This emblematic model allowed, in the 70s and 80s, that all of Romania could move
In Romania, there is no Volkswagen or Beetle that is worth. There, the ‘people’s car’ is the Dacia 1300. This vehicle was the one that, in the 70s and 80s, put the country on wheels and the one that marked the youth of
Michael, who works at the Titu technical center as an architect for Renault Technologies. Proud of having restored his father’s Dacia 1310, Mihai is now passionate about the model. Today he introduces us to his ‘pretty boy’ and his story.
In reality, it was the vehicle of all families, the taxi always available in the cities of the country… and the protagonist of many experiences that inscribed it forever in the emotional heritage of Romanians. As Mihai explains: “The Dacia 1300 is a robust, simple and comfortable vehicle, with all the qualities that are part of Dacia’s DNA.”
The Romanian economy soon embraced it, and so did customers as they rushed to buy what was, in the early 1970s, the most modern vehicle in Eastern Europe and one of the most affordable,
with a price equivalent to 3,200 euros.
Mihai owns a Dacia 1310 1.3 L petrol TLX that his father bought in 1992. Originally an identical copy of the French Renault 12 model, the commonly called “Dacia 1300” was manufactured from 1969 to 1979 under this name and then until 2004 under the name Dacia 1310. “The two main differences between the 1300 and 1310 are a completely redesigned front end with four headlights and a black central grille, and modified rear lights,” says this enthusiast.
In the mid-1980s, Dacia reached 98% of locally manufactured components, which later made it easier to restore old models with original parts. Thus, Mihai restored his Dacia 1310 TLX as it was in its time, thanks to the mutual help of the collector community that was formed in his country: “Every year there are more Dacia 1300 enthusiasts. Romanians are rediscovering this model”.
Mihai often drives it. This Dacia 1310 was the vehicle of his family vacations and his first driving lessons, and the countless memories lived on board give it an inestimable emotional value. But in addition, Mihai is proud to circulate in Dacia since he considers his Dacia 1310 a family heritage that must be passed on.
Like Mihai, more and more Romanians are proud of and value their national automotive heritage. It must be said that the Dacia 1300 gave access to mobility and freedom to all of Romania, which makes it occupy a special place in the memories of youth of a whole generation of Romanians like Mihai.
The Dacia 1300 (and its variants) is also part of Romanian history
for its commercial success (2 million copies sold) and
the longevity of its production (35 years old, from 1969 to 2004). It went through no fewer than six evolutions during its career and was marketed until 2006, six years after Logan production began. «The Dacia 1300 is the emblematic car in Romania. Thanks to its affordable price, it was the true people’s car,” explains Mihai.
The projection of the Dacia 1300
was not limited to the borders of Romania since it was widely exported to Eastern countries and also to some countries in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
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