There’s not many car brands that get a successful
second act. There are brands that have such a loyal following that they’re rescued and
rise again like a phoenix, but Dacia was just another ex-Communist state car company churning
out dated copies of Western cars. It would take the tenacity of Dacia’s management
to put together not one, but two deals to save the jobs of Dacia’s workers and help
fuel a rise in Romania’s economy. This is the Dacia story. (music) In 1965 communist run Romania got a new dictator
- Nicolae Ceaușescu, and although Romania was under a heavy influence from the Soviet
Union he would start to conduct a more independent foreign policy, to build an industrial economy.
So, the following year it was decided that instead of buying cars from other countries,
Romania would make them itself. It wasn’t that Romania had no experience
making vehicles. They almost made a car in 1945; the Malaxa. ROMAN had been building
trucks since 1921, UTB started making tractors in 1925, Rocar weren’t making cars, but
vans and buses since 1951, and in 1957 ARO was building off-roaders. But the country
didn’t have the necessary experience making passenger cars and needed a partner. Other
communist countries around them were taking a similar tack. That same year Russian VAZ
would start a partnership with Fiat to make what would become the Lada, and Zastava in
Yugoslavia, the company that would make the Yugo, had been working with Fiat since the
1950s. The team charged with finding a partner turned
to Western Europe. The goal was to find a mid-size car with an engine between 1.0L and
1.3L. The Alfa Romeo GT 1300, Austin Mini, Fiat 1100D, Peugeot 204 and Renault 10 would
duke it out for the honours of becoming Romania’s next top car. The winner would be Renault,
and it was agreed to produce the Renault 12. But with production of the 12 delayed until
1969 and Romania wanting to start production before then, Renault offered the 16 instead.
After some discussions, it was decided that the newly formed Dacia company, named after
the historic region that made up Romania, would build rebadged Renault 8’s until the
Renault 12 was ready for production. This would be a pure assembly contract, although
Dacia would weld and paint the bodies. It was a win for Renault who make money manufacturing
the parts and licencing the design. Construction of the factory near Pitesti would begin in
1966, being completed just 18 months later. By August 1968 production had begun and the
first Dacia 1100 rolled off the production line. It was supposedly presented to Romanian
leader Nicolae Ceaușescu, but in reality, he got the 75th car – likely the best of
the batch for their illustrious leader! Police versions would have 4 headlights on the front,
which would at least give you a fighting chance of spotting them when speeding!
The car wasn’t cheap – it was the equivalent of the average person’s salary for over
4 years. Imagine paying 4 times your annual salary for the car that you drive today! But
despite this, demand was high, and soon Gallic cars were appearing the length and breadth
of Romania. In the first 5 years over 38,000 Dacia 1100s were made. Just one year later,
the promised rebadged Renault 12 appeared as the Dacia 1300 and this would eventually
take over as the only car produced. While the 1100 was early 1960s technology, being
rear engined, the new 1300 was front engined and front wheel drive. A modern car to advance
Romania’s economy as it approached the 1970s. The 1300 was available in three trim levels,
Standard, Lux, and Romanian Communist Party member level. Sorry, “Super Lux”! Those
party members could expect such benefits as a radio, sun visor with mirror and not just
a glovebox, but an illuminated glovebox. Ah, the benefits of power! But back in France,
the equivalent Renault 12 TS could be bought by almost anybody.
In 1973 the Kombi estate appeared giving greater practicality. Despite being called the 1300,
a 1.1L engine was also offered, but calling it the 1100 would have just been confusing.
To widen the range Dacia started offering a pickup version as the 1302 in 1975. That
same year Renault started importing parts for the Renault Estafette van that Dacia started
assembling as the D6, but this was short-lived and only 600 or so were ever made.
In 1976 Dacia was joined by a second Romanian car manufacturer, and their story’s also
worth a mention here. Oltcit was a joint venture with the other French car company – PSA,
and produced small Citroën’s. That was until PSA withdrew from the venture and Daewoo
stepped in and they started assembling cars like the Espero. This continued until the
early 2000s when GM bought most of Daewoo, but not the Romanian factory, and they didn’t
allow them to export Daewoo’s to the rest of Europe. Thankfully Ford stepped in in 2008
and the factory has been making cars such as the Ford Transit Connect and more recently
the Ford Puma. From 1979 Dacia assembled the Renault 20 as
the Dacia 2000, but only in limited numbers. This again was reserved for communist party
members who’d grown tired of the luxury of the Super Lux 1300. But with limited numbers
being produced, servicing and spare parts was always a challenge, so despite those fancy
electric windows and cruise control it would probably have been better to get a 1300. By
1984 2000 production had ended, and by the late 1980s the upgraded 1320 model was the
car to have. Despite now offering 2 Renault models, by
1979 the licensing deal had ended. Dacia could still make the cars, and over the last ten
years had been slowly making more and more parts of the car locally, creating local jobs
and building a local manufacturing economy. With the 1300 still a strong seller this gave
Dacia confidence to start making changes. The updated model was eventually named the
1310, and looked similar to the 1975 Renault 12 update, but included new quad headlights.
With the end of European Renault 12 production in 1980, Dacia started exporting their version
to Europe to bring in foreign currency to help their struggling economy. By 1982 the
Dacia Denem as it was called appeared in British showrooms where it would join Ladas and Škodas
in the crowded western European car market. With a 5-speed gearbox and electric windows
it was the most expensive of the bunch, and sales faltered. By 1984, in the UK at least,
the Dacia Denem had disappeared. Romania would try exporting another car with
the Dacia Duster in 1984. This wasn’t from Dacia’s factory, but from ARO, the 4x4 off-roading
company started in the 1950s. It would sell moderately well until 1990. Inside Romania,
the 1302 pickup was updated as the 1304. Dacia would make an economy 1.2L version of the
1310 as the 1210, and a higher end model as the 1410 Sport.
In 1980 Dacia took the next step and started work designing a new Romanian people’s car
that could hold two adults and two children, a maximum speed of 43mph (70 km/h) and good
fuel economy. It had to be economical – the Romanian economy was now in meltdown, and
people could barely afford the fuel for a car, let alone the car itself. As an example
of how bad the economy was doing, the Government stopped production of heaters so less electricity
would be used. Nicolae Ceaușescu, still Romania’s leader,
and very unpopular at this stage, challenged the designers to make the metal the same thickness
as beer cans, despite the fact that this was too thin to be practical. It was all to try
to save money on production. The new car, the Dacia 500 or Lăstun, would
have a 0.5L 2-cylinder engine. Progress was slow, and it would take 8 years until the
first one was manufactured in 1988. When it did arrive, it wasn’t popular and due to
poor build quality not many of them survive today. Production did last until 1991, which
was longer than Nicolae Ceaușescu, who was tried and found guilty in a show trial and
executed following the routing of Communist Governments across Eastern Europe in the late
1980s. Dacia’s main car was still the stalwart
1300, and an update appeared in 1989 along with a hatchback version, the 1325 in 1990.
Dacia would begin limited collaborations with western car companies, using VW’s 1.6L diesel
engine. 1998 would see Dacia clock up 2 million cars
produced, and the 1310, now 30 years old, would receive another facelift. It was out
of date, but it was cheap, and so continued to sell well, selling over 75,000 in 1997
and making it Romania’s top selling car. But Dacia’s future clearly lay in newer
models. In 1983 work had begun on a second new car, the Dacia Nova, and with no money
it would have an even longer gestation period. 12 years to be exact, as it would take until
1995 until the Dacia Nova appeared. The 1.4L engine came from the 1310, but the larger
1.6L engine was sourced from Citroën via fellow Romanian car company Oltcit that was
still working with PSA at the time. It was a replacement for the 1325 hatchback, but
the 1310 saloon, estate and pickup versions soldiered on. The Nova’s 80s origins could
be seen in the outdated styling, and Dacia was still battling build quality issues, but
the car showed Dacia could make its own vehicles if it had the right funding.
And funding was the main problem. South Korean car company Daewoo had invested in Romanian
rival Oltcit, so Dacia worked to create a deal with Hyundai to build the Accent, creating
a sort of a Korean showdown in Romania! The money from building the Accent could help
fund Dacia’s new vehicle, codenamed D33, and Hyundai agreed Dacia could use the engine
from the Accent. But all thoughts of working with Hyundai ended
when Dacia agreed to be purchased by Renault in 1999. Dacia had been improving the build
quality of its Nova, and with a modern Renault engine and some updates it was reintroduced
as the SupeRNova in 2000. With higher equipment levels it sold better than the old car and
started to establish Dacia in Eastern Europe as a resurgent brand.
Renault wanted to build on Dacia’s reputation in Eastern Europe with a brand new car, but
in the meantime Romanians needed cars, and Dacia’s workers needed something to do,
so the 1310 kept being sold, with a restyled SupeRNova appearing in 2003 as the Solenza.
The styling would foreshadow Dacia’s first car in the new Renault era – the Logan.
This would replace the stalwart 1310 that finally bowed out in 2006 after an amazing
37-year life. Renault was in a period of transition in the
late 1990s. Recently privatised, leaders such as Carlos Ghosn were reducing costs and looking
to new ways to expand its business, such as the deep partnership with Nissan. Renault’s
plan for the new Dacia Logan was to create a cut price car that would sell in Eastern
Europe, and maybe in Western Europe as well. Lada’s were selling in Russia mainly because
they were half the price of Renaults, but why settle for old technology? Could Renault
design a car that cost the same as a Lada, but with an updated design? The goal was to
build a car that would sell for £4,500 ($6,000 USD, €5,000, $8,000 AUD), and they came
close with the final price of the Logan starting at £5,200 ($6,800 USD, €5,800, $9,400 AUD).
It used the same chassis as the Renault Clio, with higher ground clearance to tackle all
kinds of road conditions. Inside you didn’t get much, but it had 4 doors, a steering wheel,
drove well and started every morning with a 3 year 62,000 mile (100,000 km) warranty,
and for the money it was a bargain. And it wasn’t completely stripped down – electric
windows, electric mirrors, ABS, power steering and air conditioning were options.
Romanians snapped it up, and soon Dacia’s second attempt at exporting to Western Europe
would be a resounding success. By 2007 it was being sold in 51 countries, and lucky
Brits and Indians soon got to drive one as Dacia’s cheap and cheerful cars spread across
the globe. More versions of the Logan would be available in 2006 with the MCV or Multi
Convivial Vehicle, whatever that means, the 2007 Logan Pick-up and Van, and a hatchback
version as the 2008 Dacia Sandero and Sandero Stepway crossover. The Sandero was a watershed
moment for Dacia, doubling their European sales almost overnight.
Dacia’s wouldn’t only be produced in Romania though. In 2005 factories in Colombia and
Russia were making the Logan, Iran and India in 2007, South Africa in 2009, with assembly
in Morocco and Brazil. The French designed Logan would be known as a Nissan, Mahindra,
Lada and an EMC. Renault saw talent in their Romanian workforce.
A 2,500 person development and testing centre was set up in 2006, along with a styling office
the following year and a testing centre in 2010. The result would be Logan styling updates,
concept cars and a new logo for a new, forward thinking brand.
But it wasn’t all plain sailing. In 2008 Dacia workers struck for a 65% pay rise, in
line with workers in France. They finally agreed to a 23% rise - twice the Romanian
national average wage. With demand for small SUVs and crossovers
growing, Dacia’s next car would be the Duster. Named after the ARO off-roader Dacia had sold
back in the 1980s, this would again be on a common platform used by many Renault and
Nissan cars. Like the Logan and Sandero it would delve headlong into Renault’s parts
bin, with a range of lively but fuel-efficient engines, and 4WD. This resulted in what was
essentially a larger Nissan Juke for about 2/3 of the price. And what’s not to like
about that? In a repeat of the Dacia 1300 introduction, the Romanian president would
become the first Dacia Duster owner in Romania. The Duster would exceed the success of the
Logan, and soon became Renault group’s most popular vehicle. Building on this, Dacia updated
the Logan in 2012, and launched two new vehicles, the Dokker and the Lodgy. All three cars were
based on an evolution of the older Logan and Duster platform.
The Dokker was what Dacia called a leisure activity vehicle that could carry 5 6 footers
(182cm) and about a months’ worth of luggage in the back. And like Renault’s Kangoo it
could easily be sold as a panel van. It’s a testament to Dacia’s selling power that
Renault blocked its sale in Western Europe to protect Renault Kangoo sales.
The Lodgy was a very similar vehicle; designed as a more comfortable MPV. Both cars would
get their own crossover Stepway versions in 2014. These would be the first Dacia models
not made in Romania, instead being built in Morocco, Argentina and India. It would gain
some notoriety when a 3.0L V6 4WD version won the Andros Trophy ice racing championship,
piloted by ex-Formula 1 driver Alain Prost. But Dacia’s main sellers were the Sandero
and the Duster. The mk2 Sandero arrived in 2012, based on the updated Duster platform.
With the Duster facelift in 2013, these cars were looking less like bare bones cars, and
with a growing feature list it was harder to tell them apart from much pricier competition.
But despite airbags and other safety features, they lagged the competition in the Euro NCAP
safety ratings. The Duster got an extra bit of publicity when
in 2019 Pope Francis chose the Duster as his next popemobile. A glass structure was installed
along with a rear bench seat. This joined the Pope’s fleet of a Fiat Campagnola, Mercedes
M-Class, Jeep Wrangler, Fiat 500L, and his personal transport – a 1984 Renault 4 GTL!
Today you can buy a Sandero or Duster with a plethora of modern conveniences. For under
£10,000 ($13,100 USD, €11,100, $18,000 AUD) you can get a Sandero with power assisted
steering, Carplay/Android Auto with digital radio, cruise control, heated door mirrors,
rear parking sensors, ABS and emergency brake assist, air conditioning and electric windows.
With a basic Renault Clio starting at almost £16,000 ($21,000 USD, €14,900, $28,700
AUD), it’s not hard to see why Dacia’s are big sellers.
In 2005 Dacia’s Romanian factory clocked up 2½M cars produced after 36 years of production.
The next 2½M took just 9 years and showed just how popular the new cars were. Dacia’s
factory in Mioveni now produces more cars per year than any other factory in the Renault
group. The competition, of course, has twigged that
people are willing to pay less for simple-ish cars. Companies such as VW, SAIC, Hyundai
and Kia have realised that building cars in developing countries with inexpensive labour
is the key to success. In the 1960s and 70s the Mini and Robin Reliant were entry level
vehicles, in the 80s it was outdated cars like the Lada Riva and Dacia’s own 1310,
but today’s entry level cars are a real force to be reckoned with.
As for the future, Dacia is dipping its toes in the EV market with the Spring Electric.
The car will have a 140 mile (225 km) range with an unsubsidised price around £16,000
($21,100 USD, €17,812, $28,800 AUD). With a European market share that’s grown 7 fold
since 2004, and Romania’s factories churning out half a million cars every year, Dacia’s
second act is looking very, very strong.
Ah, n-am timp să-l ascult 20 de min azi. A documentat bine? Am mai văzut emisiuni de-ale lui și mi se pare că se documentează foarte bine și pronunță foarte prost tot ce nu e engleză (spre deosebire alți youtuberi cu mașini, care pronunță bine dar nici măcar wikipedia n-ar deschide-o să citească 2 minute).