Licitatie in 1947 / Auction in 1947

Liciatia unei prefecture din decembrie 1947. Era cateva luni dupa stabilizarea monetara, iar cursa valutara era 150 lei = 1 dolar american. Deci Mercedesul incepea la 1466 dolari, iar Fordul la peste 2300. Incredibil de scump: in America, un Ford nou-nout incepea la aproximativ 1100 dolari, iar cu 2300 dolari iti cumparai, tot nou, un Chrsyler, un Buick, sau cel mai ieftin Packard. Mercedesul, avand patru cilindri, ar fi fost un model 170 Cabriolet - o investitie superioara daca ne gandim la valoarea actuala. Pun pariu ca fericitii castigatori nu s-au bucurat foarte mult timp de masinile lor: o saptamana dupa licitatie, regale Mihai abdica si se desfasura o noua si funesta epoca in istoria Romaniei.

A town hall auction from December 1947. This was a few months after the monetary stabilization and the official exchange rate was 150 lei to the US dollar. So the Mercedes would have started at 1466 dollars and the Ford at over 2300. This was incredibly expensive: in the States a brand news Ford started at roughly 1100 USD, and with 2300 USD you could get, new, a Chrysler, Buick or even an entry-level Packard. The Mercedes, being four cylinder, must have been a 170 Cabriolet - a superior investment bearing in mind current prices. However, I bet the auction winners did not get to enjoy their cars for long: a week after the auction, the King would abdicate and a new and sombre chapter of Romania's history would begin.