- Alexander Leutner & Co.
Alexander Leutner & Co. (full name in _ru. "Велосипедная фабрика "Россия" Александра Лейтнера и Ко.", Bicycle Factory "Rossiya" Alexander Leutner & Co.) was the first manufacturer of
bicycles "Latvija 19. gadsimtā: Vēstures apceres" (2000). Riga: LVI apgāds, p. 244. ISBN 998460103X lv icon] andmotorcycle s, and a pioneer ofautomobile s, in theRussian Empire . The company was based inRiga .Company history
The company was originally founded in 1886 by the
Baltic German entrepreneur,Alexander Leutner (1864–1923). cite book |title=The Tsar's Loyal Germans:The Riga German Community—Social Change and the Nationality Question, 1855–1905 |last=Henriksson |first=Anders |year=1983 |publisher=East European Monographs |location=Boulder, CO |isbn=0880330201 |pages=p. 119 ] In 1896http://www.rcforum.ru/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=1438&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=525 ru icon] or 1897 it became the limited liability company Alexander Leutner & Co., with stocks being held by Leutner, two Riga German merchants, and three professors from theRiga Polytechnicum .In time, A. Leutner & Co. grew to be not only the largest bicycle manufacturer in Riga, but also in all of the Russian Empire. In 1907 its annual production was 5,000 bicycles. ["20. gadsimta Latvijas vēsture" (2000), v. 1 (1900–1918). Riga: LVI apgāds, p. 523. ISBN 9984601382 lv icon]
The company had 130 employees, who were subjected to Taylorist management methods in order to increase productivity. [cite book |title=Latvijas rūpniecības strādnieku dzīves līmenis 1900–1914 |last=Bērziņš |first=Jānis |year=1997 |language=Latvian |publisher=LVI apgāds |location=Riga |isbn=9984601366 |pages=pp. 42–3 ]
In 1915, during
World War I , the Leutner factory was evacuated toKharkiv in theUkraine , to protect it from falling into the hands of the invadingImperial German Army .Production
A. Leutner & Co. produced bicycles under the brand name "
Rossiya ", and "Rossiya/Fafnir"motorised bicycle s and motorcycles.By 1907, the company was producing a range of automobiles, and its first
truck rolled off the assembly line in 1912.The company also manufactured firearms.
References
Further reading
*Dupouy A. "L'automobile en Russie jusqu'en 1917". Grenoble, 1989. fr icon
*Liepiņš E. "Automobīļa vēstures lappuses". Rīga, 1983. lv icon
*Liepiņš E. "Rīgas auto". Rīga, 1997. lv icon
*Венде В. "От первого автомобиля до последнего извозчика". Таллин, 1990. ru icon
*Дубовской В.И. "Автомобили и мотоциклы в России 1896 - 1917 гг." Москва, 1994. ru icon
*Иванов А.П. "Из истории техники Латвийской ССР". Рига, 1960. ru icon
*Шугуров Л.М., Ширшов В.П. "Автомобили страны Советов". Москва, 1983. ru icon
*Шугуров Л.М. "Автомобили России и СССР". Москва, 1993. ru iconSee also
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Russo-Balt External links
* http://www.kurlandround.lv/inspiration.htm
* http://www.old-velo.ru/ros.shtml ru icon
* http://www.rcforum.ru/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=1438&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=525 ru icon
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