Romanian Cars
- Dacia 1100
The first Romanian car was produced under license between 1968 and 1971 under the name of Dacia 1100.
Its design looks very similar to the Alfa Romeo front-wheel drive prototype tipo 103 (1960) , because Alfa Romeo and Renault had a business relationship in the 1950s and 1960s.
The 1100 was released in July 1962 and was based on the Renault Dauphine.
The car’s most notable distinction was its use of four-wheel disk brakes , a first for a car of all new 956 cc engine developing 44 Hp.
- Dacia 1300
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.
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.
- Dacia Solenza
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.
- 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.
- Dacia Logan Steppe
In 2006, a station wagon concept car, the Dacia Logan Steppe was presented at e Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva. The car was built by noted concept car builders DC Design in India. It is considered as a forerunner of the future station wagon version of the Logan, which was launched in the autumn of 2006 and retailed at under 8500€ / £6000. The station wagon, which is built on an extended version of the Logan platform is expected to have a range of engines including 1.4 L and 1.6 L petrol engines, and a 1.5 L diesel, whilst the extended length means that a seven seat option could also be offered.
- Dacia Logan SUV
The picture below was published by the french magazine AutoPlus. Its the first time the french press offers some information on this future Dacia Logan SUV model. The informations gathered by the french magazine are pretty optimistic. The first Dacia Logan SUV will show up in 2010 and will have a price of 13.000 euro. This way, the Dacia Logan SUV is placed between the Lada Niva and Fiat Sedici. One of the things about the model, is that you will be able to choose between 4×4 and 2×4 traction. The 2×4 version will probably cost 11.000 euro. The engines will vary between 75 and 115HP.
The problem is that the Dacia Logan will not be extremely useful on hard terrain, but that’s to be expected at this price. It will not have all the equipment that other 4×4 cars have, but it will have a high ground distance and ESP.
