Dacia Cars

Dacia is a Romanian auto manufacture that is a division of Renault automobiles. Dacia was formed in 1967 with the help of Renault and has gone through several evolutions since their inception. The first Dacia cars were basically remakes of popular Renault models, with the first being the Dacia 1100, which was a remake of the Renault 8. They manufactured them from 1968 until 1972 and sold approximately forty-four thousand of them. Although they looked nearly identical to the Renault version, they made minor adjustments to the nose of the vehicle to appeal to their demographic and separate themselves from Renault. Eventually, they added the 1100S to the lineup, which was a sportier version with a more impressive engine. This model was very popular among drag racers, police, and law enforcement.

In 1969, Dacia created the 1300 model, which was actually debuted in a parade and a variety of European exhibits. This model became very popular in its home country, mostly because of its unique design and the fact that the car was reliable. Like they did with the 1100, Dacia created newer models based off of that design, including the L (deluxe), and the 1301, which was the flagship model. The 1301 was dubbed the Super Deluxe and included radio, upgraded trim, heated rear, and upgraded mirrors. Oddly enough, this car was used by the Romanian Communist Party.

3 years later, the Romanian car manufacturer began to export their vehicles across Europe. In 1972 they created a few different models for utility purposes, including a cargo vehicle, an ambulance, and a truck. They also tried their luck in van manufacturing, but it didn't really catch on and eventually that vehicle model was scratched. Most of these models were manufactured in small amounts and although they were mildly popular, they didn't really catch on as well as some of their earlier models.

Throughout the late 70's and into the 90's, Dacia struggled to keep up with Japanese competitors and saw a huge decline in sales. Although they created several unique and popular models, they simply couldn't compete with their rivals in Japan, Korea, and other parts of Asia. Of course, many Romanians preferred Dacia to Asian vehicles, but that was not the case in the rest of Europe. Still, the home nation buyers purchased enough Dacia vehicles to keep the company in business and they survived the period of declining sales.

In the 21st century, Dacia completely changed their look and style and brought about a new line of vehicles that was much more popular in Romania and in the rest of Europe. Although they still haven't been able to catch up to their rivals in the rest of Europe and in Asia, they still boast average yearly numbers. Look for Dacia cars to continue to offer low priced, economic, and reliable cars both now and in the future. Although most people in the United States have probably never heard of Dacia cars, many European nations are used to seeing them on the streets.