In order to reduce the time needed before starting a serial production, it was considered necessary to begin by making an automobile under license.
A license invoice for a medium class automobile with a 1,000-1,300 cc engine, for a production series of 40-50,000 cars/year was launched. Renault, Peugeot, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Austin companies made bids. Also, tests were made with the following cars: Renault 10, Peugeot 204, Fiat 1100D, Alfa Romeo 1300, Austin Mini Morris. From technical and economic reasons, the offer made by Renault company for the automobile Renault 12 was retained. The car was in the prototype testing phase, and its production was due to begin in France, in the second half of 1969. But the contract was signed in September 1966. The Renault staff allowed the Romanian side to begin earlier the assembling and a partly integration of another type of automobile from the same range, until Renault 12 was ready for production. Renault 16 was chosen for the beginning. But, motivated by the necessary foreign currency effort, it was decided that Renault 8 be assembled.
Colibasi Motor-Car Plant was built in a record time of just an year and a half, and on July 1, 1968, the idling tests of tools and installations begun. After going through the 217 working stations of the assembling lines, the first control motor-car was completed in August 3, 1968, and in August 20, 1968, the plant was inaugurated and the serial production of Dacia 1100 motor-cars begun. The new brand - Dacia - was named after the oldest name of Romania.