1970 - Bucuresti, Brasov

Inca un set de poze color, dintr-o colectie americana, aratand Bucuresti si Brasov. Filmul care ruleaza la cinematograful Patria e din 1965 si pozele sunt clar mai noi decat asta. Se vad Dacii 1300; sunt chiar doua Forduri Capri (unul rosu cu numere de ambasada, altul alb in parcarea Casei Sfatului). Totusi  dupa moda e clar ca anii 70 nu patrunsesera inca. In plus, Inter-ul (deschis in 1971) e abia in constructie. Si intr-adevar, pozele suntd in octombrie 1970. Mercedes-ul Ponton (daca vad corect, cu numere 1-B-trei cifre) e pe departe preferata mea, probabil amintidu-mi de doua epave in zona copilariei, pe langa care intotdeauna ma plimbam, fascinat.
Another set of colour photos with Bucharest and Brasov. Dating them is rather interesting: the film shwoing - The Sound of Music - appeared in 1965 and the photos are clearly more recent. You can see two Ford Capris (one red, one white in Brasov) and the odd Dacia 1300. But the fashions are hardly of the 70s, and the Intercontinental Hotel, which opened in 1971, is still shown as under construction. And indeed the images - from an American collection - turn out to be from October 1970. The Mercedes Ponton is by far my favourite of the lot. When young, I used to be fascinated by two derelict examples close to my house, so I still retain a soft spot for them.

Vanatoarea de epave in 2002-3 (II) / Wreck-hunting in 2002/3 (II)

Din arhiva personala, inca niste poze de acum zece ani, surprinse de mine cand am inceput sa fiu interesat de "rable". Pozele isi spun povesta lor, de obicei trista.

From my photo archive, some more images I took ten years ago when I began an interest in wreck-hunting. They tell their own stories - generally not happy ones. 

Ford Capri Mk 1, Buhusi. Acest model era cautat in Romania anilor 70 si destul de multe exemplare au ajuns in tara, cateva zeci supravietuind si astazi.

Mercedes "coada de randunica" in stare precara. Dupa 2003 nu am mai vazut aceasta masina.

Dacia 1100, o prezenta comuna atunci. Rar am vazut o masina atat de terminata.

Opel Rekord B, 1965. Masina - in stare decenta - a fost, spunea proprietarul, masina personala primului secretar de Bacau. Nu stiu daca sa-l cred sau nu! Ultima data am vazut aceasta masina intr-un sat in judetul Neamt cu toate geamurile sparte. Era prin 2008 si nu cred ca ar fi fost restaurata.

Volkswagen Passat Mk 1. Aceste exemplare sunt astaze foarte rare si cautate de fanii "youngtimer". In 2002, abia meritau sa fie fotografiate.

Moskvich 403. Masina pornea la sfert de cheie si era de vanzare la un pret foarte accesibil.

Vauxhall Victor, Piatra Neamt. O masina in stare superba. A disparut dupa 2004.

Renault 10 Major, masina odata omniprezenta pe strazile Romaniei. Aceasta masina - surprinsa la un Peco in orasul Roman - urma sa fie predata la REMAT.

La recolta de sfecla / Harvesting beetroot

Imagini dintr-un mediu mai rural!
Aceste poze, gasite pe un site referitor la orasul Bailesti si imprejurimi, arata recolta de sfecla pe la mijlocul anilor 70. Toata lumea folosea ce putea. Masinile smecheroase din Bucuresti nu contau. Aici, regele era ARO-ul M461, poreclit "Imeseu". Dar daca aveai Dacie, sau TV, sau chiar un camion SR, tot erai binevenit la recolta!


Slightly more rural images...

These photos, found on a site about Bailesti, in the Oltenia region, shows the beetroot harvest some time in the mid 1970s. Everybody used what they could. The smart cars of Bucharest were useless; here, the king was the ARO M-461, known as the "Imeseu" after its factory's initials. But if you had a Dacia, or a TV pick-up, or a SR lorry, you were still very welcome!

Cum sa maltratezi un Mercedes / How to mistreat a Mercedes

In filmul "Miss Litoral" din 1990, mare esec artistic, cam singurul punct de interes e prezenta acestui Mercedes. E vorba despre un Mercedes 170V Cabriolet A, http://volganeagra.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/mercedesul-formatiei-rosu-si-negru.html o masina similara (desi modelul B) fiind surprinsa aici in anul 1971 . La inceputul filmarii, masina inca avea un aspect cat de cat familiar, desi cu parbrizul schimbat. Probabil in urma unui accident,
fata masinii se modifica oribil. Continuitatea clar nu prea conta, deci amandoua variante se vad in film. In prezent nu stiu nimic despre soarta masinii. Inca un Cabriolet A se afla la Suceava (1 SV 6655); altul a fost folosit in filmul Oglinda (1993).

In the rather dire film "Miss Litoral", made in 1990, one of the sole points of interest is this Mercedes. This is a Mercedes 170V Cabriolet A, http://volganeagra.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/mercedesul-formatiei-rosu-si-negru.html, a similar car (though a B model) being pictured here, in 1971. At the start of filming, the car looked more or less like a Mercedes, although with a modified windscreen. However, probably after an accident, the front end was horribly modified. Continuity clearly not being an issue in the film, both versions are visible. I have no further info about what happened to the car. A further Cabriolet A is in Suceava, registered 1 SV 6655; another was used in the film Oglinda, in 1993.

Mini in Romania

Nu pot sa spun ca MINI-ul a fost o masina deosebit de populara in Romania, totusi au existat cateva exemplare, unele in trecere, mai multe in perioada comunista cand o masina cu consum mic era o alegere foarte potrivita (desi erau multe alte modele dintre care alege), si unele dupa 90 cand se importa mai orice. Am avut numai odata sansa sa pilotez asa ceva, era un model din 1996 si, desi prefer masinile mari, am ramas extrem de placut suprins de spatiul in interior si de agilitatea masinii, chiar in conditii supraincarcate!

I can't say that the MINI was a particularly popular car in Romania, but some existed: a few in passing, some more under Communism, when a thrifty car was rather a good idea (although there were plenty of other models to choose from), and a few more after 1990 when many things got imported. I've only driven one once; it was a 1996 model and, although a personal fan of far larger cars, I was impressed by the interior space and by its nippiness, even when carrying a heavy load.

MINI italian in trecere, 1970

De vanzare in Vrancea acum cativa ani

Mini Mk 2 in Brasov, 1994 - foto "Sludgegulper" (flickr.com)

De vanzare. E un model din 1971 care clar a supravietuit comunismul - se vede prin piesele de Dacie adaugate prin vremuri

Fostul MINI lui Bogdan Coconoiu, un Mk 1 Cooper veritabil desi cu multe alte piese mai noi

Din Sibiu, model din anii 80

Una mica si neagra la Ateneu

Actiune dubla in aceeasi zi la Brasov

Bucuresti, Hotel Nord

In fata Hotelului Central  din Timisoara

MINI Moke 1966, desigur cu o istorie interesanta

1971 - MINI cu numere de Romania - foto Willy Pragher

Doua modele de vanzare - 1964 (grena) si 1968 (verde).

Surprins in Bucuresti

Surprins in Timisoara, un model Mayfair mai nou

In filmele BD de la inceputul anilor 70 - cu numere (false) de Bulgaria

Model 1973, era in jud Neamt

Morris Mini-Cooper, 1967, acum peste zece ani