O colectie minunata / A wonderful collection

In anii 70 - 80, cand capitala, litoralul si statiunele importante erau des vizitate de turisti, venea si un val secundar de turism: tineri pasionati de masini care vroiau sa vada o expozitie auto in aer liber. Unii pur si simplu se zgaieau, iar altii luau si aparatul foto si imortalizau aceste masini care, mai ales dupa 1975, erau cu totul iesite din peisajul comun.

Unul din acei tineri era dl Catalin Radu, care, prin amabilitate, mi-a trimis niste poze cu totul exceptionale, surprinse la Bucuresti, pe litoral si la Calimanesti, in perioada 1977 - 1982. Unele masini sunt modele relative comune in Romania, in mod special botul de cal, broscuta, si Volvo-ul. Altele - mai ales americanele si Honda - sunt raritati. Preferatele mele sunt Citroenul si, ca proprietar de asa ceva, Saabul. Unele sunt in trecere prin tara iar altele sunt inregistrate in Romania, desi, fapt interesant, nu cu numere de nomenclaturist, si nu necesar numai din Bucuresti.

Tin sa ii multumesc pentru faptul ca mi-a trimis aceasta fascinanta colectie pentru publicatie. Contributii de catre cititori sunt intotdeauna binevenite: multe aspecte fascunante din istoria auto a Romaniei, sunt sigur, inca exista incuiate in vechi albume, sau ascunse printr-un sertar (sau, de ce nu, un garaj ...

In the 1970s and 1980s, when Bucharest, the Black Sea Coast and the main inland resorts were frequently visited by foreigners, there was often a secondary wave of tourists: young Romanians, car enthusiasts, who travelled up to see the open-air motorshow. Some came just to see, while others took photos of these cars which, especially after 1975, were rather different from what you'd see every day.

One of these was a young Catalin Radu, who decided to send me scans of the exceptional pictures he took between 1977 and 1982, in Bucharest, by the seasde and at Calimanesti. Some were relatively common in Romania, for example the Mercedes, VW and Volvo. Others - especially the Americans and the Honda - were extremely unusual. My favourites are the Citroen and, unsurprisingly given that I own one, the SAAB. The cars are a mixture of foreign- and Romanian-registered; interestingly, though, the Romanian ones don't carry nomenklatura plates, and neither are they all from Bucharest.

I'm very grateful for being allowed to publish this fascinating and important collection. Indeed I always welcome contribuitons from readers: I'm sure that, locked away in old albums, or nestling in a drawer (or a garage), many discoveries remain...

SAAB 99 din Cehia

Audi 80

BMW si Polo. Mai exista in acea perioada un Audi 50 in Cluj:

http://volganeagra.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/tuning-anului-1988-tuning-from-1988.html

Chevrolet Impala 1969, masina enorma, si in stare destul de obosita

Mercedes "bot de cal", emblema de bunastarea anilor 70

VW Polo din nou

Ford Gran Torino 1974 / 1975 - varianta sedan a coupe-ului imortalizat in Starsky and Hutch

Dacia "tunata" - de Dambovita

DS de Constanta

Fiat 131

Honda Prelude, aproape nou nouta, proprietatea unui cetatean strain

Opel Manta, silueta sportiva pe langa Dacia 1100

Renault 9 cu numere romanesti

Volvo

Si terminand cu o broscuta in doua culori.