26 February 2016

Bucuresti x 6 (1968-70)

6 cărti poştale cu Bucureşti, circulate in 1976, dar clar mai vechi. Perioada e intre 1968 (când apare Dacia 1100) şi 1970 (când incepe reconstrucţia corpului central a clădirii Universitătii, distrusă in 1944). La capitolul maşini remarcăm: un Syrena polonez, apariţie rară in România; un Opel din seria Admiral / Kapitan / Diplomat, perioada 1967-68, cu numere nemţeşti de export; Skoda 1200 Furgon; şi un cochet Fiat Topolino antebelic.

Six postcards from Bucharest, circulated 1976 but much older. The period is between 1968 (when the Dacia 1100 was introduced) and 1970 (when the rebuilding of the central section of the University building - destroyed in 1944 - began). Notable vehicles: a Polish Syrena, rare in Romania; an Opel Admiral / Kapitan / Diplomat, circa 1967-8, on West German export plates); Skoda 1200 Furgon; and a pre-war Fiat Topolino.






22 February 2016

1926 Stutz in 1983

Intr-o serie de fotografii aratand cartierul Uranus inainte de demolarile din anii 80 apare aceasta antebelica. O aparitie rara penru 1983: desi inca existau masini antebelice pe strazile capitalei, majoritatea erau din anii 30 si in stare cel putin precara. Surpriza a venit totusi afland ce era masina: e vorba de un Stutz AA Vertical Eight Phaeton din 1926, o masina ultra-luxoasa si rara, fara discutie una din cele mai importante masini existente in Romania comunista, din pacate exportata dupa 1990. Ma intreb unde se afla acum.

Cu aceasta ocazie, prezint masina in mai multe ipostaze...

In a series of photos showing the Uranus quarter of Bucharest before demolition, I found this pre-war car. It's rare to see one as late as the 80s: although there were still a handful of pre-war cars on the streets, most were from the 30s and in a fairly precarious condition. The big surprise, though, was finding out what it was. It's a 1926 Stutz AA Vertical Eight Phaeton, a rare and highly luxurious car, without a doubt one of the most important cars in Communist Romania, one which was sadly exported in 1990. I wonder where it is now.

Here's the car in other images from the period...

Pe strada Lazureanu, 1983
 
In filmul "Frumoasele vacante", filmat in 1967

Eveniment, inceputul anilor 70 (se spune 1972, Raliul Batranetii) - fotografia a fost prezentata in revista Motor Clasic, nr 2
 
In filmul "Patima", 1975




 



18 February 2016

Povestea incredibila unui BMW 327 / Incredible story of a BMW 327

In muzeul BMW din Munchen se afla un BMW 327, in stare uzata, purtand inca placute de inmatriculare romanesti. Poveste masinii este extrordinara. In 1937, inginerul Eduard Ecker, un tanar bucurestean de origine germana, se plimba prin Bucuresti. Atras de liniile armonioase decapotabilei nou-noute expuse in vitrina firmei Butculescu (reprezentantul BMW in Bucuresti), si-o cumpara, la varsta de 25 de ani. Si ... o tine. Razboiul vine si trece; de la ofiteri nemti, se alimenteaza cu piese de schimb; cand vin sovieticii masina se ascunde, o alta masina - tot BMW 327 - se "rechizitioneaza". Vin vremuri grele. Averea si proprietatile se confisca. BMW-ul - cine stie cum - ramane. In anii 60 dl Ecker se gandeste la emograre. Nici gand sa plece fara masina. Cu chiu cu vai, in 1969 isi face rost de o aprobare de la ACR pentru o vizita la Beograd. Timp de doua luni isi prepara masina - acum la al cincilea motor; si pleaca. Ajunge la Beograd, unde solicita o viza pentru Trieste, in Italia. Apoi Austria; apoi Germania Federala, unde intra - tot cu masina - printr-o padure. In sfarsit, se stabileste in Germania isi gaseste servici si isi creaza o noua viata. Tot cu BMW-ul - care a parcurs cele 2,000 km fara probleme. Dupa 1972, masina sta intr-un garaj, mecanica total restaurata. Intr-un interview in 2005, dl Ecker - in varsta de 93 de ani - sustinea ca masina avea peste 2,000,000 kilometri la bord. Greu de dovedit. Totusi, o masina care si-a tinut acelasi proprietar timp de aproape sapte decenii e impresionant in oricare tara. In circumstantele descrise, e aproape incredibil.

Din fericire, masina - donata muzeului in 2006 - va fi conservata: 327-uri sunt destule, povestea, totusi, e unicata.

Foto: revista BMW Club din Germania

In the BMW museum in Munich there is a BMW 327, in fairly well-worn condition, still wearing Romaniain plates. Its story is extraordinary. In 1937, the engineer Eduard Ecker goes for a walk in Bucharest and is attracted by the elegant lines of the brand new cabriolet seen in the Butculescu BMW dealership. He buys it - a 25th birthday present for himself. And ... keeps it. The war comes; from German officers, Mr Ecker gets spare parts. When the Soviets come he hides it; a second car, also a 327, gets "requisitioned". The Communists take over, and Mr Ecker's wealth is confiscated. But the BMW, somehow, remains. In the 1960s Mr Ecker considers emigrating; but he wouldn't contemplate doing so without the car. In 1969 he secures approval from the Romanian Automobile Club to visit Belgrade. He preps the car - now on its fifth engine - for two months; then sets off. In Belgrade, he manages to get a visa for Trieste. From Italy, he drives through Austria, then enters West Germany through a forest. There, he settles down, finds a job, and builds a new life. Still with the trusty BMW which took him the 2,000 km to freedom without a glitch. After 1972, he puts the car in long-term storage, its running gear having been totally restored. In a 2005 interview, Mr Ecker claims it has travelled 2 million kilometres. Difficult to prove. But what is clear that for a car to have the same owner for over seven decades is a rarity anywhere. In the above circumstances, it is almost incredible.

Luckily, the car - donated to the museum in 2006 - will be conserved: there's plenty of other 327s out there, but this one's story is unique.

Photos: BMW Club magazine, Germany

Actele masinii, din anii 60

In 1939

In 1942, la Marea Neagra

In 1943

In 1972, in Germania

In 2005

16 February 2016

O descoperire... / A discovery...

... la introducerea lor in 1956, numerele ovale de ambasada aveau si anul pe ele. Nu stiu cat timp a durat acest sistem; era inca in existent in 1959 (poza 3); cert e ca in poze de la mijlocul anilor 60 (precum poza 4), anul nu mai apare.

...at their introduction in 1956, Romanian diplomatic plates had the year on them too. I'm not sure how long this system lasted for; it certainly existed in 1939 (photo 3); and in photos from the mid 60s (photo 4), the year is no longer shown.



12 February 2016

Cluj, August 1994

Pe flickr, fotograful Ggia a surprins niste poze interesante cu Clujul anului 1994. Desi pare memorie recenta, adevarul e ca 22 de ani au trecut: scenele si masinile din poze sunt, desi imediat cunoscute, destul de rare in Romania anului 2016. Vedem Dacii, mai mult sau mai putin carpite; un Oltcit; Aro 243 si M461; Trabant, Lada si Skoda S100; si primul val de masini importate din Occident, un Ford Transit, un Passat Mk 1 si un Mercedes W123 "Cobra" - toate prezente in numere mari pe strazile postdecembriste. Mitsubishi Colt din poza 2 da singura nota de modernitate. Atmosfera saracacioasa, funesta. Prezinta, totusi, un contrast cu Romania de astazi.

On flickr, the photographer Ggia has uploaded some interesting photos of Cluj in 1994. Although it may seem like a recent memory, the truth is that 22 years have passed; and although the scenes and vehicles in the pictures may seem instantly familiar, they are seldom seen in 2016 Romania. Dacias, in greater or lesser states of dilapidation; an Oltcit; Aro 243 and M461; Trabant, Lada and Skoda 100; and the first wave of cars imported from the West, a Ford Transit, Passat Mk 1 and Mercedes W123 "Cobra" - all regular sights in the 1990s. The Mitsubishi Colt strikes the only note of modernity. The atmosphere is sombre; prosperity is difficult to see. So things have, without a doubt changed, at least to some extent...