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Russo-Baltique Impression
Monday, March 19, 2007
 Russo-Baltique Impression - Side It is the honor of Russo-Baltique Company of Russia to present to the honorable public a coupe called Impression - the first model of the Russo-Baltique brand after a long intermission. On the eve of its 100th anniversary, the Russian antique car brand - the supplier of His Highness the Emperor's Court - is returning to the market of luxury and high-powered cars with this model. 
The Russo-Baltique car brand's history begins in 1907 when a domestic autocar manufacturing was established by one of the largest industrial concerns in the Russian Empire. Two years had passed before the first car was built - a 30-hp open two-seater Russo-Baltique 24-30. First years of its existence were marked by outstanding performance in automotive sport competitions building up the reputation of a reliable, ideal and elegant model producer. In 1912, a special sport model, Russo-Baltique C24-50, won two first awards in the Monte-Carlo Rally, and the second award in the rally in San-Sebastian a year after that.In 1913, Russo-Baltique was granted a title of an official supplier of His Highness the Emperor's Court.
In 1914, the Russo-Baltique concern built the biggest aeroplane in the world - Ilya Muromets - developed by a remarkable Russian engineer Igor Sikorsky. The First World War became a turning-point in the Russian history in general and the Russo-Baltique future, in particular. The subsequent Revolution brought an end to the Russo-Baltique production for many years. The Impression coupe has been under construction in Moscow since 2003. The style of Impression is a mixture of the Russo-Baltique designers' impressions from the Golden Age of the automotive industry - the 1930s - when car shapes won hearts both by their elegance and by their monumental size. For comfortable boarding, the car is equipped with rear-hinged doors. The radiator grille of the Russo-Baltique Impression is crowned by the historical heraldic sign picturing the Russian two-headed eagle - the official emblem of a supplier to His Highness the Emperor's Court. The dash board of Impression is hand-made of a one-piece exotic African tree trunk, Zebrano, with naturally alternating black and white stripes. The steering-wheel rim and interior side panels are made of the same material. In combination with white metal these parts create both a unique and ergonomic interior ensemble. While in the 20th century the dominant feature of Russo-Baltique cars was the Russian heritage of all their parts and their unique adaptation to Russian bad roads, in the 21st century the priority has shifted to innovations, perfection, and high technology of the car design and materials. The car quality, as it was before, will be a match to its unique title of the Court's supplier reinforced today by new technological capabilities. Russo-Baltique Impression- Specifications:
In 2005, German Gerg GmbH became involved in the building of the Impression coupe bringing in the capabilities of its Munich-based production facility. Russo-Baltique Impression is ready for a limited-series production - 10-15 cars - starting from Spring, 2006. Each car production, including the preparation and approval of its exclusive specifications, will take 12 to 18 months. The company is able to build 2-3 Russo-Baltique Impression cars annually. Automobilemag reveals that "Details like a dashboard that's hand-made from one piece of exotic African Zebrano tree, or a grille "crowned by the historical heraldic sign picturing the Russian two-headed eagle - the official emblem of a supplier to His Highness the Emperor's Court." But what else would you expect from a car that takes twelve to eighteen months to produce and has a price tag of fifty million rubles - er, $1.9 million?"
Russo-Baltique Impression- Pictures: Russo-Baltique Impression - Front  Russo-Baltique Impression - Back  Russo-Baltique Impression - Front - Doors open  Russo-Baltique Impression - Detail  Russo-Baltique Impression - Interior Source: RUSSO-BALTIQUE |
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