It is the Russo-Balt S-24/30 car, which first traveled along the roads of the Russian Empire on June 8 (May 26, old style), 1909, should be considered the first-born of the domestic automotive industry. All vehicles with engine internal combustion, which appeared in our country before, were, in fact, single handicraft products. And only the first "Russo-Balt" became a real serial machine industrial release.
The Russian-Baltic Carriage Works (RBVZ), operating in Riga since 1869, initially specialized in the production of cars for the Ural and Trans-Siberian railroads. At the beginning of the 20th century, after the completion of the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which connected the European part of Russia with the Far East, the demand for railway wagons decreased. And the plant switched to the production of military convoys for the needs of our army.
But with the end of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905 production capacity RBVZ were again not loaded on full power. It was necessary to start the production of some new civilian products, and the director of the plant, Ivan Aleksandrovich Fryazinovsky, suggested mastering and starting the production of cars - an absolutely new “product” at that time.
Fryazinovsky approached the solution of the problem as an experienced businessman - in 1908, the Automobile Department was created at the RBVZ, which began to study the possibilities and prospects for the production of cars in Russia. Soon, in 1910, for the Automobile Department of the RBVZ, they bought an existing production facility - the Frese and Co. crew factory, the creators of which, engineers Petr Alexandrovich Frese and Evgeny Alexandrovich Yakovlev, had been working on the design of the first samples of a Russian car with an internal engine since the end of the 19th century. combustion.
In addition to the developments of Yakovlev and Frese, the RBVZ Automobile Department also used advanced European experience, inviting engineers from the Belgian company Fondu to work in Russia. As a result, by 1909, in the Automobile Department of the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works, 10 engineers, 141 workers and 3 test drivers were already working on the creation of the first production car in our country.
over creation domestic engine for the first production car in Russia, a Don Cossack and a talented engineer Dmitry Dmitrievich Bondarev worked at the plant. Shortly after the start of production of the serial Ruso-Balt, it was he who headed the Automobile Department of the RBVZ.
This is how the first Russian mass-produced car was born - the Russo-Balt S-24/30, which rolled off the assembly line on June 8 (May 26, old style), 1909. The C-24/30 index was deciphered as follows: 24 is the estimated engine power in horsepower, 30 is the maximum power.
Car "Russo-Balt". Photo: cover of the magazine "Behind the Wheel", 1989
Then it seemed incredible that in Russia, with its off-road, the car would quickly become wildly popular. But the creators of Russo-Balt were not mistaken - already the first series was issued in the amount of 347 copies, which was a very impressive figure for the technology of the early 20th century.
The Russo-Balt vehicle was designed taking into account advanced European experience, but much more adapted to Russian circumstances. The first Russo-Balt model S-24/35 was also suitable for winter conditions, skis and rubber tracks with metal combs for off-road.
Noteworthy is the fact that one of the copies of Russo-Balt, released in 1910, traveled 80 thousand kilometers in four years without major repairs. The reputation of the cars of the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works was so high that two copies in 1913 were ordered by the garage of the Emperor of Russia himself. Moreover, on the eve of the First World War, 64% of all vehicles of the plant were purchased by the Russian army, where they were used not only as headquarters and ambulances, but also as a chassis for building armored cars.
The Russian-Baltic Carriage Works began to develop its production in accordance with the specifics of the automotive industry. New foundries and assembly shops appeared, and the number of workers increased. The design department headed for the production of passenger cars in three new series: "C", "K" and "E". All models answered the most advanced technologies of that time, and participation in automobile exhibitions more than once made Russo-Balt cars gold medalists.
The RBVZ model, which has been produced since 1912 under the S-24 index, has achieved special attention and popularity. It was on her chassis that the most expensive crews were installed: limousines, open six-seater bodies, as well as racing cars. By the way, racing specimens of Russo-Balt could develop a record speed at that time - up to 85 km / h. Andrey Nagel, the famous Russian racing driver, in 1912-1913 made several victorious runs through Europe, Asia and Africa on his light streamlined Russo-Balt without any serious damage.
During the First World War, in 1916, when German troops approached Riga, the RBVZ plant was evacuated to the outskirts of Moscow, in Fili, and received the name "Second car factory Russo-Balt. Until 1921, it was considered the most well-equipped plant in Russia and was re-equipped for the manufacture of armored vehicles. The last five copies of the Russo-Balt car were produced here in 1922.
In the following year, 1923, the plant's capacities were redesigned for aircraft production, and in this capacity, the heir to the Russian-Baltic Plant exists in our time, being part of the State Space Research and Production Center named after M.V. Khrunichev.
Only two original copies have survived to this day. legendary car Russo-Balt. The first one was recreated from fragments different machines and is located in the Moscow Polytechnic Museum, and the second is exhibited in its historical homeland, in Riga. It is thanks to the Russo-Balt car that June 8 can be considered the real birth date of the domestic automotive industry.
Exactly 120 years ago, on July 14, 1896, at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod presented the first serial Russian car. First car domestic production with an internal combustion engine was ready and passed a series of tests in May 1896. In July, at an exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod, he made demonstration trips. It was Frese and Yakovlev's car.
In the wake of the rapid industrial growth that has been observed in the Russian Empire since the second half of the 19th century, the emergence of the domestic automotive industry looks like a completely organic phenomenon. The pioneers of this industry in our country were the retired lieutenant of the imperial fleet Evgeny Alexandrovich Yakovlev and the mining engineer Petr Alexandrovich Frese, who designed the car presented to the general public in July 1896. It was they who launched the serial production of cars in Russia. The St. Petersburg factory Frese became a pioneer in the field of serial production of passenger cars and trucks. Only from 1901 to 1904 more than 100 cars were assembled here, including those equipped with an electric drive. Also, a trolleybus and a road train with electric transmission were tested here.
Creators of the first Russian car
Petr Alexandrovich Frese was born in St. Petersburg in 1844. In his native city, he graduated from the Mining Institute, after which he ended up at the famous K. Nellis carriage factory. He almost immediately managed to prove himself with better side, quickly gaining the full confidence of the owner of the enterprise. The business of this company in those years went uphill, and Nellis made a talented young engineer his companion. At the same time, in 1873, Peter Frese created his own carriage workshop, which in 1876 merged with the Nellis factory, forming new company"Nellis and Frese". Five years later, he becomes the sole owner of the company, which was renamed the Frese & Co. Crew Factory.
It is worth noting that in those years the products of Russian carriage factories were highly valued all over the world, which is clearly evidenced by the fact that they received quite a lot of awards at international exhibitions. The fact that at the beginning of the 20th century Russian bodies equipped with cars of today's legendary German car brand"Mercedes".
Evgeny Aleksandrovich Yakovlev was born in 1857 in the St. Petersburg province. Until 1867 he studied at the Nikolaev Cavalry School, and from 1867 at the Nikolaev Naval Junker Classes. In 1875, after graduation, he was transferred to the fleet as a cadet. The pinnacle of his naval career was the rank of lieutenant, which he received on January 1, 1883. In the same year, he was dismissed on indefinite leave, and a year later he completely left the service "due to domestic circumstances." After leaving the naval service, Yakovlev began to actively develop engines, acquiring patents for their manufacture. The liquid fuel engine he created even earned the approval of the famous Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev. Yakovlev's projects turned out to be quite profitable, over time he got regular customers, so in 1891 he opened the First Russian Plant of Gas and Kerosene Engines.
Fate, with its invisible hand, brought these people together, their love for automotive technology. Their personal acquaintance took place at an exhibition in Chicago, it predetermined the future fate of their joint offspring. It is worth noting that the engines designed by Yakovlev in those years had a large number of advanced constructive solutions(removable cylinder head, electric ignition, pressure lubrication, etc.). In 1893, at the World's Fair in Chicago, they were awarded a prize. At the same exhibition, one of the world's first mass-produced cars, the German Benz of the Velo model, was also presented for the first time. This machine attracted the attention of Evgeny Yakovlev, as well as Peter Frese. It was then that they decided to create a similar car, but already in Russia.
Car debut
The debut of the first Russian car and its first public display took place in July 1896. The car was demonstrated at the XVI All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition, which was held in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Kunavino. In the pre-revolutionary era, it was the largest exhibition site in the country, which demonstrated the best domestic achievements in the field of industry. The emperor personally financed the exhibition. Among the many wonderful and interesting exhibits at the exhibition, the joint development of Frese and Yakovlev was not lost.
Personally examining the novelties presented at the exhibition, the Russian Emperor Nicholas II visited the carriage department, where the Russian “gasoline engine” was located, which was named so by the local newspaper “Nizhny Novgorod Listok”. And although there was no special reaction from the representative of the royal house to the car, he personally examined the car in action, and the authors of the first production car continued to advertise their joint brainchild in every possible way in the future.
Description of the Frese-Yakovlev car
Externally presented at the exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod, the car, like many foreign counterparts of that period, quite strongly resembled a light horse-drawn carriage. In its features it was possible, if desired, to consider a span. The prototype of the car was the German "Benz Velo", which inspired the creators. The weight of the model they developed was approximately 300 kg.
The heart of the car was a single-cylinder four stroke engine, which was located in the rear of the body and developed power up to 2 hp. Such a small motor allowed the car to reach speeds of up to 20 km / h. Especially for cooling the engine on a car, an evaporative system was implemented in which water was used, and the role of heat exchangers was performed by brass tanks placed along the sides in the rear of the hull. Together, these tanks can hold up to 30 liters of liquid. During the movement, the water periodically boiled, and the steam, heading to the condenser, returned back to the liquid state.
The car used electric ignition, which was made in the form of a battery and an induction coil. For cooking fuel mixture answered the simplest evaporative carburetor. Which was a container filled with gasoline, while the engine was running, gasoline was heated by exhaust gases and evaporated, combining with air. With the help of a special mixer, it was easy to change the composition of the mixture. But its quantitative adjustment was not provided.
The gearbox of the car was similar to that used on the Benz car, but the leather belts on the Russian car were replaced with more reliable ones made of multi-layered rubberized fabric. The belt transmission provided two gears: forward and idle move. The gearshift process was controlled using levers located on the side of the steering wheel. The car had two brakes. The main one was foot and acted directly on the drive shaft of the gearbox. The second brake was manual, he pressed the rubber bars against solid tires. rear wheels car.
Complemented simple design car double wooden body type phaeton, which had a folding leather top. The body of the car was articulated with a spring suspension, which worked on the principle of friction damping. The springs consisted of a sufficiently large number of sheets, which, interacting with each other, damped sharp vibrations and shocks while the car was moving. The use of this design did not require the installation of shock absorbers, but forced the springs to rotate in time with the wheels, the rotation of which was provided by special metal bushings. The wheels of the car were quite bulky (the front wheels are smaller than the rear ones) and, like their spokes, were made of wood. The wheels were covered rubber tires. The production of inflated tires in Russia at that time was still absent.
It is worth noting that Frese and Yakovlev were quite talented in bringing to life many ideas that were used in the global automotive industry at the end of the 19th century. In this regard, their development was not some kind of unique or exclusive. At the same time, the idea to turn the presented copy into a mass commercial stock car looked very interesting at the time. There is still no information about what exactly happened to the sample presented at the exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod. Perhaps it was simply destroyed by the inventors themselves. From preserved photographs this car, for its centenary, which was celebrated in 1996, its exact copy was created - a replica. The car was recreated in scientific and technical center Russian newspaper"Autoreview" with the direct assistance of the editor-in-chief of the publication M. I. Podorozhansky.
After the untimely death of Yevgeny Yakovlev in 1898, his partners decided to re-profile the plant, abandoning the production of internal combustion engines. This forced Peter Frese to look for ways to produce his own motors. As a result, he was forced to conclude an agreement with the French company De DionButon, with which he worked closely until 1910. This year, he sold his factory to the Russian-Baltic Plant, after which he gradually retired. Frese died in 1918 in his native St. Petersburg.
One year after the first demonstration at an exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod, sales of the presented car started in the Russian Empire, but exactly how many copies of the Frese-Yakovlev car were produced and sold is unknown. According to some reports, the price tag for a Frese-Yakovlev car began at 1,500 rubles. It was half the cost of a Benz car and about 30 times more expensive than the cost ordinary horse.
Characteristics of Frese and Yakovlev's car:
Body type - phaeton (double).
Wheel formula - 4x2 (rear-wheel drive).
Overall dimensions: length - 2450 mm, width - 1590 mm, height - 1500 mm (with folded awning).
Rear track - 1250 mm.
Front track - 1200 mm.
Weight - 300 kg.
The power plant is a 2 hp single-cylinder gasoline engine.
Maximum speed - up to 20 km / h.
Information sources:
http://rufact.org/wiki/Car%20Frese%20i%20Yakovleva
http://visualhistory.livejournal.com/441450.html
http://www.calend.ru/event/2373
Based on materials from open sources
On July 14, 1896, the first Russian car was presented at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod.
The end of the 19th century was marked by a massive technical progress worldwide. However, many novelties of domestic inventors were not perceived by contemporaries as a breakthrough into the future, although they provided the country with a worthy place in the history of science and technology. Among these innovations was a “self-propelled car” or, as it was also called at that time, a “gasoline engine” - the first in the country and one of the first in the world cars with an internal combustion engine.
On July 14 (July 2, according to the old style), 1896, at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod, a “self-propelled machine” designed by Evgeny Alexandrovich Yakovlev and Petr Alexandrovich Frese was presented. The exhibition was attended by masters Russian business and dignitaries, Tsar Nicholas II himself personally examined latest achievements domestic production in various fields.
Yakovlev and Frese's "gasoline engine" was presented for inspection among the ceremonial carriages of the carriage department of the exhibition, and an incomprehensible exotic novelty was lost among the mass of other exhibits, without making much impression on the king. Only a century later, compatriots were able to appreciate the contribution of this invention to global automotive industry and restore the model exactly, thanks to one single surviving photograph.
That day, Benzinomotor was photographed against the backdrop of the central pavilion of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair by photographer Maxim Petrovich Dmitriev, who received official permission to photograph the visit of the tsar to the main all-Russian exhibition. Dmitriev took several photographs of the car, but most of them have not survived to this day. Another small image of the first Russian car was preserved by the Illustrated Bulletin of Culture and Commercial and Industrial Progress of Russia, released in 1900.
The birth of the first domestic car was preceded by the acquaintance of talented Russian entrepreneurs, which took place three years earlier than the Nizhny Novgorod exhibition at a similar exhibition in Chicago, where they each took part with their invention. Evgeny Yakovlev, being a retired lieutenant of the navy, was the owner of a small machine-building and copper foundry plant, and Peter Frese, a mining engineer by education, owned a well-known carriage factory in St. Petersburg.
At an exhibition in Chicago, both Russian inventors received bronze medals - Yakovlev for their gas engines, and Frese for perfect models of horse-drawn vehicles. But in addition, at this exhibition, inquisitive and enterprising Russian inventors met the German engineer Gottlieb Daimler, the creator of the first patented motorcycle powered by an internal combustion engine.
Also, the general attention of Yakovlev and Frese was attracted by the world's first car, which was demonstrated by Karl Benz. The model looked more like a horseless carriage and was called Benz Victoria. Russian inventors carefully studied these novelties and decided to make a more perfect "auto".
First of all, their "self-propelled car" or "gasoline engine" was adapted not only for driving on city pavements, but also for off-road driving and bad roads. Frese and Yakovlev's car was equipped big wheels- front with a radius of 780 mm and 836 mm rear. There was no mass production of metal wheels of this size at that time, and the “gasoline engine” received specially created wide-gauge wheels made of wood covered with rubber.
The springs were placed next to the wheels so that they turned with him. The car frame was connected to the front axle beam through the cross member, and the steering axle was attached to it. chain main gear make the rear wheels turn.
The length of the car was only 2 meters 45 cm, weight - 300 kg. The result was a compact and maneuverable car for its time with good technical characteristics. With an engine power of two horsepower, he developed a speed of about 20 km / h, which was a very good indicator for those times.
Yevgeny Yakovlev designed a four-stroke engine lighter than the existing European models, with a complex cooling system. The water constantly boiled and evaporated, and only a part of it was cooled, entering the condenser. Therefore, water had to be constantly added, and, like all the first cars, the Frese-Yakovlev car carried with it a supply of water - 30 liters in two side brass tanks.
The belt drive was similar in design to the one in Karl Benz's car. Levers two-stage box gears were located on the side of the steering wheel. It is noteworthy that the car had electric ignition.
As a result, the Frese-Yakovlev car had a cost half that of the single analogues that existed then in Europe and America, not inferior to them in terms of technical specifications. Thus, the day of July 14, 1896 testifies that Russia is rightfully one of the pioneers of the world automobile industry.
“Around the neighborhood of St. Petersburg is driving mechanical crew. Its passengers pose as manufacturers and almost inventors of this machine and swear that everything to the last screw in the crew was made by them in their own workshop.
So in the spring of 1896, the incredulous press informed readers about the appearance of the first Russian car in history. And already on July 1, the "self-propelled carriage" was demonstrated at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition, held in Nizhny Novgorod. Emperor Nicholas II personally examined the car in action.
A car designed by Yakovlev-Frese at the Nizhny Novgorod Exhibition of 1896
In the wake of the rapid industrial boom that took place in Russian Empire from the second half of the 19th century, the appearance domestic automotive industry seems to be quite organic. His pioneers are deservedly considered a retired lieutenant of the imperial fleet Evgeny Alexandrovich Yakovlev and mining engineer Petr Alexandrovich Frese who designed the car presented to the public in 1896. It should be noted that their contribution to the development of domestic industry was not limited to this: the inventors were the founders of the "First Russian Kerosene and gas engines E.A. Yakovlev" and the joint-stock company for the construction of crews "Frese and Co.".
| Evgeny Alexandrovich Yakovlev (1857 - 1898) | Petr Alexandrovich Frese (1844 - 1918) |
At the dawn of the Russian automotive industry, factories with a full cycle were a relative rarity. Separate production of chassis and bodies has become more widespread. That is, the future motorist, having bought the chassis, then transferred it to the carriage factory for equipping it with a body.
It is worth saying that the products of Russian carriage factories were highly valued all over the world, as evidenced by numerous awards at international exhibitions. A special sign of quality was the fact that at the beginning of the 20th century. cars of the now legendary brand were equipped with domestic bodies "Mercedes".
"Mercedes" with a Russian body
The pioneer of full-fledged serial production of cars and trucks in Russia was the St. Petersburg Frese factory. From 1901 to 1904 more than a hundred machines were manufactured here, including those with an electric drive; a trolleybus and a road train with an electric transmission were tested.
Frese electric car (7hp)
Frese cars (8hp)
Frese cars (6hp)
Passenger-truck Frese for the War Office
In 1902, the plant of the joint-stock company took over the serial production of cars. "G. A. Lessner". The well-known Russian inventor of automobiles and engines, Boris Grigoryevich Lutskoy (Lutsky), was invited as a consultant, whose design motors began to equip the factory's products. In 1904, one of the first fire trucks in Russia was built at the plant. The production of mail vans is being established. In 1907 at the First International car exhibition in St. Petersburg, the factory demonstrates its own ambulances and is awarded the Big Gold Medal for the production and distribution of cars in Russia. In 1909, the plant's products included a wide range of cars and trucks of various engine sizes using original design solutions.
B.G. Lutsky driving a car of his own design
"Lessner" (12hp)
Van "Lessner" with a carrying capacity of 1200 kg, 1907
"Lessner" (22hp)
Postal vans "Lessner"
Racing "Lessner" (32hp)
Cargo "Lessner"
Fire truck "Lessner" Type 1
Fire truck "Lessner" Type 2
In 1908 on Russian-Baltic Carriage Works organized in Riga automotive department headed by Ivan Alexandrovich Fryazinovsky. Since 1909, the production of cars has begun here. well-known brand Russo-Balt. For 7 years, about 500 units were produced. The Russian-Baltic Plant also mastered the production of off-road vehicles: on the basis of the “C” model, a vehicle intended for winter operation half-track vehicle equipped with skis. In general, the distinguishing feature of the Russo-Balts was reliability and durability: there is a known case of a car colliding with a log cabin during a motor rally, after which the car was practically not damaged. Thanks to victories in prestigious automobile competitions, the brand becomes widely known. The first ever conquest of the summit of Vesuvius by the Russo-Balt car thunders all over the world.
I.I. Ivanov and I.A. Fryazinovsky on the car "Russo-Balt C 24/55", 1913
Russo-Balt C 24/40
"Russo-Balt K12/20" Series II
"Russo-Balt S 24/58" - the legendary "Cucumber" of the second version - with a prize after setting a speed record of 128.4 km / h at the races of 1913
Russo-Balt C 24/60, 1914
Russo-Balt off-road
Russo-Balt A.Nagel, who conquered Vesuvius
He is
In 1910 was opened Russian Automobile Plant I.P. Puzyrev. Its founder considered it necessary that « Russian production it would not be only a name, but it would be really Russian " And "the plant independently produced all automotive parts from Russian material, by Russian workers and under the guidance of Russian engineers". I must say that Ivan Petrovich managed to achieve his goal by organizing almost completely independent production at the plant. Bubble sought "to develop a type of a specially Russian car that meets the requirements of moving in Russia, in relation to the peculiarities of our routes". And in 1911 the plant produced the first five-seater a car with big ground clearance. The car was equipped with a gearbox of an original design for those times, developed at the Puzyrev plant and protected by a privilege. For the first time in the world, the gears in the transmission were switched on by cam clutches, and the shift levers were not outside, but inside the cabin. In fact, it was the prototype of the gearbox modern cars. Another innovation was the use of aluminum for the crankcase, gearbox, steering gear and differential, as well as wide application ball bearings. production model 28/40 developed a decent speed for those times - up to 80 km / h.
I.P. Puzyrev
Assembly shop of the plant
Bubble-28/35
Bubble-28/40
Puzyrev-28/40 with a body of a military type
In 1913 on IV International Exhibition cars in St. Petersburg, Puzyrev presents a five-seater limousine, a seven-seater car with open body"torpedo" and racing car. According to experts, it was equipped with an advanced for its time and very compact engine.
Despite serious financial difficulties and standard for a patriotic person of those years, rejection by the "intelligent public", who called him a "handicraft manufacturer", I.P. Puzyrev managed to maintain and maintain production. Moreover, there were plans to expand it. But at the beginning of 1914, the plant suddenly burns down ... And in September, having given his last strength to the restoration of his offspring, Ivan Petrovich Puzyrev dies.
The story of the origin of the Russian automotive industry would be incomplete without mentioning the name of a recognized specialist in the field of electrical engineering and electrical machines, Ippolit Vladimirovich Romanov. He owns, among other things, the invention of a perfect for its time battery, as well as a bold project of a suspension electric railway, the prototype of which (!) Has been functioning since 1899 in Gatchina.
I.Romanov electric carAnd in 1901, a prototype of an electric 17-seater omnibus appeared on the streets of the capital - a new type of urban transport. Tests have shown the reliability and safety of the machine design. IV Romanov planned to organize ten routes of electric omnibuses along the busiest highways of the city. But the City Duma refused to approve the financing of the construction of equipment.
Omnibus I.Romanova
So in in general terms looks like the history of the origin of the domestic automotive industry. Who knows, perhaps the obvious potential and excellent prospects for the industry against the background of the general industrial boom in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century could lead Russian factories among the world's leading automakers, and today the Russo-Balt and Bubble brands would be no less prestigious than Mercedes or Lexus ... But the upheavals of the 20th century made their own adjustments to the historical path of our country. Perhaps in need of reformatting Russian car industry is it worth relying on the historical foundation laid by the pioneers of the Russian automotive industry?
When did the first cars appear in Russia? Before answering this question, you need to understand the very concept of what a car is.
What is a car
The word "car" has two parts. "Auto" - is of Greek origin and means "self", and "mobile" in Latin means "movement".
It turns out that a car is a device that can move independently. That is, this design must have its own propulsion mechanism - steam, gas, electric, gasoline, diesel - no matter what, as long as the wheels spin with it. This means that it appeared in Russia precisely when the design invented by some craftsman was able to move without the help of horse traction or human muscular efforts.
But still, the founders of the domestic automotive industry should be considered those Russian "left-handers" who were able to make their structures move without the participation of horses, and it would be unfair not to mention them.
The origin of the domestic automotive industry
The history of the first car in Russia began on November 1, 1752 in St. Petersburg. There, for the first time, a four-wheeled carriage was shown, which was able to move without the help of horses and other draft animals. It was a steel mechanism, set in motion with the help of a gate of a special design and the muscular efforts of one person. The stroller could carry, in addition to the driver, two more passengers, and at the same time moved at speeds up to 15 km / h. The designer of the car was an ordinary self-taught serf who lived in the Nizhny Novgorod province - Shamshurenkov Leonty Lukyanovich. The mechanism he created, of course, cannot be considered a car, but it was no longer a cart.
Much closer to our usual vision of the car was the Russian designer Ivan Petrovich Kulibin.
The crew of Kulibin
The design, invented by Kulibin, consisted of a three-wheeled chassis, on which a double passenger seat was installed. The driver himself, standing behind this seat, had to press alternately on two pedals associated with the wheel rotation mechanism. Kulibin's crew is especially noteworthy in that it contained almost all the main structural elements of the cars of the future, and it was he who first used gear changes, a braking device, bearings and a steering wheel in his sidecar.
The appearance of the first car in Russia
In 1830, K. Yankevich, who was a recognized master of fire monitors, together with his assistants assembled the "Bystrokat" - a self-propelled wheeled vehicle With steam engine. The engine had a device based on the designs of steam power units I. I. Polzunova, M. E. Cherepanov and P. K. Frolova. As a fuel, according to the inventor, pine charcoal was to be used.
The design was a covered wheeled wagon, which provided, in addition to a seat for the driver, also a seat for passengers.
However, the mechanism turned out to be very bulky and difficult to operate. Therefore, the design of the machine was not viable. However, it was the first domestic car in Russia, which could indeed be considered a real self-propelled machine with a steam engine.
The advent of an engine capable of running on gasoline gave impetus to further development automotive technology, since it was he who, thanks to his relatively compact size, could become a source of driving power for future cars.
The first cars in Russia with internal combustion engines
According to some historians-researchers, the ICE was designed in 1882 in a small town on the Volga. The authors of the machine were engineers Putilov and Khlobov. However, no official documents confirming this fact were ever found. Therefore, it is believed that in Russia, equipped with liquid fuel engines, were imported from abroad.
In 1891, Vasily Navorotsky, who worked as the editor of one of the Odessa newspapers, was imported into Russia french car Panhard-Levassor. It turns out that for the first time in our country petrol car saw the inhabitants of Odessa.
To the capital of the Russian Empire, progress in the form petrol cars came only after 4 years. On August 9, 1895, St. Petersburg saw the first gasoline self-propelled car. A little later, several more such cars were brought to the capital.
Apparently, the appearance of imported samples on the world market prompted domestic design engineers to take action.
The first Russian car with an internal combustion engine
In 1896, at the Nizhny Novgorod exhibition, a car of a completely domestic assembly was presented for public viewing, equipped with gasoline engine. The car was named: "Car Frese and Yakovlev", in honor of its designers - E. A. Yakovlev and P. A. Frese. The Yakovlev plant manufactured the transmission and engine for the car. The undercarriage, wheels and the body itself were produced at the Frese factory. However, it cannot be said that the appearance of the Russian car was solely the merit of Russian engineers.
Western model for a Russian car
Most likely, Frese and Yakovlev used the experience of the German designer Benz in the manufacture of their car, and his Benz-Victoria car, which they saw when they visited an exhibition in Chicago in 1893, was taken as a standard, where it was exhibited, as constructively and in its own way appearance the domestic car was very reminiscent of the German model.
True, it is worth paying tribute to Russian engineers, the car was not a 100% copy of its foreign counterpart. Chassis, body and transmission domestic car were significantly improved, which was emphasized in the press of that time, closely following the latest in the field of discoveries and inventions.
The documented parameters of the domestic machine, as well as the drawings, have not been preserved. All judgments about the car are based on the descriptions and photographs that have survived from that time. Actually, it is not even known for certain how many cars of this series were produced at all. But in any case, these were the first cars in Russia that started mass production Russian cars.
The finish line for the first petrol car
The history of the machine assembled by Frese and his companion ended quickly. In 1898, the engineer and industrialist Yakovlev died, which, in fact, was the beginning of the end for the first-born of the domestic automotive industry. The death of a companion forced Frese to buy engines for cars abroad, which, of course, was extremely unprofitable for him. In 1910, he sold all the established production to the Russian-Baltic Plant.
Nevertheless, the fact that the first cars in Russia of domestic production appeared thanks to Frese and Yakovlev is forever inscribed in the history of the domestic automotive industry, and RBVZ became the next step in the development of the production of Russian cars.
Russian-Baltic Carriage Works (RBVZ)
Cars of this brand have established themselves as durable and very reliable, which was confirmed by the success of cars participating in long-distance runs, car competitions and even international rallies. There is a documented fact that one of the machines, produced in 1910 under the index "S-24", covered 80 thousand km in 4 years of operation without serious breakdowns and repairs. Even the imperial garage in 1913 made an order for two models of cars "K-12" and "S-24".
60% car park Russian army consisted of Russo-Balt vehicles. Moreover, not only cars were purchased from the plant, but also chassis for use on armored cars.
An important fact is that almost all parts, assemblies and mechanisms were manufactured by the plant on your own. Only tires, ball bearings, and oil pressure gauges were purchased abroad.
RBVZ produced cars in large series, and within each of them there was almost complete interchangeability in terms of components and parts.
In 1918, the enterprise was nationalized and continued its history as an armored plant.
