Among various car brands, foreign models are often considered the standard, especially in terms of design. However, domestic cars could have been just as good if talented designers had remained in the country. But fate had other plans. Today we will talk about the Russian designer and emigrant Alexey Vladimirovich Sakhnovsky. He was born in 1901 into a well-off family (his father was a financial advisor to Nicholas II) and was fascinated by technology from a young age. After the defeat of Wrangel, Sakhnovsky, like many other refugees, left Russia and settled in Belgium, where he graduated from the School of Arts and Crafts.

In Brussels, he began working for Van Den Plas, a company that specialized in custom car bodies. Alexey Vladimirovich created designs in an innovative aerodynamic style for that time, and his success exceeded all expectations. Soon he began receiving orders from influential clients. Sakhnovsky developed an open hunting car for a Maharaja, a unique style for Rolls-Royce by Adrian Conan Doyle, and a luxurious phaeton for a Belgian prince. However, all these products were exclusive. Our compatriot understood that the future lay in mass production.

Over time, he began collaborating with companies such as Cadillac, Fiat, Isotta Fraschini, Buick, and Packard. All his works were characterized by elegance, grace, and incredible beauty. By the late 1920s, Sakhnovsky had permanently moved to the USA. Many well-known firms sought to acquire him as a valuable specialist. He breathed new life into seemingly forgotten projects. For example, American Austin's compact cars were selling poorly. Sakhnovsky redesigned them, made significant changes, and soon these cars became popular among the middle class.

Interestingly, Alexey Vladimirovich worked not only on civilian cars. He created bodies for trucks, buses, tankers, and once proposed an original design for a military jeep, which we now know as Willys. The great designer passed away in 1964 in Atlanta, USA.