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While on business trip in Romania I visited a technological museum in Bucharest, the capital of "the land of vampires". The museum is humble-looking and it makes no wonder, considering the admission charge of about $1 (the photo permit came $9). I was there for two hours and have been the sole visitor, even the chauffeur preferred to wait outside, sleeping in his battered Dacia (built under French license).
During the next days I'll show you some few exhibits, although no Packards.

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This just begs the question: what would Vlad Tepes drive?

Brian, an Impal..a?

Let's start with a 1924 Cadillac. Its pitiable condition looks too bloodless for Dracula.

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"an Impal...a?"

ROTFLMAO!

Nice old Caddy, in very classy colors. I like oldtimers with patina.

Roger, patina would be ok but I don't understand why the car isn't clean. I believe, they use this car to go for a sightseeing tour around the town from time to time.
Now a very old car, built in 1895. This French Gardner-Serpollet is a representative of the time, when cars were steam and chain-driven. Its center section consists of a pipe and valve tangle.
In 1902 a Gardner-Serpollet even achieved the land speed record (75.06 mph).

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Now to a couple of different engines. It starts with a steam-engine. Wikipedia says:

"Automobiles Delaunay-Belleville was a French luxury automobile manufacturer at Saint-Denis, France, north of Paris. At the beginning of the 20th century they were among the most prestigious cars produced in the world, and perhaps the most desirable French marque."

Moreover this manufacturer made stationary engines as shown below.

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I'm not sure you went to a museum or stumbled on a barn full of barn finds.
But its sure cool to run into something like that in a country like Romania. That makes me believe that there are still barn finds to be found around the globe.

Keep 'm coming Gusha!

This is really cool, Guscha. Yeah, it may not be as high end as some car museums in the U.S. or western Europe, I still respect the interest of these folks in Romania. Thanks for sharing this visit.

Thanks Guscha. This museum reminds me of the one I visited in the Irish Republic this past spring. It was located on a narrow rural road and consisted of a collection of unrestored but unusual makes and models such as an German Adler which was actually assembled in Ireland. I should have taken some photos.

BDC, Craig (MrBumble), Dave, thanks for the encouragement! To go to Romania is a kind of time travel. As to the natural hunting instinct I herewith announce nothing less than an icon of the US-American car and race history.


But for now I would like to remain at the engine department. This post comes under the motto "full transparency". The first two engines feature open valve drives known from old marine engines. The last one comes even without the use of a crankcase and reminds me of a stationary thresher.

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