Dacia 1100
The Dacia 1100 was the first passenger car to leave Romania's new Pitești assembly line. Its little four-cylinder engine lived in the back, with a four-speed gearbox beside it turning the rear wheels.
1968 Romania Dacia 1100 profile cover · Ben Skála, Benfoto · CC BY-SA 4.0
Research pending
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More than a set of wheels.
Romania's agreement with Renault initially aimed at the future Renault 12, but that car was not ready. Cost considerations led to the Renault 8 Major as an interim model. The first cars left the line as Dacia 1100s on August 3, 1968, and the plant's ceremonial inauguration followed on August 20. Dacia says a little over 37,500 were built before early 1972.
Look a little closer.
Early cars wore a chrome badge between the headlights spelling out Dacia 1100 and the Pitești factory name.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
An interim car that started a national brand
The Renault 12 was the long-term goal, but France would not build it until late 1969. Dacia's own history says Romania chose the less expensive R8 Major as the temporary answer. That stopgap became historically important: it trained a new factory and put the Dacia name on the road a year before the 1300 arrived.
Source: Dacia Romania — brand history ↗Two August dates, two different events
Dacia's archive says the first R8 Major-based vehicles left the assembly line on August 3. The Automobil Clubul Român describes the presentation of a first-series car on August 20, the day the plant was inaugurated. Treating one date as assembly start and the other as the ceremony resolves the apparent contradiction without erasing either record.
Source: Automobil Clubul Român — the first Dacia made in Romania ↗Where these facts come from
- Dacia Romania — brand history
- Renault Group — Mioveni plant
- Automobil Clubul Român — the first Dacia made in Romania
- Automobile Catalog — 1968 Dacia 1100
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 2, 2026.