Screen & Culture

DARTZ in China: Lunar-Year Cars and a Badge of 55 Diamonds

By DARTZ Editorial · 22 October 2026

DARTZ entered the Chinese market in 2011. It has marked lunar years with its cars: the Black Dragon Pullman of 2012, built for China only, the Black Snake 2K13 for the Year of the Snake, the White Horse for the Year of the Horse, the orange Black Alligator Black Tiger for 2022 and the Black Dragon CLV with a special Chinese version for 2024. Cars sold in China carry a gold DARTZ badge set with 55 diamonds.

When DARTZ went to China, it did not bring a catalogue. It brought the calendar.

2011: a new market

DARTZ entered the Chinese market in 2011. In its own words, DARTZ became the car for those who already have everything but want to escape the crowd, and the hardest small-batch car in China to copy. Cars sold in China carry their own mark: a gold DARTZ badge set with 55 diamonds, used on no other market.

A gold DARTZ emblem in a red lacquered presentation box

DARTZ also finds an older link. More than a hundred years ago, it says, the Russo-Chinese Bank held shares in the Russo-Baltic works it descends from.

A car for the year

Since then DARTZ has marked the lunar years with its cars, though not every one. It is not sure, it says, that anyone would drive a car named after a Green Rat or a Blue Monkey.

Year	Car
2012, Dragon	Black Dragon: a Pullman saloon for China only, in at least twelve cars
2013, Snake	Black Snake 2K13: gold leaf textured like snakeskin
2014, Horse	White Horse, made for the Year of the Horse
2022, Tiger	Black Alligator Black Tiger Lunar Year Edition, in orange and black
2024, Dragon	Black Dragon CLV, with a special Chinese version

Gold DARTZ Prombron’ in a Chinese showroom hung with red lanterns

On the stage

DARTZ has shown its cars at motor shows in China, with a full reveal: red silk, stage smoke and a champagne-gold Prombron’ under the lights.

Stage smoke and red silk as the DARTZ Prombron’ is unveiled

Beyond China

The lunar-year cars travelled. DARTZ says they can be seen in Vietnam, Myanmar and elsewhere in South-East Asia, and even in Europe; that a collector in Myanmar owns every DARTZ model; and that a personal Dictator Aladeen car lives in Vietnam. Its message to other markets was simple: some people elsewhere love orange and black cars too. Maybe it is your year.

The DARTZ Prombron’ Black Alligator Black Tiger edition in orange and black

About DARTZ

DARTZ is a Riga carrosserie that builds bespoke, opulent vehicles, armoured or non-armoured, in strictly limited numbers. It calls them BONDs: Bespoke Opulent Noble Drives.

Its heritage runs back to the Russo-Baltic Wagon Factory (RBVZ), founded in Riga in 1869, whose automobile department built its first car in 1909. Leonard F. Yankelovich revived that heritage as DARTZ in 1988. The group, DARTZ Grupa OÜ, is registered in Tallinn, Estonia.

Its Prombron’ models, from the Iron Diamond and Black Dragon to the Black Shark, Black Alligator and Black Stallion, have been covered by Top Gear, Forbes, Robb Report and Fox News, among many others.

Questions we are asked

When did DARTZ enter China?

In 2011, according to DARTZ.

Which DARTZ cars were made for China?

The Black Dragon of 2012, sold in China only, the Black Snake 2K13, the White Horse, the Black Alligator Black Tiger Lunar Year Edition and a special Chinese version of the Black Dragon CLV.

Do Chinese DARTZ cars have a different badge?

Yes. DARTZ says the gold DARTZ logo set with 55 diamonds is used only on cars sold in China.

Does DARTZ build a car for every lunar year?

Not every one. As DARTZ puts it, it is not sure anyone would drive a car named after a Green Rat or a Blue Monkey.

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