Speaking to news agency Headlineauto, Mr Maure said: ‘We have some more capacity in Morocco – maybe as much as 150,000 a year – and also in the rest of the world: India, Brazil and Russia. And we have CKD production starting in Algeria in 2014.

‘Then we have to look at the model mix. We are increasing Duster capacity. And we could add shifts in Romania to maybe four or five.’

Dacia's annual sales have risen from around 80,000 a year, mostly in the Romanian domestic market, when Renault took over, to more than a million spread across four continents in 2013, marking 26% growth over 2012 and a new record.

But the models are only badged as Dacias in Europe and around the Mediterranean rim – principally North Africa. Elsewhere the cars are sold as Renaults.

Dacia was founded in the1960s to build the Renault 8 and 12 under licence, but the relationship soured and in 1978 Renault pulled out. ‘Between 1989 [the fall of the communist bloc] and 1999 Dacia was a state-supported company,’ says Mr Maure. ‘It did its best to renew the product and equipment on its own, but did not have enough money or know-how.’ 

Although Renault began to take control of Dacia in 1999, first with a 51% stake which has since risen to 99.3%, the modern success story took off only in 2004 with the launch of the first Logan.

‘Between 1999 and 2004 we modernised the equipment, improved the quality, safety and book-keeping and did a retro-fit of the Supernova to turn it into the Solenza,’ said Mr Maure.

Dacia now boasts one of the most modern model range in the industry. The Logan, Sandero and Sandero Stepway were renewed in 2012, the same year as the Lodgy, Dokker and Dokker van were launched, and the current Duster went on the market last year. This makes the Logan MCV and pick-up, launched in 2006 and 2008 respectively, the company's oldest models.