There could be a sensational return to the list of a brand of the past, in that of the Russian market abandoned by European and international brands. With the war in Ukraine, the car market in the country led by Vladimir Putin is experiencing a total regression, with the abandonment of Renault which is certainly the biggest news from February to today. The city of Moscow, which has obtained the Renault production plant located in the capital for free, could bring the brand back to light Moskvichwhich we have talked about in the past as a ‘lost builder’.
The indiscretion, reported by Automotive Newsis based on the words of the mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin. According to the Russian politician, the nationalization of the factory is only the latest chapter in a long and glorious history; and in this case he does not speak of Renault, but of Moskvich himself.
Sobyanin wrote on his blog that “Renault had every right to close the factory“, But that the city of Moscow cannot allow”thousands of workers are left on foot“. The return of the brand is expected as early as 2022, according to the mayor of the Russian capital.
It will be a real return to the past, but unlike what Sobyanin claims, the story of Moskvich is not exactly glorious and above all it had not ended recently. In the logic of the rampant Russian nationalism, it makes sense to re-propose this brand, whose cars, however, are to be fully included in theSoviet automobile backwardness. Today there are still 200,000 Moskvichs still in circulation or simply registered in the Russian statistical lists; a quarter of them are over 35 years old.
Sobyanin’s hopes could soon crash against the rocks of modernity. Without prejudice to the chance to copy Renault’s design and manufacturing processes, if a new Moskvich ever returns to the market it could take several months if not years to start a project and bring it to completion. Of course, a brand that has been missing for so long will not be immediately attractive to a clientele, the Russian one, who over the years has certainly increased expectations on the quality of vehicles. There is talk of some kind of technological support from the Kamaz truck manufacturerbut even in this case it will not be possible to put a new Moskvich project into motion without even minimal planning.
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