Lenin and his cars

22 April (new style) - Lenin's birthday. All Russians, even the younger generation, are well aware of his political destiny. However, the love of Lenin for luxury cars has always been like behind the scenes. It is paradoxical but familiar "father of the revolution" and the "bourgeois automobile industry" was the result of an accident. At that time, the revolutionaries were not as secure, as it turned out, so to Zurich, Vladimir Ilyich went on a bike. A Swiss (his name we could not be determined) at its Rolls-Royce knocked Lenin. Future leader of the world proletariat, has filed for a wealthy bourgeois in court and won. Lenin's first car was a luxury French Turcat-Mery 28 1915 release. It was a very expensive car handmade with 50-horsepower four-cylinder engine and closed by a registered body. How did Russia in this masterpiece of a little-known French company from Marseilles - is unknown, but in the royal garage it was not exact. It is fair to note that the very first "car", which still Lenin did not go, but that is forever linked with his name, was an armored car Austin. According to legend, the day of his return from immigration Lenin pronounced his "April Theses" from Finland Station is a tower of armored vehicles in the absence of a more suitable platform. But back to the masterpiece of the French automotive industry. In December 1917, the car Turcat-Mery 28 stolen straight from the yard of Smolny. At first there were suspicions that it was the handiwork of the SRs. In tracing the stolen car involved in the best footage Cheka (Extraordinary Commission). The car was found on the Finnish border in the garage of the firehouse. As it turned out later, stole it is not SR, and smugglers. After quite a bit, 1 January 1918, when the driver of Lenin Gorokhovik Taras on car Delaunay Belleville 45 carrying the leader with a performance at the Mikhailovsky Manege, the "father of the revolution" was assassinated. Lenin was not hurt, but the body was so riddled limousine that bent back did not give repair. Car written off, and she got lost in landfills Petrograd. After this attack Lenin had to change seats on the other royal Delaunay Belleville. Incidentally, the French plant Delaunay Belleville, located in a suburb of Paris Saint-Denis, gained fame as a producer of world-class ship steam engines and boilers. Production of cars at the plant has been mastered in 1904. All models of the early period stood round the radiator, and rounded the sidewalls of the hood. From 1908 on models Delaunay Belleville widely used six-cylinder engines, which had a good balance. Because of the considerable length six-cylinder engine radiators on these cars were made far ahead, beyond the line of centers of the front wheels. Operation is smooth and well balanced six-cylinder models provided them with good sales, despite high prices. In the period from 1908 to 1916 the factory had produced and sold 3,800 vehicles with such engines. The model "45" cooling system serviced by a centrifugal water pump, driven not belt drive and bevel gear and vertical shaft. Transmission machines consisted of a multi-disc clutch, which is separated from the four-engine gearbox and driveline (from 1911 - at all, even on the larger models) transfer to the rear drive wheels. Since 1913 instead of non-removable wheels with wooden spokes Delaunay Belleville began to use removable type Rudge-Whitworth with wire spokes. They mounted the tire size 895h135 (first number in those years for the outer diameter, and the second - the width of the tire in millimeters) or 950h135. Last used in combination with heavy frame and increased ground clearance - the so-called modification. "Colonial" type. It was in this performance came to Russia, many cars of this brand. On them, as well as at other expensive models in those years, was extended wheel suspension in the five springs. Chassis model "45" weighed about 1400 kg car with an open body "double-chaise" - about 2100 kg and with a closed body "Limousine" - about 2300 kg. The highest speed was 110 km / h. It's funny, but this car drove away from Lenin. Besides the usual thugs, landed from a car going in its Lenin. It happened in January 1919. Unfortunately, to this day has not reached any of Delaunay Belleville 45, and in 1950 ceased to exist and the plant itself. Only after this adventure robbery Lenin began to enjoy the open Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost in 1914 release a capacity of 55 liters. with. designed for mountain racing. Before the revolution, this car belonged to one of the brothers Ryabushinskys (among other things, the mother's uncle writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn). Some historians believe that it is on this car drove by Lenin in day of attempt Fanny Kaplan. In the opinion of others, the day Lenin carried on a Renault. In 1920, Lenin asked the envoy of the Soviet Union in the UK, Leonid Krasin to begin negotiations on procurement in Manchester Rolls-Royce for a "new republic". In the early 20-ies of XX century, this car is worth about 3 thousand pounds sterling (for the money you could buy a nice mansion in Moscow). The first batch went to Soviet Russia in a year. One of the last car of Lenin became ATV Kegresse. Adolf Kegress was a mechanic in the royal garage. Especially for the king, who loved to ride on snow-covered fields, he designed all-terrain vehicle in which the rear wheels instead of tracks were used, and instead of the front - the ski. Sledge-car mechanic court fine showing in virgin snow - tracks on the rear wheels and skis on the front provide complete patency. While on vacation in Gorky, Lenin thought about this unique car and decided to "zaimet" in his garage is the same. Please Illich was performed, and in early 1921, he got started in the Putilov factory motor sleigh, the mechanical part of which was a green Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Continental. The uniqueness of the car is that it is - the only motor sleigh, built on the basis of Rolls-Royce. In winter, when Lenin lived in Gorky, the sledge-car becomes the only method of communication with the outside world. Speaking of the death of the leader of world proletariat "said his driver Stepan Gil, get to Moscow for motor sleigh. Only three cars from the number of vehicles referred to in the biography of Lenin, still standing - this is Austin, and two armored Rolls-Royce. An armored car is exhibited at the Leningrad branch of the Central Lenin Museum. Cars Rolls-Royce is presented in the exposition of the Central Lenin Museum in Moscow, and half-track can be seen at a branch of the Central Lenin Museum in the Lenin Hills, Moscow Region.