Masini romanesti modificate in DDR 1: Dacia / Romanian cars modified in DDR 1: Dacia

Ce se intampla atunci cand se combina imaginatia germanica cu produsele romnanesti...

Foto: Auto Agenda / Deutsche Strassenverkehr

1-3: Coupe "Schmoz", fabricat la Chemnitz in 1974 cu componente Dacia, VW, Lada si Skoda. Desi multa din tablarie e de origine romaneasca, masina e din punct de vedere tehnic de inspiratie Volkswagen, cu motorul plasat in spate si tractiune tot pe spate. Masina inca exista si recent a fost vedeta unei expositii dedicata masinilor facute artizanal in Germania Democrata.
4-8: Dacia 1300 Pick-up, derivat din 1300 si nu 1302, carosat de o firma anonima din Germania Democrata. Un model cu dorinta de a fi un camper van! In Anglia firma Dormobile facea chestii similare pe baza de Morris Marina si Ford Escort. Circa 1975.
9-11: Dacia Funeral, model conceput ca dric, fabricat cu cativa ani mai tarziu de aceeasi fabrica. Circa 1982. Imi imaginez ca pentru uvreun defunct iubitor de Dacii, ar fi masina ideala pentru ultima calatorie...

In urmatoarele capitole vom aminti si despre modelele, tot din Germania Democrata, pe baza de ARO si de TV.

What happens when German imagination couples with Romanian products...

1-3: Coupe Schmoz, built in Chemnitz in 1974 using bits of Dacia, VW, Skoda and Lada. Although much of the bodywork is Romanian in origin, the read-engined rear-wheel drive configuration belies its Volkswagen origins. The car still exists and was recently featured in a museum exhibition of hand-made East German cars.
4-8: Dacia 1300 pick-up, made from a 1300 not a 1302, bodied by an anonymous East German firm. Clear Ccamper van influences, not unlike what Dormobile was doing to the Morris Marina and Ford Escort at the time. Circa 1975.
9-11: Dacia Funeral, a hearse made several years later by the same works. Circa 1982. I can imagine that for the lover of Dacias this was the only way to make one's final journey...

To follow: East German takes on the ARO and TV.

1972 - Bucuresti x6, Brasov x1

Sapte poze din 1972, sase din Bucuresti si una din Brasov. Mi-e greu sa decid care imi e preferata - Ateneul, strada Stavropoleos, sau casa roz. Inclin spre casa roz in stiulul neoromanesc (strada C A Rosetti colt cu Nicolae Golescu), probabil pentru ca celelalte scene sunt bine cunoscute si arata similar si astazi, dar casa roz e destul de departe de perioada sa de glorie. Un alt punct de interes reprezinta TV-urile din fata Casei Sfatului. Sunt din aceeasi serie (1964-1967), dar unul are stergatoarele montate deasupra parbrizului, celalalt nu. Ma intreb de ce...
Pozele suprind cam ultima perioada inainte sa domineze Dacia 1300 parcul auto romanesc. Cu doar trei ani mai tarziu, scena va fi foarte diferita.

Seven photos from 1972, six from Bucharest and one from Brasov. Difficult to say which is my favourite of the Athenaeum, Stavropoleos street, or the pink neo-Romanian house (corner of C A Rosetti and Nicolae Golescu streets); probably the latter, as it is not only less a well known building but one which is now rather far from its glory days. Another point of interest is the two TVs visible in the Brasov photo. Although from the same series (1964-67) the windscreen wipers are in completely different places, one above the windscreen, the other below it. I wonder why...
These are the last few years before the Romanian streetscene got taken over by the Dacia 1300; three years on, these photographs would have looked rather different.

Salt peste timp - Lloyd LP 600

Lloyd era o masina destul de populara in Germania anilor 50. Simple, fiabile, ieftine, era fara discutie o masina pentru clasa muncitoare. Se pare ca au ajuns si in Bucuresti. Ma intreb daca a masina rosie e de fapt cea din poza alb-negru, reinmatriculata in anii 90 cu numere 2B si cinci cifre. Din pacate, nu cred ca a supravietuit vreun exemplar in Romania, desi prin 2006 un tip cumpara piese pentru asa ceva.

The Lloyd was fairly popular in 1950s Germany. Definitely a car for the people, it was simple, reliable, and cheap. It seems as if a few made their way over the Iron Curtain and ended up in Bucharest. I wonder whether the cars in the photo are one and the same. Sadly, I doubt there are any left over here, although I do recall seeing, in 2006, an ad looking for spare parts.

Masinile studentilor straini / Foreign students' cars

...Care nu erau deloc precum masinile studentilor romani!

De obicei erau inmatriculate pe numere incepand cu 12, senificant proprietari straini, desi nu sunt exact sincer cand a inceput acest obicei: cert e ca numere 13-B au inceput sa fie emise in 1977, anul cand vad prima poza cu o masina pe 12-B. In anii 80, cand stundetii veneau mai mai mult din tari arabe, marci raspandite erau Mercedes (bot de cal), BMW, Volvo (240), si masini japoneze. In anii 70, ca de obicei, veneau masini si mai interesante...

1980 - Mercedes (bot de cal)
1972 - Fiat 128 station wagon
1971 - MGB la caminul Grozavesti. Inca un model care nu a lipsit din Bucurestiul comunist, un model MGC (13-B-278) circuland prin capitala in anii 70 si 80.

...Which were nothing like Romanian students' cars!

These were generally denoted by license plates beginning with 12, meaning the owner was a foreigner, although it is unclear when this started - probably around 1977. In the 1980s, students came mainly from Arab countries, and the most popular cars were the stacked headlight Mercedes, BMW, Volvo 240, and smaller Japanese cars. As usual, in the 70s the cars were rather more interesting...

1980 - a stacked headlight Mercedes
1972 - Fiat 128 station wagon
1971 - MGB in Grozavesti. Another car which existed in communist Bucharest, where a superb MGC, registered to a Romanian, drove round in the 70s and 80s.