Hunglish.orgA common car on the streets of Hungary, the Lada is hard to find but is not so far in the memories of the people who once drove them. Modern cars have taken over the older generations of cars that once reigned supreme during the communist era of Hungary.
Written by Scott Savoie
One of the biggest differences that has occured in Hungary in the last decade or so is that you no long often see the old-style communist era vehicles.
These were Ladas, Fiat Polskis, Warburgs, and old-school Skodas.
My guess is that they don’t meet EU emission standards.
This is easy to believe that, for as I remember them, these things were like moving EPA violations. They leaked everything: Oil, petroleum, brake fluid, anti-freeze, windshield wiper fluid, you name it. They just weren’t watertight. Plus, some would emit a dull greyish-blue smoke – This is probably why they flag the emmissions test.
Still, the cars were cute, and they reminded you that you were in a foreign land.
Now the cars mostly look like anywhere else in Western Europe.
I bet that, in a few years, there will be nostalgia for those old cars. I have it and I never even owned one.
These cars played an important part in Hungarian history, and I’ll bet lots of virginities were lost in them and many Hungarians conceived in them.
A few were probably even concieved in Fiat Polskis, but I bet that was tough to do.