30 October 2015

Foaie de circulatie, 1949 / Circulation permit, 1949

Din 1949, o perioada turbulenta in istoria Romaniei, o foaie de circulatie pentru o bicicleta Peugeot. Interesant, foaia a fost conceputa original pentru carute si birje (tractiune animala).

Dupa numarul de cadru, aproape sigur e vorba de o bicicleta cu anul de fabricatie 1940 (martie-aprilie) - cealalta posibilitate e 1932 sau 1921.

Proprietarul a disparut in ceata istoriei...
From 1949 - a turbulent time in Romania's history - a circulation permit for a Peugeot bicycle. Interestingly, this document was conceived for animal-drawn vehicles - carts and carriages.

From the chassis number, this is almost definitely a bicycle produced in 1940 (March or April). The other possibilities are 1932 or 1921.

The owner has disappeared into the mists of history.

20 October 2015

Un 540K Special Roadster la Bucuresti / A 540K Special Roadster in Bucharest

Romania antebelica a fost dotata cu nu unu, ci doua, Mercedesuri 540K Special Roadster.

Aceste masini - din care numai 58 au fost construite - au fost varful de gama a firmei Mercedes-Benz, cu o caroserie enorma dar numai doua locuri.

Acest exemplar a fost surprins de fotograful Willy Pragher in octombrie 1939, pe bulevardul Bratianu din Bucuresti. Nu se stie a cui a fost. Un nume posibil, totusi, este Nae Ionescu - care a vea un Merecedes negru, sport, cu doua locuri si cu interior in piele rosie.

Important: nu este exemplarul regelui Mihai. Acest exemplar, desi tot un Special Roadster, avea o caroserie diferita, o cutie cu 5 viteze, un radio, si purta placute regale. Totusi, e interesant ca din cele sase exemplare construite cu roata de rezerva in interior, doua erau in Romania.

Nu stiu ce s-a ales de 24-B. Cete e ca intre 1948 si 1960, Mercedesul regal a ajuns un URSS - ajungand expus la vanzare in Kiev in primavara anului 1960. Drumul masinii inapoi catre vest a fost prin Astrahan si Moscova.

Am auzit ca prin 1962/63, ar fi existat un Mercedes "cu compresor", cu doua locuri, cu exterior negru si interior rosu, la Rasnov. Se spune ca ar fi fost masina regelui - fapt eronat pentru ca acea masina, cu o caroserie unicata, era deja in URSS.... Dar nu e exclus sa fie acest exemplar, care odata circula cu numarul 24-B...








Inter-war Romania had not one, but two, Mercedes 540K Special Roadsters...

These cars - of which only 58 were built - were the top of the Mercedes-Benz range, with an enormous body but only two seats.

This one was captured by the photographer Willy Pragher in October 1939, on the boulevard Bratianu in Bucharest. I'm not sure whose it was; one possible name is Nae Ionescu (the Romanian version of Lord Beaverbrook), who had a sporting, black, two-seater Mercedes with a red leather interior.

Importantly, this is_not_ King Michael's Mercedes. That was also a Special Roadster but with different bodywork, a 5-speed gearbox, a radio, and royal licence plates. But it's interesting that of the six Special Roadsters built with the spare wheel inside the bodywork, two ended up in Romania.

I've no idea what happened to 24-B. The history of King Michael's car is relatively straightforward - between 1948 and 1960, it made its way east, was on sale in spring 1960 in Kiev, and eventually came West again, after lengthy spells in Astrakhan and Moscow.

I heard that in 1962/63, there was a Mercedes convertible in the town of Rasnov. It was a black two-seater, with a red leather interior, and a "compressor". The locals at the time said it was the ex-King's - incorrect, because the royal car, with its unique bodywork, was already in the USSR. But I suppose it could be this one, 24-B...

15 October 2015

Un stol de Lastunuri / Members of the Lastun family

O selectie fascinata de desene imaginand cum ar fi aratat o intreaga familie de masini mici pe baza Daca 500 "Lastun". Nu stiu precis din care epoca sunt, dar banuiesc ca e vorba de mijlocul anilor 80, reperele de pe masini fiind foarte similare cu Lastunurile avant-serie. Masina din poza 1 (Lastun cu caroseria lungita) si 9 (buggy) au fost construite in realitate, prima fiind prezentata in 1989, inclusiv in revosta Autoturism. E clar ca ambitia a fost enorma - inclusiv un buggy electric. Realitatea, insa, a fost alta...

A fascinating selection of sketches setting out the development of a series of mini-cars on the basis of the Dacia 500 "Lastun". I am not sure of the exact era, but they seem to be from the mid-80s, the details on the cars being very similar to the pre-production Lastuns. The cars in picture 1 (extended hatchback) and 9 (buggy) were certainly built, the extended Lastun being presented in 1989, including in the Autoturism magazine. It's clear that the ambition was huge - even stretching to an electric buggy. The reality, sadly, was to fall far short...

Hayon lungit / Extended hatchback
Furgoneta / Van
Pick-up normal

Pick-up lungit / Extended pick-up
Hayon supralungit / Super-extended hatchback
Model 1994
Autosasiu furgon / Chassis with van bodywork (a la Renault Express)
Autosasiu cisterna / Chassis with cistern
Buggy
Mini
Monovolum 

9 October 2015

ARO la defilarea de 23 august / ARO at the 23 August parade

Din arhiva fotografica Minerva, imagini cu defilarea de 23 august 1971, la Cluj, cu ARO-uri M-461 proaspete din fabrica. Nu stiu ce reprezinta simbolurile de pe portiera...

From the Minerva photographic archive, photos of the 23 August parade in 1971, in Cluj, featuring some factory-fresh examples of the ARO M-461. I have no idea what the symbols on the doors represent... 





5 October 2015

Bicaz 1940

Cheile Bicazului in 1940, cu un Opel Olympia.

Vila in poza 1, din fericire, inca exista: un bun exemplar de arhitectura specifica locului, adica montana cu infulente romanesti si art-deco.

Si soseaua e in stare similara!

The Bicaz Gorges, in 1940, with an Opel Olympia.

The villa in the first photo still stands, fortunately - a good example of the local architecture, chalet with art-deco and Romanian influences.

And the roads are more or less the same!