DAC (vehicle manufacturer)

DAC
	DAC 16.250FK dumper truck
Company type	Private
Industry	Automotive
Founded	1971
Headquarters	Romania
Area served	East Europe, Middle East
Products	Trucks, buses, trolleybuses, port tractors, mine dumpers
Parent	Autocamioane Brașov S.A.
Website	www.roman.ro

DAC, an initialism for Diesel Auto Camion, is a Romanian commercial vehicle brand produced since 1971 in the Brașov area. The DAC brand served as a reminder of the Romania’s history, the historic region of Dacia, once home to the ancient dacian tribes.

Under DAC brand, the company manufactured a variety of vehicles, including trucks, special-purpose vehicles, buses, and trolleybuses, along with advanced engines developed in-house.

History

ROMAN was established after World War II on the foundation of the old ROMLOC automotive factory built in 1921. In the spirit of the communist days, the industrial plant was named Steagul Roșu (The Red Flag). As of 2000, 750,000 trucks had been produced.

DAC trucks share the same construction platforms with the Roman trucks but it was not part of the 1971 venture between the then-West German company MAN and the Romanian government.

In the early 1980s, the company developed its own diesel engines with outputs of 240, 280, and 320 hp. These engines, marked with the additional letter “R” for “Romanian,” signified a step beyond the original license agreement. They were used in DAC trucks, ranging from models “16.240” to “32.280.”

DAC vehicles are equipped with standardized cabins of in-house production. These cabins are available in three versions: Normal, Medium, and Double Size. The company also manufactures front axles, drive axles, frames, wheels, bodies, and other components.

In 1984, following the expiration of the licensing agreement with MAN, the Roman range was rebranded as DAC. By 1990, the Brasov plant was restructured into the joint-stock company “Roman S.A.” as part of a government decision. However, the plant lost access to major markets and began outfitting older chassis with imported components, primarily diesel engines that complied with newer environmental standards. Despite these challenges, DAC trucks continued production for several years after 1990, including a special version designed with updated features for a local fuel company.

CN Series

The CN series was an in house development of Autocamioane Brașov available since 1977. The CN is available with 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 wheel configurations and 3 to 10 ton cargo capacity. The CN Series feature a rectangular shaped all-metal cab with horizontally grooved doors and side panels, flat front end and a sloping hinged windshield. Vehicles are equipped with license built MAN D2156 6-cylinder diesel engines and a 5- or 6 -speed transmission, 2-speed transfer case, wheel planetary gear drives, wheels with lockable differentials, dual airbrakes, power steering and a 24-volt electrical devices.^[1]

In the Romanian Army, the DAC 665T has been and continues to be used as a transport vehicle, an artillery tractor, and a chassis for mounting specialized superstructures. In addition to the DAC 665T (6x6) truck, the factory also produced a “shortened” version, the DAC 444T (4x4), with an off-road payload capacity of 2.5 tons.

DAC 665

One of the most long living trucks produced under the DAC brand is 665 series, still curently in use in Romanian, Georgian and Croatian armies.

The DAC 665 is a family of military trucks designed for traction and transport, manufactured by the Autocamioane Brașov Plant in the 1980s. It was produced in multiple versions and exported to Hungary, Egypt, Iraq, and Cuba.

The DAC 665 T variant was intended for towing artillery pieces and transporting troops and materials. The DAC 665 G variant was used to transport pontoons from the bridge parks of the Romanian Army. Both versions featured full 6×6 all-wheel drive. The chassis of these trucks served as the foundation for several specialized vehicles.

The DAC 665 T model impressed with the technical features of its traction system. Built with three axles, two of which were rear axles, the vehicle, nicknamed “the little tank,” had full all-wheel drive (eight powered wheels).

Equipped with an AK 6-80 gearbox with a reducer, the DAC 665 T is considered one of the most successful products of the Brașov plant from its inception to the present day.