Page:The Russian Review Volume 1.djvu/333

Rh 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