{"id":12494,"date":"2020-09-13T18:33:01","date_gmt":"2020-09-13T15:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klubasklasika.lt\/?p=12494"},"modified":"2024-04-23T20:15:34","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T17:15:34","slug":"leningrad-istorija","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klubasklasika.lt\/en\/2020\/09\/13\/leningrad-istorija\/","title":{"rendered":"Leningrad – Custom Sports Car Manufactured in the Soviet Union in 1953"},"content":{"rendered":"On August 1st 2020, the Antique Car Show Timeless Classic 2020 in Bir\u017eai was marked by the first appearance of the legendary car Leningrad, which won the Grand Prix of the event and the award for the most beautiful car to its owner Alexander Obymacha. On\u00a0 August 22nd, this car and its owner triumphed at the antique car event Riga Retro 2020 winning the title of the most beautiful car.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Leningrad at the Antique and Classic Car Show Timeless Classics 2020. Photo by Dainius Nagel\u0117<\/p><\/div>\n

The Leningrad was known in the history of motoring in the former Soviet Union as a unique and special car. And not because it was a custom sports car, ahead in its time with the shapes and construction, but also because it wasn’t designed and manufactured by automobile manufacturer company.<\/p>\n

It is no secret that mass-produced cars in the Soviet Union weren\u2019t characterized by either grace or design elegance. And this was not just due to the fact that at the time the post-war car industry was not focused on car production, but on the development of heavy machinery.
\nUnder the order of that time and the closed policy of the Soviet Union, the road to the socialist market was closed to foreign cars and automotive innovations. The car enthusiasts who wanted exclusivity had two options: either to show off the cars that had been brought to the Soviet Union as booties of war or to design and build a car themselves. All the more so as the latter possibility was not forbidden by the Soviet Union government and it was even encouraged at the time.
\nStrange as it may seem, in the difficult post-war years, under state voluntary sports organizations and motor transport companies there were established motor sports and technical clubs and collectives, the aim of which was not only the development of automobile and motorcycle racing sports, but also the development of self-made vehicles. The abovementioned Leningrad car appeared in a similar way.
\nLet’s start with the fact that Arkadiy Babich, a graduate design-engineer, lived, worked and was engaged in motorsports the then city of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). According to the press at the time, the designer was eager to build and make a racing car. And he succeeded. Dismissing the facts published on the Internet, in accordance with which the sports cars of that time were manufactured in an improvised manner, it should be noted that all the construction and production works were carried out in sports clubs, organizations or workshops subordinated to state organizations. After all, knowing the order of that time, a private person had no opportunity to acquire or dispose of automotive parts and assemblies as well as construction materials. Only state organizations could do that.<\/p>\n

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The certificate issued by the Chairman of the Association of Sports and Physical Education Spartak in 1952<\/p><\/div>\n

The certificate issued by the Chairman of the Leningrad branch of the Union Voluntary Association of Sports and Physical Education Spartak in 1952 stating that the mechanic D. L. Shervud participated in the works on development of engineer Babich’s racing car in 1951. Based on this certificate, we conclude that A. Babich did not work on his projects alone, but apparently received financing, workshop premises, necessary equipment and parts through the sports association Spartak.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t