The story
History
Origins
The Brașov Truck Factory (Întreprinderea Autocamioane Brașov) was established after World War II on the foundation of the ROMLOC automotive factory built in 1921. Under communist administration the plant was named Steagul Roșu ("The Red Flag"). By 2000, approximately 750,000 trucks had been produced at the site.
MAN licence and the DAC name
In 1971 the Romanian government concluded a licensing agreement with the West German manufacturer MAN, under which the Brașov plant began producing trucks branded Roman. From 1973, as MAN inline six-cylinder diesel engines replaced the earlier V8 petrol units, vehicles fitted with the new engines were designated DAC. Early models used a 5,489 cc MAN engine rated at 135 hp, together with a strengthened frame and revised suspension that raised payload capacity from five to six tonnes.
DAC vehicles shared construction platforms with the Roman range, and in the post-1990 period identical trucks were offered under either badge according to customer preference.
In-house engine development
In the early 1980s the company developed its own diesel engines with outputs of 240, 280 and 320 hp. These were marked with the additional letter "R" for Romanian, denoting a step beyond the original licence agreement, and were fitted to models ranging from 16.240 to 32.280. Engineering consultancy for the programme was provided by the Austrian institute AVL List; a 12.4-litre V8 unit designated 1240-V8-DT and rated at 320 hp was fitted to the heaviest models.
Vehicles were equipped with standardised cabs of in-house production, available in Normal, Medium and Double Size versions. The plant also manufactured front axles, drive axles, frames, wheels and bodies.
1981 - 2004
In 1984, following the expiration of the licensing agreement with MAN, a broader part of the Roman range was rebranded as DAC. In 1990 the Brașov plant was restructured by government decision into the joint-stock company Roman S.A. The loss of access to major export markets followed, and the plant began fitting older chassis with imported components, primarily diesel engines complying with newer emissions standards. Production of DAC trucks continued for until 2004. S.C. Roman S.A. Brașov was privatised in 2004, after which the new ownership consolidated production under the Roman brand nad the DAC brand was used only for military vehicles.
DAC 120 DE (1988–1990)
The DAC 120 DE was a high-capacity mining truck designed by the ICPAT Institute in Brașov and produced between 1988 and 1990. It used diesel-electric propulsion: a 65-litre diesel engine powered two electric motors mounted on the rear axle, each rated at 520 hp.
Specifications:
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Weight: 90 t
Load capacity: 120 t
Dimensions: 10 m long, 5.4 m high
Wheel diameter: 3.2 m
Maximum speed: 55 km/h loaded, 70 km/h empty
Range: up to one week of work (2 × 1,600 L tanks)
Approximately 20 units were produced. Five were exported to Australia; the remainder were used in Romania at Roșia Poieni and Mahmudia, and in the construction of the Danube–Black Sea Canal.
Electric relaunch (2025–present)
After nearly two decades of inactivity, the DAC brand was relaunched in 2024 by Autovehicule DAC S.A., led by the entrepreneur Sergiu Bolocan, as a producer of electric vehicles. According to the company, the initials are now presented as "Drive Auto Clean", retaining the historic letters.
Portfolio
The announced initial portfolio comprises ten models in three segments:
Passenger transport: buses, electric minibuses and trolleybuses for urban and school transport.
Mining vehicles: high-capacity electric dump trucks and port tractors.
Urban and sanitation vehicles: 7.5-tonne and 18-tonne electric trucks.
The first vehicle presented under the revived brand was an 18-tonne electric tipper truck, announced at a price of approximately €150,000. In February 2026 the company delivered two DAC CityLINE 408.60 electric buses to the town of Vișeu de Sus under the "Coridor de mobilitate – Zona Urbană a Văii Vaserului" project. The model is 8,545 mm long, carries up to 60 passengers and uses a 193 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, with a stated range of up to 330 km measured to the eSORT2 cycle and charging at 120 kW DC or 22 kW AC.
Manufacturing and technology
Autovehicule DAC S.A. occupies a production hall within the Roman platform in Brașov, where vehicles are assembled from CKD kits: the cab arrives assembled, while the chassis, axles, springs and power electronics are delivered separately. Electric trucks intended for urban traffic are initially assembled on a bench, with a move to an assembly line planned as volumes increase.
The vehicles use LFP batteries and asynchronous motors with air and liquid cooling. The 18-tonne urban trucks have a symmetrical rear drive axle with two independent motors, one on each wheel.
Stated objectives
The company has stated a target of selling more than 30,000 electric vehicles by 2035, and has said its priority is the urban and public transport segment, alongside industrial and mining vehicles.
Reception
Coverage of the relaunch has noted that the first vehicles delivered under the revived brand closely resemble Chinese-built models and incorporate components sourced from China. The company has acknowledged this, describing plans to increase locally manufactured content at its Brașov facility.
From Wikipedia’s article on DAC (vehicle manufacturer), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4