Dacia is a Romanian car manufacturer that was founded in 1966. The Company’s first vehicle was the Dacia 1100, which was essentially a Renault 8 that was licensed to Dacia. However, the Dacia 1300, which was launched in 1969 became the Company’s first success. While other models were introduced during this period, variants of the 1300 were leveraged through the 70s, 80s, 90s and early aughts and is a common sight in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Company was acquired by the Renault group in 1999 and its product portfolio has grown to include the Dacia Logan, Sandero, Duster and others. Modern Dacia’s benefit from its parent’s resources to provide features such as airbags and fuel injection, but are generally simpler and easier to maintain than similar Renault models.
Dacia’s footprint now includes most Eastern and Western Europe, South Africa, Russia, India and Brazil and the brand’s modern blend of value and durability has enabled it to grow sales annually.