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With total loneliness around due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a Romanian resident in New York went out for a ride in his Dacia 1300, which, of course, is an extremely strange car in the so-called “Capital of the World”.
During these days, several photographs showing an orange vehicle circulating in New York went viral through social networks. That would be a normal situation, if not for two special conditions. First of all, the streets of the big city they were alone due to quarantine by Covid-19. And the car was a Dacia 1300, unique in the United States.
The Romanian Eduard Palaghita, achieved these images in the heart of New York, having as its main model the Dacia 1300 model 1977 of its property. As is known, it is basically a Renault 12 produced in Romania which, due to its longevity and versatility, became the national car of that country.
This specific unit is the only one of that model registered in North America. Its owner brought it from Bucharest to New York in 2015, and he wears it with pride, for being a symbol of his land. Now he presents it with these photographs, under the title “The city that never sleeps is taking a nap”.
More than 40 years, like the first day
Orange in color and practically identical to any first-series Renault 12, this car remains as in the first day. The care and affection that Eduard has given him is obvious, as many fans do with their respective vehicles, whatever their characteristics or type.
“The car is from 1977, and it’s completely original. No changes have been made to it, everything is exactly as it left the factory. I made some improvements but focused on perfecting the car. In other words, I put new tires on it and changed the gaskets ”, Eduard Palaghita told the Romanian portal Digi24 in an interview conducted in 2016.
Precisely, four years ago this enthusiast decided to undertake a tour with the Dacia on Route 66, a 4,000-kilometer highway that crosses the United States from end to end. At that moment he achieved his goal with total success, a week after the start.
A little history
Thanks to a licensing agreement with Renault, the Romanian company Dacia that was then state-owned, started production of the Dacia 1300 in 1969. It was a local version of the Renault 12 that, over the years, became an iconic car for Romanians. Over time, it received different improvements that allowed it to stay valid until 2006.
It had many versions and derivatives in its 37-year history. Besides sedan and estate conventional, there were single and double cab pick-up trucks, two door coupe, vans and a fastback. Even a mid-engined sports car was tested at some point.
To Colombia they arrived as a taxi in 1979, imported by the Transportation Finance Corporation, which delivered them with ample payment facilities but without an aftermarket support. That fact, coupled with a configuration different from the equivalent R12, which were calculated for our topography, made them little desired in the country.
This was not an obstacle so that, after the economic opening in 1991, importing firms brought several Dacia models in isolation until 2001. Many of these cars disappeared, but many others survived. thanks to the wide stock of Renault spare parts, which were compatible with them.
In 1999, the Renault Group acquired Dacia and incorporated it into its ‘pool’ of brands, promoting it as the axis of its ‘low cost’ strategy for European and international markets, becoming one of the most popular brands sold and reliable of Europe. The replacement for the 1300 was the Dacia Logan first generation, released in 2004.
Also read: Renault 12, a global car that captivated Colombian families
Photo Gallery: 10 images
Óscar Julián Restrepo Mantilla. Sources: Dacia 1300 New York (Facebook), Digi24.ro.
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