The plane of the last dictator has the status of the Romanian movable cultural heritage
The presidential plane and the limousine of Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu were sold at auction last night at the Atmark auction house, at a price several times higher than originally announced, Romanian news agencies Agence France-Presse and Mediafax reported. The most impressive lot in the auction on Thursday, May 27, 2021 was the “Super one-eleven” presidential plane, used for the official flights of President Nicolae Ceausescu (1986).
The ROMBAC Super 1-11, which was discontinued in 1989, was sold for 120,000 euros at a starting auction price of 25,000 euros. It was used for Ceausescu’s official trips for four years, from 1986 to 1989.
The 1974 Paikan Hillman-Hunter limousine, which Nicolae Ceausescu received as a gift from Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahvali, who was ousted in 1979, was also put up for auction. The limousine nearly exceeded its original price of 4,000 euros and was sold for 95,000 euros.
Another ROMBAC 1-11 presidential plane, used during President Ion Iliescu’s first term, was sold at auction last night for 165,000 euros. Its initial price was also 25,000 euros. This aircraft is the last ROMBAC built in Romania. His first flight was in 1989.
Romania was the first communist country, after the Soviet Union and before China, to produce a passenger jet. The first ROMBAC flew in January 1983 from Bucharest to the western city of Timisoara. The first international flight took place two months later to London. The aircraft engines were manufactured at the Aerofina and Turbomekanika plants under license from Rolls-Royce.
Due to their extreme rarity and importance for Romania’s technical history, the two presidential planes were added this year to the category of “treasures” of Romania’s movable cultural heritage. By law, they cannot leave the country and whoever owns them has an obligation to maintain them.
