Much of the Romanian manufacturing industry consists of branch plants of foreign firms, though there are some important domestic manufacturers, such as Automobile Dacia, Ford Romania, Roman Braşov and Igero. In 2018, est. 500,000 automobiles were produced in Romania. ARO Cibro DAC Dacia El Car Internațional Motors Lăstun Malaxa Oltcit Roman
Brand
Overview
During the Communist period, Romania was one of the largest automobile producers in Central and Eastern Europe, however the industry declined after the 1989 revolution. Previously, other domestic manufacturers such as Tractorul Braşov, ARO and Oltcit existed, however they eventually went bankrupt due to botched privatization in the 1990s. Since 1990, several foreign companies, including Mercedes, Audi, Hyundai, Volvo, Toyota, and Peugeot, expressed interest in opening branch plants in Romania. In 2014, the Romanian automotive industry ranks fifth in Central and Eastern Europe, behind that of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland.
Ford bought the Automobile Craiova plant for $57 million, planning to produce automobiles at a rate of over 300,000 units a year by 2010. Ford said it would invest €675 million (US$923 million) in the former Daewoo car factory and that it would buy supplies from the Romanian market worth €1 billion (US$1.39 billion). In September 2009, the company began to assemble the Ford Transit Connect in Craiova, and in 2012, production of the new Ford B-Max was started.
Robert Bosch GmbH, the world’s largest supplier of automotive components will invest as much as 60 million euros ($79 million) in a new factory in Jucu - Romania. The new Bosch facility will produce electronic components for automobiles, and will create about 2,000 jobs.
Dacia Logan was the top-selling new car in Central and Eastern Europe in the first half of 2007 with 52,750 units sold, ahead of Skoda Fabia (41,227 units), Skoda Octavia (33,483 units), Opel Astra (16,442 units) and Ford Focus (14,909 units).
In 2012, Dacia launched four new models, the Lodgy and the Dokker, and the second generations of the Logan and Sandero, whereas Ford launched their new mini MPV, the B-Max. Both manufacturers also introduced two new and technologically advanced turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engines (the 1.0-litre EcoBoost and the 0.9-litre TCe engine), which are locally produced and represented premieres in their segments.
Active manufacturers
Astra Cibro DAC Dacia El Car Ford Romania Grivbuz ROMAN
Production data 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 Cars 560,102 513,050 509,465 420,755 438,107 Commercial vehicles 0 0 0 0 0 Total 560,102 513,050 509,465 420,755 438,107 Growth 9% 1% 21% -4% -11%
2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Cars 490,412 476,769 359,240 358,861 387,171 391,422 410,959 326,556 310,243 323,587 Commercial vehicles 0 0 10 445 6 12 38 11,209 24,989 27,325 Total490,412 476,769 359,250 359,306 387,177 391,434 410,997 337,765 335,232 350,912 Growth2.86% 31.09% -0.02% -7.2% -1.1% -4.8% 21.7% 0.8% -4.5% 18.4%
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Cars 279,320 231,056 234,103 201,663 174,538 98,997 75,706 65,266 56,774 64,181 Commercial vehicles 14,252 7,609 11,934 20,644 23,188 19,541 14,190 11,987 13,984 Total 296,498 245,308 241,712 213,597 194,802 122,185 95,247 79,456 68,761 78,165 Growth 20.9% 1.5% 13.2% 9,6% 59.4% 28.3% 19.9% 15.6% -12.0% -26.9% 1999 1995 1990 1989 Automotive FDI in Emerging Europe: Shifting Locales in the Motor Vehicle By A. J. Jacobs, page 283, Palgrave Macmillan 1980 1970 1960 Cars 88,313 93,000 94,000 160,000 124,000 59,000 12,000 Commercial vehicles 17,178 18,584 Total 106,897 93,000 94,000 160,000 124,000 59,000 12,000 Growth
Defunct manufacturers
AA&WF ARO Automobile Craiova Malaxa Oltcit Rocar Rodae
References