Masini diplomatice in anii 60 / Diplomatic cars in the 1960s

Inca o poza rara: Masini diplomatice in parcarea unui stadion in Bucuresti, inceputul anilor 60. Toate masinile poarta numere de inmatriculare diplomatice, ovale. E un adevarat amestec acolo: Ford Anglia, Ford Taunus, Peugeot 404 si VW Broscuta, limuzine ZIM de la tarile "aliniate", Mercedes "coada de randunica", plus o gramada de masini americane din perioada 1955-60. Probabil e vorba de un meci international de fotbal la care a fost invitat corpul diplomatic, un gest in linie cu dezghetul anilor 60. Foto Armand Rosenthal.

 Another rare photo: Diplomatic cars at a stadium in Bucharest in the early 1960s. A really diverse mix of vehicles: Ford Anglia, Ford Taunus, Peugeot 404, VW Beetle, the ZIM limousines of "aligned" nations, Fintail Mercs, and a lot of American sedans from the late 1950s. The occasion is probably an international football match to which the diplomatic corps were invited, a symbol of the thawing of international relations in the 1960s. Photo by Armand Rosenthal.

Masinile Chisinaului / The Cars of Chisinau

Si Chisinaul avea o cultura auto interesanta in perioada interbelica. Astazi, foarte putine masini au supravietuit de dinainte de razboi - cunosc numai un Packard din 1938, alb, desi probabil sunt mai multe. Sursele sunt mai multe. O mare parte sunt de pe oldchisinau.com (link), aratand curse auto in 1928 si 1929 - o resursa extraordinara. Ca de obicei in Romania interbelica, vasta majoritate a masinilor erau de origine americana.

Chisinau had an interestuing automotive culture in the inter-war period. Today, very few cars from then have survived - I know only of a white 1938 Packard though there are probably a few more. The images here come from a number of sources. Quite a few are from oldchisinau.com (link), showing races held in 1928 and 1928. As was normal in interwar Romania, the vast majority of cars were of American origin.

59-Chs - Ford V8 carosat special de firma germana Glaser, Dubasarii Vechi

96-Chs - Chrysler in 1929

109-Chs - Ford T, anii 30, folosit de muncitori imigranti

212-Chs - probabil un tourer american, in 1928

239-Chs - Buick, in 1929

250-Chs - Buick in 1928

252-Chs - Studebaker, 1929

319-Chs - Auburn, Dubasarii Vechi

324-Chs - Ford, Dubasarii Vechi (familia Donici, cred)

400-Chs - Dodge, 1928

500-Chs - camion Chevrolet in 1940

  

Tourer din anii 20

Reprezentanta Ford in 1933

Inca un Buick, in 1929

Vedere de ansamblu, cursa auto, 1929

La iarba verde cu un Ford Taunus / Countryside jaunts in a Ford Taunus

Un set de poze de familie foarte interesante: la iarba verde in 1957 (primele doua poze), 1960, si 1966. Masina e un Ford Taunus construit in Germania la sfarsitul anilor 30. In Romania anilor 50, orice masina particulara era o raritate, chiar in Bucuresti, de unde veneau personajele din imagini. Remarcam modificarile la partea din fata - originalitatea nu era foarte importanta in acea perioada, iar reteaua de piese era aproape inexistenta. Presupun ca masina nu a supravietuit in familie mult dupa ultima poza: dupa 1965, piata auto s-a schimbat radical si foarte multe familii mai instarite au inceput sa-si cumpere masini noi, moderne, cele vechi (marea majoritate din perioada interbelica) fiind de obicei casate.

An interesting set of family photos: trips to the countryside in 1957 (in the first two photos), 1960 and 1966. The car is a Ford Taunus, bult in Germany at the end of the 1930s. In 1950s Romania any private car was a rarity, even in Bucharest, where this family came from. The front is lightly modified: originality was not considered important and original parts were impossible to find. I doubt the car survived in the family much beyond the last photo: after 1965, the automotive marketplace changed radically and many better-off families were able to buy new, modern cars, the old ones, largely dating from before the war, tending to be scrapped.

Prin Ardeal in anii 70 / Through Transylvania in the 1970s

Dintr-o arhiva elvetiana, opt poze din Ardeal surprise la inceputul anilor 70 - probabil in jurul anului 1973. Curatenie, civilizatie, prosperitate.

Masinile sunt in mare proportie occidentale - multe ale turistilor, altele trimise de rude de peste hotare. Ford Taunus si VW broscuta ies in evidenta, pe langa Opel Rekord si VW Variant. Observam si o Simca 1300 (masina destul de des intalnita in anii 70), ce pare a fi o Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300, un DKW F102, si un Vauxhall Viva. Poza nr 7 e remarcabila: in afara de camionul SR, nimic nu provine din cortina de fier. Pana si autoremorca e un Fiat, de un tip folosit in acea epoca si in Cluj (poza 9).

From a Swiss archive, eight photos form Transylvania at the beginning of the 1970s - probably around 1973. Cleanliness, civilisation, prosperity.

Many of the cars are Western; some would have belonged to tourists while others would have been sent by relatives from overseas. The Ford Taunus and VW Beetle are common sights, alongside the Opel Rekord and VW Variant. There's also a Simca 1300 (quite frequent in 70s Romania), what looks like an Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300, a DKW F102, and a Vauxhall Viva. Photo number 7 is remarkable: except for the SR truck, everything else is Western. Even the recovery truck is a Fiat, of a type also used in Cluj at the time (photo 9).

Garbova

Medias

Sibiu

Sibiu

Sibiu

Sibiu

Tg Mures

La tara

Now and then: Ford Consul Capri, ex Florin Piersic / Florin Piersic's Ford Consul Capri

O raritate de masina chiar cand noua, acest Ford Consul Capri, produs intre 1961 si 1964, odata facea furori pe strazile capitalei. In 1970, era condus de celebrul actor Florin Piersic, care era adeptul marcii Ford.

Prin 2008, un pasionat din Romania a gasit aceasta masina aratand foarte trista. Pretul cerut era enorm, mult peste valoarea pietii, asa ca aproape sigur, masina s-a degradat in continuare.

Ford Consul Capri era variantul sportiv a modelului Ford Consul Classic, produs in Marea Britanie de catre uzinele Ford de la Dagenham. Ambele variante - inspirate dupa stilul american de design - au fost esecuri comerciale, fiind prea scumpe si prea complicate - si designul devenind foarte demodat dupa introducerea Fordului Cortina pe piata, in 1962. Putine au fost produse (mai ales cu volanul pe stanga) si putine au supravietuit. In Bucuresti s-a mai gasit un Consul Classic, model berlina, in stare ceva mai decenta. (Si se spune ca acum 15 ani era unul in Silistea Mare, judetul Dolj.)

Pozele provin de pe pagina Facebook "Vanatorii de epave", o rezursa de-a dreptul bogata cu ce-am avut si ce inca mai avem...

 A rare car even when new, this Ford Consul Capri, made between 1961 and 1964, once drew crowds on the streets of Bucharest. In 1970, it was being driven by the famous actor Florin Piersic, an avowed fan of the Ford brand.

In around 2008, it was spotted in a sorry way by a Romanian car enthusiast. The asking price was enormous - far above market value - so almost certainly, this car has continued to crumble away.

The Ford Consul Capri was the sporting variant of the Ford Consul Classic, made at Ford of Britain's Dagenham plant. Both models - inspired by late Fifties American styling - were commercial failures, being too expensive and complicated, and the styling feeling very dated after the introduction of the Ford Cortina in 1962. Few were made (particularly in LHD), few have survived. In Bucharest, there survives also a Consul Classic sedan, in somewhat better condition. (And there are rumours that in a village in Dolj, there was another example about fifteen years ago.)

The photos come from the Facebook page "Vanatorii de epave" (=Wreck hunters), a superb resource.

Autoturismele armatei romane, decembrie 1952 / Cars of the Romanian Army, December 1952

Parcul de autoturisme al armatei române la 31 decembrie 1952, cu multumri lui Alin Bogdan Samusan. Intrebearea e: ce s-a intamplat cu bugatti si cu Rolls Royce? Stim ca cel putin 5 Rolls-Royce-uri din garajele casei regale au ajuns la garajele de stat in perioada 47-48, conform Monitorului Oficial... (pozele 1,2)

Romanian army staff cars, as of 31 December 1952, with thanks to Alin Bogdan Samusan. The question is, what happened to the Bugatti and the Rolls Royce? What we do know is that at least 5 Rolls-Royces from the royal garages ended up being handed over to the State, according to the Official Monitor... (photos 1.2)

Autoturisme noi / New vehicles:

192 x GAZ-67
95 x GAZ-20 Pobeda
99 x Tatra 57K
11 x Tatra 87 (n.r. e vorba dpspre modelele din ultima serie, 1947-48)
50 x Skoda Commercial (n.r. probabil e vorba despre 1101)

Autoturisme pre-1947 / Pre-1947 vehicles:

2 x BMW
1 x Bugatti
18 x Buick
3 x Cadillac
20 x Chevrolet
3 x DKW
8 x Dodge
6 x Fiat
88 x Ford
39 x Horch
1 x Hanomag
1 x Humber
19 x Jeep Willys
1 x LaSalle
42 x Mercedes
5 x Nash
5 x Oldsmobile
28 x Opel
6 x Plymouth
3 x Packard
17 x Praga
3 x Renault
1 x Rolls Royce 
1 x Rover
1 x Steyr
12 x Stoewer
1 x Studebaker
27 x Tatra Break (n.r. nu stiu care e diferenta dintre astea si T57K)
3 x VW
2 x Wanderer 

Ford V8 in Galati

O carte postala din anii 70, aratand Galati in anii 70. Nu am reusit sa localizez cladirea, dar (pentru mine) interesul este antebelica albastra. Arata ca un Ford 1938, posibil chiar un exemplar construit in Romania. E o amintire ca in anii 70, inca circulau destule antebelice - desi, in mod general, erau putin pretuite, si in stare precara.

A 1970s postcard, showing Galati. I've no idea what the building is but, for me, the interest is the blue pre-war car. It looks like a 1938 Ford, possibly even one built in Romania. It's a reminder that in the 1970s, there were still quite a few pre-war cars on the road - although, generally speaking, they were not valued and were in largely poor condition.

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.

 

Bucuresti 1949 x 15

Din arhivele Europhoto, 15 poze rarisime din Romania anului 1949. Ocazia e visita unei delegatii poloneze; luna e ianuarie. Din pacate calitatea e cum vedeti, dar  imaginile sunt deosebit de interesante. Masinile folosite de statul roman sunt Ford 1947/48 din America, ZIS-101 1948, Buick Roadmster 1946/7/8, si Tatra T87 model postbelic (un facelift facut in ultimii doi ani - aceste examplare sunt foarte rare). Pe strada sunt surprinzator de multe masini antebelice, mai ales americane, unele inca pe post de taximetrie, plus cateva Jeepuri. La capitolul autobuze remarcam un Praga tot postbelic. Teroarea comunista si marea nationalizare debea incepuse, anii grei erau sa vina...

From the Europhoto archives, 15 super-rare photos of 1949 Romania. The occasion was the visit of a senior Polish delegation; the month was January. Sadly the photo quality is week, but the images are rather interesting. The cars used by the Romanian state are 1947-48 American Fords, ZIS-101 1948, Buick Roadmaster from 1946/7/8, and the post-war, facelifted and very rare Tatra T87 phase 2. On the street are pre-war American cars in surprisingly large quantities, some being used as taxis, and a couple of Jeeps. There's also a Praga bus from the immediate post-war period. The Communist terror and the great nationalisation had just started, and the hard years were still to come...