Dacia 1100 History

The Dacia 1100, produced from 1968 to 1972, was the very first automobile built by the newly established Dacia factory in Mioveni, near Pitești. It was assembled under licence from Renault as a knock-down kit version of the rear-engined Renault 8, named '1100' after its 1,108 cc engine displacement.

Production began because the planned Renault 12 licence had not yet been finalised, so the 1100 served as a bridging model to train workers and set up the production line. A total of 37,546 units were built before the plant transitioned fully to the Renault 12-based Dacia 1300. The 1100 was the proof of concept that Romania could build its own cars; everything that followed — including Dacia's modern global success — traces back to it.