The beginnings
Dacia started to cooperate with Renault in 1966 and the main Dacia factory was built
in 1968, in Colibaşi (now called Mioveni), near Piteşti.
Dacia acquired the tooling and basic designs of Renault 12. However, until the tooling
was ready it was decided to produce the Renault 8 under licence; it was known as
the Dacia 1100. From 1968 to 1971, some 37,000 were produced, with a very minor cosmetic
change to the front at the end of 1969. Also produced in very limited numbers was
the 1100S, with twin headlamps and a more powerful engine, used by the police and
in motor racing. None are thought to survive.
The first Dacia 1300 left the assembly line ready for the 23 August parade in 1969,
and was exhibited at the Paris and Bucharest shows of that year. Romanians were delighted
with the modernity and reliability of the car, and waiting lists were always lengthy.
As early as 1970, there were several variants: the standard 1300, the 1300L (for
Lux) and the 1301 Lux Super, which had novelties such as a heated rear screen, a
radio, windscreen mirrors on both sides and a more luxurious trim. This was reserved
for the Communist Party nomenklatura.
Changes soon followed as export markets opened up. In 1973, the estate variant, Dacia
1300 Break, was produced. There were 1300F (estate with no rear seats, for carrying
goods) and 1300S (ambulance) variants, and in 1975 the Dacia 1302 pick-up was developed.
1500 examples were made until 1983, the vast majority going to Algeria. Dacia also
produced the D6, a CKD version of the Renault Estafette van, in limited numbers,
but given the competition of the Bucharest-made T.V. van, numbers were very limited.
In the very early 1980s, the Renault 20 was also assembled as the Dacia 2000; because
of the exclusivity of this model numbers were always very limited. The 2000 was only
available in dark blue or black, and was reserved for the Party elite.
In 1978 Renault's licence expired, and the 1300 was completely Romanian. Soon the
designers began to explore new ways of improving the aging design, for example introducing
small rear indicators under the tail lights for the 1979 model year.. At the Bucharest
show in 1979, the restyled 1310 models were presented. These had quad lamps at the
front, larger lamps at the rear, re-profiled bumpers, and a new interior. The changes
were heavily inspired by Renault's own restyling of its 12 in 1975. After a brief
series of "crossover" cars in 1982 (for example, there were no more rectangular headlights
available for the 1300, so the very last models used the quad lamps of the 1310),
the 1310 finally hit the Romanian market in 1982. In England, where it was known
as the Dacia Denem, the top of the range model included such luxuries as a five-speed
gearbox, alloy wheels and electric windows. The advertising slogan used for the car
was "The Very Acceptable Dacia Denem", but this proved not to be the case with the
British buyers, who increasingly opted for the more reliable Japanese, South Korean
and Malaysian models. Sales were very limited, and only one (estate) is known to
survive, although the Romanian Embassy in South Kensington kept a fleet running until
the mid-1990s. Sales of the pick-up version, known as the Shifter, continued until
about 1990, and the Aro 10 was also sold as the Dacia Duster. The plug was pulled
on the Denem, however, in early 1984.
At the same time the 1310 Sport was produced. At the 1979 show crowds admired the
Braşovia, a prototype of a sports coupé based on the 1310 and developed at a service
station in Braşov. The go-ahead was given for a prestige model, and so from 1983
the Dacia Sport 1410 was available for the gilded youth of the period. These were
very popular for rallies, and racing drivers such as Nicu Grigoraş tuned them to
extract extraordinary power from the old Renault engine.
The 1980's
The designers were still coming up with fresh ideas, many of them shrouded in secrecy.
Prototypes such as the 500cc Mini-Dacia, as well as Dacia 1310 variants, were designed;
some, such as the extraordinary Dacia 1310 Limousine, are still on the road. These
cars are eagerly prized by Dacia enthusiasts, and Dacia web forums are full of evidence
about the rarities and oddities produced by Dacia during the 1980s.
In 1983, after the 1302 was dropped, the Dacia 1304 Pick-up and 1305 Drop-side models
were introduced. These were a commercial success and remained in production, gradually
being modified along with the rest of the range, until late 2006. From the 1980s,
also, the 1410 was available as a larger-engined variant, while the relatively short-lived
1210 was the economy variant until about 1992.
In 1985, there were more slight modifications, with a new horizontal rear vent and
chunkier, rubber mouldings around the front grille. Work was developing on the 1320
CN1 model, which was a hatchback based on the 1310. The new front end seen on the
1320 also appeared on the top-of-the-range models (known under Dacia brand nomenclature
as MLS) from about 1987; these cars were distinguishable by two large headlights,
a much plusher interior clad in blue plastic and known as the CN1 dashboard, and
often a proliferation of aerials to indicate the owner's status. Most were owned
by senior officials in the Communist Central Committee. While the 1320 was the most
expensive model in the Dacia range when it appeared in 1988, most were used as taxis
until the mid-1990s. The 1320 did not last long, however; as early as 1989 there
were prototypes using the front of the 1320 and a new rear, with wrap-around tail
lights and other modernities.
The 1990's
The 1320 model emerged in 1990 as the Dacia 1325 Liberta (after the 1989 revolution,
themes of liberty were very much in fashion) and stayed in production until 1996.
The last of the quad-lamped models were produced in 1992, and all the Dacia range
received the new front end of the 1320, called CN1. An effort was made to rejuvenate
the model range: the Sport was dropped, due to lack of sales, and new commercial
vehicles were introduced. The 1307 was a double-cabbed pick-up; the 1309 was an estate
with a tarpaulin instead of a boot; the car was a cross-over between estate and pick-up
and sold very well on the Chinese market. There were also several prototypes:
- the 1610 diesel estate, powered by Volkswagen, with about 150 units sold
- the Dacia Star, with curved side windows
- the 1308 Jumbo, a camper-van, and several attempts to give the 1310 a more modern
look by grafting the front of contemporary cars such as the Nissan Primera onto it.
The cars of 1992-1994 are curiosities: although efforts were obviously being made
to renew the model range, there were numerous stylistic hangovers from the quad-lamped
models. Thus, the last of the 1983-designed dashboards were seen in 1994 although
a new dashboard had been seen on some model ranges since 1987. Similarly, although
the CN1 restylisation got rid of anachronisms such as a kink upwards at the C-pillar
and a rubber rear spoiler, it was not applied consistently. One wonders about the
techniques used on the production lines of the era.
The 1994 facelift was known within the industry as CN2. A reprojected front end was
distinguished by a horizontal metal line in the grille. There were new headlamps,
front and rear bumpers, and the shape of the front wings was accordingly different.
Inside, there was a new dashboard for the base models, while the top-of-the-range
cars had luxuries such as body-coloured bumpers, rear head restraints, a radio-cassette,
hubcaps, and the ever-present CN1 dashboard, this time in black plastic. This model
was not to stay in production for very long; in 1995 the CN3 type was introduced
on the European market, followed by the Latin American market in 1996. Practically
the only differences were those of trim level and the radiator grille.
From 1995 little attention was paid to the improvement of the 1310 range, as Dacia
launched a new model, the Dacia Nova. This was a saloon or hatchback with a 3-box
design. The design was rather outdated, owing to the fact that development work had
started in 1982. Urban myth in Romania suggests that it was a version of the Renault
9 or the Peugeot 309; this is incorrect, as the Nova is a 100% Romanian design, started
after the end of any French involvement in Dacia. The model was initially unpopular,
due to reliability and rustproofing issues, one rumour suggesting that when it rained
outside, it also rained inside. However, after improvements in 1997, the Nova became
more often seen on Romanian roads. In 1998 a seven-seater prototype was produced
using the panels and windows from the standard Nova saloon.
In 1998, the last restyling of the 1310 was introduced. It was known as CN4 and involved
a comprehensive restyling of the front end, as well as new door handles and a lightly
restyled interior. The estate version was given larger tail lights. This restyling
soon became popularly known as "zâmbetul lui Iliescu" (Iliescu's smile) after wits
likened the front end to the presidential grin. The load-carrying models followed
suit in 1999. It must be stressed that, even though the model was over thirty years
old, it still sold exceptionally well due to a starting price of about 4200 Euros
and high availability of parts. Goodies such as an engine with injection also helped
keep the model relatively modern. By this stage the export market had all but petered
out, although some saloons made their way to Latin America, and the utility models
were available in countries such as Poland, the Ukraine, Germany and the Czech Republic.
In 2000, a special edition was produced for the first time; it was known as Dacia
Dedicaţie. This luxury version of the saloon and estate had alloy wheels, body-coloured
bumpers, power steering, electric windows, and a far better level of finish. The
models were all painted two-tone silver, and sold at a significantly higher price.
From after about 2000, also, the cars became known as Berlina and Break, with the
1310 lettering being relegated to an insignificant position underneath the side light.
On July 21, 2004 the last models of the 1300 series rolled out the gates of the Mioveni
production facility, just one month before their 35th anniversary. The very last
Dacia 1310, number 1,979,730, will be kept in the Dacia museum. On 8 December 2006,
the utility vehicles suffered the same fate. Although many improvements had been
made in recent years, such as four-wheel drive, the introduction of a 1.9 diesel
engine, the dashboard from the Dacia Solenza (also seen on the very last 1310s) and
wheels fastened by five studs as opposed the the archaic three, Romania's entry in
the European Union effectively prevented the continued production of the old models.
The assembly lines will be remodelled and expanded to increase production of the
Dacia Logan.
In over thirty-four years of production, the Dacia 1300/1310 became easily the most
numerous car on the Romanian roads. Almost everybody owned one and became adept at
carrying out repairs or home-made modifications. For example, many older cars had
newer front ends grafted onto them to make them seem more modern, or purely because
newer parts were easier to get. Consequently, original early 1300s are quite rare,
with prices steadily increasing for the best-preserved models. Tuning of Dacias is
also a popular pastime, although the home-made nature of much of the work has implications
for the quality of the finished product.
During the Communist era, in the plant where the Dacias were made, there were two
assembly lines: one line producing Dacias intended for sale in Romania and the other
line producing the same car (albeit from superior parts, and assembled with greater
care) for export. It is common knowledge that many Romanians living near the Hungarian
border purchased their Dacia in Hungary and drove it back home.
Acquisition by Renault
Meanwhile, work was continuing on the other Dacia models. In September 1999, Dacia
was bought by the Renault group, with a view to making Romania its hub of automobile
development in both Central Europe and Eastern Europe, and investment was consequently
increased. The first sign of this came in 2000, with the introduction of the SupeRNova,
an improved version of the Nova. The top-of-the range version had air conditioning,
electric windows, and a CD player. Sales were very good, although the outdatedness
of the concept was strinking. Dacia sold 53,000 vehicles in 2002, and it holds an
almost 50 per cent market share in Romania. In 2003, a comprehensively restyled version
replaced the SupeRNova with Dacia Solenza, featuring a completely new and modern
interior, the options for an airbag, and more modern looks trying to develop a Dacia
brand style. This was, however, only meant to be a stopgap model filling the need
for a saloon model before the introduction of the all-important Dacia Logan, as well
as to familiarise workers with the rigour needed to manufacture a model acceptable
to Western European markets. Production was stopped in 2005.
Dacia Logan
The Logan is the most important model since the original 1300. It was introduced
after huge media interest in august 2004, and although it was criticised for its
ugliness and gawkiness, it was a massive hit as far as sales were concerned. The
Logan is a truly modern model; the influence of Renault is considerable, and indeed
it is sold under the Renault brand (Renault Logan) in some countries. On the back
there is the new Dacia crest, and the writing "Logan by Renault". It was awarded
3 stars in the NCAP awards. It is by far and away the best-selling car in Romania,
and it is available on many Western markets, as well as in Eastern Europe and the
rest of the world. Since 2005 there is also a diesel option. Before its launch, it
was known as the 5000-Euro car due to its projected launch price. This was never
quite the case, although it is one of the cheapest cars for its size on the market.
In 2006, the prototype Logan MCV was exhibited. This shows a speculative' 4x4 estate
version of the Logan, and was widely acclaimed as looking like a real Western car
(by no means a condescending claim when looking at an 1310 or a SuperNova of the
2003 model year). The very roomy estate version was launched in late 2006. The van,
basically an estate with the rear windows filled in and a separate cabin for the
driver, was launched in February 2007 after the stopping of utility vehicle production.
A pick-up is planned for later this year, and there are also plans for a new model
around 2009. The future for Dacia must look very bright when considering the increase
in sales and the Logan's popularity on foreign markets.
