GTC #26 SOLVED: 1954 Bielka/Belka Proposal

[DHoffmann]

One of my favourites and thus a high-res image. 

1 point for the correct answer.

Good luck!

[DHoffmann]

Wondering if any of this second tier lot has seen this before?

[Allemano]

Russian NAMI "Belka" built 1956 in collaboration with URAL and design studio VNIITE.

[DHoffmann]

Russian NAMI "Belka" built 1956 in collaboration with URAL and design studion VNIITE.

I know it as the 'Bielka' proposal from 1954, but a quick search reveals more information that I was not aware of. According to my source 'Bielka' means squirrel in Russian, not sure if that or Belka is the correct spelling. Or perhaps there was a name change at some stage.

Point is yours. 

[Paul Jaray]

This car is the Bielka A-50 'squirrel', from 1956.
Displayed in two styles, a sedan and a utility vehicle, this small car never got much beyond the prototype stage. Planned by the Automobile and Motor Scientific Institute (NAMI) in Moscow, it was to have been manufactured in Sverdlovsk. In this sedan form it was driven by a 2-cylinder, 4-stroke engine giving 22hp at 5,000rpm.

[Ray B.]

[According to my source 'Bielka' means squirrel in Russian, not sure if that or Belka is the correct spelling. Or perhaps there was a name change at some stage.

It's the same word of course, and only a variation of transcription from cyrillic to latin characters. It's pronounced "bielka" in Russian.

[faksta]

Well, it should be pronounced 'belka'... There's no 'i' sound...

[Paul Jaray]

[According to my source 'Bielka' means squirrel in Russian, not sure if that or Belka is the correct spelling. Or perhaps there was a name change at some stage.

It's the same word of course, and only a variation of transcription from cyrillic to latin characters. It's pronounced "bielka" in Russian.

Sorry Ray, it was not my intent to correct you, i just came across this car on a book and felt like write down the info...

[Ray B.]

Sorry Ray, it was not my intent to correct you, i just came across this car on a book and felt like write down the info...

you didn't correct me: if you look above this is my first post here. As for the way it's pronounced,  frankly I don't give a hoot, I just hadn't anything better to do then, but I maintain what I said. It's written белка in Russian, with what is called a "wet" e, like in "yes". If anyone really cares, let's hear some Russian's opinion. Are you Russian, faksta?

[faksta]

Are you Russian, faksta?

Yes, I am  . I don't actually 'really care' about this word, just wrote it for the info.
I've realised that it's rather hard to find an exact analog of this sound in English...it's more about softening 'b' than 'e' - like 'bell', but with softer 'b'.
After all, there's not such a big difference 

[Ray B.]

Are you Russian, faksta?

Yes, I am  .

And I'm not. So I abide. I was merely remembering what my teacher said. But it was 1962 and my teacher had'nt seen Russia since 1917, and consoled himself with lots of home made vodka since...

[Paul Jaray]

Well my source is an Encyclopedia by G.N.Georgano, where the car is listed as Bielka, but He is not russian neither...

[DynaMike]

'Bi' is often used as transcription for a 'softened' B.

[faksta]

Yes, I know  . But still the sound is different 
Ah, it's not a linguistic forum 

[Allan L]

Ah, it's not a linguistic forum 

We native English-speakers have an easy time, really!

[Paul Jaray]

humm......

[faksta]

??!! Where did you find it? 

[Paul Jaray]

Near these...

[faksta]

Well, I couldn't find it, but think it's just a replica, cause it looks much different from the cars on the original photos.

[ImpishGrin]

Not a replica, looks to me like a computer rendering.