Dacia sold in Germany twice the number of cars sold in Romania

Last year was the first when the Romanian market hasn’t been the main selling space for Dacia. Romania, the car’s country of birth, ranked third, after Germany and France. Dacia sold 85,000 cars in Germany in 2009, owning 2.1% of the German car market. In Romania, sales were under 45,000 units, half the figure compared with 2008. But the low in Romania was compensated by countries like France and Italy, where Dacia ales went over 60,000 and 20,000 units, respectively.

Renault Germany CEO Achim Schaible declared that the result was very good, but added that the absence of the Scrappage scheme this tear will influence the car sales, Die Welt publication quotes. Achim Schaible says the forecasts indicate Dacia will sell 30,000 cars this year, while Renault will sell 120,000, in contrast with the 140,000 cars sold last year in Germany. On top of the 150,000 Renault-Dacia cars estimated to be sold to Germany’s residents come 15,000 commercial light cars.

The more pessimist forecasts are not surprising: the German car market went up to a record level in 2009, namely 3.8 million cars, supported by the Scrappage scheme. The car industry association expect a weak 2010, with around 2.8 million registrations in the absence of the programme.

Dacia had a record year in France as well, where sales went up by 40%, that is over 61,000 cars, 2.7% of the car market. The record was repeated in Italy, too: Dacia sold 150% more, namely 20,800 cars, 1% of the market. The car had a good year in Spain as well: sales for the Romanian-branded car went up 25%, over 8,700 units.

Dacia produced around 300,000 cars in 2009. In Romania it sold fewer than 45,000 units. Its most important markets were Germany and France, which bought over half of the production.