Bulgarrenault
Encyclopedia
Bulgarrenault was an automobile produced in the city of Plovdiv
, Bulgaria
, and the result of a collaboration between Metalhim (a Bulgarian defense firm) and Bulet (a Bulgarian export trade organization). Production lasted for five years (1966-1970), during which the factory in Plovdiv
produced two Renault
models: the Renault 8
and the Renault 10.
. The basic idea was to purchase complete knock down (CKD) kits of passenger cars from abroad with Bulet's available hard-currency reserves, and then to assemble them in the factories owned by Metalhim. Several offers had already been made by foreign car manufacturers (such as Renault, Fiat
, Simca
, and Alfa Romeo
), but Renault's offer was deemed to be the most attractive one. (The French automobile manufacturer's first offer was made on May 27, 1963, concerning the assembly of the Renault 4
and Renault 4L passenger cars.)
On July 30, 1966, the Council of Ministers issued a formal authorization to SPC Metalhim to begin negotiations with Renault through the mediation of ETO Bulet. (Initially, the assembly of the cars was intended for a factory in the town of Cherven Bryag
.)
The official state newspaper Rabotnichesko Delo
in its issue #261 of September 18, 1966, announced that ETO Bulet and Renault had signed a contract, and only two days later 10 passengers cars Renault 8 were shown at the Plovdiv Fair, rumored to have been assembled in the Military Factory in the town of Kazanlak
. The cars were branded Bulgarrenault, and the upper left side of their windshield bore a tricolor sticker with an inscription Bulet.
Rabotnichesko Delos issue of September 21, 1966, contained a quote from a senior manager at Renault regarding the just-signed contract with ETO Bulet, which planned that over 10,000 passengers cars model Renault 8 would be assembled in Bulgaria in 1970.
.
Initially, France provided all necessary parts and components of the cars, but the plan was to gradually switch to a progressive assembly, which would eventually lead to the great majority of them being manufactured in Bulgaria.
In 1967, the assembly line was moved to the city of Plovdiv, where the construction of the new car-assembly factory had just been completed. Until the formal dedication of the factory, the assembly temporarily took place in Hall #10 of the Plovdiv Fairgrounds
.
The new factory functioned until 1970 and, in addition to its fully automated moving assembly line, it included modern welding and painting machinery as well, the latter obtained at a cost of US$15 million.
a per car, but the actual prices were fixed at 6 100 leva for the Bulgarrenault 8 and 6 800 leva for the Bulgarrenault 10.
A certain part of the newly assembled cars were sold abroad as well; during 1967-1969, 500 Bulgarrenault 10 cars were exported to Yugoslavia
, and in 1970 another 300 (some sources mention 900) Bulgarrenault 8 and 10 cars were exported to Austria
. Other purchasers of Bulgarrenault included some Middle East
ern countries.
All production of the Bulgarrenault passenger cars stopped in early 1970.
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, and the result of a collaboration between Metalhim (a Bulgarian defense firm) and Bulet (a Bulgarian export trade organization). Production lasted for five years (1966-1970), during which the factory in Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
produced two Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
models: the Renault 8
Renault 8
The Renault 8 and Renault 10 are two small family cars produced by the French manufacturer Renault in the 1960s and early 1970s....
and the Renault 10.
Beginnings
In the middle of the 1960s, following the initiative of ETO (export trade organization) Bulet, a joint-venture was formed between Bulet and SPC (state production cooperative) Metalhim, with the purpose of building passenger cars. At the time, ETO Bulet was involved in the trade of all kinds of manufactured goods, while SPC Metalhim was a manufacturing cooperative uniting all national defense factories in BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. The basic idea was to purchase complete knock down (CKD) kits of passenger cars from abroad with Bulet's available hard-currency reserves, and then to assemble them in the factories owned by Metalhim. Several offers had already been made by foreign car manufacturers (such as Renault, Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, Simca
Simca
Simca was a French automaker, founded in November 1934 by Fiat. It was directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by the Italian Henri Théodore Pigozzi...
, and Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
), but Renault's offer was deemed to be the most attractive one. (The French automobile manufacturer's first offer was made on May 27, 1963, concerning the assembly of the Renault 4
Renault 4
The Renault 4, also known as the 4L , is a hatchback economy car produced by the French automaker Renault between 1961 and 1992. It was the first front-wheel drive family car produced by Renault....
and Renault 4L passenger cars.)
On July 30, 1966, the Council of Ministers issued a formal authorization to SPC Metalhim to begin negotiations with Renault through the mediation of ETO Bulet. (Initially, the assembly of the cars was intended for a factory in the town of Cherven Bryag
Cherven Bryag
Cherven Bryag is a town in northern Bulgaria, a capital of the Cherven Bryag municipality, Pleven Province. It is situated on the right shore of the Zlatna Panega in river Iskar, 137 km north-east of Sofia, 53 km south-west of Pleven, 12 km north-west of Lukovit, 56 km east...
.)
The official state newspaper Rabotnichesko Delo
Rabotnichesko Delo
Rabotnichesko Delo was a leftist Bulgarian newspaper that was the organ of the Bulgarian Communist Party's Central Committee and one of the People's Republic of Bulgaria's highest-circulation newspapers. The newspaper was established in 1927 and was issued from Sofia. Rabotnichesko Delo was...
in its issue #261 of September 18, 1966, announced that ETO Bulet and Renault had signed a contract, and only two days later 10 passengers cars Renault 8 were shown at the Plovdiv Fair, rumored to have been assembled in the Military Factory in the town of Kazanlak
Kazanlak
Kazanlak, formerly Kazanlık is a Bulgarian town in Stara Zagora Province, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountain range, at the eastern end of the Rose Valley...
. The cars were branded Bulgarrenault, and the upper left side of their windshield bore a tricolor sticker with an inscription Bulet.
Rabotnichesko Delos issue of September 21, 1966, contained a quote from a senior manager at Renault regarding the just-signed contract with ETO Bulet, which planned that over 10,000 passengers cars model Renault 8 would be assembled in Bulgaria in 1970.
Production start
The project leaders of the establishment of the Renault assembly works in Bulgaria were the French engineer Pierre Auberger, and the managing directors of ETO Bulet Emil Razlogov and of SPC Metalhim gen. Yamakov. Stefan Vaptsarov became the technical leader, while Atanas Taskov and Georgi Mladenov were named as heads of the export of passengers cars at ETO Bulet. A group of Bulgarian engineers was concurrently assigned to undergo a three-month long training at Renault's factories in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Initially, France provided all necessary parts and components of the cars, but the plan was to gradually switch to a progressive assembly, which would eventually lead to the great majority of them being manufactured in Bulgaria.
In 1967, the assembly line was moved to the city of Plovdiv, where the construction of the new car-assembly factory had just been completed. Until the formal dedication of the factory, the assembly temporarily took place in Hall #10 of the Plovdiv Fairgrounds
International Fair Plovdiv
International Fair Plovdiv , held in Plovdiv, is Bulgaria's largest and oldest international trade fair. It was established in August 1892 as an industrial and agricultural show....
.
The new factory functioned until 1970 and, in addition to its fully automated moving assembly line, it included modern welding and painting machinery as well, the latter obtained at a cost of US$15 million.
Production increase and end
In 1967, Bulgaria exported 16 000 accessory kits to France, while in 1968 their number was slated to increase to 100 000. The annual production of the car assembly plant was intended to reach 3 000 passenger cars, but that ambitious goal was never reached. Until 1970, the Plovdiv factory produced approximately 4 000 cars model Bulgarrenault 8 and 10, at a total cost of the French-supplied parts and components of the equivalent of US$6 million, averaging the equivalent of US$1 500 per production car. The first production cars were marketed in Bulgaria in February 1967, which was officially announced in issue #2 of the car enthusiast magazine Avto-Moto. The magazine mentioned a price of 5 500 Bulgarian levLev
Lev may refer to:*Lev and LEV are common shortenings for Leviticus, the third book of the Hebrew Bible and of the Torah.*Lev means "heart" in Hebrew.*It is also a Hebrew name, as in the Bar Lev Line....
a per car, but the actual prices were fixed at 6 100 leva for the Bulgarrenault 8 and 6 800 leva for the Bulgarrenault 10.
A certain part of the newly assembled cars were sold abroad as well; during 1967-1969, 500 Bulgarrenault 10 cars were exported to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and in 1970 another 300 (some sources mention 900) Bulgarrenault 8 and 10 cars were exported to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Other purchasers of Bulgarrenault included some Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern countries.
All production of the Bulgarrenault passenger cars stopped in early 1970.