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

syrena 110

1965-1966

The Syrena 110 was a Polish automobile prototype from the mid-1960s, manufactured by the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (FSO) in Warsaw. It was one of the first hatchbacks in the world.

The car was fitted with a most modern at that time angular-style three-door hatchback body (at the same time, as Renault 16). An interesting design feature was a partial frame in a forward part, enabling dismounting of the whole forward part with an engine. The engine was inherited from the newest Syrena 104, 842 cc two stroke straight-3, but a four stroke engine was predicted in the future. A suspension was independent, with spiral springs.

In spite of a generally successful design, only a test batch of less than 20 Syrena 110 was manufactured in 1965-1966. The Syrena 110, that could become a modern and practical popular car, fell victim to a communist planned economy. In view of limited resources of the FSO factory, and neglecting needs for a popular mass-produced car, the Polish authorities decided to cease further works upon the Syrena 110, because of a license agreement to manufacture a mid-class Polski Fiat 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.

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.

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.

Production history

• Warszawa 254.471
• Syrena 177.234
• Polski Fiat 125p 125p/FSO 1.445.699
• Polonez 1.061.807
• Daewoo Tico 126.369
• Daewoo Espero 20.573
• Daewoo Nubira 33.116
• Daewoo Tacuma 427
• Daewoo Leganza 3969
• Daewoo Lanos / FSO Lanos 165.272 
• Daewoo Matiz / FSO Matiz 126.469 
• Chevrolet Aveo 150.000
• Cars assembled in FSO 73.376
• Special 12.800

polonez kombi

1999-2002

More than a decade after Polonez’s introduction to the market, the Polish company FSO started production of a station wagon based on the same vehicle, with some help from its new owner, Daewoo.

From its profile, the Kombi couldn’t hide its age behind the rounded corners of the wedged-shape bodywork. The car was initially designed in an era when heavily curved windshields were expensive to make, and the automaker couldn’t afford that. In addition, the flat side panels of the vehicle were slightly curved and adorned by rubber stripes to mask the decades-old vehicle design. But the Polonez Kombi was meant to be a practical car. Its roof was raised above the rear seats and extended towards the back, over the luggage area. Finally, at the back, the vertical tailgate flanked by tiny, lower-mounted taillights tried to create a more pleasant look for the vehicle.

Under the hood, the automaker installed a 1.6-liter gasoline engine that could keep up with Euro 1 emission standards. It was paired with a five-speed manual gearbox that sent the power to the rear wheels via a solid rear axle supported by leaf springs.

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 

wars

Work began at the Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy FSO (R&D department) in 1981 and a year later a 1:5 scale prototype was ready. Antoni Kasznicki was responsible for the body design. The model prepared in this way was sent to the Institute of Aviation, where aerodynamic tests were carried out. The bodywork has been refined, achieving an excellent drag coefficient of Cx of 0.35. At that time, it was one of the first structures designed taking into account the principles of aerodynamics.

The car was ready in 1985 and was presented during the Polska Motoryzacja event organized almost in the center of Warsaw. The car impressed with its modern silhouette, being at the same time a fashionable 5-door hatchback. The high-rigidity body accommodated 5 people and 300 liters of luggage, and was equipped with crumple zones and a split steering column to protect the driver during crash. The fuel tank was safety, placed under the rear seat. The vehicle weighed only 800 kg and was not much smaller than the Volkswagen Golf II or Opel Kadett D.

The chief engine designer Sławomir Pajewski presented two engines with a capacity of 1100 and 1300 cm3. The first developed 54 hp, and the more powerful 61 hp. Thanks to the lightweight, aerodynamic body, they ensured good performance and low fuel consumption of 5-7 l/100 km. Later, 1.5 and 1.6 engines (the larger one mainly in export versions) and 1.6 diesel were to be added. The most powerful Wars was supposed to run up to 170 km/h.

 Work was stopped due to insufficient budget. Three copies were produced, of which two have survived to this day. They can be seen at the Museum of Technology in Warsaw. The first is a test car, with white paint, equipped with a 1.1 engine. The second is a red show car with a 1.3 engine. The third copy was blue, but it is not known what engine it had. It is speculated that it could have been a more powerful 1.5 or 1.6 diesel, but its fate is unknown. Only a few poor quality photos remain.

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.

After the bankruptcy of the Korean partner, the fight for the company's survival began. Thanks to the determination of the Company's Management Board to maintain production and avoid bankruptcy, as well as the great sacrifices of the Staff, who jointly and severally bore the burden related to the critical situation in the company, the situation was stabilized. Difficult negotiations began regarding the extension of the rights to the production of Lanos and Matiz, which were successfully concluded on April 22, 2004. Daewoo-FSO obtained the right to manufacture cars, sell on specific markets (including exports) and the right to produce and sell parts 7 years after the end of production of these models.

On 31 August 2004, during the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, it was decided that the company would return to its traditional name: "Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych Spółka Akcyjna". The produced models changed their names to Lanos FSO and Matiz FSO, and on the hoods of the cars appeared a trademark in the shape of a stylized steering wheel, which was a symbol of the tradition of the Polish automotive industry and over 50 years of development of the domestic automotive industry after the war.

At the same time, due to the difficult situation on the domestic automotive market, related to the rapidly increasing import of used cars from Western Europe, the search for new markets for cars produced in the factory began.

From October 11, 2005, the majority stake in the Warsaw FSO belonged to the Ukrainian concern CJSC ZAZ. Talks were also started with GM, which in 2007 resulted in the signing of a contract for the production of new models with the symbols T-250 and T-255.

On November 6, 2007, i.e. on the 56th anniversary of the launch of FSO, the first Chevrolet Aveo produced in the European Union rolled off the production line. In the summer of 2008, the four-door sedan was joined by a five-door hatchback, and in the winter of 2008, the three-door hatchbacks left the factory. FSO produced Chevrolet Aveo until the end of February 2011.

A combination of unfavorable macro and microeconomic events for the Company and the failure to find a partner who would locate car production in Żerań resulted in the fact that the Chevrolet Aveo was the last car produced in the Żerań Factory.

Currently, the Company operates in the field of office and service space rental and manages the Capital Group of related companies.

The company has real estate in Warsaw where office buildings and service areas with parking spaces are located. FSO has shares in production and service companies, it also has attractive areas in central, northern and south-western Poland.