Do you know the Dacia 1300? Mihai, an architect at Renault Technologies in Titu, is one of the many Romanian fans of this iconic model. And for good reason: in the seventies and eighties, it was the car with which the whole of Romania could get around. Find out more about the history of the "other Volkswagen" with the passionate owner, who introduces us to his self-restored Dacia 1310 from 1989.
In Romania, the "people's car" is called the Dacia 1300! It was this car that made the country mobile in the seventies and eighties. The entire youth of Mihai, who works as an architect at Renault Technologies in the technical center in Titu, was shaped by this car. He is proud to have restored his father's Dacia 1310 and is now a passionate fan of this model. On a tour, he shows us his beautiful classic car - and tells us its story.
An emotional legacy
For more than three decades, the highly symbolic Dacia 1300 shaped everyday life in Romania: as a family car, as a cab that was always available in the country's cities, as a car for everyone. These experiences have permanently etched this car into the collective memory of Romanians. Mihai explains: "The Dacia 1300 is a robust, simple and comfortable vehicle - all characteristics that can be found in the Dacia DNA."
The car was quickly accepted by the Romanian economy and customers were also enthusiastic. The car quickly became very popular, as it was the most modern car in Eastern Europe in the early 1970s and, with a sales price of the equivalent of 3,200 euros, also one of the cheapest.
A family inheritance
Mihai owns a Dacia 1310 1.3 L gasoline TLX, which his father bought in 1992. The Dacia 1300 was built from 1969 to 1979 as the Dacia 1300 and until 2004 as the Dacia 1310. "The two main differences between the 1300 and the 1310 are a completely redesigned front end with four headlights and a black radiator grille in the middle, as well as revised rear lights," explains the car fan.
In the mid-1980s, Dacia achieved a quota of 98 percent locally manufactured components, which later made it easier to replace defective components on older models with original parts. This enabled Mihai to restore his Dacia 1310 TLX to its original condition with the help of the collector community that had formed in his country: "Over the years, fans of the Dacia 1300 have become more and more numerous. Romanians are rediscovering this model."
Mihai regularly sits behind the wheel of the Dacia 1310 he inherited from his father, which his family drove on vacation and he took his first driving lessons in. The many memories on board give this model an inestimable emotional value. But that's not all. Mihai is also proud to drive a Dacia and sees his Dacia 1310 as a family legacy to be passed on. "When I drive my Dacia 1310, I just feel good," he says.
A national heritage
Like Mihai, more and more Romanians are proud of their national automotive heritage and value it. The fact that the Dacia 1300 gave the whole of Romania access to mobility and freedom holds a special place in the childhood memories of an entire generation of Romanians like Mihai.
The Dacia 1300 and its offshoots are part of Romanian history due to its commercial success with over two million sold and its long production period of 35 years. During its career, it went through no less than six evolutions and its commercialization lasted until 2006, two years after the start of production of the Logan. "The Dacia 1300 is the iconic car in Romania. Thanks to its affordable price, it was the real people's car," explains Mihai.
However, the Dacia 1300 was not only known in Romania, but was also exported to Eastern European countries, some countries in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
Mihai values the reliability of his Dacia 1310 and for good reason: Mihai's Dacia only shows 3,400 km because the counter resets after 99,999 km. He has already "circled" the meter three times!
