Dacia 1300: which version to buy

There is only one catalogue version of the Dacia 1300: 1.4 MT. It ran through the single generation (1 generation, 1969-01-01 to 1981-12-31) as a Sedan. If you are choosing a 1300 from this data set, you are not picking between engines, gearboxes, or drivetrains.

There is only one catalogue version of the Dacia 1300: 1.4 MT. It ran through the single generation (1 generation, 1969-01-01 to 1981-12-31) as a Sedan. If you are choosing a 1300 from this data set, you are not picking between engines, gearboxes, or drivetrains. You are accepting 1.4 MT as it is: 54 hp (40 kW) at 5250 rpm, 88 Nm at 3000 rpm, 1397 cm³ Gasoline, 4 Inline cylinders, 2 valves per cylinder, boost No, Carburetor, compression 8.5, bore × stroke 73 × 77, fuel 95, Manual 4, FWD, ground clearance 120 mm. Acceleration 0–100, top speed, mpg / fuel consumption, tank size, kerb weight, gross weight, and wheel sizes are not measured, so they cannot decide the purchase.

Which 1300 version exists

1.4 MT is the only row. There is no second 1.4 MT with a different horsepower figure, no automatic, no extra gears, no AWD, no diesel, no turbo, and no later generation to trade up to. Generation count is 1; modification count inside that generation is 1. Years of the version match the generation: 1969-01-01–1981-12-31.

What that means for a buyer: “which version” is settled before you look at ads. Extra money cannot buy more horsepower, more torque, a different gearbox, or a different drive layout inside this model. Any price gap you see in the market is not explained by a second factory specification in these data.

Specs that actually differ — they do not

Compare the only version with itself so the arithmetic is explicit:

VersionhpkWNmcm³FuelCylinders / layoutValves / cylBoostGearboxGearsDrive
1.4 MT5440881397Gasoline4 Inline2NoManual4FWD

Deltas versus a second 1300 version: +0 hp, +0 Nm, +0 cm³, same fuel, same cylinder count, same layout, same boost, same Manual 4, same FWD. There is no “extra money buys X hp” calculation because there is no second X.

Engine: what you are buying with 1.4 MT

Specific output of 1.4 MT from the given numbers:

Peak power is at 5250 rpm; peak torque is at 3000 rpm. The gap is 2250 rpm: torque is quoted 2250 rpm below peak power. Compression is 8.5. Bore × stroke is 73 × 77 (stroke 4 mm longer than bore). Fuel is 95. Induction is Carburetor. Boost is No. Cylinders: 4 Inline, 2 valves per cylinder.

Engine position is not measured. You cannot use longitudinal vs transverse placement as a buying filter.

If you wanted a stronger 1300, these data do not offer one. 54 hp and 88 Nm are the ceiling and the floor of the model at once.

Gearbox and drive: no second layout

1.4 MT is Manual with 4 gears and FWD. There is no Automatic row, no 5-speed Manual, and no RWD or AWD. Choosing “the manual” is not a preference among 1300 versions; it is the only transmission. Choosing FWD is the same: one drivetrain.

Ground clearance is 120 mm. That is the only chassis size number given. Front suspension is Independent, spring. Rear suspension is not measured. Front brakes are Disc. Rear brakes are not measured. Wheels are not measured.

You cannot pick a 1300 with more clearance, a different rear axle type, or larger wheels from this catalogue. 120 mm is the figure for 1.4 MT and for the generation.

Performance and economy: not a buying criterion here

For 1.4 MT:

A buyer who wants the “faster 1300” or the “lower-mpg 1300” has no second number to rank. Weight is also not measured (kerb not measured, gross not measured), so kg per hp cannot be computed. Tank size is not measured, so range cannot be computed.

Do not treat missing 0–100 or mpg as “this car has none of those properties.” They are simply not measured in the source. They must not be used to prefer one 1300 over another, because there is only 1.4 MT.

Dimensions and weight: what is measured vs not

The only dimension that can enter a purchase decision from these data is 120 mm ground clearance. If 120 mm is too low for the roads you use, this model has no taller version. If 120 mm is enough, you are not paying extra for a higher 1300 because none exists here.

Body type is Sedan for the whole generation. There is no hatchback, wagon, or coupe 1300 in the data to choose instead.

Generations: nothing changed because there is only one

1 generation covers 1969-01-01 to 1981-12-31. Production span of the generation is the same as 1.4 MT. There is no 2 generation with more hp, more gears, or a different body.

What a later generation would usually change — power, gearbox, drive, weight, clearance — cannot be compared year-over-year inside this model. Arithmetic of “generation 2 added N hp” is +0 versions and +0 generations.

Restyling is not listed as a separate generation and must not be invented as one. The reader should not see a fake second or third “generation” of the 1300.

Reliability and problems as a version filter

The data do not include reliability scores, common faults, or recall counts. Those cannot be used to pick 1.4 MT over a sibling, because there is no sibling and no reliability number.

What you can still use: the hardware that is specified. 1.4 MT is Gasoline, Carburetor, boost No, Manual 4, FWD, 4 Inline, 2 valves per cylinder. If you specifically want a carbureted Gasoline inline-four with a 4-speed Manual and FWD, this version matches. If you want injection, boost, Automatic, or more than 4 gears, this catalogue does not have a 1300 that provides them.

Which version to choose — verdict

Choose 1.4 MT. It is the only Dacia 1300 version in the data.

You get:

You do not get a measured 0–100, top speed, mpg, tank, kerb weight, gross weight, wheels, rear suspension, rear brakes, engine position, CO2, or eco class.

Power per litre is 38.7 hp/L; torque per litre is 63.0 Nm/L. There is no heavier or lighter 1300 to change kg/hp. There is no second engine to buy “the extra 10 hp.” Extra spend in the used market, if any, is not a factory-spec upgrade in this table.

If 1.4 MT does not fit — if you need more than 54 hp, more than 88 Nm, a gearbox other than Manual 4, drive other than FWD, a body other than Sedan, or a measured consumption figure — the next step is a different model, not a different 1300 version.