Un prototip Dacia sau o iluzie optica? / A Dacia prototype or an optical illusion?

O carte postala din 1986 cu o Dacie care arata cel putin neobisnuita.

Sa fie o iluzie optica? Sau un prototip papuc, cum e acest exemplar fotografiat in Ardeal in 2011?

A postcard from 1986 with a very unusual-looking Dacia.

Is it an optical illusion? Or a prototype, such as this example, photographed in Transylvania in 2011?

Dat in judecata despre un Aero / Sued over an Aero

In Monitorul Oficial din 1946 se vorbeste despre o disputa intre doi bucuresteni referitor la un Aero decapotabil. Din pacate detaliile sunt neclare iar cine stie ce s-a ales de cei doi participanti. In 1949 aflam ca se nationalizeaza un depou cosmetic la Bucuresti, proprietatea unui Iosif Markovitz, iar in acelasi an se confica si conacul Marcovici de la Budeasa, judetul Arges. De Robert Korn nu am aflat nimic.

In the official Romanian records of 1946 there is a mention of a legal dispute over the sale of a convertible Aero. Sadly, the details are unclear and it is not known what happened to the protagonists. In 1949, a depot of cosmetic goods in Bucharest belonging to a Iosi Markvitz was nationalised; also confiscated that year was the Marovitz estate in Budeasa, Arges. Robert Korn has vanished without trace.

Iar de masina? Greu de spus, dar recunosc ca la capitolul Aero in Romania nu sunt deloc expert! Cert este ca au existat destule (si modelele 30 si 50), si inca mai exista, inclusive fosta masina regala. Mai jos, am adaugat cam toate imaginile pe care le-am salvate cu Aero-uri decapotabile care au existat in Romania. Ar fi foarte frumos daca vreun cititor ar avea mai multe informatii referitor la Aero-ul cu numarul de motor 50157 care a fost, odata, inmatriculat 9728-B. 

 

But what of the car? Difficult to say although others know far more about Aeros in Romania! Certainly there were plenty, both 30 and 50 models being represented on the street. A few survive including the former royal car in Prahova. I have listed below all the photos I have of convertible Aeros which existed in Romania. It would be amazing if a reader would have more information about the Aero with engine number 50157 which was once registered 9728-Bucharest.

 



Astazi B-38-AER, perfect restaurant

50 in 1940

Astazi pe sasiu de VW Beetle (!)

Masina regelui Mihai, astazi la Ploiesti

Cabriolet in Brasov in anii 50

 

 

Un 50, in regiunea Ploiesti in 1958

30. In Bucuresti in 1941

 

50, cu roti si motor de ... Ford T

Alt 50 in 2005

 

O decapotabila misterioasa / A mystery cabriolet (Salmson?)

In orice tara exista masini de lux sau de clasa inalta. Dar adevaratele masini de vis - cele care se vad la Villa d'Este sau Pebble Beach, in marile colectii din lume, sau la licitatii, pentru sume fabuloase - sunt si intotdeauna au fost mult mai rare. Dorinta de a avea ceva si unicat si de calitate este, din pacate, una care numai foarte putini isi permit.

Deci am ramas uimit cand, prin imagini preulate din filmul "Steaua fara nume" (1966), am gasit secvente cu o masina din aceasta clasa. Clar, e un model extrem de luxos, European, de la sfarsitul anilor 30. In plus, nu poarta caroserie de fabrica. Dupa calitatea designului, presupun ca avem de face cu opera unui mare carosier. O mare raritate, in alte cuvinte.

Ce o fi, totusi? M-am gandit la multe variante - Horch 930, Daimler, Lancia Astura - dar din toate variantele, Salmson S4-61 pare cel mai apropiat.

La identificarea carosierului treaba devine si mai complicata. Dupa mine anumite elemente (in mod special parbrizul si forma protbagajului) sunt tipice frantuzesti. Letourneur & Marchand? (Firma folosita de familia regala. Spatele Bugatti-ului de jos arata relative similar.) Franay? Pourtout? Cert nu Figoni & Falaschi care e mult mai ostentativ.

Din nou: ce cauta in Romania? Sa fi existat inainte de razboi? Sa fi venit din parcul regal? Sau sa fi fost trofeu de razboi? Si ce s-ar fi ales de ea?

...Cert este, e un mister interesant!


In any country there are high-end cars. But the true dream cars - those seen at Villa d'Este or Pebble Beach, or in the great collections of the world, or making fabulous sums at auction - those are much rarer. The desire of having something both high-end and unique is sadly one available to very few.

So I was amazed when, in some stills of the film "Star without name" (1966) this car turns up. Clearly, it is a very luxurious European model from the late 1930s. And coachbuilt. From the quality of the design, I would imagine it is from one of the great coachbuilding houses. A real rarity, in other words.

But what could it be? I thought of several possibilities - Horch 930, Daimler, Lancia Astura - and of all of them, the Salmson S4-61 looks closest.

The coachbuilder is equally difficult. Certain aspects of the design (especially the windscreen and the rear treatment) seem to me to be typical French practice. So Letourneur and Marchand (much favoured by the Romanian royals - and with not a dissimilar treatment seen in the Bugatti below)? Franay? Pourtout? Certainly not Figoni and Falaschi who were much more ostentatious.

And what was it doing in Romania? Was it there before the war? Perhaps a former royal car? Or maybe a war trophy? Either way, what happened to it?

Well, it's an interesting mystery...

 

Masinile din "Cantecele Marii" (1970) / The cars from "The Songs of the Sea" (1970)

O gramada de imagini interesante, desi de slaba calitate, preluate din comedia muzicala romano-sovietica "Cantecele Marii", filmat in 1970. Au fost doua versiuni - in limba rusa si in limba romana - cu scene diferite. Inaginile sunt din ambele variante. "Antebelica", care urma a fi accidentata in "Asta seara dansam in familie" (1972), pare a fi home-made utilizand fel de fel de parti. Se vede o foarte rara Dacie 1100 de Militie - ni stiu titusi daca e voba de un 1100S cu patru faruri. Cadillacul 1969 argintiu e o masina destul de celebra in cinematografie romaneasca din anii 70 si 80. Iar cea mai uimitoare masina e Mercedesul SL190. Cu siguranta una din cele mai spectaculoase masini din acei ani, si o raritate absoluta in spatea cortinei de fier.

A heap of interesting though rather poor-quality images taken from the Romanian / USSR musical "The songs of the sea", filmed in 1970. There were two versions, one in Russian and one in Romanian, using different scenes; here, both are combined. The pre-war looking car, which would later be crashed in the film "Tonight our family dances" (1972), is probably home-made and a mix of different parts. Also visibile is a very rare militia Dacia 1100; you can't tell, however, whether it's a twin-headlamped 1100S. The 1969 silver Cadillac is a staple of Romanian films of the period. The most spectacular car is of course the Merecedes SL190, an absolute rarity behind the Iron Curtain.

SL 190




Heckflosse


SL la aeroport


Ce e masina argintie? Poate ceva exotic si italian?


DS in distanta


Luxul in 1970: Mercedes, R16, Chevrolet 67...


Peugeot 404 si o broscuta


DS Safari


VW x3


Wartburg, Dacia 1100 de militie


Volga M22 - masina astazi foarte rara in Romania


La Universitate


BMW, VW si una din primele "sutici"


Inca o imagine cu antebelica


TV-uri




Cadillac




Dacia 1100, 1-B-trei cifre


Trafic cotidian. Cam tot ce se vede aici a devenit rara avis...

Camion mister, 1971 / Mystery truck, 1971

In aceasta poza, din 1971, aratand biserica Alba din Bucuresti, se vede un camion care, mie cel putin, e necunoscut. Nu pare a fi un MTD fabricat la uzinele Vulcan in anii 50, dar arata destul de primitiv sa poate fi de productie romaneasca din accea epoca. Ceva idei? Poate o autospeciala pentru pompieri?

In this 1971 photo showing the White Church in Bucharest, a mystery lorry can be seen. I have no clue what it is. It doesn't look like an mTD, made in the 1950s at the Vulcan plant in Bucharest - but it does look primitive enough to be Romanian and from that era. Amy ideas? Perhaps something custom-built for the fire service?