The Best Romanian Car Brands

Romania's Car sector has advanced at a breakneck pace. It was one of the most advanced in Central Europe during the communist dictatorship. However, the car sector began to deteriorate after 1989, with many businesses going bankrupt as a result of failed privatizations.

Oltcit, ARO, and Tractorul Braşov are among them. Then came international automakers, who indicated an interest in creating companies in the United States.

What are Romanian Car Brands?

Ford Romania, Roman Braşov, Igero, Automobile Dacia, Astra Bus, Cipro, DAC, El Vehicle, Grivbuz are some of the country's authentic car brands. ARO, Oltcit, Rocar, Automobile Craiova, Malaxa, and AA&WF are among the companies that have gone out of business.

As a result, following 1990, the country saw a resurgence in the production of passenger automobiles and heavy-duty vehicles of various types. Although there are numerous real Romanian enterprises, such as Automobile Dacia, Igero, Roman Braşov, and Ford Romania, many subsidiaries have developed in the nation. In terms of automotive assembly volume, this industry ranked seventh in Central Europe in 2014.

ACTIVE MANUFACTURERS

Romania is home to a thriving automobile sector. It includes both ancient and new businesses, some founded around the turn of the century and others founded in the twenty-first. Both organizations are involved in the effective production of in-demand transportation equipment.

Companies that specialize solely in passenger vehicles (Dacia) and companies that specialize in large-tonnage special equipment are among them. El Car and Astra Bus, for example, are two of the most prominent bus manufacturers in the region.

1 Astra Bus No. (1996-Present)

The Best Romanian Car Brands

Astra Bus is the full name of this company. It clearly states that it is a bus and other heavy vehicle makers. In 1996, the brand made its debut in Romania, in the city of Arad. He had previously worked for the Astra Vagoane Arad firm, which produced train carriages. Separated from the parent corporation, the new structure shifted its focus and became actively involved in the transportation of passengers.

Astra was acquired by the Cefin Holding Group in 2003.
She altered the assortment at the same time as the legal status, greatly extending it.
Irisbus buses and trolleybuses are presently assembled at her factory (part of a partnership with an Italian company).
On a smaller scale, minibusses based on Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Iveco chassis are also built.

2 Cibro (2002-Present)

It is a brand of Bucharest-based C&I Eurotrans XXI, which has been operating in Romania's capital since 2002. It makes minivan bodywork based on chassis from various manufacturers throughout the world.

The Cibro, in particular, is a minibus built on the Mercedes-Benz Vario chassis.
In terms of comfort degree, it comes in a variety of variations.
A total of four lines with a capacity of 23 to 30 passenger seats are created.
In 2010, a new version of the minibus, known as Cibro 2, was introduced.
It is assembled at a Romanian factory in the village of Manolache, in the county of Ilfov.
It is an ISO9001-certified new factory with cutting-edge equipment.

3 DAC (1970s-Present)

Diesel Auto Camion is the Romanian company's name, which indicates it manufactures dump trucks and trucks. The firm is based in Brașov and is part of the ROMAN Group, which has designated it as a separate subsidiary with its trademark. This brand's approach has been used since the 1970s. The corporation was relegated to the position of a subsidiary brand in 1990.

However, the company's origins stretch much further into history, as the care facility has been in operation since 1921:

Before WWII, it was known as ROMLOC, and thereafter, it was known as The Red Flag (Steagul Rosu).
DAC also employs the same proprietary platform as Roman trucks throughout the full series.

4 Dacia (1966-Present)

Automobile Dacia S.A. is the full name of this carmaker. It is called after the ancient territory of Romania that is now Romania. The firm was created in 1966 and is based in Mioveni, Argeș County. The country's government sold it to Groupe Renault 33 years later (in 1999), making it a successful subsidiary.

In terms of revenue share, Dacia is Romania's largest company today, contributing significantly to the country's economy.
It exports automobiles with the same name to practically every country on the planet, and they are in high demand.
This manufacturer has been a part of Renault Dacia-Lada since 2021.

5 El Car No. (2003-Present)

The firm that manufactures the Igero bus brand's city and intercity buses. It is headquartered in Bucharest, where the Romprim manufacturing is located. Dorian Igescu, an engineer, founded the corporation and gave it his last name as a name. El Car was founded in 2003 when the future owner of a significant automotive firm built the first bus in his garage. For a long period, the organization has worked with the specialist firm Roman.

6 Ford Romania No. (2008-Present)

It is a car manufacturer based in Craiova that is run by Ford of Europe. Production was first housed in the old Oltcit facility, before being relocated to the Daewoo Motors complex, which Ford purchased from the country's government in 2008. The business debuted two models in September 2009: the Ford Transit Connect and the Ford B-Max.

7 Grivbuz (1993-Present)

Compania Industrială Griviţa is a joint-stock firm that produces Grivbuz medium-sized buses. It's in the town of Chitila, in Ilfov county. In 1993, the firm was created, and in 1997, it began producing midibus prototypes. The firm is now producing its brand of tourist buses as well as engines.

8 ROMAN (1921-Present)

It is a well-known Romanian transport equipment firm based in Brașov. It was created in 1921 and was known for many years as ROMLOC. The firm was renamed The Red Flag (Steagul Roşu) in 1948, then Brașov Truck Works (Intreprinderea de Autocamioane Brașov) in 1980, and finally ROMAN SA in 1990. The firm frequently collaborates with other Romanian businesses and has its brand, DAC. Large-tonnage equipment, such as dump trucks, tractor-trailers, and military vehicles, are among the company's offerings.

DEFUNCT MANUFACTURERS

This category of automakers includes firms that have self-liquidated as a result of expansion, merger, or, on the other hand, division into two separate units. AA&WF, Oltcit, Automobile Craiova, and several other manufacturers provide the most notable examples.

ONE AROUND (1957-2006)

Auto Romania was the name of the Romanian SUV manufacturer, and ARO is an abbreviated form of it. The vehicle plant was established in 1942 in the municipality of Câmpulung. Machine production, on the other hand, commenced when the capital building of the company was completed in 1957.

Military equipment and off-road vehicles were created by the business, which was sold both domestically and internationally. Cars were offered under many labels in other countries. The facility was shut down in 2006 owing to insolvency.

2 Oltcit (1976-1991)

Romania's automotive factory was a joint venture between the Romanian government and Citroën. It was in the Oltenia area, in the town of Craiova. The company's core lineup comprised of two hatchback series: Citroën Axel and Oltcit Club.

Following Citroën's departure, the firm was renamed Automobile Craiova. She changed her name to Rodae Automobile after signing a business arrangement with Daewoo Heavy Industries. It was afterward superseded by Daewoo Automobile Romania. Ford of Europe purchased the facility in 2008 and renamed it Ford Romania. In 1991, the Oltcit Joint Stock Company ceased to exist.

3 Rocar (1951-2004)

In 1951, this firm was founded in Bucharest. She was involved in the manufacture of a variety of automobiles. Passenger cars, commercial vans, trolleybuses, city and intercity buses, small trucks, and minibusses were among the vehicles available. Later on, the business began producing light SUVs and heavy-duty trucks. It ceased functional in 2004.

4 Craiova Automobile (1991-2008)

Craiova was the location of the defunct joint-stock business, which had been producing passenger automobiles since 1976. The corporation was then known as Oltcit, and it was virtually equally owned by the Romanian government and Citroën. The facility was renamed Automobile Craiova after the French company exited the collaboration. It was eventually purchased by the American automaker Ford Motor Company, which established Ford Romania as a subsidiary.

5 Malaxa (Malaxa) (1945)

This is the name of an automobile created by Petre I. Carp and his team of engineers. The passenger automobile first debuted in 1945, when military technology needed to be redesigned for civilian use. Several aircraft firms throughout the nation produced prototypes. ASAM Cotroceni and IAR Brașov are two of them.

The businessman Nicolae Malaxa, for whom the automobile was named, provided financial backing for the project. It's unclear how many models have been released. When officials of the Soviet Union intended to relocate Moscow's technical location, the trademark was phased out.

6 AA&WF (1921)

Following the breakup of Austria-Hungary in 1921, this corporation was created. Then two of her Romanian firms joined to become one. The ASTRA Automobile & Waggon Factory group was founded, and its name was abbreviated to AA&WF. Later, the transportation equipment producers officially split from one another and founded their production facilities.

The Best Romanian Car Brands