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.

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...

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 

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... 

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!

Peste timp la Radauti... / Over time, in Radauti...

Opt poze aratand vehiculele din Radauti - din anii 30, din anii 40, din anii 50, din anii 60, si din anii 70. Si in provincie, erau chestii interesante pe strazi...

Eight photos with the vehicles of Radauti - from the 30s, the 40s, the 50s, the 60s and the 70s. In the provinces, too, you could see quite interesting things on the road...

1. In anii 30, un grup de familie langa un Whippet circa 1927. In 1933, existau numai 128 autovehiucle in judet (din care 52 erau taxiuri); Whippetul, o masina particulara, poarta numarul 74. / 1930s family photo next to a circa 1927 Whippet. In 1933, there were only 128 vehicles in the entire county, of which 52 were taxis; this, a private car, is number 74.

2. Anii 30 si un taximetru Ford '35 - posibil fabricat in Romania. / The 1930s again, and a 1935 Ford taxi - possibly one made in Romania

3. Parada muncitoreasca in 1948 / Workers' parade in 1948

4. 1959 - excursie muncitoreasca intr-un autobuz TV-1 / 1959 - workers' excursion in a TV-1 bus

5. 1965: doua TV-4 pick-up, fabricate intre 1958 si 1964 si astazi complet disparut / 1965: two TV-4 pick-ups, made between 1958 and 1964 and extinct today

6. 1965 si un spectaculos Citroen DS Safari - o apartie ca un OZN in Romania anilor 60. Cealata masina e un Peugeot 404 / 1965 and a spectacular Citroen DS safari - more like an UFO in 60s Romania. The other car is a Peugeot 404

7. 1975, un Volvo in centrul orasului, o aparitie destul de obisnuita in Bucuresti dar o raritate absoluta in provincie / 1975 and a Volvo in the town centre - a fairly common sight in Bucharest, and a complete rarity in the provinces

8. 1978 si, printre Dacii, o antebelica: un Opel Six / 1978 and, among the Dacias, a pre-war car: an Opel Six. 

Daciile din Siria / The Dacias of Syria

Pana recent, in prea-tragica tara, existau, pe langa vestigii romane, si vestigii romanesti...

E vorba despre Dacii, in general. Pe langa taxiuri Supernova si Solenza - extreme de comune - erau si exemplare pe baza de 1310, unele necunoscute in Romania.

Till recently, in that too tragic country, alongside Roman remains, there were also Romanian vestiges...

Dacias, mainly. Alongside the Supernova and Solenza taxis - which were very frequent - there were also variants of the 1310, some unknown in Romania.

Intai, avem papucul 1304 - multe din ele acoperite cu un coviltir fabricat in Siria special pentru aceste Dacii. / First, we have the 1304 pick-up - many of them having fibreglass tops made specially in Syria.

Apoi avem Dacia 1309 - pe baza de break. Aceste masini au fost vandute in Romania intre 1992 si 1995/6. / Then we have the estate-based Dacia 1309. These were sold in Romania between 1992 and 1995/6.

Aici treaba devine interesanta. In primul rand, avem cateva modele de 1309 cu usi de Dacia Liberta. Presupun ca sunt din primele exampare facute. Am mai vazut asa ceva numai in reclame de epoca. / Here things begin to get interesting. First of all, there are a couple of 1309s with Liberta doors. I assume they are from the very first few made. I've only seen something like this in period ads.

Aici un model mai ciudat. Arata ca un 1309 normal, dar, chiar daca usile sunt de break, luneta de spate e de Dacie berlina. / Here an odder model. It looks like a normal 1309 (with doors off the Dacia estate), but with a rear windscreen from the saloon.

Urmeaza ceea ce credeam ca era doar un prototip - spre exemplu, acest exemplar, vazut la Mangalia acum cativa ani. Se pare ca era de faput un model de serie, fabricat special pentru Siria. E vorba de pick-up pe baza de berlina. Aceste modele nu au existat pe piata romaneasca. / And here's what I thought was simply a prototype, such as this example seen some years ago on the Black Sea coast. It is a pick-up based on the Dacia saloon, never on the Romanian market.

Modelul Dacia 1304 "King Cab " era si el destul de raspandit... in variantele CN1 pana la zambetul lui Iliescu / The King Cab - a bigger 1304 - was fairly common, from 1992 to 1998 guises... 

O Supernova, pe care o adaug mai mult pentru celelate masini interesante in poza: un Porsche 911 si un Cadillac. Pana prin 2005, Siria era un muzeu automobilistic, cu o gramada de masini din anii 50, 60, si chiar antebelice, in circulatie zilnica. Pana si unele taxiuri aveau 40-50 de ani...

A Supernova, included more for the interest of the other cars, a 900 and a Cadillac. Till about 2005, Syria was an open-air motoring museum, with cars from the 50s, 60s, and even before the war, still used as daily drivers. Even some of the taxis were 40-50 years old...

Si ciresile de pe tort: un Steagul Rosu si doua Oltcituri pick-up... (cu acelasi coviltir) / And the cherry on top: a Steagul Rosu truck and two Oltcit pick-ups... (with the same cover)

Din pacate, ma tem ca nu prea o sa avem cum sa mergem acolo prea curand sa documentam masinile interesante ramase ...

Sadly, I fear we won't have the opportunity to go there any time soon to look at the interesting cars left ...