Automotive Recyclers Association - Archive

Online Resources:

• Dacia on Wikipedia
• Dacia Cars

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Dacia Cars

Dacia Group, a Romanian car maker is presently sold in approximately thirty countries in Europe and fifty total worldwide. Although some models are seen in North America, they are generally old, as the brand was only sold for a brief time in Canada in the 1980s. Other models are direct imports from persons moving to the US or Canada and bringing the car as part of their personal belongings.

With its continued association with Renault, the cars from the Dacia factory are sold under both brands depending on the country in which the vehicle is being sold. Originally, the manufacturer, called Automobile Dacia, was owned by the government of Romania under the direction of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, when it signed a licensing agreement with Renault in 1966. He named the car Dacia after Dacia Felix, the provincial name given to the region during the time of the Romans, over two-thousand years prior.

Since 1999, however, Renault has owned the company. Quite basically, the Dacia brand was a replica or spinoff of an old defunct Renault model, thereby allowing Romania to enter the car market without the initial research and development, and seemingly with no knowledge or expertise in the automotive industry. The cars were very meager keeping to strict budgetary requirements, and were not luxurious by any means. In fact, they did not even have features that would be considered standard equipment in North America. Almost amusing to others, and with no insult intended, Dacia fan club sites refer to such standards as novelties.

Significant Points in Dacia's History:

• 1999 Renault buys fifty-one percent of Dacia.
• November 2002, a commercial vehicle range housing the Renault diesel engine is released.
• 2003 Renault increases its holdings to ninety-nine percent.
• 2003 The new Spare Parts Centre is opened.
• In 2004, the year the Logan launched, it was awarded 2004 Autobest car from eleven separate journalists in Europe. Other car brands that competed in the same market were the Chevrolet Aveo, Hyundai Accent, Skoda Fabia Sedan, Peugeot 206 Sedan, and Fiat Albea.
• The CKD Exports Centre from where exports are assembled is opened in 2005. Its official name is International Logistics Network and they claim it is the largest facility of this type in the world for the automotive market.
• Because of Dacia's recycling efforts offering “old car collect centres” to disassemble and reuse materials and spare parts, cars are ninety-five percent recyclable and use identifiable plastics so they can be reused after the life of the car. As a result, the company was given an ISO 14001 certification for environment management from the SGS Bucarest independent body in 2005.
• 2009 The assembly plant can build over thirteen-hundred vehicles per day and employs over eight-thousand people. The Logistics Department employs another six-hundred people.
• As a company, Dacia is heavily involved in humanitarian and charitable projects. They provide potable water to thirty-thousand people and continually seek ways to meet European directives as it relates to the environment and residents' daily lives. In addition, financial resources, raw materials, and vehicles have been provided to ameliorate the plight of disabled children. Associations with the Arts and Sports teams, as well other community endeavors are important to the company.
• Sales continue to gain momentum as the company saw a whopping sixty percent increase in foreign markets over last year. This year's most popular Dacia vehicle is the Logan Sedan while pickups and vans are at the bottom of the sales list.
• The financial division, RCI Romania, continues to grow as well. Banks are not eager to provide loans for vehicles and thus, most buyers purchase in full with cash. But leasing and financing seems to be catching on because the company estimates that by the end of 2009, one-third of all Romanian Dacia sales will be financed or leased.

Various Models and Years Released:

• 1968 Dacia 1100
• 1968 1100S
• 1969 Dacia 1300
• 1969 Denem
• 1973 1300 Estate
• 1975 1302 pickup
• 1983 Sport 1310 Coupe
• 1987 1320
• 1987 1310 Convertible
• 1992 1307 King Cab
• 1992 1309 Double Cabin
• 1991 1325 Liberta
• 1995 Nova
• 2000 SupeRNova
• 2003 1.4 MPI Dacia Solenza
• 2003 1.9 Diesel Solenza
• 2004 1.4 Logan
• 2004 1.6 Logan
• 2005 1.5 dCi Logan
• 2006 Logan Prestige Version
• 2008 Logan MCV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle)
• 2007 Logan VAN
• 2007 Logan GPL
• 2007 Logan Pickup
• 2008 Logan Sedan
• 2008 Sandero
• 2009 Duster Concept Car