We already know Michael from Moscow, but it seems that there are mote T's (or TT's) over there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWYAewFFjLg
Thanks Michael,
What a great video of a Model T snowmobile in action. I like the end where they show them putting it together. This video was very well done.
Fantastic!
Michael
Do you know how to contact the person that produced this film. I would like to get more information on it also. It would be interesting to find out how it got there and where it was found.
I copied the info.that was with it and will contact a person that lives here,she is from the Ukraine in hopes of some translation.
Bob
T Snow Unit research
Yes, a very good video. I don't understand Russian, but at one point in my life did learn the Cyrillic alphabet. What I find interesting about the caption is that it seems to be, with the exception of one word, transliterated English. It reads "Test-draiv Ford Model T 'gusenichnii' + Bonus." Google Translate tells me that the one Russian word means "crawler." I wish I could understand the spoken part.
Bob, here is what Google Translate gave me for the three lines under "published":
residence http://zenkevich.ru/
owner http://www.utro-russia.ru/
Production Company "TVpro Media"
The first website shown doesn't seem to have an English link. The second one does, and it takes you here:
http://sales.vgtrk.com/en/
If you then click on "Contact, it gives you names, titles, photos and e-mail addresses of nine people. (I do agree, though, that if you have a Ukrainian friend, that would probably shortcut a lot.)
Fascinating video Michael. Thanks for posting that one!!!!
I bet the conversion process took an hour or more. BRRRRRRR.
The producer of the video looks like a Russian car magazine publisher. The trick would be to find the owner of the car.
Jim
Thanks for all the help,will let you know what I find out.
Bob
There are probably one or two hundred Ts in Russia with most being in Moscow; almost all are recent imports from the USA.
Nearly all of these car were imported as 'cultural items' rather than as cars to avoid huge import duties/taxes. This means they cannot be registered for road use.
Model Ts were sold in Imperial Russia (but they did not sell well despite claims to the contrary in the Ford Times magazine). None are known to have survived.
The snowmobile in the video was also on display at the same classic car show as my car. See the videos on the 'News' page of my website and this:
http://oldcars.livejournal.com/355386.html
I met the presenter in the video at the classic car show as well.
Constantine,
It is always wonderful to hear from you and have your commentary added to the discussion.
Thank you!
Do drive carefully, and have a great NEW YEAR! W2
Thanks Constantine
I contacted my friend and his wife will Translation for me and will do any communication that is needed. Your pictures are great, look forward to any book or articles you wright.
Bob
I can't supply any further info than it was a video i simply stumpled upon on Youtube.
But you guys seem to do well anyway :-)
It is a shame that not even one or two of the 4,000 T's ordered by Russia during WW1 have survived.
Dane,
a mystery maybe or misprint? 31 May 1915 (Brisbane Courier, Ford Cars, Sales and Improvements)
have the figure of 40,000 Ford cars had been supplied to the Russian Government.
Dane and Kerry,
It's true that the Russian government prior to the revolution did buy a number of Fords for the military, but people who has researched the topic looking at the Russian archives have found the number be in the dozens not thousands. If 40000 or even 4000 Ts were imported you would think a few would have survived. Also where are the photos of these thousands of Ts?
The Russian military used Russian made Russo-Balt cars and photos do exist of these. Perhaps they purchased a small number of Ts to make up for a shortfall?
Research actually shows that Russian military purchased more USA made trucks, such as White, than they did Ts.