2 December 2010

Cutii de chibrituri cu tema auto, anii 60 / 1960s motor-themed matchboxes

Anii 60 a fost deceniul cand romanii au (re-)descpoerit automobilul. Daca in 1961 numai cam 1000 de vehicule au sosit in tara, inclusiv vehicule de marfa, masini "second" si vehicule cumparate de stat, figura a crescut la 2,306 de masini nou noute in 1963 si peste 18,000 in 1969. Daca in 1960, in provincie mai ales, masina particulara era o chestie extrem de rara, la sfarsitul deceniului devenise destul de normal sa ai cel putin o ruda cu masina.

Desigur, cresterea vertiginoasa al automobilsmului a insemnat ca strada nu mai era loc pentru joc: masina devenise un pericol. Iar cine era sofer, nu trebuia numai sa se fereasca de copii si de alte masini: intotdeauna era riscul ca masina sa il lase in drum si sa fie nevoiet sa cheme ACR-ul! Aceste doua poze arata cutii de chibrituri din perioada 1968 - 1970. Amandoua teme ies in evidenta. Asa mod de reclama pur si simpul nu ar fi fost necesar cu zece ani mai devreme...




The Sixties was the period when Romania (re-)discovered the car as a means of personal transport. Whereas in 1961, around 1,000 vehicles were imported, including commercial vehicles and those imported by the state, in 1963 2,306 private buyers bought new cars, a figure which was to rise to over 18,000 by 1969. If in 1960, especially in the provinces, a private car was a rarity which would attract the whole town's attendion, by the end of the decade it was quite normal for at least one member of the family to own their own car.

Of course, the vertiginous rise in car ownership bought with it changes in culture. Road safety became a big thing: the street was no longer a playground, and the car became a new and frequent danger. And, if you were the driver, you didn't just have to watch out for children or other cars: breakdowns became a common occurrence for the average Romanian. These two pictures show matchboxes from the era which took the opportunity to address both themes. It would have been incredible for this form of advertising to exist in Romania a decade previously...

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