Inca o antebelica care circula / Another pre-war car still going

In Romania anului 2016, chiar ca nu ma asteptam sa vad o antebelica inca in circulatie, adica nu in circuitul masinilor istorice. Acest Opel Olympia din 1939 inca isi face treaba intr-o comuna in judetul Mures (Chiheru de Jos). Nu ar castiga niciun premiu la concursuri de eleganta. A suferit modificari de-a lungul timpului, unele chiar majore (desi nici pe departe atat de majore cat Jeepul din Buzau). Totusi, circula, are verificare tehnica. Imi place sa ma gandesc la proprietar, cu siguranta in varsta, circuland o data pe luna cu ea, poate pana la piata, poate chiar la iarba verde...

Foto: olx.ro

In 2016 Romania, I really wasn't expecting to see a pre-war car still in traffic - i.e. not in the historic vehicle circuit. This 1939 Opel Olympia is still making itself useful in Chiheru de Jos, a village in Mures County. It certainly won't be winning any concours prizes. There have been plenty of modifications made to keep it going over the years - some of them quite major, though none as major as those of the Jeep in Buzau. But, still, it's going strong; it has a certificate of roadworthiness. I like to think of the owner, doubtless elderly, taking it out once a month, maybe to the market, maybe even for a picnic...

Photos: olx.ro

Imperial in Bucuresti / Imperial in Bucharest

Bucuresti, circa 1966, intr-o brosura ONT. Masinile sunt totalmente vestice - trei Mercedesuri, ce pare a fi un Ford Taunus, si, cel mai spectaculos, un Imperial Crown Sedan din 1957-59. Imperial era marca de lux a companiei Chrysler, un concurent direct cu Cadillac, Lincoln, Rolls-Royce si Mercedes "Adenauer". E vorba de o perioada care era apogeul dezrusificarii si deschiderii catre orient. Bucuresti era o capitala "chic", precum noile statuni de pe litoral. Viata era placuta pentru multi. Totusi, chiar in aceste conditii, presenta unui Imperial pe strazile capitalei ar fi fost remarcabila.

Bucharest, circa 1966, in a National Tourism Office brochure. The vehicles are entirely Western - three Mercedes, what looks like a Ford Taunus, and, most impressively, an Imperial Crown Sedan from 1957-59. Imperial was the top make of the Chrysler Corporation, a direct competitor to Cadillac, Lincoln, Rolls Royce, and Mercedes "Adenauer". This was an era which was perhaps the height of Communist Romania's "pivot to the West". Bucharest was a chic destination, as were the new Black Sea resorts. Life for many was rather good. Even so, the presence of an Imperial on the streets of Bucharest would have been remarkable.