La recolta de sfecla / Harvesting beetroot

Imagini dintr-un mediu mai rural!
Aceste poze, gasite pe un site referitor la orasul Bailesti si imprejurimi, arata recolta de sfecla pe la mijlocul anilor 70. Toata lumea folosea ce putea. Masinile smecheroase din Bucuresti nu contau. Aici, regele era ARO-ul M461, poreclit "Imeseu". Dar daca aveai Dacie, sau TV, sau chiar un camion SR, tot erai binevenit la recolta!


Slightly more rural images...

These photos, found on a site about Bailesti, in the Oltenia region, shows the beetroot harvest some time in the mid 1970s. Everybody used what they could. The smart cars of Bucharest were useless; here, the king was the ARO M-461, known as the "Imeseu" after its factory's initials. But if you had a Dacia, or a TV pick-up, or a SR lorry, you were still very welcome!

Cum sa maltratezi un Mercedes / How to mistreat a Mercedes

In filmul "Miss Litoral" din 1990, mare esec artistic, cam singurul punct de interes e prezenta acestui Mercedes. E vorba despre un Mercedes 170V Cabriolet A, http://volganeagra.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/mercedesul-formatiei-rosu-si-negru.html o masina similara (desi modelul B) fiind surprinsa aici in anul 1971 . La inceputul filmarii, masina inca avea un aspect cat de cat familiar, desi cu parbrizul schimbat. Probabil in urma unui accident,
fata masinii se modifica oribil. Continuitatea clar nu prea conta, deci amandoua variante se vad in film. In prezent nu stiu nimic despre soarta masinii. Inca un Cabriolet A se afla la Suceava (1 SV 6655); altul a fost folosit in filmul Oglinda (1993).

In the rather dire film "Miss Litoral", made in 1990, one of the sole points of interest is this Mercedes. This is a Mercedes 170V Cabriolet A, http://volganeagra.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/mercedesul-formatiei-rosu-si-negru.html, a similar car (though a B model) being pictured here, in 1971. At the start of filming, the car looked more or less like a Mercedes, although with a modified windscreen. However, probably after an accident, the front end was horribly modified. Continuity clearly not being an issue in the film, both versions are visible. I have no further info about what happened to the car. A further Cabriolet A is in Suceava, registered 1 SV 6655; another was used in the film Oglinda, in 1993.

Mini in Romania

Nu pot sa spun ca MINI-ul a fost o masina deosebit de populara in Romania, totusi au existat cateva exemplare, unele in trecere, mai multe in perioada comunista cand o masina cu consum mic era o alegere foarte potrivita (desi erau multe alte modele dintre care alege), si unele dupa 90 cand se importa mai orice. Am avut numai odata sansa sa pilotez asa ceva, era un model din 1996 si, desi prefer masinile mari, am ramas extrem de placut suprins de spatiul in interior si de agilitatea masinii, chiar in conditii supraincarcate!

I can't say that the MINI was a particularly popular car in Romania, but some existed: a few in passing, some more under Communism, when a thrifty car was rather a good idea (although there were plenty of other models to choose from), and a few more after 1990 when many things got imported. I've only driven one once; it was a 1996 model and, although a personal fan of far larger cars, I was impressed by the interior space and by its nippiness, even when carrying a heavy load.

MINI italian in trecere, 1970

De vanzare in Vrancea acum cativa ani

Mini Mk 2 in Brasov, 1994 - foto "Sludgegulper" (flickr.com)

De vanzare. E un model din 1971 care clar a supravietuit comunismul - se vede prin piesele de Dacie adaugate prin vremuri

Fostul MINI lui Bogdan Coconoiu, un Mk 1 Cooper veritabil desi cu multe alte piese mai noi

Din Sibiu, model din anii 80

Una mica si neagra la Ateneu

Actiune dubla in aceeasi zi la Brasov

Bucuresti, Hotel Nord

In fata Hotelului Central  din Timisoara

MINI Moke 1966, desigur cu o istorie interesanta

1971 - MINI cu numere de Romania - foto Willy Pragher

Doua modele de vanzare - 1964 (grena) si 1968 (verde).

Surprins in Bucuresti

Surprins in Timisoara, un model Mayfair mai nou

In filmele BD de la inceputul anilor 70 - cu numere (false) de Bulgaria

Model 1973, era in jud Neamt

Morris Mini-Cooper, 1967, acum peste zece ani

Chevrolet Impala in Romania: 1967 - 2007

Prin 2007, acest Chevrolet Impala era de vanzare la vreo 2250 Euro - o suma acceptabila pentru o masina destul de cautata. Oglinzile neoriginale si R-ul pe portbagaj - simbol folosit numai pana in 1980 - erau dovada ca aceasta masina era un supravietuitor al comunismului. In anii 60 si 70 in Romania, masinile americane, desi nu exact comune, nu erau raritati: fiecare judet avea cateva zeci de exemplare. Nu stiu unde a ajuns masina insa sper ca a ajuns pe maini bune.

Cautand prin poze vechi am descoperit o imagine cu o masina identica. Poza e din 1967, si omul in imagine e din judetul Alba - adica zona care, inainte de 68, avea numere de HD. Aproape sigur masina e una si aceeasi. Nu e prima oara in care aceeasi masina se regaseste in poze vechi si noi, dar intotdeauna ma bucura sa gasesc asa ceva.

In around 2007, this Chevrolet Impala was for sale at around 2250 Euro - a decent sum for a fairly sought-after car. The unoriginal mirrors and the "R" plate on the back - a symbol not used after 1980 - prove that this car was a survivor which had been in Romania under Communism. In the 60s and 70s, American cars, though not exactly common, were no rarities: every county had a fair few. I do not know where the car got to, but I hope it's being looked after.

Looking through old photos, I found an identical car. The picture is from 1967 and the person captured is from Alba county - which, until 1968, was represented by HD plates. Almost certainly, therefore, we're looking at the same car. This isn't the first time I've found the same vehicle in pictures separated by several decades - but it always pleases me to do so.

Bucuresti 1979 x 16

Saisprezece poze din Bucuresti in decembrie 1979. Incepand cu 1979 se importau doua modele noi de masina - Lada 2101, si Skoda 120. Primele exemplare sun deja vizibile in aceste poze. Din nou, de interes este - in poza de langa Universitate - Dacia 1100 cu patru faruri, posibil un rarisim 1100S. In fundal, se vad unele masini occidentala care nu au fost importate oficial: Opel Rekord, Ford Taunus, Volvo 240, si, cel mai surprinzator, BMW seria 3. Bucurestiul arata gri si pustiu. Fata de imaginile surprinse cu cativa ani in urma, nu arata ca un oras prosper. Poate din aceasta cauza, si tinand in cont faptul ca nu prea mai veneau turisti straini, incapand cu aceata perioada pozele cu Bucuresti devin din ce in ce mai rare.

Sixteen pictures of Bucharest from December 1979. From 1979 two new models of car were imported - Lada 2101 and Skoda 120. The first examples can already be seen. Of further interest are the four-headlighted Dacia 1100 - possibly an ultra-rare 1100S - near the University. A few Western cars which would not have been imported officially can be seen: Opel Rekord, Ford Taunus, Volvo 240 and, most surprisingly, a BMW 3-Series. When compared to pictures taken just a few years earlier, Bucharest seems dull and grey, not at all propserous. Perhaps for this reason, as well as the decline in tourism from the West, from this period onwards photos of Bucharest become much rarer.