O descoperire spectaculoasa - Porsche 356 in Romania comunista / A spectacular discovery - Porsche 356 in Communist Romania

Foarte greu de spus cum ar fi ajuns asa ceva in Romania. Numerele 2-HD au fost introduse spre sfarsitul anilor 70. Poate ar fi fost a unui turist, vandut in urma unui accident in tara; poate ar fi fost adus de un roman care lucra instrainatate; alta varianta ar fi ca fusese masina unui student strain care studia in Romania. Cert e, e o descoperire de-a dreptul uimitoare, si o frumusete de masina, chiar in starea in care se gaseste. Singurul pacat este ca masina s-a strecurat peste granita, la unguri...




I genuinely have no idea how this came to be in Communist Romania. The 2-HD series was introduced in the later part of the 70s, so the car presumably was first registered then. Perhaps it belonged to a foreign tourist who left it behind (after an accident, maybe); or it could have potentially been brought back by a Romanian working abroad; the third option is that it used to belong to a rich foreign student studying in Romania. Anyway, it is a superb vehicle, even underneath its battle scars. The only shame is that it's no longer in Romania but being restored in Hungary...

Mercedesul formatiei Rosu si Negru / Prewar Mercedes in Romania music vidoe

Din videoclipul pentru cantecul Haide, hai (1971). Masina e un Mercedes 170V Cabriolet B, o masina cautata in zilele de astazi, desi dispretuita atunci. Ma intreb pe unde ar fi putrezit 1-SB-570...

From the videoclip for the song Come on, come on (1971). The car is a Mercedes 170V Cabrolet B, today a rare and desirable car, held in disdain back then. I wonder where 1-SB-570 rotted out its final days...

De treisprezece ori Bucuresti (1971) / Bucharest x 13 (1971)

Inca un set de poze color aratand obiective turistice din Bucuresti, suprinse in 1971. E extrordinar cat de civilizat poate sa arata orasul. Locatiile sunt pe mare parte arhicuonscute, nu apar masini extordinare (Volvo, Ford Capri si Simca sunt mai iesite din comun, sa spunem) - dar totusi pozele evoca un parfum extrem de placut, chiar (sau mai ales?) pentru cei care nu au trait acele vremuri. Pe departe, prima poza e preferata mea si, incidental, singura unde nu cunosc locatia. Stie cineva?













Another set of colour photos showing Bucharest's sights in 1971. It's astonishing how civilised the city looks. The locations are for the most part very well known; there are no extraordinarily unusual cars present (Volvo, Ford Capri and Simca being the more unusual vehicles present); however, the photos manage to evoke a wonderful picture of the past. Perhaps even more wonderful for those who didn't have to live in those days...

Britanic si romanesc la Castelul Peles / British and Romanian at Peles Castle

Acum mult timp am aratat cateva imagini cu masini britanice in Romania, care puteau fi zarite din cand in cand pe sosele in anii 60 si 70.
Acum, pot sa va arat o imagine din Sinaia in 1966, aratand un Hillman Minx in perioada de glorie. Facand abstractie de Singer, poza insusi mi se pare glorioasa. Dar nu ar fi cinstit sa credam ca erau numai masini vestice pe-acolo, deci adaug, ca un bonus, din acelasi set, (si mai ales ca e blog anglo-roman) ceva fabricat la Campulung, sau IMS57 sau M59.


Quite some time ago I wrote about British cars in Romania, which were an occasional sight on the roads in the 60s and 70s. In a 1966 photo of Sinaia, I found such a car, a Hillman Minx. Leaving aside the car, the photo itself is glorious. However, it would be unfair to suggest that all cars were Western. So, for balance's sake, and because this is something of an Anglo-Romanian blog, I attach a bonus picture from the same set showing an early vehicle from Campulung, either an IMS57 or a M59.

Amintiri din epoca de aur / Memories from the Golden Age

Cateva poze din arhivele ACR, aratand epoca de glorie a Daciei...





A few photos from the Romanian Automobile Club archive, showing the golden era of the Dacia...

BMW/EMW 340 in Romania

Scotocind prin imagini vechi, aceasta poza, facuta in Cluj in 1955, mi s-a parut extrem de interesanta pentru ca in prim plan se vede un BMW sau EMW 340. Aceasta masina, de fapt un BMW antebelic (326) modernizat, a fost fabricat intre 1948 si 1953la Eisenach unde ulterior se va construi celebrul Wartburg. Initial a fost vandut chiar sub numele de BMW 340, spre supararea fabricii mama din Berlin. A fost exportat in multe tari comuniste, fiind cautat in mod special in URSS. Fara discutie, o masina mare, bine dotata, cu motor in sase cilindrii, nu era pentru proletari! Interesant pentru o fabrica socialista, EMW fabrica si masini sport, in acest caz EMW-ul 327, si el fiind un BMW-ul antebelic modernizat.

Se pare ca 340-ul a ajuns si in Romania...

Looking through old pictures, this one, taken in Cluj in 1955, is extremely interesting for the BMW or EMW 340 in the foreground. This car, basically a warmed-up pre-war BMW 326, was built in Eisenach, which would later become famous for production of the Wartburg. Initially, it was sold as the BMW 340, to the chagrin of the existing BMW factory west of the Berlin Wall. It was exported to many of the Eastern Bloc countires, and was particularly popular in the USSR. Without a doubt, given its large size, six-cylinder engine and luxurious specification, this was not a car for the masses. Interestlingly for a socialist company, they also made a high-end sports car, in this case the EMW-327, itself a modernised prewar BMW.

And it seems the 340 also reached Romania...

Militieni din 1978 / Militiamen, 1978

Putini stiu ca in Romania comunista, precum si in URSS, militenii foloseau si BMW-uri, model 2800. Rapide si relativ luxoase, complementau flota de Dacii 1300. Dupa Decretul 277 din 1979, totusi, a venit hotararea sa fie folosite numai masini din productie socialista si cu motoare mici, si asa s-au prapadit BMW-urile (si Jaguarurile) militiei. Inca exista in tara BMW-uri din acea epoca, insa nu stiu daca sunt ex-Militie sau importuri particulare. Aceasta foarte rara poza, din 1978, arata un exemplar in actiune. Adaug si o poza "de bonus" cu o Dacia din aceeasi perioada.



Few people know that in Communist Romania, as in the USSR, BMWs were used by the traffic police. The luxurius and rapid BMW 2800 complemented the main fleet of Dacia 1300s. Until Decree 277 of 1979, that is, when orders on high demanded that all state-owned cars be of socialist extraction and of small engine capacity, and police BMWs (and Jaguars) were got rid of. Some BMWs from that period still exist in Romania, although I do not know if any of them are ex-traffic . One such example in action is visible in this very rare 1978 photograph. I also include, as a bonus, a picture od a traffic police Dacia from the same period.