Société Anonyme de l’Usine Russo-Baltique des Wagons à Riga
Акционерное Общество Русско-Балтийского Вагоннаго Завода въ Риге
Actien-Gesellschaft der Russisch-Baltischen Waggon-Fabrik in Riga
Other city spellings: St.-Pétersbourg, Petrograd, Pétrograde
Formed in 1874 with head office in St. Petersburg. Capital in 1906 was 4,000,000 roubles in shares of 250 roubles.
1874
Description
The company was founded to build railway wagons in Riga, today the capital of Latvia. In 1909, it started to build cars, and the Russo-Baltic became the best-known Russian make. The first Russo-Baltique, called the 24/30hp, had a 4-cylinder engine of 4.5 litres. 3 years later, there were 4 models, all with 4 cylinders, the biggest of which was 7.2 litres. The cars, although little known even in their country of origin, performed well in the earliest Monte Carlo and San Sebastian Rallies of 1911 and 1912. Production ceased at the outbreak of war in 1915.