Riga, since 1869
The DARTZ Black Book
The written record of the world's oldest carrosserie: the Prombron’ models and their specifications, the Russo-Baltic heritage behind them, the films and games they starred in, and the people who commissioned them. Written by DARTZ, from Riga.
The Models
DARTZ Pullman Shere Khan: A Tiger-Faced Pullman for a Hotel GroupDARTZ never meant to build a van. Then a hotel group asked. The Pullman Shere Khan: a Mercedes V-Class with a tiger grille, Maybach seats and old-money manners.
DARTZ Iron Diamond CLV: The Legend Returns in Full CarbonCreated for DARTZ's 155th anniversary: the Iron Diamond reborn with a full carbon body on the Urus platform, armoured or not. What the CLV is and why it matters.
DARTZ Black Alligator: 1,001 Diamonds, Up to 1,600 bhp and a TigerA gold prototype, 1,001 black diamonds in the lacquer, tunes up to 1,600 bhp and an orange Black Tiger for China. The DARTZ Prombron’ Black Alligator, explained.
DARTZ Black Stallion: From Film Car to the DARTZ FlagshipBorn as a film car on a Hummer H2 drivetrain, now the Black Stallion CLV on a GMT 825 frame with a GBOL body. Every edition of the DARTZ flagship, explained.
DARTZ Drive Hard 6x6: The Die Hard MRAP Made RealAfter helping build the MRAP stunt truck for A Good Day to Die Hard, DARTZ built a six-wheeled G63 AMG for a private client: the Drive Hard 6x6, with 1,019 hp.
DARTZ Black Shark: 1,500 bhp, B7 Armour and a Rotating GrilleRevealed in October 2014: a Kevlar and titanium Prombron’ on the GL 63 AMG, up to 1,500 bhp, armour up to B7, and the face that later appeared on GTA's Nightshark.
DARTZ Black Snake 2K13: Gold Leaf for the Year of the SnakeA bonnet in gold leaf textured like snakeskin, a snakewood dashboard and a diamond mascot. The DARTZ Prombron’ Black Snake 2K13, built for China's Year of the Snake.
DARTZ Black Dragon: The Pullman Built for China, and Its CLV ReturnTwelve cars for China in 2012, with three doors on one side and a jewelled dragon on the grille. Then, for the Year of the Dragon, the Black Dragon CLV. The full story.
Every DARTZ Prombron’ Explained: The Complete Model GuideEvery DARTZ ever built, from the 1993 VW Froggy to the Black Zeppelin MMXXV: current lines, past Prombron’ editions, one-offs and FreZe EVs, with photos.
Heritage
Adolphe Kégresse and the Half-Track That Began on a Russo-BaltThe Tsar's chauffeur wanted his cars to cross deep snow. His rubber-belt track was tested on a Russo-Balt, patented in 1913 and later built by the tens of thousands.
The Vezdekhod: Riga's 1915 Contender for the World's First TankIn 1915 a young aircraft designer built a tracked armoured vehicle in the Russo-Baltic workshops in Riga. Was the Vezdekhod the first tank? The story, and the debate.
The Monte Carlo Rally: A Short History Since 1911How a prince's idea of 1911 became the world's most famous rally: the drive to Monaco from across Europe, the Col de Turini, and the Russo-Balt that came from Riga.
André Nágel and the 1912 Monte Carlo Rally: 3,257 km in WinterA Russo-Balt left St Petersburg on 31 December 1911, crossed 3,257 km of winter in an open car and reached Monaco first. The story of the racer on the DARTZ crest.
Igor Sikorsky at the Russo-Baltic Works: The First Four-Engine PlaneBefore the helicopter, Igor Sikorsky ran the Russo-Baltic works' aviation department and built the world's first four-engine aircraft. How his name lives on at DARTZ.
Russo-Balt: The Cars of the Russo-Baltic Wagon Factory, 1909 to 1915About 625 cars built in Riga from 1909 to 1915, a Royal Court warrant, the Monte Carlo Rally and armoured cars: the story of the Russo-Balt, the car DARTZ descends from.
A Short History of the Armoured Car, from 1902 to RigaThe armoured car began in 1902 with two machines, one in London and one in Brussels. Follow its road through the Riga works that became the DARTZ heritage.
DARTZ Before the Prombron’: The Early Years, 1988 to 1999An armoured cash-in-transit van, a Beetle with a television, a beach buggy with a calf's skull and a giant called SpaceBaller. What DARTZ built before 2008.
Is DARTZ Latvian or Russian? Riga, Tallinn and a Heritage from 1869DARTZ is a Riga carrosserie, owned by DARTZ Grupa OÜ in Tallinn. Its heritage goes back to the Russo-Baltic works of 1869. Here is how the pieces fit together.
Who Is Leonard F. Yankelovich? The Founder of DARTZGreat-grandson of a Russo-Baltic shareholder, founder of DARTZ in 1988, Responsible For Everything and a Supreme Leader who doesn't drive. In his own words.
The Spirit of Victors: The Story Behind the DARTZ Skull CrestWhy a winged skull? The DARTZ crest carries the faces of Igor Sikorsky and André Nágel, a military symbol of bravery, and Riga's Art Deco. And in 2022, the Z came off.
What Does DARTZ Stand For? The Story Behind the NameDARTZ stands for D.A.R., Tank and Zavod: a 1908 Riga name revived in 1988. Here's the story behind DARTZ, Prombron’ and the BOND, from the carmaker itself.
Screen & Culture
What Is Real Caviar? Sturgeon, CITES and How to Read the LabelOnly sturgeon roe is caviar. Why every tin crosses borders with a CITES permit, what the code on the label means, and why sturgeon are the world's most threatened fish.
The Picassian Sliced Grille: How DARTZ Reinvented the Radiator GrilleA grille cut with a ruler and a circular cutter, with two faces hidden in its slats and 24-carat gold leaf on top. The story of DARTZ's Picassian Sliced Art Deco grille.
Art Deco Car Design: Speed, Chrome and Sculpture, 1925 to 1940Glass mascots, waterfall grilles and teardrop wings: how Art Deco shaped the cars of the 1920s and 1930s, from Lalique and Cord to Bugatti, and where it lives on today.
The Maharajas and Their Motor Cars: India's Golden Age of BespokeJewelled dashboards, saffron paint and crests etched in glass: how India's princes became the world's great patrons of the bespoke motor car, from 1908 to the 1940s.
The Popemobile: A Short History of the Pope's CarFrom a Mercedes Nürburg with a throne-like seat to a glass-cased G-Class and an electric car for the Jubilee: the history of the popemobile, and why it was armoured.
The Beast and Before: A History of the US Presidential LimousineFrom Taft's steam car to the Sunshine Special, the bubble-top Lincoln and today's Cadillac known as The Beast: how America's presidential car became armored.- DARTZ in America: The Black Stallion in the United StatesA film car sold at Barrett-Jackson, a Black Stallion Type C in Los Angeles and orders through DARTZ's US website: DARTZ in America, in Igor Sikorsky's footsteps.
Hongqi, the Red Flag: The Story of China's State LimousineFrom the first CA72 of 1958 to the parade cars of today: the history of Hongqi, the Red Flag, China's oldest car brand and the limousine of its state.- Why China Loves Long-Wheelbase Cars: The Story of the LA6L, 5 Li, E-Class L: why so many cars sold in China are stretched, what the L badge means, and how the rear seat became the most important seat in the car.
Chinese Zodiac Cars: Why Carmakers Celebrate the Lunar New YearDragons in the headliner, horses in the marquetry: why Rolls-Royce, DARTZ and others build special cars for the Chinese zodiac, and which animal comes next.
DARTZ in China: Lunar-Year Cars and a Badge of 55 DiamondsSince 2011 DARTZ has built for China: the Black Dragon, Black Snake, White Horse and orange Black Tiger, with a gold badge of 55 diamonds for Chinese cars only.
The Whale Leather Story: The Monaco Red Diamond and Pamela AndersonIn 2009 one interior option made DARTZ world-famous. What the Monaco Red Diamond really was, where the leather came from, and how DARTZ answered Pamela Anderson.
The Dictator's Golden DARTZ: The Aladeen Cars, 2011 to MMXXIIThree golden DARTZ cars reached Seville in August 2011 to become Admiral General Aladeen's motorcade. Ten years later came ten more: the Aladeen Edition MMXXII.
DARTZ on Screen: The Cars Behind The Dictator, Die Hard and MoreFrom a gold fleet for The Dictator to the MRAP in A Good Day to Die Hard and a villain's car for The November Man: the DARTZ Movie Vehicle Department's work.
DARTZ Nightshark VI: The Real HVY Nightshark for GTA VI WeekThe DARTZ Nightshark VI is the real HVY Nightshark: a seven-figure armoured one-off with a fighter-jet ejector seat, to be revealed in Miami in GTA VI week.
Why DARTZ Says Opulence, Not Luxury: The Philosophy Behind ItLuxury is a word you can buy in a supermarket, says the DARTZ founder. Gold-plated buttons, engraved screws and the philosophy of opulence, in his own words.
The DARTZ Code: The Rules Written in the DARTZ Black Book ⒹNo SUVs, no projects, no copyright, no eco leather, and a Supreme Leader who doesn't drive. The rules DARTZ lives by, from its own Black Book Ⓓ.
Guides
- Bulletproof Cars in India: Rules, Standards and Who Uses ThemCan you own a bulletproof car in India? What Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act says, the draft AIS-194 standard, MHA specifications and the PM's armoured car.
Are Armored Cars Legal in the US? What Owners Should KnowCan a private citizen own a bulletproof car in the United States? What federal safety law says about armoring, how body armor rules differ, and what to check.
Armoured Cars in Europe: Standards, Testing and Type ApprovalHow Europe defines, tests and approves armoured cars: the EU's special-purpose category SB, the EN 1063 and VPAM standards, and Germany's proof houses.- What Is a Cash-in-Transit Vehicle? The Armoured Van ExplainedFrom stagecoach treasure wagons to today's armoured vans: how cash-in-transit vehicles are built, who crews them, and how DARTZ began with one in Riga in 1988.
Run-Flat Tyres Explained: How Armoured Cars Keep MovingSelf-supporting, self-sealing or insert: the three kinds of run-flat tyre, how far they go when flat, and why armoured cars rely on a ring inside the wheel.
Anti-Drone Protection for Cars: The DARTZ Drone Protection StandardThe threat is no longer only the man with a gun. DARTZ's Drone Protection Standard sets three families of classes, JD, JAD and SCOUT, for protecting a car from drones.
Can DARTZ Armour My Own Car? Prêt-à-Porter Blindée ExplainedBesides its own BONDs, DARTZ armours other cars. Its Prêt-à-Porter Blindée service offers GBOL armour for any car. What that means, and what to ask first.
Armoured Car Glossary: BR, VR, STANAG, GBOL and the DARTZ VocabularyFrom BR6 and VR7 to STANAG, run-flat and electrochromic glass, plus the words only DARTZ uses: BOND, Prombron’, CLV, GBOL, WarBones and Stallion Force.- Armoured or Non-Armoured? How to Choose Your DARTZEvery DARTZ can be built armoured or not. Here are the questions that decide it: the threat, the visibility, the weight, and what to ask any armouring builder.
- How an Armoured Car Is Built: Steel, Ceramic, Fibre and GlassFrom ballistic steel and ceramic to aramid fibre and laminated glass: how an armoured car is engineered, and why DARTZ builds its BONDs on carbon and Kevlar.
Armoured Car Protection Levels Explained: BR, VR and STANAGWhat B4, B6 and B7 really mean: the EN 1063 BR classes, the VPAM VR classes for whole vehicles and NATO's STANAG 4569, with the round behind every level.
How to Commission a DARTZ: From First Enquiry to DeliveryNo dealers, no brochure, no configurator. How a DARTZ is ordered: the enquiry, the private consultation, the armour, the cabin, and what comes with the car.
What Is GBOL? DARTZ's Armour Technology, in DARTZ's WordsDARTZ says its GBOL technology lets an armoured car weigh about as much as the car it started from. What DARTZ has said about GBOL, and which cars use it.
What Is a BOND? Why DARTZ Doesn't Build SUVsBOND stands for Bespoke Opulent Noble Drive. Why DARTZ refuses the word SUV, what each letter means, and how a BOND differs from anything a dealer can sell.