O corcitura din anii 40 / A 1940s mongrel

Doi oameni langa o masina defecta, anii 40. Masina nu se gaseste in niciun catalog auto pentru ca e o "corcitura": spatele de Ford Taunus "Buckel", fata de Hansa 1700, si sasiu tot de Hansa. Pentru comparatie, un Hansa 1700 e in poza nr 2. Asemenea "corcituri" erau destul de commune in perioada dupa razboi, cand orice masina era un lux si multe fusesera devastate in tempul razboiului. Ma intreb pana cand a supravietuit acest exemplar. (Colectia Florin Cicos)

Two men next to a broken down car in the 1940s. No such car would be found in a catalogue because it is a "mongrel": the rear end of a Ford Taunus "Buckel" grafted on to the front, and chassis, of a Hansa 1700. (An original Hansa is in photo 2). Similar hybrids were reasonably common in the immediate post-war period, when a car of any sort was a luxury and many had been devastated during the war. I wonder how long this particular example survived. (Photo from the Florin Cicos collection)

Dacia 1310 1.6 "special edition", 1996

O Dacie 1310 facuta la comanda speciala pentru MAE si trimisa in Siria, unde a fost masina de serviciu. An fabricatie 1996.

Printre dotari speciale mentionam:

Motor 1.6
Bord Nissan Micra
Geamuri electrice fata
Roti 4 prezoane
Interior diferit, inclusiv bancheta spate cu numai 2 locuri
Portbagaj capitonat

La moment dat masina se afla in Bucuresti. Mai multe detalii aici.

Piese de Nissan mi se par foarte interesante. In acea perioada au mai existat Dacii facute cu piese de Nissan - printre care mentionam prototipul Extase (faruri si stopuri Nissan Sunny) si o berlina in Iasi (faruri Nissan Primera).

A Dacia 1310 made to order for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sent to Syria as a staff car. Model year 1996.

Among the special options:

1.6 engine
Nissan Micra dashboard
Electric front windows
Four hubcap wheels
Different interior, including a 2-seat rear bench
Upholstered boot compartment

The car is currently in Bucharest. More details here.

The use of Nissan parts seems to me to be very interesting. At that time, several Dacia prorotypes did so, including the Extase prototype (front and rear lights off a Nissan Sunny) and a berline in Iasi (Nissan Primera front lights).

O masina importanta de vanzare / An important vehicle for sale

Importanta? Da. E vorba de o Dacie 1304 "papuc" din primele serii, cu masca la faruri subtire, an fabricatie 1985. Daca nu e ultima din tara, e clar printre ultimele. N-am vazut asa ceva pe sosea de aproape zece ani. De vanzare in judetul Bihor pentru suma de 1000 lei. O restaurare va costa mult mai mult.

Nu e deloc "importanta" cum e "important" un Porsche, Jaguar sau Ferrari vechi - toate treii fiind din ce in ce mai comune la paradele romanesti de masini de epoca. Dar cine va cumpara acest exemplar, si l-ar restaura ca la carte, se va mandri cu o masina mult mai rara decat vreun Porsche, Jaguar sau Ferrari. Desigur, e mult mai putin impresionanta. Dar (parerea mea), raritatea ei inseamna ca e un vehicul mult mai important!

Important? Yes. This is a Dacia 1304 pick-up from the first few built, with the "thin" headlamps, made in 1985. If it's not the very last survivor, i's among them. I haven't seen one on the road for almost ten years. It's for sale in Bihor for 1000 lei. (a few hundred Euro). A restoration will cost much more.

It's not "important" in the same way that old Porsches, Jags or Ferraris are - all of which are increasingly regular sights at Romanian classic car shows. But whoever buys this, and restores it properly, will be the proud owner of something much rarer. Much less impressive, too, admittedly - but, in my book at least, its rarity makes it a very important vehicle.

Un Ford si un Chevrolet din Cetatea Alba / Ford and Chevrolet from Cetatea Alba

Astazi in Ucraina. Doua poze foarte rare cu masini din aceasta localitate. E de remarcat faptul ca la sfarsitul anilor 20 erau deja peste o suta de masini inmatriculate - impresionant pentru un oras mic, si testament a gradului de civilizatie existent in Romania interbelica.

Now in Ukraine. Two very rare photos with cars from this town. It's remarkable that by the end of the 20s there were already over 100 cars registered - impressive for a small town, and testament to the level of civilization existing in pre-war Romania.

 

Restaurarea unei Shifterossa / Restoration of a Shifterossa

Vesti excelente din Marea Britanie. Un Dacia 1304 (Dacia Shifter) vandut pe piata britanica se restaureaza. Alex Enache, un roman stabilit in Anglia, a pus mana pe acest unic supravietuitor si va fi restaurat ca la carte. Nu e vorba de un papuc normal, ci un ultra-rar "Shifterossa", editie speciala introdusa la sfarsitul anilor 80. Acest exemplar a fost fabricat in 1993 si vandut abia in 1994, cand importatorul daduse faliment de 2 ani. Desi are numai 7,000 mile la bord, majoritatea timpului a stat intr-o curte: saraca masina e ciuruita de rugina desi motorul porneste. Restaurata, va fi singurul papuc britanic in stare de functionare. Urmariti povestea in continuare pe Facebook la Dacia Shifter Restoration. Ii uram mult noroc!

Excellent news from the UK. A UK-model Dacia 1304 (Dacia Shifter) is being restored. Alex Enache, a Romanian based in England, has got hold of this unique survivor and is restoring it from top to bottom. This isn't a standard pick-up but an ultra-rare "Shifterossa", a special edition introduced at the end of the 1980s. This example was built in 1993 but not registered until 1994, by which time the importer had been bankrupt for two years. Although it has only 7,000 miles on the clock, it lived most of its life outdoors and is consequently riddled with rust (though the engine still starts). Restored, it will be the only UK-model Dacia pick-up in running order. Follow the story on Facebook at Dacia Shifter Restoration. And the best of luck!