Bulky and rugged, the IMS 57 was the first step taken in the long development of the 4x4 vehicle by the Romanian manufacturer Aro. Two years after the release of the very useful car, production of its offspring began. The soon-to-be released M59 became essentially a model of the slightly improved IMS 57. And it took several more years of research and planning before the staff at Campulung Muscel ARO began work on the new car, which ultimately took three years. As a result, the M 461 was released in 1964.

This model was the large-wheeled ARO, which became an achievement for the Romanian automobile industry, being the first car delivered abroad. In fact, 502 units were exported in 1965, making China the first foreign country to market Romanian ARO cars. The ARO enjoyed an incredibly fabulous success, despite a 7-year hiatus in production during which no new models were developed.

1972 brought the ARO production hiatus to an end with a range of five models. The ARO 24 model maintained its success until the 80s, until the new ARO 10 series was released.

Another 4 years passed, after which ARO engineers developed their first diesel engine, the L 27. And in 1989, a few months before the end of Romania's communist era, an improved gasoline engine replaced it.

Needless to say, the country went through a bit of a difficult period in the early 90s, which received a lot of attention from the international media. Meanwhile, ARO, which addressed issues of ownership and rapidly declining stock stocks, released a new model in 1997, the ARO 10, also known as the Spartana.

That same year, engineers began looking to Eastern culture for inspiration, and after a few plates of sushi and countless bowls of sake, they created the military Dragon range.

At the dawn of the new millennium, ARO entered a new market, as all machines were designed based only on the ideas of utility and profitability. Despite good intentions and good strategic plans, ARO began to have problems with fund management and lack of large investments. This is what led to the inevitable end and ARO went bankrupt in the following years.

Although it is not a well-known brand, around 380,000 Aro cars were produced over a 45-year period, two thirds of which were exported to 110 countries, including Spain and Portugal.

The one thing that most of you may not be as familiar with is that ARO, not Dacia, was the manufacturer that created the fastest Romanian car of the time, the 180 hp V6-powered Ford Cosworth sports car that could accelerate a fairly large car to almost 120 miles per hour.