v o l g a n e a g r a: November 2017

24 November 2017

TV-4 in ... Mongolia

O poza importanta, tocmai din Ulan Bator. Surprinde, printre o coloana de automobile sovietice (plus un Mercedes), un TV-4. Aceasta varianta a fost produsa la Bucuresti din 1962 pana 1967, fiind inlocuita de modelul TV-41, care era mai degraba un facelift (spre exemplu, are stopuri verticale sau rotunde cand cele de pe TV-4 erau orizontale). In parerea mea, pentru an e vorba de un design surprinzator de avansat. Din pacate, nu se stie de vreun TV4 existent in Romania. Pana acum nu credeam ca se exportase, desi exista brosuri facute pentru targuri internationale. Totusi, poze - singura existenta cu un TV-4 peste hotare - e dovada ca au ajuns pana in Mongolia. Cine stie, poate inca mai exista vreunul, undeva la ei...

An important picture all the way from Ulan Bator. Alongside a line of Soviet automobiles (plus a Mercedes) is a TV-4. This was made in Bucharest from 1962 to 1967, being replaced by the TV-4, which was in reality a mild facelift (for example, changing the tail-lights from horizontal to vertical or round). In my view for the year it's a surprisingly advanced design. Sadly, there are no records of any TV-4 left in existence in Romania. Until now I did not think they were even exported, although brochures were drawn up. However, the photo - the only one in existence showing a TV-4 outside Romania - proves otherwise. And who knows, perhaps, somewhere in Mongolia, there's a TV-4 left...

13 November 2017

Masinile Bucurestilor, in pozele lui Hedy Loffler / The cars of Bucharest in the photos of Hedy Loffler

In anii 50 pana in anii 70, erau in mare voga carti foto cu diferite aspecte ale Romaniei, fotografiate artistic. Printre ultimele publicate a fost albumul Bucurest (1984), de Hedy Loffler. Fotografa a incercat cat mai posibil sa treaca peste atmosfera funesta a anilor 80. In mare masura a reusit, desi cartea nu s-a vandut in multe exemplare si astazi nu se gaseste foarte des. Masinile surprinse in carte sunt in ton cu timpul - adica foarte multe Dacii 1300, dar si cateva surprize...

From the 1950s till the 1970s, photo books showing artistic images of Romania were very fashionable. One of the last to be published was Bucharest (1984), by Hedy Loffler. She tried hard to overcome the sombre atmosphere of the 1980s, and was at least partially successful, although few copies of the book were sold and today it's quite rare. The cars in the images are of their era - that is, a great deal of Dacia 1300s, but with a few surprises among them too...