Photo credit: Ivan Barantsev

The exhibition, called "The First Motors of Russia" and designed in the style of the 1913 St. Petersburg Motor Show, featured more than 30 unique cars formerly serving the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II, who had the most numerous car fleet among European monarchs.

During the exhibition, which marked the anniversary of the Kremlin Garage, the RAF Classic Cars Committee held an expanded meeting to discuss the issues of import, registration and operating of classic cars in Russia.

In the royal garage all the best were present. Nicholas II's favorites were luxury French cars of Delaunay-Belleville brand - the most advanced and most powerful ones at that time, featuring characteristic cylindrical hoods. Imperial cars provided options inconceivable for other cars of those years such as folding footsteps-stears, heated floor, electric lighting of the interior, windows louvers. Specially, to allow Nicholas II to keep standing position in full growth in the cabin a glass gallery was fitted on the roof of one of the limousines.

Nicolas II kept his affection to the French brand Delaunay-Belleville until the revolution - even Mercedes and Rolls-Royce cars in His Own Majesty's garage were in second place, although they were listed as "imperial" ones. Also in this category were landola and limousines Peugeot and Renault - then their model line included also cars of the highest class, worthy to carry the Russian autocrat and members of his family.

By 1917, His Imperial Majesty's Own Garage included more than fifty cars, not only Imperial, Suite and courier, but also trucks and buses, as well as such wonders as a autotrain with trailer carriages and tracked snow motorsled fitted with skis. After revolution, the garage was nationalized, and the royal cars became the property of the republic.