Masinile Bucurestilor, in pozele lui Hedy Loffler / The cars of Bucharest in the photos of Hedy Loffler

In anii 50 pana in anii 70, erau in mare voga carti foto cu diferite aspecte ale Romaniei, fotografiate artistic. Printre ultimele publicate a fost albumul Bucurest (1984), de Hedy Loffler. Fotografa a incercat cat mai posibil sa treaca peste atmosfera funesta a anilor 80. In mare masura a reusit, desi cartea nu s-a vandut in multe exemplare si astazi nu se gaseste foarte des. Masinile surprinse in carte sunt in ton cu timpul - adica foarte multe Dacii 1300, dar si cateva surprize...

From the 1950s till the 1970s, photo books showing artistic images of Romania were very fashionable. One of the last to be published was Bucharest (1984), by Hedy Loffler. She tried hard to overcome the sombre atmosphere of the 1980s, and was at least partially successful, although few copies of the book were sold and today it's quite rare. The cars in the images are of their era - that is, a great deal of Dacia 1300s, but with a few surprises among them too...

Mercedes W114

Opel Kapitan

Masinile turistilor yugoslavi / Yugoslavian tourists' cars

Ford Capri, proprietar strain / Ford Capri owned by a foreign resident

VW Broscuta, proprietar cetatean strain / VW Beetle owned by a foreign resident

Mercedes rent-a-car in ultimul an de folosinta / Mercedes rent-a-car in its last year of use

Simca

Dacia Estafette

Dacia Estafette

Dacia 1301

VW Golf, la Intercontinental

Un Fiat 1100 timpuriu / An early Fiat 1100

Plinata Comturist, 1983 / Comturist dollar shop brochure, 1983

Ceva inedit: o plianta Comturist din 1983, aratand ce se putea cumpara pe valuta. Clintela ar fi fost extrem de limitata insa era mai mult vorba de straini locuind in Romania (unii chiar cumparau Dacii in anii 80). Contine imagini rarisime cu prototipul Dacia Sport, prototipul Dacia 1420, si prima generatie de ARO 24.

Referitor la preturi,  aflam ca "la 19 mai 1989, Nicolae Ceauşescu a aprobat o ajustare a preţurilor de vânzare a autoturismelor româneşti în străinătate. Liderul P.C.R. a primit, în acest sens, de la Ministerul Industriei Constructoare de Maşini, un raport cu următoarele propuneri de preţ: „Dacia 1310” şi „Dacia 1410” – 2.600 de dolari; „Dacia 1320” – 3.150 de dolari; „Dacia” break – 2.800 de dolari; „Dacia” camionetă – 2.875 de dolari; „Oltcit” – 2.700 de dolari; „Aro 10” – 3.825 de dolari; „Aro 24” Diesel – 5.000 de dolari; „Aro 24” cu motor tip Otto – 4.300 de dolari; colecţie CKD „Dacia” – 2.450 de dolari; colecţie CKD „Aro” – 2.900 de dolari". Desi Oltcitul la 4,000 dolari in 1983 pare foarte ridicat, valoarea dolarului se schimbase foarte mult intre timp.

Something not seen before: a Comtourist dollar shop brochure from 1983, showing what Western currency could buy you. The clientele would have been very limited, but was largely foreign nationals living in Romania (some of whom did indeed buy Dacias in the 1980s). It contains very rare images of the prototype Dacia Sport, the prototype Dacia 1420, and the first series of ARO 24.

Pe bulevard in 1965 / On the boulevard in 1965

Recent, pagina Facebook "Bucurestiul in imagini" a publicat niste fotografii exceptional de interesante aratand file din istoria capitalei. Aceasta poza arata bulevardul Magheru in vara anului 1965. E minunat de detaliata, si surprinde cateva masini destul de interesante...

Mentionam: taxi Volga; Moskvich 402 si 403, si ce pare a fi sau un break sau o dubita, variante de care nu auzisem in Romania; un Nash antebelic; Volvo Amazon; Mercedes Heckflosse, cu numere nemtesti; o Lancia Flavia din Italia; dubite TV-4 si 41; Pobeda pick-up; si primele Fiaturi 850, proaspat importate ca un semn a dezrusificarii. Iar bulevardul arata frumos, curat, ingrijit, civilizat, nu ca astazi...

Recently, the Facebook page "Bucharest in images" has published some wonderful photos of Bucharest in the old days. This shows the central Magheru boulevard on a summer's day in 1965. It's very detailed, and shows some quite interesting vehicles...

Among which: a Volga taxi; Moskvich 402 and 403, and what seems to be a van or an estate, versions I never thought existed in Romania; a pre-war Nash; Volvo Amazon; a West German-registered Fintail Mercedes; an Italian Lancia Flavia; TV-4 and 41, Romanian-built vans; a Pobeda pick-up; and the first Fiat 850s, recently imported officially in a symbol of de-Russification. And the boulevard itself, too looked neat and well-looked after, in sad contrast to today...