Bucuresti 1965

O noua selectie de imagini, via fortepan.hu . Bucurestiul inca arata cochet si elegant, incepuse dezrusificarea, plus o oarecare deschidere catre occident... Cu un an inainte incepus importul la greu de Renault si Fiat, si deja sunt o prezenta semnificativa pe strazi. Erau si o bruma de alte masini vestice, o interbelica sau doua, si cativa masini in trecere (de remarcat Volgile din URSS cu numere consecutive)... Din pacate pozele nu au surprins ceva chiar palpitant dpdv automobilistic, doar o lume mult pierduta... Adaugam 2-3 poze bonus si de pe litoral.

A fresh selection of images via fortepan.hu. Bucharest still looked elegant; the de-Russification period had begun, and people were looking once more to the West... A year beforehand, the import of Fiats and Renaults had begun, and they are already a significant presence. Plus one or two other Western imports, a few pre-war survivors, and some tourists' cars (including some interesting Soviet Volgas with consecutive plates): sadly nothing truly exciting in terms of vehicles, just a long-disappeared world. As a bonus, two or three photos from the Black Sea coast.

VW, Simca Aronde, Wartburg din Polonia

Turisti sovietici?

Borcan de militie

Moskvich din reguinea Bacau

Opel antebelic in fata fostului hotel Lafayette

De remarcat Mercedesul si masina americana de prin 1947, plus un TV-4

Volga, Trabant, Opel, TV, si o masina carosata artizanal

Majoritatea masinilor din poza au maxim 1 an vechime. 

In Constanta

Opel Rekord Olympia Coupe

TV-uri, azi complet extincte....

Cladirea (si sculptura) inca exista

Ford nou dar deja bine calatorit. De remarcat sigla EU!

Pobeda pick-up si un Opel in trecere

Bucuresti 1961 / Bucharest 1961

Imagini remarcabile din Bucurestiul anului 1960-61, gasite in arhiva Uniunei Arhitectilor (https://arhiva.uniuneaarhitectilor.ro/). Arata arhictectura socialista in epoca sa de glorie: linii simple, curate, moderne. Imposibil de a nu fi cel putin un pic impresionat, chiar daca stilul nu e pe gustul tuturor. Masinile sunt putine, e clar ca fotograful nu prea a vrut sa le prinda in peisaj, oricum nici nu prea erau multe pe sosele. Avem arhicunoscutele Pobeda si Moskvich, Skode (inclusiv Octavia, 1101/2, 1200, 1200 Furgon), Buick 1948, Pontiac 1953, EMW, Willys MB, GAZ-12 ZIM, Mercedes Ponton,  si o bruma de antebelice... Am impresia ca arhiva Uniunei Arhitectilor e extrem de bogata, si sper sa ne mai delecteze cu imagini similare dintr-o epoca aproape disparuta.

Remarkable images from 1960-61 Bucharest, via the archive of the Architects' Union (https://arhiva.uniuneaarhitectilor.ro/). They show socialist modernist architecture in its glory days; clean, simple, modern lines, which are impressive regardless of what you think about the style. There are few cars; clearly the photographer didn't want them as part of the picture, but the roads were not at all busy back then. As well as the well-known Moskvich and Pobeda models, we have Skodas (including the 1201/2, Octavia, 1200 and 1200 Furgon), Buick 1948, Pontiac 1953, EMW, Willys MB, GAZ-12 ZIM, Mercedes Ponton,and a handful of pre-war cars. I've got the impression that the Architects' Union archive is extremely rich, and look forward to seeing (and sharing) more of their captures of a forgotten world.

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.

Luxul in Bucuresti 1957 / Luxury in 1957 Bucharest

... bine inteles, numai pentru nomenclatura...

Piata Univeritatii si o gramada de masini. Toate moderne, luxoase... masinilor personale apartinand unor inalti demnitari, masini ale statului sau ale ambasadelor. In prim-plan, Buick 1948 (da, se purtau masini americane si in toiul rusificarii) si GAZ-12 ZIM (interesant: nu negru!). Langa ele, un Chevrolet, 1947 sau 1948, si o Pobeda. Circuland, vedem doua Tatre, amandoua modele T-87, cea din spate un model postbelic, foarte rar. Au fost importate mai multe prin 1948-49. In spate, vedem ZIM, Packard Clipper, Pobede, un Ford american, si o masina antebelica, foarte luxoasa, decapotabila (se vede dupa forma parbrizului), posibil un Maybach sau Bentley dupa forma grilei. Plus statia de taximetre, toate Pobeda. Dupa placarda, poza poate fi datata exact, dupa "alegerile" din 1957. Greu de spus daca e vorba de vreun event special: poze contemporane arata exact aceste feluri de masini parcate in zona.

Grea era viata de "tovaras"!

...of course, only for the nomenklatura...

Lots of cars in University Square. All new, luxurious... private cars of senior officials, State cars, Embassy cars... In the foreground, a 1948 Buick (even under the darkest pro-Russian period American cars were favoured) and a Soviet GAZ-12 ZIM (interestingly, not black!). Next to them, a 1947 or 48 Chevrolet and a Pobeda. On the street, two Tatras, both T-87s, the rear one a rare post-war model. Quite a few were imported in 1948-49. Behind, another ZIM, a Packard Clipper, Pobedas, an American Ford, and a pre-war car, convertible (judging by the shape of the windscreen), possibly a Maybach or Bentley by the shape of the radiator grille. Plus a Pobeda-filled taxi rank. From the sign on the building, the photo can be dated precisely: 1957, after the "elections". It's difficult to say whether a specific event was being photographed: contemporary images show pretty similar cars always parked in this spot.

It was clearly tough being a comrade!