The Russian Review/Volume 1/June 1916/The Automobile Industry in Russia
The Automobile Industry in Russia.
By Oscar M. Kartoschinsky.
At the very beginning of the War Russia found herself short of motor trucks and automobiles, which were needed for the transportation of troops, munitions and supplies. She requisitioned all private cars, confiscated the automobiles owned by German firms in Russia, bought up all the cars that were held in stock by Russian automobile dealers, but all this was not sufficient to cover the need. Among the first purchasing agents sent out by the Government to foreign countries were those instructed to purchase automobiles. At the same time engineers were sent out for the purpose of making a study of the automobile industry abroad.
The War taught Russia a good deal about her industrial situation. It made her realize the significance of the lack of home, industries and the danger of being entirely dependent upon other countries for prime necessities. The automobile industry was probably the best example of this. Only because of the War did Russia finally come to the realization of how poorly this industry had been developed. But then, the whole industrial life of the country is developed but to a slight degree, and, moreover, there are other factors which complicate the rapid growth of the automobile industry in a country with a very poor system of roads.
The question of streets and roads is a very important one in all Russian cities. This becomes especially apparent when you take into consideration the fact that many Russian cities are still without electric trolleys. In the capital of Russia, Petrograd, the first electric trolley line was introduced only eight years ago. Such an important commercial city as Odessa had its first line installed even more recently. Life was not running at a very rapid pace in the great cities of Russia if the largest city of the country was satisfied, only eight years ago, with horse cars and cabs. However, things are changing very rapidly, and the slow "Izvoshchik" no longer satisfies the urban population in Russia.
It is interesting that automobiles appeared first, not in the capitals of Russia, but in the small, the so-called provincial cities which, at the same time, happen to be the great commercial centers. Odessa and Kharkov, on the one hand, and Warsaw and Lodz on the other, began to introduce this means of locomotion several years ago. The appearance of motor cars in the cities of Poland may perhaps be explained by the fact that these cities are nearest to western Europe.
It is also interesting to note that the importance of the motor car was appreciated by large land owners. In the southern part of Russia, where most of the large estates are located, the landowners purchased several cars at a time. About the same time the sport of automobilism began to be introduced in Russia, and until very recently automobilism has been largely regarded in Russia merely as a sporting occupation. The motor car has very seldom been regarded in Russia as an important industrial factor. As a general thing it can be said that only the highest aristocratic circles in the largest cities were interested in the automobile.
The first indication of the automobile being regarded as an important means of locomotion was the fact that the large landowners began to use it more and more. The reason for this was that their estates are usually located at a considerable distance from the railroad station. Being so far apart and so far away from industrial and commercial centers, these estates were often compelled to stop work for a considerable length of time whenever some piece of machinery would break, and it would be impossible to replace it without purchasing new parts. In a case of this kind the automobile is found to be almost indispensable.
One large landowner in southern Russia conceived of a rather interesting plan of overcoming the difficulty of the bad roads. He had three or four cars always ready for service and whenever he had occasion to go anywhere he) had them stationed along the road and ready for use in case of emergency. Of course, a plan of this kind is not feasible in every case, but the fact itself is a very interesting indication of the main obstacle that lies in the way of the automobile industry in Russia. This obstacle, as has been indicated, is the impassibility of Russian roads.
In 1913 the first Russian magazine devoted to automobile industry, "The Automobile" asked its readers to answer the following question, "What make of automobile would you like to own?" The replies received are very characteristic. Instead of answering directly the question put to them, most of the readers of the magazine wrote about the bad condition of the roads in Russia. Very little information was obtained as to the preference of the Russian automobile users, but most of them were agreed on the fact that no matter what make of automobile they used, the vehicles could never last long if used on the Russian roads. This same magazine reported once that the Russian buyers of automobiles often applied to German and French automobile factories with requests to construct for them special cars that could be used on Russian roads.
At the present time, despite all difficulties, the Russian market is supplied with automobiles in sufficient quantities. Before the War, most of the cars used in Russia came from Germany. The most prevalent type was that called Mercedes, manufactured by the Daimler Motoren Geselschaft. These cars were considered more serviceable than any others in Russia. Next to them came the Benz cars, manufactured in Manheim, and the Opal cars, brought to Russia from Russelheim. The most popular French cars used in Russia was the Renault, also the Delone Belleville. Quite recently the Italian car, Fiat, manufactured by the Fabrica Italiano Automobilo of Turin, was introduced in Russia and became quite popular. Of the American cars, the first to be introduced in Russia was the Ford. Since the beginning of the War an opportunity has presented itself to American automobile manufacturers to plant themselves upon the Russian market. At the present moment most of the cars used in Russia come from America, and the question of retaining this trade after the War will depend entirely upon the action the American automobile manufacturers will care to pursue. Even before the War, those in Russia who were interested in the automobile industry knew about many American firms, the Peerless Motor Company, the Studebaker Corporation, and others.
Russian automobile experts have always been interested in the American industry. Even in 1912, N. G. Kouznetsov, in his text-book on the automobile, devoted considerable attention to the American industry, pointing out the fact that in 1910 there were 180,000 cars produced in America, while during the same period England produced 84,841, and Germany, only 8,114. At the same time Kouznetsov gives his Russian readers a very complete account of the automobile industry in America, describes Detroit as the chief center of this industry, and brings in other valuable information. It is interesting that the English automobiles are hardly known in Russia.
Russia's own automobile industry was developed to a certain extent, although there is no information available at the present time as to whether the factory of which we speak is still in operation. The center of this industry was the Russian Baltic Car Foundry of Riga, and I. P. Ponsyrev's Foundry. This second foundry was in existence for three years, but during this whole period succeeded in building only a few automobiles, and in 1913 began to produce automobile parts exclusively. The Russian Baltic Foundry began to build automobiles in 1909 and gradually acquired a fairly good equipment for this kind of work. Its annual capacity was about 200 cars. This production was largely limited to two models, one with a four cylinder engine of 24 horse power, the dimensions of the cylinder being 105 x 130, while the other model had a 12 horse-power engine with dimensions of the cylinder 80 x 110. Both of these models were quite popular in Russia. These cars were used in many successful races, the most famous of which was the race from Petrograd to Monaco, made in 1912 by two of the best Russian sportsmen, A. P. Nagel and V. A. Michailov.
Attempts also were made to construct automobiles in a factory producing harvesting machinery in Rostov-on-Don, owned by the Aksay Corporation, but these attempts were not successful.
There seems to be no doubt that there will be great progress in this industry after the War, for now Russia realizes her present need of motor cars. Many enterprising manufacturers are coming now to America with the object of studying the automobile industry here, while many others are attempting to interest American capitalists in investing in automobile factories in Russia, but no matter how successful are these attempts to build up the automobile industry within the country, there is no doubt that this development will not be rapid enough to supply the needs of the Russian market, and for a considerable time to come Russia will still be in need of importing a large number of the cars that she requires.