Oltcit
 |
Oltcit logo |
The
Oltcit (IPA: /olt.'sit/) is a
Romanian
car developed in co-operation with
Citroën of
France in the
1980s. It is a small three-door hatchback, based on the
Citroën Prototype Y and built in
Craiova. This vehicle was studied by
Citroën to replace the
Ami before
Peugeot took the decision to produce the
Citroën Visa derived from the
104. The
Oltcit was sold between
1978 and
1996, and was also sold in
Western Europe badged as the
Citroën Axel.
The car's name comes from the county of
Olt in Romania, with 'cit' being an abbreviation of Citroën. The Oltcit logo is also similar to that of Citroën, but only features one chevron, as opposed to the two found on Citroën's logo.
After producing the
Oltcit for many years, the company decided to go into partnership with the Korean
Daewoo firm. The company was renamed Daewoo Automobile Romania in 1994 and by 1996 the factory (known as 'Rodae') was producing the
Tico ,
Nexia and
Espero.
In 1997 a new engine and transmission factory was opened by the company, and by 2001 was also producing the
Matiz and
Nubira II. However, by this time, the main parent company in Korea had collapsed, due to financial problems in South Korea economy and over-expansion in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
In 2002
General Motors bought the bulk of
Daewoo Motor in South Korea, but did not buy the plants producing Daewoo cars in Romania, Uzbekistan or . Due to this deal,
Rodae was not allowed to export their products to neighbouring countries any more, or produce newer models by the new
GM Daewoo Auto&Technology company.
To make matters worse for the company,
General Motors starting selling the products of the
GM Daewoo Auto&Technology company in 2003, under the
ChevroletThe
Craiova factory has produced the following models:
*
Daewoo Leganza*
Daewoo Matiz *
Daewoo Nubira *
Daewoo Nubira II*
Daewoo Tico * Oltcit (
Citroën Axel)
*
Oltcit (Citroen Axel) in Romanian*
Daewoo Romania*
Oltcit, Oltena and Axel at Citroenet
