"Retro Kar Romanov" or the use of historical knowledge

28 September 2018

Retromolar vain claim to be a "replica" of the famous Romanov electrocare from 1899

Held in parallel with the International Moscow motor show (MIAS-2018)  technological festival MOBILISTIC'18  one of the largest stands was occupied by the Moscow Trading house "Romanov motors", acting as the distributor of a number of Russian and foreign OEMs of a variety of electric and related products.

Thus, the range of TD "Romanov motors" electric vehicles – from a children's electric chart V-Go to the legendary electric Tesla Model S (you can buy him a miniature version for children), electric buses (up to 23 passengers) and municipal electrical, and elektronikov – from children's to exclusive elektrosistema electric motorcycles Lito Sora Signature, by the way, standing twice as expensive (!) electric car Tesla. 

One of the most running goods, th "Romanov motors"

In addition, TD "Romanov motors" offers water electric, from children's electrochmical to electrocutaneous for adults, etc., Autonomous robots for various purposes (civil of course) and various electrical accessories including battery and battery charger up to the wind turbines and solar panels.

But now it's not about this is quite relevant and attractive electrical engineering and unfortunately, about acceptable and unacceptable historical blunders.

Unfortunately, quite a nice himself as electrorepair was filed under totally irrelevant to the history of the name

The Central place at the stand of "TD Romanov motors" (claiming the status of "manufacturer of electric vehicles since 1899") on the MOBILISTIC'18 took pleasure electric, presented as "Retro Kar Romanov," on the accompanying sign which read, "a stylized retro electric car, a copy of the classic English cab", which, frankly, caused a surprise, as the historic prototype created in 1899 by a remarkable Russian engineer and inventor Hippolyte Vladimirovich Romanov (1864-1944) from the galaxy of outstanding Russian electrical engineers of the late XIX-early XX century and referred to in various sources as a "Elektrokabel Romanov" or simply "cuckoo", is well known and his photos are laid out in a fairly sensible article on the company's website TD "Romanov motors", dedicated to I.Vladimir Romanov. Against this background, the more it was frustrating to see "neoretro" electric car, which any side does not correspond to the original prototype electrocare Romanov, first and foremost, the type of the body. Here compare on the photo:

 Romanovskaya "cuckoo" in the summer (with awning)

and winter (closed) versions of the body

Typical of Victorian England Gansovsky cab

As befits a "classic English",  etcE. two-wheeled double Gansovska the cab (remember the film "a Study in scarlet" from the Soviet television series about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, where one of the characters acts just the real Gansovsky cab), the driver, and in the case of electrocare Romanovsky, of course, the driver is on the seat is on the back of the crew to facilitate the landing of passengers and, in General, lower center of gravity what, indeed, is a characteristic feature of this type of crew, transferred I. V. Romanov for your electric car which bulky the battery was located under the driver and over the rear driven axle. 

Electrocare Romanova managed was just for the rear wheels of the leading front, and, with individual electric motors for each wheel

At that moment the classic chassis design for "zambelich crews" still undecided (it will happen a few years later, the racing car Daimler Mercedes) and could be implemented, such "inverse" scheme of the chassis from the rear, rather than the usual now the front steering wheels. In any case, the originality with Electrocable not refuse, then, well, nothing can be said about modern "replica", which is different than the prefix "pseudo" and to mention impossible. Just the above is enough to understand what body type, who "Romanov motors" void sumnyashesya called "classic English cab" any side is not, rather it's about the body style of the early twentieth century, known as a Runabout, ie, open with two cutouts in the sides instead of doors and a curved or straight front flap, protected from dirt and wind but is not equipped with a windshield. Such a pleasure body type, not designed for heavy duty work on taxi driver, was popular in North America since the late nineteenth century until 1915, but in the first half of the 1910s are actually merged with some other type of open body styles – Roadster. 

Here it is – the true prototype of the current "Retro Kara Romanov", even more famous Oldsmobile Curved Dash

The greatest world fame this type of body has got through the world's first production conveyor (Yes, that conveyor Assembly from standardized parts) model Oldsmobile Curved Dash, whose name literally just means "an Oldsmobile, with a curved front flap". This lightweight coupe was released in the years 1901-1907 Oldsmobile American company (1896-2004) in the amount of 19 000 units by the Way, already existed numerous replicas, including popular in the early twentieth century electric. So that if the plaque was written: "a stylized retro electric car, a copy of classic American runabout "the Oldsmobile Karved dash", well, or at least: "electric vehicle styled after the retro beginning of the XX century", the slightest claim to the managers of th "Romanov motors" would not be. It is obvious that the current pseudo-enthusiasts of the revival of the first Russian electric car failed some similarities front fender and the lack of doors, but as they say in Odessa: "two big differences". So that you can take the advice of the famous Soviet and Russian satirist Mikhail Zhvanetsky: "careful, careful".

PS Clear desire of modern managers is "little blood" to give your company as if the historical continuity already in the XIX century. But, I must admit that "a little blood" to do this failed – it looks like this replica of a completely different car-extremely inappropriate (or rather inappropriate its name with a claim to "historicity"). As the opposite of a good example, recall, created for the 100th anniversary of the First Russian car magazine "Auto review" quite authentic replica "of the Car Yakovlev and Frese sample of 1896". Only such a serious approach and to recognize the truly historical and Patriotic. I'm not against electric vehicles and Golf cars, as well as electrorepair – they are the future, but to treat the memory of the ancestors we must still carefully and respectfully.

A couple of years later, I. V. Romanov, and created the first Russian electric bus

P. P. S. it is interesting to compare the characteristics of electrocare Romanov and his current "reincarnation". So, a lot of electrocare 1899 was 750 kg, of which 370 kg had on the battery charge which is enough for 60 km at a speed of 35 miles per hour (about 39 km/h). A year later, by the way, was created and rechargeable omnibus carrying 17 people with the speed of 20 km/h over a distance of 60 km I. V. Romanov wanted to run in the capital Saint-Petersburg the regular movement of the 80 buses (which required no less then half a million gold rubles), but could not overcome the lobby of the then owners of horse-drawn trams and horse carting, and in the absence of state support, his business went bankrupt, and the engineer of the Novels has shifted to other areas of electrical engineering.

A great attraction in retro style – well, where else can you hold out for the "cow's tail" instead of the usual bagels?

The current "Retro Kar Romanova" (referred to on the website of the company also "retro golfcart") has a 3 kW electric motor, which accelerates it to 29 km/h, the range of the vehicle weight 500 kg up to 40 km, the body is made of fiberglass and steel. Charging is from the mains with a voltage of 220V. The firm also offers stylized Ford Model T Chinese electric car Yatian GMDL5 with 100-kilometer range and a stylized car 1930s Golf cars brand Voltus, and underscores the invalidity of the claims "Retro Kara Romanov," on the similarity with the real electroceram I. Romanov.

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