In the early 80s, Nicolae Ceausescu decided, in a gesture of marriage, to give a green wave to a project aimed at producing a new car, Dacia Student 650, intended for students.
Dacia Student. Photo: Adevărul archive
Dacia Student was thought of as a car for students from socialist Romania and resembled the famous Lestun 500, which was manufactured in the same period in Timișorara. In fact, it seems that the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu would have been inspired by the Lăstun project when he decided that Romania should make a cheap car, for any pocket, but intended first and foremost.
“Struțocămila” Dacia – Lăstun – Trabant
This is how the Dacia Student 650, a prototype with a 650cmc engine with two cylinders appeared, reaching the maximum speed of 110km/h. The car was designed by a group of students and teachers from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, but in the end it did not pass the prototype stage. On the other hand, the car looked like a well-known trabant. Specifically, the gearbox was located at the wheel, just like the car manufactured in the former East Germany, while the gearbox was manual, with four steps. However, the Dacia Student 650 project has not materialized in a series produced.
However, it remained in the memory of many and continues to be in the subject of debate on social networks, among the fans of Dacia and other Romanian cars.
“The Dacia Student project, cheap car built in the 80s, part 18“, It was a short post, viralized on Facebook. And the comments of the Internet users at the post made by Adi Pop were numerous.
What the Romanians say
“Fast and Furious, the Ceausist version“, Someone commented with irony.”At that time it was a top car ”, someone else replied. “At that time in the hot water countries there were on the real injection engines that started on the first key, ABS, airbags ”the first “commentator” came back.
The controversy continued in the same note. “The ABS invented by a … Romanian. Now nothing is Romanian in the auto industry, only the cheap workforce in their factories, but in our country”, someone wrote. “He did not invented any Romanian ABS, no longer speak the stupid”the answer came.
“Dacia Sport for those who do not know, she had both on her face and back, the same windscreen model”, wrote an internet. “Normal. And ARO headlights, tractor, truck,” said another ironic. “Like some current trams in Bucharest”, Smit someone else.
“They put the topor on a body R 12 and removed the sports abortion”
“It was not good for nothing … At 5 years, the ruga, the carburetor could never adjust it, etc. Dad, after the Revolution, bought a 30-year-old BMW from Germany. He was crying, he couldn’t believe that the car did not break monthly.”someone wrote. “This is how these Renault has broken”he wrote another.
“From where an cheap Dacia 1410 Sport was 87,000 lei when an average salary was 2,500 lei and it was still waiting for 4-5 years!”, commented on an internet.
“They put the topor on a body R 12 and removed the sports abortion”there was another little flattering comment to the car. “A catastrophe“And”A car mess“, There were other comments.
However, there were some who defended the Dacia Student car.
“You speak nonsense, you who commented the fool, I had something like that and climbed with her on the house, the Dacia 1300 was a small child.“
