28 June 2012

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.

27 June 2012

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.

13 May 2012

Cupa Carpatilor 1935 / Carpathia Trophy, 1935

Recent pe eBay s-a licitat o medalie pentru Cupa Carpatilor, eveniment desfasurat la Sinaia in 1935. Bogdan Coconoiu a mai scris despre acest eveniment si a prezentat programul. Din pacate, desi am licitat, am ratat ocazia: se pare ca erau mai multi pasionati si sper ca a ajuns in mana unui alt iubitor de istoria auto din Romania. Oricum, pozele raman. De remarcat ca masina e identica cu cea din brosura. E greu de spus ce marca ar fi, dar parerea me e ca seamana destul de mult cu un Lincoln 1933 sau 1934, o masina care iesise in evidenta in concursul de eleganta Sinaia din 1934.
Recently, eBay auctioned a medal for the Carpathia Trophy, which took place in Sinaia in 1935. Bogdan Coconoiu has already written about this event and presented the brochure. Unfortunately I was outbid in the last seconds; clearly there were other people keen to have it, and I hope it was bought by another fan of Romanian motoring history. We still have the photos, however. Interestinly the car is the same as the one on the brochure. It's perhaps useless to speculate as to the make, but I think it looks pretty similar to a 1933 or 1934 Lincoln - one of which was a star at the previous year's Concours d'Elegance.

1 May 2012

Reprezentanta Lincoln de pe Take Ionescu / The Bucharest Lincoln dealership

In perioada interbelica, pe bulevardul Tache Ionescu (actualmente Magheru) din Bucuresti se gaseau o mare parte din reprezentanele marcilor serioase. Una din cele mai ravnite era Lincoln, marca cea mai de elita a gamei Ford. Poza facuta de Willy Pragher in 1937 e relativ cunoscuta, celelalte nu. Oricum, e clar ca magazinul Lincoln, situat la intersecita Balcescu / Rosetti, era una din bijuteriile Bucurestiului art-deco. Ma intreba daca peste 70 de ani vor fi publicate poze cu dealerii de lux din Otopeni sau Baneasa...
In Thirties Bucharest, on Tache Ionescu Boulevard (now Magheru Boulevard) most of the main car showrooms could be found. One of the most luxurious of those was that of the top-of-the-range Fird-woned Lincoln. Willy Pragher's 1937 photograph is well-known, the others less so, but what is clear is that the Lincoln showroom, at the corner of Balcescu and Rosetti boulevards, was one of the jewels of art-deco Bucharest. I wonder if in seventy years' time people will be publishing photos of today's luxury showrooms in Otopeni or Baneasa...

30 April 2012

Antebelica in Bucuresti, 1980 / Pre-war car in Bucharest, 1980

In cartea Bucuresti, vazut de un strain, o colectie de desene din Bucuresti facute de diplomatul danez Christian d'Auchamp, publicata in 1982, se vede aceasta antebelica. Desenele lui sunt realistice si se pot recunoaste Dacii, TV-uri, Skode, etc. , dar la capitolul antebelice e mai complicat. Inclin se cred ca e vorba de un Wanderer W23 de la sfarsitul anilor 30. Marca Wanderer era relativ raspandita in Romania, multe sosind imediat dupa razboi si unele fiind in stare de functionare chiar astazi.
In the book "Bucharest seen by a stranger", which is a collection of drawings of Bucharest by the Danish diplomat Christian d'Auchamp and published in 1982, this pre-war car can be seen. His drawings are accurate and one can recognise Dacias, TVs and Skodas - but with pre-war cars it's always trickier. I'd say rhis is a late Thirties Wanderer W23. Wanderers were relatively popular in Romania, many arriving after the War; some have survived in working order to this day.