Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (English: Passenger Automobile Factory), commonly known as FSO, is a Polish automobile parts manufacturer, and formerly an automobile producer of historic significance, located in Warsaw. The FSO plant was established in 1948 by the Communist Polish government in Żerań on Warsaw's eastern bank of the river Vistula, to produce automobiles for post World War II Poland. The first FSO car was the Warszawa which was essentially a Polish manufactured re-badge of the GAZ-M20 Pobeda, built under license from the Soviets.

The factory was established after World War II the goal being to restore the country’s car industry, the historic roots of which stretched back as far as 1918. The factory that would go on to make legendary Polish motors such as the Warszawa, Syrena and Polonez, employed thousands of Poles across the six decades it existed and produced over 4 million cars.

The factory began to be built in 1948 and originally there was an agreement with Fiat to produce cars under license but when the construction of the factor was completed the Fiat license had been terminated. A new car, the M-20, was licensed and the Warszawa M-20 was the first car produced there on November 6^th 1951.

warszawa

FSO Warszawa (from Polish: Warsaw) was an automobile manufactured in FSO factory in Warsaw, Poland between 1951–1973, based on GAZ-M20 Pobeda.

The Warszawa was the first newly designed car built in Poland after the World War II. Warszawas were popular as taxis because of their sturdiness and ruggedness. However, they were underpowered for their weight and had high fuel consumption. In total, 254,471 cars were made. Named after the city of Warsaw, the Warszawa was until 1957 identical to the Soviet Pobeda, built under license, which was given to Poland by GAZ at Joseph Stalin's insistence. The first major modernisation took place in 1957. The new model was called FSO Warszawa M20 model 57, but not long after its name was changed to Warszawa 200. The new model received a restyled front-end section. The powertrain was modified too.  In 1964 the body style was changed to a Ponton, three-box design by then becoming mainstream in Europe, though the car retained a rather heavy style to western eyes.

syrena

The Syrena was a Polish automobile model first exhibited at the Poznań Trade Fair in 1955 and manufactured from 1957 to 1972 by the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (FSO) in Warsaw and from 1972 to 1983 by Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych (FSM) in Bielsko-Biała. 177,234 were manufactured by FSO and 344,077 by FSM, a total of 521,311. During its remarkably long production run it underwent only minor modifications. The Syrena was produced in various models: 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, while the most popular model was the 105. All were two-door sedans with two-stroke engines, initially of two cylinders. In 1965 the Syrena received a larger three-cylinder engine.

From 1968 a prototype model named laminat was produced. A van called Syrena Bosto and a pick-up called the R20 were also produced. A coupé Syrena Sport and a hatchback Syrena 110 (in 1966) remained prototypes only.

A Siren is a mermaid who, according to the legend, protects the river Wisła and the Polish capital city, Warsaw. She is featured on the city's coat of arms. Also a diminutive name Syrenka (little siren) is commonly used for the car in Poland.

At first, Polish engineers wanted Syrena to have a four-stroke air-cooled engine and a self-supporting chassis. But due to a lack of deep-drawn metal parts and cost reductions, the first Syrena 100 cars were supposed to have a wooden bodywork covered with leather-like material. The cars were powered by 2-stroke engines designed by engineer Fryderyk Bluemke.

Żuk

The Żuk (pl. beetle) was a van and light truck produced in Lublin, Poland, between 1958 and 1998 by FSC. It was based on FSO Warszawa, which in turn was based on the Soviet passenger car GAZ-M20 Pobeda. The chassis, suspension and engine from FSO Warszawa formed the basis of the Żuk and the Nysa light vans designed in the late 1950s. About 587.818 were manufactured.

The Żuk was mainly sold to state organizations, but also to individuals. After 1989, with the liberalization of the Polish economy, the Żuk was able to maintain sales to the traditional markets and expand the number sold to individual consumers. The final few years of production was in parallel to its successor, the Lublin van, as a cheaper alternative.

The Żuk was a favourite of farmers, and a common place to find groups of them was at any local market when they were used to transport crops from the fields to the farmers’ own stalls. The Polish postal service (Poczta Polska) used large numbers of Żuks painted in a dull orange colour, and local fire services used them as personnel carriers or even as mini fire engines in country districts. The Żuk was shipped to the Soviet Union in the panel van form. From 1970's to about 1990 it was also manufactured in Egypt under licence as ELTRAMCO RAMZES

In 1965, the Polish government signed licensing agreements with the Italian auto manufacturer Fiat to manufacture select Fiat models in Poland, under the brand of Polski Fiat. In particular, the Fiat 125 was to be manufactured at FSO to replace the outdated Warszawa. The resulting model, called Polski Fiat 125p, was in fact a simplified version of the Italian 125 with Fiat 1300/1500 mechanicals, and was exported for some time as the Fiat 125p. After the licensing agreement had ended, it was rebranded as the FSO 1300/1500. It was also produced in estate (station wagon) and pick-up variants. Meanwhile, the Warszawa was manufactured concurrently until 1973.

In 1978, FSO introduced a new model called the Polonez, a 5-door compact car based on the updated FSO 1500 design.

The Polonez was also exported to many markets under the FSO brand. This model was to initially substitute all variants of the original 1500, but in actuality the production of the latter continued all the way until 1991. Both models were updated and revised multiple times during their production period.

The Polski Fiat 125p production ended on the 26th of June, 1991. In total, 1,445,689 were manufactured. By that time, the design was 24 years old and used mechanicals which were essentially 30 years old, with only minor improvements.

125p

In 1965, the Polish government signed licensing agreements with the Italian auto manufacturer Fiat to manufacture select Fiat models in Poland, under the brand of Polski Fiat. In particular, the Fiat 125 was to be manufactured at FSO to replace the outdated Warszawa. The resulting model, called Polski Fiat 125p, was in fact a simplified version of the Italian 125 with Fiat 1300/1500 mechanicals, and was exported for some time as the Fiat 125p. After the licensing agreement had ended, it was rebranded as the FSO 1300/1500. It was also produced in estate (station wagon) and pick-up variants. Meanwhile, the Warszawa was manufactured concurrently until 1973.

There were two main versions, differing in the engine employed: 1300  60 PS or 1500  75 PS. The 1300 model entered production in 1968 and the 1500 in 1969. 

The car was produced until 26 June 1991 (to fulfill factory preproduction sales obligation – the communist prepayments system, system przedpłat); in total, 1,445,689 were manufactured. By that time the design was 24 years old and used mechanicals which were essentially 30 years old, with only minor improvements. From 1978, a version with an entirely new body was available – the FSO Polonez. The Polonez survived with improvements until 2002.

126p

1973-2000

The Fiat 126 (Type 126) is a four passenger, rear-engined city car that was introduced by Fiat in October 1972 at the Turin Auto Show as a replacement for the Fiat 500. The majority of 126s were produced in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, as the Polski Fiat 126p, where production continued until 2000. In many markets Fiat stopped sales of the 126 in 1993 in favour of their new front-engined Cinquecento. Total production reached almost 4.7 million units.

In Poland the car became a cultural icon and earned the nickname Maluch, meaning "The Little One" or "Toddler". It eventually became an official model name in 1997 when Maluch started appearing on the rear of the car. In Poland, the car was produced under licence by Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych (FSM).

Due to a relatively low price, it was very popular in Poland and was arguably the most common Polish car in the 1980s. At first, it was almost identical with the basic model: differences included a higher chassis, a modified grille on the back, and the front indicator lenses that were clear white in Italy but orange in other markets. To distinguish it from the original Italian car, the letter "p" was added to its name. Throughout the 1980s the 126p was continuously modified. First, it received upgraded brakes and new wheels from Italian Fiat, then hazard warning lights were added to meet new lighting requirements.

polonez

1978-2002

The FSO Polonez is a motor vehicle that was developed in Poland in collaboration with Fiat and produced by Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych from 1978 to 2002. It was based on the Polski Fiat 125p platform with a new hatchback design by Giorgetto Giugiaro. It was available in a variety of body styles that included two- and four- door compact-sized cars, station wagons, as well as commercial versions that included pickup truck and ambulance uses. With production total of over 1 million units, not counting pick-up and van variants. The Polonez was marketed in other nations and was popular in its domestic market until Poland joined the European Union in 2004.

The car's name comes from the Polish dance, the polonaise and was chosen through a readers' poll conducted by the Życie Warszawy newspaper.

An advantage of Polonez is its passive safety. In 1978, it was the only Eastern European car built to pass U.S. crash tests. Crash tests were performed in 1994 according to EU safety regulations so that the Polonez could be exported worldwide. They proved the car to be very safe. 

1991-1997  caro

After the end of the Cold War, the Iron Curtain, the Fall of Communism in Poland, and with the Warsaw Pact Eastern Europe in 1989, the Polish government sought to privatize FSO by establishing a partnership with an international automaker to secure its future. Despite many attempts and negotiations, this was not the case for many years. The first full-fledged venture started in 1994, when an agreement with General Motors was signed to assemble Opel Astra in Żerań. Nevertheless, the following year FSO was sold to the Korean Daewoo Motors, which was a competitor to GM at that time. The company was then renamed Daewoo-FSO.

At first, Daewoo used FSO to assemble models such as Daewoo Tico, Daewoo Nexia and Daewoo Espero. In 1997, the assembly and then full-fledged production of the Daewoo Lanos commenced, followed in 1999 by the Daewoo Matiz. Other contemporary Daewoo models like the Nubira, the Leganza, the Korando, the Musso and the Chairman were also assembled. The production of the Polonez was continued, the model was modernized, and new body styles were added. Shrinking market demand led FSO to cease Polonez production in 2002.

Meanwhile, in 1998, General Motors decided to build their own factory in Gliwice, and relocated the production of the Opel Astra to this facility. GM's assembly line at FSO was used for a short period to assemble the Opel Vectra for the Polish market and then shut down completely, ending the relationship with General Motors.

unrealized projects

syrena  sport

1960

The FSO Syrena Sport was a Polish Concept cars sports car designed and built in the late 1950s by a group of engineers at the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych FSO, which due to economic and political reasons never went into mass production. FSO Syrena Sport was 2-door coupe with a fibreglass body on a steel chassis with strengthened floor panel. The engine was a new design 4-stroke 2-cylinder air-cooled boxer engine with aluminium block. The cast-iron cylinders, cylinder heads and pistons were from the S-03 engine of the Polish motorcycle Junak.  Originally, the car was not intended for production – it was a test platform for a number of solutions and production technologies intended for the modification of Syrena sedan, which was mass-produced since 1955. 

The car was stored in a garage at the Development Centre in Warszawa-Falenica. Following a mindless decision, it was purposefully destroyed in the late 1970s together with a number of other FSO prototypes, in order to free up garage space.

syrena mikrobus

The idea was to develop a delivery truck with a capacity of approx. 500 kg or 7 people, entirely based on the use of basic units and the production part of the Syrena 102. that the car would be produced in a small company, it was decided that the body structure must be as simple as possible in terms of execution, which in practice meant the elimination of any elements requiring stamping, so the body was to consist of a steel, welded skeleton covered with a sheathing of simple sheet metal elements.

When the prototype was completed in the summer of 1960, it was handed over for road tests at BKD (Road Construction Office). The car passed all tests very positively, except for one. It turned out that the 5.25 x 16 tires used in it (the only one produced by the Polish industry) are not able to carry the assumed load. 

Note that thanks to the free configuration of the interior, it was one of the world's first "minivans" (MPV), which actually appeared only in the 70s of the last century. 

Unfortunately, the "time of the thaw" slowly passed and the handover of the project for production got stuck somewhere in the clerks' desks. None of the plants wanted to undertake the production of the minibus. 

warsawa 210

In 1961, the concept of preparing a new family of cars was born. In the Department of the Chief Designer (later the Research and Development Center) of FSO, a team was appointed to construct this car. It was supposed to be a large vehicle with good performance and intended primarily for the state administration. Due to the costs, it was decided to use the existing structure. The choice fell on the Ford Falcon. The prototype, named Warszawa 210, was presented in 1964 and the power unit was adapted to Polish standards. As a result, a 6-cylinder in-line engine with a capacity of 2.51 liters was built. It developed a maximum power of 82 HP. It was also planned to build the car in a more economical version. In this case, it was intended to shorten the base engine by 2 cylinders. This 4-cylinder unit was to have a capacity of 1.71 l and a maximum power of 57 HP. Despite its large size, the car weighed only 1,200 kg, which is almost 200 kg less than the model produced at that time. Warsaw 210 developed a top speed of 160 km / h with a larger engine and 135 with a 4-cylinder engine. Probably two prototypes of Warsaw 210 were created. 

1300 coupé

Motoring historians have argued whether there was a 1.1 or 1.3 liter engine under the hood. The genesis of this car is not fully known. It's hard to clearly define its originators. The main designer of the body line was Zdzisław Wattson and it is believed that this vehicle was a pre-concept version for a car that FSO could possibly work on in the future. OBRSO was supposed to deal with it and they were left with relatively little time, because they were to present a ready project in a year. The car was supposed to be ready for the 30th anniversary of the People's Republic of Poland - for the Warsaw XXX exhibition. The archives talk about this exhibition only as showing the transformation of the capital in the years 45 -75. 

There were earlier ideas with the use of solutions from the Fiat X1 / 9 model and in the end it must be admitted that the car resembles it very much. The Poles were not the first, because the English followed the same path. The design of the Giugiaro was also adapted to the Lotus model and the one with the Esprit badge became a cult object on the islands. Lotus, however, was made of plastic, not sheet metal like FSO.

The Zastava engine pulled out 75 horses with a murderous effort, which allowed it to approach the speed of 150 km / h. A lot of fiat 125 parts were use for the built.

ogar

FSO Ogar LS - a prototype of a Polish passenger car, developed in 1977  with the use of Polish Fiat 125p components.

The only prototype Ogar was built in 1977. The design of the vehicle was based on the Polish Fiat 125p floor plate , which also took over the drive and braking system components. A characteristic feature of this vehicle was the modern and dynamic styling of the body designed by Cezary Nawrot and the electrically retractable headlamps used in the style of sports cars. The body was made of a laminate made of a combination of epoxy resin and glass fiber. An additional sports accent were the wheels made of light metal alloys. The body of the Hound was designed in accordance with the regulations of the US Ministry of Transport, therefore the model was equipped with large, protruding bumpers and marker lamps on the front and rear fenders. The interior of the modern car could be accessed through three doors. There are 4 seats in the car on soft and comfortable, therefore not very sporty, seats. The prototype traveled over 70 thousand. km and despite positive opinions about it, it was not put into production. The reason was the high degree of advancement of work on a more functional Polonaise . Moreover, there was no justification for starting the production of a sports car in Poland.

The only specimen of the Oger is in the Automotive Museum in Warsaw, and the body cast can be seen at the Mechanical Department of the Military University of Technology 

FSO Polonez 2000 Rally is a Polish rally car produced by the FSO and OBRSO in Warsaw during Communist rule in Poland. It was first created in 1978 following the release of its production counterpart: the FSO Polonez. It competed in Group IV, Group II, Group B, and other events.

The racing history of the Polonez begins in 1978. It first competed at multiple sports events as a demonstration car until it was granted homologation into Group IV rallying on January 1, 1979. The body of the car was slimmed down and inside was a roll cage barely meeting the minimum approval. The car was driven on a modified 2.0 DOHC engine that had four Weber carburetors, one for each cylinder or mechanical injection. It achieved 170/185 hp. 

On April 1, 1980, Polonez received approval for Group II. The deep blue and red livery of Walter Wolf Racing disappeared in favor of the national colors. On April 1, 1984, Polonez received approval for Group B  . The car used carburetors, mechanical injection and electronic injection. Polycarbonate side windows were used, small steel bumpers from the standard Polonez C.  In the early 90s, FSO Sport and OBRSO withdrew from rallying. All copies were reportedly dismantled and sold for parts. Today you can only find replicas of rally Polonez's.