1990 - Dacia Cars

Dacia, which is owned by Renault, has been around for over 40 years. They are headquartered in Romania, which is where they were originally founded with the help of Renault in the 1960's. At first, Dacia came out with just a few models that were re-designed models of Renault vehicles. These models were very successful because they were inexpensive and they were reliable. They had a sporty and modern design that was attractive to the consumer and as Dacia moved into the 70's they were riding a wave of successes.

Unfortunately, this success halted in the 70's when Dacia tried to be a little too innovative and got their hands in too many cookie jars. They created several new styles of vehicles that were not popular with the consumer and as a result their sales declined most of the decade. They tried their hand at vehicles for government agencies, but for some reason this idea never took off and the Romania car manufacturer began to be out shadowed by their Asian competitors.

Eventually, Dacia was able to rebound in the 1980's with their pickup and their dropside models and consumer confidence began to increase over time. Dacia had returned to their roots and started making cars for the people, rather than the businesses of the people. They also redesigned their look to more closely match the style of the 80's, which proved to be a very good choice. As they moved into the 1990's, Dacia was riding a wave of popularity that had customers waiting in long lines to buy their inexpensive and reliable models.

Once they moved into the 90's, Dacia began to experiment once more. This time, they went with something called a "quad lamped" model, which was basically a coupe or sedan with 4 headlights instead of the traditional 2. They also tried their hand at some diesel models and some sports cars. Most of these models put up average numbers, but just like in the 70's Dacia's sales numbers began to suffer once more. It seems as if the 90's were an experimental time for Dacia and although they didn't put up very high numbers, they were able to eventually find a mix between style and convention that pleased consumers.

As they moved into the 21'st century, Dacia had found the perfect match between style, cost, and reliability, which was reflected in their numbers. They were able to carry several of these models well into 2000 and beyond. In September of 1999, Dacia was formally purchased by Renault and became part of their European Hub. This brought an infusion of money and design into Dacia's development, which helped them stay fresh in the eyes of the consumer. Currently, Dacia is still manufacturing cars that have been very popular. Although they are still headquartered in their original home, they have a broader appeal in all of Europe thanks to the help of Renault's vision. Currently, they featured 2 main models a handful of concept cars. You can find Dacia cars in most of Europe.