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| RUSKA |
Type |
Info |
 |
| B1 |
| |
| |
| VW |
| Short |
| Basic |
| 2
seats |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
| BUGATTI |
| |
| |
| VW |
| |
| Replica |
| 2
seats |
|
|
 |
| REGINA |
| |
| |
| VW |
| Long |
| Replica |
| 2 seats |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
| JUBILEUM BUGGY |
| |
| |
| VW |
| Short |
| Basic |
| 2
seats |
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
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After WW-II Mr. Arie Ruska Sr.
earned his money with restoring cars. At that time new wasn't for sale yet. In
the early sixties, former neighbor and friend, Paul Huf, the best known Dutch
photographer, came to him with the request to build a fun car like the ones he
had seen in America. And this is how the first Ruska buggy was born. It took Mr.
Arie Ruska Sr. a year to finish the first copy but right from the beginning it
became a tremendous success. Other people saw the result and wanted to have such
a fun car too.
Those cars were constructed on a Volkswagen-chassis and ditto engine. The bright
colored vehicle attracted a lot of attention in no time, and to their own
stupefaction the Ruska's got more and more orders to build buggies. From a few
copies in the first year, the annual production grew up to 250 - 300 cars in the
seventies. The number of models grew up to ten. But in spite of the numerous new
looks, the reliable Volkswagen engine, the VW-chassis and the use of fiberglass
for the bodywork, remained.
Soon after the
first model war released, new models followed, some of them designed by Ruska
Sr. himself. Once a new model was finished, they made a wooden molding in which
they poured the fiberglass body. The pouring - because of the smell - was done
outside the city. Ruska also made replicas of other famous cars. The Ruska
Buggatti was a replica of the famous Italian 12-cylinder and the Ruska Regina
was a little brother of the Morgan. Also kits were sold. Once in a while a
shipload of stripped VW-Beetles was delivered. The chassis were sandblasted, and
shortened depending on the model they wanted to produce. The engine got
overhauled and the fiberglass body got tailored to fit. Al the work was done
manually. For this reason the Ruska company was also referred to as the "last
car builder of the Netherlands".
For years and
years, Ms Christina Ruska was the leading lady behind the company. Her
enthusiasm, kindness and business insight were known everywhere. That's how she
got her nickname: Christine the buggy Queen
!
Arie RUSKA
RUSKA AUTOMOBIELEN
Lauriergracht 115-127
Amsterdam
Nederland
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