According to statistics of the Automotive Manufacturers & Importers Association, production of motor vehicles registered on the Romanian market in the first 11 months of 2010 reflects an increase of almost 18%, both with the contribution of Dacia, with 300,000 units, as well as Ford's, for the first time since taking over the plant in 2008, with below 10,000 cars.

Automobile Dacia production has exceeded 312,000 vehicles in the first 11 months of 2010, an increase of almost 15% over the same period last year. Ford factory in Craiova production reached about 8,600 Transit Connect commercial vehicles and will draw close at the end of the year the threshold of 10,000 commercial vehicles, the equivalent of more than EUR 144 million. The first boom of the Ford production plant is expected only in 2012, when it comes into production the future small class B Max model.

Under the guarantee agreement signed in January 2010, when the Romanian state guaranteed the amount of EUR 320 million, namely 80% of the loan contracted by Ford Craiova plant from the European Investment Bank, Mr Sebastian Vladescu, the former finance minister, announced that Craiova will produce 250,000 cars in 2010, statement given in the context in which, according to the initial plan, the plant production next year had to reach over 200,000 units, with 300,000 units in 2012.

In the words of Mr John Fleming, the former head of Ford Europe, who now holds the position of executive vice president for manufacturing facilities of Ford Motor Company, who signed the contract in September 2007 for the takeover of the majority stake in Automobile Craiova, Ford carry out discussions with the Executive in Bucharest for the amendment of the contract, taking into account the economic situation in Europe and the declining auto market.

(Sourced from www.financiarul.ro)