In Moscow in Sokolniki in 26th time was arranged an exhibition of vintage cars under the name “Oldtimer-Gallery”, which was organized by the Fund with the eloquent title “Perpetual motion”. From 08 to 12 March 2017 you can see with your own eyes the history of the automotive industry of Russia and of the world, from the first deliveries of luxurious powerful horses, then the accommodation and location in the country their assembling and up to the creation of Russian and Soviet motor vehicles. Most of the exhibits are of Museum quality, many of came from the Polytechnic Museum.
Of course, its modern appearance the car got time after time. This story takes us two centuries back. At the exhibition we see bicycles, motorized carriages and all kinds of cunning devices, which eventually have led the automotive industry to its modern state. The majority of the prototypes of machines are exclusive and luxurious, and this is no coincidence – in fact only rich people could afford such high-tech, the aristocrats.
The first and the most passionate car owner of Russia was Tsar Nicholas II, who possessed the best in Europe “Royal collection”. Heart of the exhibition is miraculously preserved items of his garage, brought from all over the world to mark the 110th anniversary of its creation. In the XIX-early XX century, the list of brands was different than today, and many names are now available to researchers only. “Delaunay-Belleville”, “De Dion Bouton”, “Phenomobil”, “Loren-Dietrich”, – representative of the curiosities of the exhibition are no longer available in the auto market.
The first Daimler was officially delivered to Russia in 1898, and in 1910 the Daimler Motoren Geselschaft opened there own unit.
Among foggoten brands there are Russian auto producers “Yakovlev-Frezer” and “Russo-Balt”. The latter, which has become Russia’s largest automaker, began as railway wagon builder’. In 1869 it was a Assembly branch of the German-Belgian company Van der Zypen Charlier und. In 1909, the factory began to produce “Russo-Baltic” cars. Invented by the Swiss designer J. Potter the car of “type C” continued to be produced in the Soviet Union.
The king was not only a car enthusiast and collector, but, realizing the importance of the industry for the country, he staged Russia’s first “Imperial rally” in 1910. The gallery Biblionne collected detailed information about it in the archives. The rally gave the opportunity not only to see the race of the residents of different cities of Russia, but also to buy cars. Of course, all brand winners were sold out in the first turn. “All three of the Mercedes units, as it is wrote in the memoirs of the famous racing driver William Pehe – as well as of the other German cars, the competitors were immediately sold out after a rally”.
In Sokolniki there are more than 50 vintage cars and many antiques.
