In 1965, the Romanian government decided to build an automotive industry in the country. A year later, the Uzina de Autoturisme Pitești plant was established, which was trying to create a native vehicle called Mioveni. In 1968, these plans were abandoned and cooperation with Renault was established to draw on the French manufacturer’s extensive experience in this industry. The first car to roll off the production line of the newly established factory was a licensed version of the Renault 8 under the name Dacia 1100. After Renault presented the new R12 at the Paris motor show in October 1969, production of the Romanian version of this vehicle began almost immediately, from which the base model was called Dacia 1300. This vehicle was produced in Romanian plants until 1984, while other versions based on the R12 model even until 2004 (Dacia 1310). This car played a huge role in the development of the automotive industry in Romania. Initially, this model was constructed from parts imported from France, in the mid-1980s, the demand for about 98% of the parts was already covered by domestic, Romanian production. It was exported to the countries of both the Eastern Bloc and Western Europe and was very popular. In total, almost 2 million units were produced in various versions, which is impressive compared to the 2.5 million Renault 12 cars produced. The car could also be purchased on the Polish market. In 1973, the cost of the Dacia 1300 in Motozprzedaż was PLN 170,000 or USD 1,880.
Powertrain R4 1.3L 91289cc OHV
maximum power 54 hp
Top speed 145 km/h
Drive: front
curb weight: 920 kg