Lastun
Encyclopedia
The Dacia 500 Lăstun was a car
manufactured by Tehnometal, Timişoara
, under the auto marque Dacia.
n car for urban transport built between 1988 and 1991. It featured a two cylinder air-cooled engine of 499 cc, producing 22.5 hp, with a fuel consumption of 3.3 L/100 km and having a maximum speed 106 km/h (66 mph). The body was of fibreglass and was not dissimilar to that of the Lancia Y10. A stretched bodywork prototype 500 Lăstun was also made, and exhibited at the 1989 Bucharest trade fair. There was also a luxury prototype made in the early 1990s, with hubcaps, body-coloured bumpers, and head restraints. The advertising slogan was "Un Autoturism de Actualitate" (A Contemporary Vehicle). The name means literally in Romanian "House Martin
", which is a small bird related to the swallows.
It is a commonly held belief that the Lăstun production stopped after 1989, which is incorrect: it continued until 1992. However, there is little doubt that the Lăstun was not adapted to the needs of Romania at the time. Due to its size and fragility, the Lăstun was only really a city car, suitable for second car status, something which was heavily frowned on by the regime and which was in any case economically inaccessible for most Romanians. Furthermore, the build quality was universally decreed to be atrocious, and the Lăstun was unable to cope with the scrapes and knocks it received on Romanian roads. Yet there were some modifications made by the Lăstun factory. For example, in 1989 cars received the luxury of side lights, and in 1991 the Lăstun was lightly restyled to the front, the only modification being a new bonnet with a one-piece grille. However, despite the car's one selling point of excellent fuel economy, there was very little market for such a car assembled in such a manner, and the last few were sold in 1992. Also the small 0.5L engine had some carburateur break-downs, which brought the average petrol consume to almost 9 L/100 km, making the car less effective than the long time produced Dacia 1300
series.
Due to its small size and low quality the Lăstun was subject to many jokes. Few have survived, and the number on the road has been estimated to be in the low hundreds. It was never exported. Tehnometal manufactured a total of 6,532 vehicles.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufactured by Tehnometal, Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
, under the auto marque Dacia.
History
The Lăstun was a cost-effective RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n car for urban transport built between 1988 and 1991. It featured a two cylinder air-cooled engine of 499 cc, producing 22.5 hp, with a fuel consumption of 3.3 L/100 km and having a maximum speed 106 km/h (66 mph). The body was of fibreglass and was not dissimilar to that of the Lancia Y10. A stretched bodywork prototype 500 Lăstun was also made, and exhibited at the 1989 Bucharest trade fair. There was also a luxury prototype made in the early 1990s, with hubcaps, body-coloured bumpers, and head restraints. The advertising slogan was "Un Autoturism de Actualitate" (A Contemporary Vehicle). The name means literally in Romanian "House Martin
House Martin
The Common House Martin , sometimes called the Northern House Martin or, particularly in Europe, just House Martin, is a migratory passerine bird of the swallow family which breeds in Europe, north Africa and temperate Asia; and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia...
", which is a small bird related to the swallows.
It is a commonly held belief that the Lăstun production stopped after 1989, which is incorrect: it continued until 1992. However, there is little doubt that the Lăstun was not adapted to the needs of Romania at the time. Due to its size and fragility, the Lăstun was only really a city car, suitable for second car status, something which was heavily frowned on by the regime and which was in any case economically inaccessible for most Romanians. Furthermore, the build quality was universally decreed to be atrocious, and the Lăstun was unable to cope with the scrapes and knocks it received on Romanian roads. Yet there were some modifications made by the Lăstun factory. For example, in 1989 cars received the luxury of side lights, and in 1991 the Lăstun was lightly restyled to the front, the only modification being a new bonnet with a one-piece grille. However, despite the car's one selling point of excellent fuel economy, there was very little market for such a car assembled in such a manner, and the last few were sold in 1992. Also the small 0.5L engine had some carburateur break-downs, which brought the average petrol consume to almost 9 L/100 km, making the car less effective than the long time produced Dacia 1300
Dacia 1300
The Dacia 1300 was a car manufactured during the Cold War by Romanian auto marque Dacia. "1300" represents the car's engine displacement.The first Dacia 1300 left the assembly line on 23 August 1969...
series.
Due to its small size and low quality the Lăstun was subject to many jokes. Few have survived, and the number on the road has been estimated to be in the low hundreds. It was never exported. Tehnometal manufactured a total of 6,532 vehicles.
Engines
| Name | Capacity | Type | Power | Torque | Top speed | Combined consumption | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G.V.500 | 499 cc | 4 valves OHV | 22.5 hp at 5500 rpm | 34.5 newton metre at 3500 rpm | 106 kilometre per hour | 26 s | 4 liters/100 km |
External links
- Dacia 500 Lăstun at autoevolution.com
- Romanian cars – Dacia 500