. The social cataclysm that occurred in 1917, in my opinion, among other things, is the result of an abundance of fools in our open spaces ... If it hadn’t happened, I’m convinced that now not only Renault with Opels, but also Lessners with Frese would stand under our windows ". And Romanov's electric cars, perhaps, would be ahead of all kinds of "Smart" on the roads of Europe. Of course, with a break in the revolution and civil war, the car will again begin its advancement in Russia. But this will be the history of another auto industry, the Soviet one. And that is the subject of another journey.
