DACIA 1310/1410 Sport Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Even in the former Eastern communist countries, there were people eager to get their hands on a sporty coupe, and the Romanian carmaker Dacia found a solution.

The Romanian carmaker Dacia already had a license from Renault to build the Renault 12 since the late '60s, but it wasn't worried about designing a new model but expanded the lineup with new products based on the same platform, such as the Dacia Sport.

With a front fascia that looked very similar to the sedan version, the Sport version featured four round headlights and a plastic grille between them. Unlike its four-door sibling, though, it featured a raked windshield that was tilted even more. That led to a shorter greenhouse. From its profile, the two-door vehicle featured a side window behind the doors, which, unusually, were the same as on the four-door model. That cost-cutting solution was fixed later on when longer doors were added, easing the ingress and egress from the car. Also, the rear windscreen was the exact front windshield but mounted behind.

Inside, there was a flat dashboard with a vinyl cover on it and an instrument cluster that featured a tachometer, a speedometer, and several gauges for temperature, oil pressure, fuel level, and ammeter. At the front, the bucket seats were not side bolstered but, as an option, were provided with adjustable headrests. In the back, the bench was good only for kids since there was very limited headroom due to the sloped roof.

Under the hood, Dacia installed either a 1.3- or a 1.4-liter engine with on-head valves. It was paired with a four-speed manual. Later on, after 1985, the car received a five-speed manual.