Rolling In Style And Safety

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Russian President Vladimir

Putin made automotive headlines this week by being ferried to the inauguration of his fourth term in the all-new ‘Project Kortezh’ presidential limousine (it looks part Rolls-Royce Phantom/part Chrysler 300C) in lieu of his traditional Mercedes S600 Pullman.

It was red-letter day for the country as Putin’s new state limo is the first locally produced vehicle used to cart around a Russian head of state since 1995, when the Zil-41052 used by Boris Yeltsin and his predecessor Mikhail Gorbachev was turfed in favour of an armoured Mercedes S-Class. Putin is keen to push the made-in Russia message, and the ‘Project Kortezh’ limo is a key to that as it will eventually spawn a range of limousines, sedans and minivans sold under the ‘Aurus’ brand name.