Photo Gallery

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Rue principale de la ville de Huancayo (département de Junin), Andes centrales. - 1969

This three-wheeled vehicle is a Tempo Hanseat, an iconic mode of transport that has been a familiar sight on Indian roads for decades. The vehicle was originally developed in the 1940s and 1950s by the German company Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werke in Hamburg-Harburg. In 1958, the Indian company Firodia Ltd (later known as Bajaj Tempo and now Force Motors) entered into a partnership with Tempo-Werke. Production of the Hanseat continued under licence in India until the year 2000. Although it was designed as a light goods vehicle, owners frequently converted it. Fitted with bench seats and a canopy, it served as a shared taxi for large numbers of passengers in many regions of India – particularly in rural areas. The vehicle featured a distinctive front-wheel drive layout, with the engine positioned directly above the single front wheel. Legendary features included the extremely loud, rattling engine noise, starting the engine via a pull-cord under the bonnet, and the angled rear wheels, which only straightened up under heavy loads. – Jodhpur – 1990

This historical photograph shows the bustling Calle Real, the main thoroughfare and central street of the Peruvian Andean town of Huancayo (Junín Region), characterised by typical car models of the 1960s and the striking, round Inca Kola neon sign in the background. – 1969