O noua imagine cu Dacia Denem / A new image of the Dacia Denem

O poza surprinsa in 1984, cu noua masina a unei familiei: Dacia Denem L nou-nouta. E una din numai doua poze "de epoca" cunoscute cu Dacii britanice, in afara de cele din fabrica. (Cealalta, poza 3, surprinde un break modificat cu bare de R12 phase 1).

Cu aceasta ocazie am cules toate pozele existente cu Dacia Denem...

Erau patru dotari -  Base, L , GL si GLX (break-ul fiind disponibil numai in variantele Base, L si GL). Masina rosie e inregistrata ca un L, desi lipseste banda de cauciuc pe caroserie. Break-urile din pozele 3 si 5 sunt GL, avand portbagaj pe plafon. Masina albastra din poza 4 e un GL (capace cromate). Dacia alba SHU e un Base iar break-ul RGK e un L. Dacia alba, RTF611Y, e un GLX, varf de serie, cu jante Gotti, acoperis cu vinilin, si geamuri electrice.

Precizez ca toate modificarile - inclusiv schimbarea volanului - au fost facute in Marea Britanie, la atelierele Abbey Hill, in Yeovil, in sud-vestul tarii. Din nou, insigna Dacia a fost exclusiv pentru piata britanica.

Observam ca au existat cateva variante diferite. Se pare ca primele examplare aveau jante simple si bare cromate; ulterior au fost dotate cu jante Canada si bare negre (ca in prima poza). In plus, la capitolul capace, au existat si "romb" si "testoasa".

Conform unei reviste din 1990 (ultima poza), au fost si exemplare diesel, cu motor 1,6. Personal, nu cred; oricum, Denem Diesel nu apare in nicio statistica.

Din pacate, din cele aproximativ 700 vandute, numai una e sigur existenta. Restul e memorii...

A 1984 photo with a proud family's brand new Dacia Denem. It's one of only 2 period non-factory photos of a Denem. (The other - photo 3 - is an estate with R12 bumpers).

With this occasion I gathered all the photos existing of Denems...

There were four trim levels: L Base, L, GL and GLX - the estate only being available in Base, L and GL. The red car is an L though for some reason missing the side rubbing strips. The estates in photos 3 and 5 are GL - the give-away being the roof rack. The blue saloon in photo 4 is also a GL (chromed hubcaps). A128SHU is a Base model and the RGK estate is an L. Finally the white saloon, RTF611Y, is a top of the range GLX, with Gotti alloys, a vinyl roof, and electric windows.

All these modifications, including the change over to RHD, were carried out in the UK, at Abbey Hill in Yeovil. The Dacia emblem was also exclusively for the British market.

There are some variations. The earlier versions seem to have had chrome on the bumpers and R12 wheels. Later cars came with black bumpers and fancier wheels (as in photo 1). Hubcap designs also varied.

According to a 1990 magazine, there was also a 1.6 diesel. I doubt it personally. Certainly none of the records indicate any having existed.

Sadly, from 700 odd examples sold, only one is known to have survived. The rest: memories...