Production of Putin’s favourite car is set to cease by the end of 2026 – media reports
This is reported by the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
Aurus cars: what is known
Aurus was conceived as Russia’s answer to Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Maybach – a luxury car for senior officials and a “symbol of the country’s technological independence”.
Production began in 2018, with plans to produce up to 5,000 cars a year. Instead, in 2024, fewer than 150 cars were assembled in Yelabuga, with another 100 at a different plant.
The new, more affordable version of the Aurus 900, unveiled at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, is based on the Chinese Hongqi H9 model.
Production of Putin’s favourite car will cease by the end of the year, according to media reports. Photo: an Aurus car (kremlin.ru)
Even at a price of 12 million roubles for the basic version – compared to 50 million for the top-of-the-range Senat – there is no demand. The Hongqi H9 itself has sold only around 500 units in Russia up to 2025.
Putin’s armoured car in the Senat version costs 117 million roubles and, due to additional protection, can cost even more.
What next
The plant in Yelabuga (Tatarstan) will close by the end of 2026. The Moscow office in Khimki will be wound up in September. Some staff will be transferred to St Petersburg – to the former Toyota plant in Shushary, where production of the Aurus 900 is planned.
But the St Petersburg project is also in serious doubt: no permanent major partner has been found, there are staffing issues, and demand at such a price is questionable.
Gazprom Tech, a subsidiary of Gazprom that became a co-owner in 2025, is currently attempting to rescue Aurus.
Back in 2025, a rare “Ladoga” combat vehicle, designed for operation in areas of radioactive, chemical or bacteriological contamination, was spotted on the front line, indicating a shortage of conventional equipment.
At the same time, the EU is stepping up pressure on the Russian economy. On 15 June, the European Union adopted a new package of sanctions against the Russian military-industrial complex, the shadow fleet and hybrid networks. The 21st package of sanctions, affecting the energy sector, financial services, trade, cryptocurrency and fisheries, has also recently come into force.
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