Car production rose 27% to almost 340,000 units in the first ten months, according to the data of the Association of Automotive Manufacturers and Importers (APIA), beating the full-year 2012 figure of 326,500.
The increase was because both Dacia’s and Ford’s production went up in the first ten months, though a decline started in August.
In all, Automobile Dacia’s plant in Mioveni, southern Romania, assembled almost 276,500 cars in January-October, 13% more than in the year-ago period. This year’s growth was because of the new generation of Logan and Sandero cars, whose production went up 41% to 70,700 units and 88% to 95,400 units. Dacia’s production fell almost 20% in September only to rebound in October.
Ford contributed almost 62,700 cars (the B-Max model) assembled in Craiova, southern Romania, this year. However, the plant that made 10,000 cars in October 2012, assembled only a little more than 3,600 last month due to furlough days.
Ford officials say the carmaker adjusts production to market demand of engines and cars and has no scheduled shutdown for December. December has only 20 working days this year, two less than the monthly average.
Car production could exceed 400,000 units this year, according to prior estimates of companies in the industry. Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of Renault said in Bucharest in October that Dacia would make 343,000 cars this year and Ford has already exceeded 60,000 units in Craiova.
To overshoot this mark, Dacia would have to make 33,000 cars in November and December on average, more than the 31,000 in October, while working only three of the four weeks of December at best because of the Christmas holidays.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)