The Dacia 2000 of Nicolae Ceausescu, the former Romanian President

COCKPIT
May 5
2 min read

It is not a Renault R20, but a 1981 Dacia 2000 that belonged to Nicolae Ceausescu, the former Romanian President (first elected on March 28, 1974 and remained in power until December 17, 1989, he was executed on December 25, 1989).

In the early 1980s, Nicolae Ceausescu demanded that all institutions, including the Central Committee's fleet, use only Dacia 1300s, which were low-capacity vehicles. After a trip to Scorniceşti, when the Dacia 1300s were unable to keep up with the speed of the official column, Ceausescu abandoned this idea. It was decided that the Central Committee's parking lot would be equipped with Dacia 2000s. It was as part of the partnerships between the two manufacturers that Dacia began producing copies of the 2000—basically a Renault R20. Painted only in black or dark blue. Two thousand examples were produced, as is their name, all reserved for officials of the socialist countries of the time. There are still approximately 200 examples still in circulation. The car that belonged to Nicolae Ceausescu is the only one equipped with a 115 hp 2.2-liter 4-cylinder engine and can still reach a top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph) and a 3-speed automatic transmission. Other examples will have to make do with a modest 96 hp 1.6-liter, which will power the Dacia 2000s used by the Securitate, the country's feared secret political police.

This car was purchased by Ovidiu Magureanu, a Romanian car collector, in 2012 for €1,500. He knew it was rare but didn't know the car belonged to Ceausescu. He discovered this after purchasing it, following a careful inspection of the car's documents.

At a car show, the new owner of Ceausescu's car was approached by one of the dictator's former drivers. The man provided shocking details about the Dacia 2000.

"I was shocked when he found me. He heard about the exhibition, he knew I would be there, and he came especially to see the car. He told me that the holes in the dashboard were made for security weapons, and that the autopilot never worked... it still doesn't," said the car's current owner, during the meeting with Ceausescu's driver.

However, Magureanu stated that the Dacia 2000 was not built in Romania but in France. "Someone told me it came from France fully assembled and that the Renault logos were swapped for Dacia logos," he told The Telegraph. However, the French manufacturer's logos could still be found on the gear lever and steering wheel. The Dacia 2000 also had power windows, cruise control, and an illuminated ashtray.

Ovidiu Magureanu named the car Tovarășa, which means "Miss Comrade" in Romanian.