En 1976, Citroën conclut un accord avec la Roumanie pour produire une petite berline à vocation populaire. Ainsi naît, aux débuts des années 80 et après une gestation plutôt douloureuse, l'Oltcit. En France, cette trois portes aux allures de Visa (dont elle ne dérive pourtant pas) est importée à partir de l'été 1984. Elle dispose des moteurs 1100 et 1300 (respectivement 57 et 61,5 ch) de la GSA et s'affiche à un prix compétitif... pannes comprises.
Dans son pays d'origine, l'Oltcit est également proposée avec le bi-cylindres de la Visa. Hélas, ce projet auquel aucune des deux parties ne croit vraiment ne rencontre de succès ni en Roumanie, ou la Dacia (ex R 12) reste la voiture du peuple par excellence, ni en France où la fiabilité douteuse et l'apparence de Visa du pauvre n'interpelle pas la clientèle.
Après un démarrage correct, les ventes deviennent vite confidentielles. 1985 sera, en France, la meilleure année de l'Axel, avec 7 819 immatriculations.
Des miettes à côté des 50 000 Visa et des 227 000 Peugeot 205 vendues la même année !
Mal née, l'Axel arrête son programme d'importation fin 1989. Elle restera encore quelques années au catalogue Oltcit en Roumanie, avec notamment une variante 5 portes particulièrement inesthétique.
Frédéric Guihal
|
The Citroën-Romanian Agreement of 1976 led to the setting up of two automobile manufacturing enterprises in Romania.
The partners in these ventures were the Romanian State and Citroën and the Romanian State and Renault and thus two new motor manufacturers came into existence. Dacia was the Renault venture, initially building the Renault 12 while the Citroën venture was called Oltcit.
Prior to the Peugeot takeover, Citroën had been working on a new small car designed to replace the Ami 8. During the era of the rapprochement with Fiat, this vehicle was known as Projet Y and employed the floorpan of the Fiat 127.
Following the Citroën-Fiat divorce, Projet Y was redefined and a new, all Citroën floorpan was developed. Projet Y became Projet VD (Voiture Diminuée). It was this car that would end up being built in Romania. Once the Peugeot takeover occurred, Projet VD was redefined to incorporate the floorpan of the Peugeot 104 and this project became the LN, LNA and Visa.
Production in Romania started in October 1982 and the new car was called OLTCIT. The Ceaucescu régime insisted that 40% of all components be sourced in Romania since they were not prepared to spend hard currency on imported components. Furthermore, the régime was reluctant to allow hard currency profits on the venture to be exported to France and Citroën were obliged to purchase other Romanian products in hard currency which they could export and sell outside Romania. This was why the Oltcit was sold (as the Citroën Axel) alongside other Citroën products in some European markets. Both the Oltcit and the Visa addressed themselves to the same market sectors and were thus in competition with one another.
As in other communist states, industry in Romania was heavily subsidised and protected from the effects of market forces. The demise of communism led, in Romania, to a half way house between centralised control and market forces as a result of which the near monopoly enjoyed by Oltcit and Dacia was fast eroded. Furthermore, the aspirations of the Romanian people led them to buy foreign cars in preference to domestic product - Romanian roads are full of German Tüv (MOT) failures - old BMWs and Mercedes.
Production levels had never reached those anticipated while widespread inefficiency and corruption added to the problem.
The legacy of the Ceaucescu government left Romania with major economic problems and the new government of Ion Ielescu (comprised in the main of Communist apparatchicks) continued the policy of limiting movements of hard currency out of the country and maintained the principles of state interventionism in industry. Obviously this state of affairs was unsatisfactory as far as Citroën were concerned and in 1988 they withdrew from the arrangement. Control of the Oltcit venture reverted to the state. A relaxation of the state control occurred in 1994 and a new, privatised company was set up, accompanied by a name change to OLTINA.
In 1994, a joint venture between Oltcit and Daewoo was set up until early 1996, the company has imported Cielo, Espero and Tico models which are sold by a company called Rodae.
In early 1996, there was another name change to SC Axa SA Craiova and the decision was taken to end production of the Oltina since each car was sold at a loss of $1500.
However, it would appear that production may continue since SC Mecatim SA Timisoara, producer of the Lastun car want to transfer the manufacture of the Oltina to their factory in Timisoara.
The Oltcit was fitted with either the 2 cylinder as fitted to the LN and Visa or the boxer from the GSA.
The Oltcit was probably the last design uninfluenced by Peugeot - suspension was by torsion bars as opposed to the MacPherson struts used in the LN and Visa. The dashboard was pure Citroën, featuring the PRN (Pluie, Route, Nuit - rain, road, night) satellites as fitted to the original Visa and the GSA but rotated through 90 degrees.
The Oltcit was made available in a number of variants - for COMECON countries there was a flat twin 652cc Oltcit Spécial, Oltcit 11 fitted with a 1129cc flat four and Oltcit 12 (sold in European markets as the Citroën Axel 12).
With the change of name to Oltina, the flat twin was dropped and only two saloons were produced - the 11E (1129cc) and 12E (1299cc) although late in the the vehicle's production two further variants were produced - 11 RM (Romanian Modified) and 11 RT (Romanian Total). These models were fitted with Dacia gearbox, suspension and brakes and were, by all accounts, dreadful.
A commercial variant was also available, called the 12 CS, this is a pick up.
The Oltina featured a revised frontal treatment with an air intake grill fitted with heavy slats not unlike those that adorned late 70s Talbots
|
