Budapest Dream Garage
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Jankó István’s garage near central Budapest is a collection of more than 170 cars that are housed in a complex of warehouses and lines of cars in the open that sprawls over several acres. The 1957 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket 88 is the owner’s favorite.
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Budapest is on the banks of the Danube River. The capitol of Hungary was under communist rule until 1989. Collecting cars when private property is not quite illegal but definitely not condoned was a challenge that a few clever individuals managed to overcome.
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When the communist government was exchanged for democratic rule, these statues commissioned by communist leaders were gathered and moved to a sanctuary outside of town.
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When the communist government was exchanged for democratic rule, these statues commissioned by communist leaders were gathered and moved to a sanctuary outside of town.
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István’s collection is housed in warehouses, and includes a mix of cars from Eastern European bloc countries as well as brands from North American and western Europe.
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The collection ranges from early touring cars to 1990s machines, but a heavy focus is placed on cars from the 1950s. This room contains a 1978 Austin FX4 “London Taxi,” 1937 Renault Celtaquatre, 1952 Mercedes-Benz 170V, 1952 Pobeda M20, 1955 Skoda, and 1968 Cadillac De Ville convertible.
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The orange and white 1956 Buick Special Riviera is flanked by a 1955 Skoda 440 Spartak. This room was filled with about 40 cars and stacks and stacks of parts.
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The collection contains several dozen rusting hulks, including this one badged as a Huber.
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The collection contains several dozen rusting hulks, including this one badged as a Huber.
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This room contains a bright blue 1975 Dacia 1300, which was built by a Romanian company that purchased the tooling for the Renault 12.
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This hulk of a VW Beetle carries the original plate, under the remains of the hood.
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A Russian-built 1962 Volga M21, a stylish little sedan that used a transmission based on a Ford three-speed. In 1956, a fleet of M21s were driven 29,000 kilometres across Russia in a highly-publicized effort to promote the cars.
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A 1939 Opel Blitz and a 1941 Dodge Weapon carrier. The Blitz served the needs of the German military in World War II. Opel was owned by General Motors, and, in 1938, 29 percent of Opel’s Blitz trucks were sold to the German military. The Dodge also served in World War II, although without the political controversy bore by the Blitz.
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Parts are strewn all around the compound. For the knowledgable, the place is a gold mine.
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Borgward was a German auto manufacturer founded by Carl F. Bordward whose first product was a two-horsepower three-wheeled car, the Blitzkarren, a popular postal delivery machine. The Hansa 1500 (right) was introduced after World War II. Borgward continued to produce cars, including a few sports racers, until the company went bankrupt and was sold in the early 1960s.
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István (near driver’s door) and his crew move one of the cars between warehouses. (MISH: What kind of car is this?)
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István said this Chevrolet C60 was used on a movie set where it was shot full of .50-caliber holes.
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The compound is full of glorious cars and parts—a barn finder’s dream.
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The Volkswagon Beetle emblazoned with “Policia” appeared in the movie, Munich. The motorcycle is a sidecar-equipped BMW R12 and Cadillac is a de Ville.
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This ambulance is a 1969 Nysa 521 S, which was produced by Polish company Nysa. The truck is a licensed version of the Russian-built GAZ M20 Pobeda, and uses the same wheelbase and engine as the GAZ. The Nysa 521 was a popular ambulance in Hungary.