ABOUT THE GALLERY.
The purpose of Eesti Antiikautode Galerii - The Estonian Classic Cars Gallery - is to research and
introduce Estonian automobile history concentrating mostly on pre-1945 cars.
It is only in Estonian, but if anyone has any questions, I can answer and explain also in English or
in Russian.
NB! It is a non-commercial site. Vehicles in the gallery ARE GENERALLY NOT FOR SALE. I do not
intermediate any business transactions of buying or selling classic vehicles.
The gallery of classic cars.
The first part of the gallery is about passenger cars, trucks and buses produced mainly before 1945
which are or have been preserved here in Estonia from 1970ies and onwards.
In the left of every page is the data about cars (model, production year and comments).
If a part of the comment is red, it means the car has been sold out of Estonia. "Restaureerimata"
means unrestored.
In the right there are links to pictures and comments on photos (year and place of making the picture
and sometimes the source of the photo).
Contents:
UUDISED = NEWS, recent adds to the gallery.
SÕIDUAUTOD = passenger cars by makes from Opel to Tatra.
VEOAUTOD BUSSID = trucks and buses by makes from Chevrolet to Saurer.
"VÄIKSED GALERIID" = small duplicate galleries of older vehicles made before 1930
and from 1930 to 1935.
GALERIIST SENI PUUDU = a list of pre-1945 vehicles known to me which are
or have been in Estonia but are not yet represented in the gallery.
VARIA = some Soviet-period photos of remarkable cars in Russia, Latvia, Lithuania etc.
History pages. Contents:
The second part of the gallery is dedicated to the history of automobile in Estonia.
AJALUGU - TSAARIAEG = very first years of automobile in Estonia, before 1918
and the birth of Estonian Republic.
AJALUGU - EESTI AEG = 1918-1940, the period of Estonian Republic.
AUTOD EESTIS = lists of registered vehicles in Estonia in:
1.01.1940 (incl. dealerships)
1.04.1935
1.01.1930 and circa 31.12.1930
1926 (incl. dealerships)
SÕIDUAUTOD - 2LK = photos of passenger cars, 2 pages
VEOAUTOD - 2LK = photos of trucks, 2 pages
TULETÕRJEAUTOD = photos of fire-engines
KAITSEVÄE TEHNIKA = photos of military vehicles (incl. armoured cars and tanks)
EDUARD POOLA AUTO-TRANSPORT = Eduard Poola's transport company, photos and
2 contemporary articles
OÜ MOOTORI BUSSID = largest bus line operator OÜ Mootor, 4 pages of photos and
contemporary articles
TALLINNA LINNAVALITSUSE BUSSILIINIDE BUSSID = Tallinn city bus lines 1937-40
TEISTE ETTEVÕTETE BUSSID = other bus lines
AUTOESINDUSED EESTIS ENNE 1940 = dealerships (mostly in Tallinn)
AUTOÄRID TEISTES EESTI LINNADES = local resellers of dealerships in other towns
EESTI AUTOKERETÖÖKOJAD = coachbuilders
EESTI AUTONÄITUSED 1928-1938 = 6 Estonian automobile shows 1928-1938
EESTI 6. AUTONÄITUS 1938 = the last pre-war automobile show in 1938
AUTOVÕIDUSÕIDUD = automobile races 1921-1940
AUTODE HINNAD JA REKLAAMID = contemporary advertisements and prices of
vehicles
AUTOTARVIKUD = contemporary advertisements of accessories (spare parts, tires,
gasoline, oil etc.)
EESTI AUTOKLUBI LIIKMED 1938 ja 1934 = lists of members of the Estonian
Automoblie Club in 1938 and 1934
AUTOLAMMUTUS 1936 = contemporary article about demolishing workshops in 1936
EESTI JALG- JA MOOTORRATTATÖÖSTUS = bicycle and motorcycle production in
Estonia
AJALUGU - SÕJAJÄRGNE AEG = after WWII and before 1970ies, first couple of decades of the Soviet period.
Pictures of remained and war trophy pre-1945 passenger cars, trucks
and buses in those years in Estonia.
ABOUT ESTONIAN AUTOMOBILE HISTORY.
Estonia is situated in the Northern/Eastern Europe, south of Finland, west of Russia and north of Latvia and Lithuania. Population
is about 1,4 million.
We proclaimed our independence from Russian Empire in 1918 and gained it through the Independence war in 1920. Until 1940 we had a
democratic republic with free trade including, naturally, free car merchandise.
In January, 1. 1940 in Estonia vehicles were listed as follows:
| Passenger cars |
3618 |
| Trucks |
2476 |
| Buses |
289 |
Vast majority of cars was of American origin (though they mostly came from European plants), but also many German, British, Italian, French etc
cars were imported.
In 1940 Estonia was occupied and incorporated into Soviet Union. All private companies were subsequently nationalized (proclaimed state-owned),
all local trade activities with the rest of the world (except Russia and other Soviet republics) seized almost immediately. Arrests started,
many private cars were confiscated as the owners (mostly wealthy and socially active people) were shot or sent to prison.
In 1941, shortly after Nazi-Germany had attacked Soviet Union, Germany occupied Estonia. Retreating Red Army and local soviet authorities
confiscated a great number of vehicles and many cars unnsuitable for their needs were pillaged. German occupation lasted till 1944. Germans
left here broken vehicles and took practically everything what was still able to move.
After the war there were literally a handful of people left (of those, who were not shot, imprisoned, sent to Siberia or escaped abroad), who
still had the car they had owned in 1940.
In those years the majority of latter classics arrived to Estonia. They were mainly war trophies from German troops and cars arrived as a part
of war reparation costs from Germany (including luxurious limousines and cabriolets Horch, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz (500, 540K, 770), BMW (327,
328) etc, and various sports- and racing-cars which were confiscated in Eastern-Germany and sent to Soviet Union). Their origin was German as
well as French, Italian, Austrian, Czechoslovakian etc (as Germany got cars from allies, occupied countries and enemies). Also many lend-lease
cars and trucks from the States and Great Britain arrived here. Then of course cars produced in Soviet Union - GAZ and ZIS. Some pre-war cars managed
to remain hidden here in Estonia too. After the war, from the beginning of the fifties when war reparation transfers ended, only small number of
western cars occasionally arrived into the Soviet Union. Most of new vehicles were of Soviet or Eastern-block origin.
Because of constant shortage in production of passenger cars a lot of pre-war vehicles remained in every-day use up until 1990ies. It also resulted
in frequent terrible rebuildings of even very rare and luxurious vehicles. Replacement of engine-gearbox-axles with parts of some newer car was
very common.
Estonian first club of classic vehicles - Unic - was established in 1976. Our southern neighbours Latvians were faster. They created their club
earlier and managed to search and take to Latvia many valuable cars from Estonia. But our club members collected and restored many interesting
vehicles from 1930ies, several from 1920ies and some produced even before 1920.
In 1991 we declared once again our independence. Hard times during reforming the society resulted in a serious flow of classic vehicles to abroad.
But now, as all opportunities to communicate with the whole world are open again, "new" classic cars are coming into Estonia too.
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