Dacia Lăstun
Motor vehicle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dacia 500 Lăstun (Romanian pronunciation: [ləsˈtun]) is a small city car manufactured by Tehnometal, Timișoara, under the auto marque Dacia. The name derives from the Romanian word for house martin, a small bird related to swallows.
| Dacia 500 Lăstun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Tehnometal Plant (Dacia) |
| Production | 1988–1991 |
| Assembly | Romania: Timișoara |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | City car (A) |
| Body style | 3-door hatchback |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 0.5 L I2 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 1,915 mm (75.4 in) |
| Length | 2,950 mm (116 in) |
| Width | 1,410 mm (56 in) |
| Height | 1,352 mm (53.2 in) |
| Curb weight | 590 kg (1,301 lb) |
History
The Lăstun is a low-cost Romanian car made for urban transport, and it was built between 1988 and 1991,[1] featuring a two-cylinder air-cooled engine of 499 cc, producing 22.5 PS (16.5 kW),[2] fuel consumption of 3.3 L/100 km (86 mpg‑imp; 71 mpg‑US), a maximum speed 106 km/h (66 mph)[3] and fiberglass bodywork, with a design sharing some similarity to the Lancia Y10. A stretched bodywork prototype 500 Lăstun was exhibited at the 1989 Bucharest trade fair.[4] Another prototype from the early 1990s featured hubcaps, body-coloured bumpers, and head restraints.
The Lăstun was marketed with the advertising slogan: "Un Autoturism de Actualitate" (A Contemporary Vehicle).
Production continued until 1991.[3] Due to its size, the Lăstun was primarily a city car, and was suitable for use as a second car. In 1989, the Lăstun received side lights, and in 1991, the Lăstun was lightly restyled to the front, with the only modification being a new bonnet with a one-piece grille. Also, the small 0.5L engine had some carburateur break-downs, which brought the average petrol consumption to almost 9 L/100 km (31 mpg‑imp; 26 mpg‑US), making the car less economical than the long running Dacia 1300 series.
Tehnometal manufactured a total of 6,532 vehicles.[4]