THE SPIRIT
THE SPIRIT OF VICTORS
THE SPIRIT OF HERITAGE
THE SPIRIT OF HERITAGE
THE SPIRIT OF HERITAGE
THE SPIRIT OF HERITAGE
THE SPIRIT OF HERITAGE
THE SPIRIT OF ALADEEN
THE SPIRIT OF HERITAGE
THE SPIRIT OF ALADEEN
THE SPIRIT OF VICTORS - DARTZ BRAND IDENTITY
IGOR SIKORSKY & ANDRÉ NÁGEL - VICTORS ON LAND & IN THE SKIES
Our Brand Identity is shaken, but not stirred. Iconic images of two world legends, two Victors - and two RBVZ employees - Igor Sikorsky, Head of the Aeronautical Department, and André Nágel, RBVZ Press Attaché and Chief of the Racing Tests Department. Both began their journey to fame and victories at RBVZ, and both helped make RBVZ famous: Igor Sikorsky in the skies, André Nágel on the land. Their stories and histories deserved books and movies - and they got exactly what they deserved. We are about DARTZ Brand Identity, inspired not only by their Spirit but also literally drawn from their iconic images, with a subtle fleur of Riga’s Art Deco.
SPIRIT TAKES FORM
This almost-mystic story began, as such stories must, on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1911, when the brave RBVZ driver André Nágel, with co-pilot Milkhailoff, started his journey to victory in the Monte Carlo Rally…1912. And that’s not a misprint - this was one of their still-unbeatable results: the Rally of the next year started in the previous year.
As RBVZ cars had earned the marque of The Royal Court Supplier, the hood of his car was decorated with the Russian Imperial Eagle. On January 1, when Nágel returned to Riga, RBVZ engineers presented him with a personally created mascot, which you can see in the image.
We cannot confirm what exactly inspired them to create the mascot - the newly opened Aeronautical Department of RBVZ in 1911, or Nágel’s participation in the Rally - but we can show the image and tell the story. Nágel received the present, loved the mascot, but… he represented not only the factory, but the entire Russian Empire, and the Imperial Eagle - just like the Russian flag - was a must-have on this car.
So we can consider 1911/1912 as the birthday of the Spirit of Victors, in every sense of the word.
The RBVZ car came first in the Monte Carlo Rally of 1912, driving through nearly minus thirty degrees Celsius, with snow over the axle level - and only a fabric roof.
Only the pure military spirit that RBVZ workers gave racers in Riga, mixed with the clean Alpine snow and the Spirit of Victors, helped our brave drivers survive and reach the finish first.
Later, after replacing the “spirit” with Cognac, sipping it in Monaco, Nágel made a funny drawing, signing it in French: “L’Esprit de Victors.”
.....BUT THAT’S NOT THE WHOLE STORY — HERE’S WHY THE SKULL.
As our factory’s history is deeply connected to the military industry - from armored trains and cars to the world’s first four-engine bomber, created by Igor Sikorsky, and even to the world’s first tank.
For military people, the skull and bones have always been symbols of bravery and immortality. Not many know that the skull is the only bone that never rots - that’s why archaeologists find far more skulls than ribs.
That’s why soldiers facing death were drawing skulls and bones on their armored cars and airplanes, and using them as regiment symbols.
So our choice of symbol is not just “one more skull in a helmet” - that’s bravery, immortality, that’s our Spirit and DNA. And it’s our tribute to the Victors and to our military heritage.
This is the story behind one of the most unique company brand identities - an identity that may look random and common, but that’s only visual.
And last but not least - we are from Riga, the capital of Art Deco style. That’s why we decided to create our brand identity in Art Deco style - to give one more nod to our past, our present, and our future.
Our immortality is infinite - and that’s been proven through decades of fights, rises and falls, triumphs and losses.
THE SPIRIT OF VICTORS - ANCHORED IN HERITAGE. IMMORTAL ∞
THE SPIRIT OF ALADEEN - DARTZ SOUL IDENTITY
ALADEEN HOLLYWOOD - OPULENCE UNHINGED, FLAIR WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
The romance between DARTZ and Hollywood started a decade before The Dictator, but we can count that The Dictator movie put DARTZ on a new level, while also setting a new trend in the car world - golden cars. Sheikhs, rappers, and just boyracers have no idea that it all started with Aladeen. Golden cars became a symbol of opulence, jumping out of their pants and screaming, “I am RICHER!!!” These golden cars are connected with another symbol -The Dictator hood ornament, The Spirit of Aladeen, which reflects the DARTZ soul in its best, literally naked-truth form.