Website: Russo-Baltique
Activity: Luxury Automobiles
Address: www.russobaltique.ru
Purpose: Resurrect a long-lost automobile marque

The unexpected star of the prestigious 2006 Concours d'Elegance automobile exposition at Villa d'Este was a daring luxury coupe by Russo-Baltique -- a curious and previously unknown Russian automaker. The "Impression", an attention-grabbing supercar with a high-performance motor, rear-hinged doors and Zambrano wood detailing has an eye-popping sticker price of $1.9 million. It was unveiled with this over-the-top press release:


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.


This sent automobile journalists scrambling to find out more about this mysterious car maker. What they came up with was a fascinating history dating back to a time of Czars, imperial splendor, and simmering revolution.

Russo-Baltique was the first Russian producer of cars beginning in 1907. Within a matter of just a few years, the car maker had achieved racing success throughout Europe, eventually winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1912. Very impressed, Czar Nicholas II bought two tourers and designated the company an official royal supplier. Russo-Baltique quickly became the ultimate symbol of luxury, performance, and elite style.

But Russo-Baltique's close alignment with the Czar and its proud use of the imperial heraldic seal would prove a liability. In 1917, the Bolsheviks would target the car maker, seizing their factories and shutting down car production. For the next seven decades, memories of Russo-Baltique's glory would slowly fade as the Soviet automobile industry would be epitomized by cheap Ladas and the waiting lists required to get one.

The fall of Communism in 1991 brought about a period of economic re-adjustment, but if there's any doubt about the wealth Russians are currently enjoying, consider the whiplash rate their economy has grown since 2000. A booming GDP along with the stock market's dizzying climb has contributed to a 29 percent jump in average annual income, creating a class of the very, very wealthy. Finans Magazine estimates that Russia now has 50 billionaires and 88,000 millionaires. The growing spending power of this elite and often extravagant class has led to a ravenous demand for all sorts of luxury products and services -- notably luxury automobiles. In fact, cars in the most expensive class, such as Bentley, Maserati, and Ferrari, continue to sell well beyond expectations.

Amid the consumer frenzy, a group of Russian investors stumbled upon the long-lost Russo-Baltique history and recognized the perfect opportunity the brand presented. Along with its market potential, Russo-Baltique's prestigious past could be the inspiration for a thoroughly contemporary automotive innovator. In 2003, they succeeded in securing control of the trademark and began designing a modern cutting-edge concept, embodying the traditional Russo-Baltique values of performance, refinement and exclusivity.

The website and visual communication play a crucial part in the brand's resurrection. The focus is clearly on highlighting the company's heritage and linking it to the current venture. The splash intro page does this explicitly with side-by-side photos of the 1909 Russo-Baltique Type K and the 2006 Impression. The theme is reinforced with graphic elements such as vintage patterns and Art Nouveau flourishes, popular during Russo-Baltique's heyday. The historical imperial seal reappears, fittingly worn with time. The website's main feature is a photographic timeline of the company's history, again unifying the past and present eras. The design choices not only honor the past, but position Russo-Baltique for a promising second act.