FSO Polonez
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 designed by, Walter de Silva and Giorgetto Giugiaro. It was available in body styles that included two- and four-door compact-sized cars, station wagons, as well as commercial versions as pickup truck, cargo van, and ambulance. Production totaled more than one million units, excluding the pickup truck 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 newspaper Życie Warszawy.
In 2021, about 33,000 vehicles were still registered in Poland.
Background
The Polonez was based on the Polski Fiat 125p that Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych built under license from Fiat. The internal components, including updated 1.3/1.5 Litre engines,, the chassis, and other mechanicals, were from the Polski Fiat 125p. However, the body was an entirely new liftback initially designed in the early 1970s by Centro Stile Fiat as a prototype for Fiat. After the Polish side started cooperation with Fiat over a new car, the original design was changed due to Polish requirements. The car was meant to be equipped with Fiat's 2.0 Litre DOHC engines in the 1980s, but financial problems at the time made it impossible to purchase a license from Fiat. This made producing the 125p alongside the Polonez possible for more than a decade. Moreover, mechanical improvements only occurred when they could be applied to both cars. This limitation changed after the production of the 125p ended in 1991.An advantage of the FSO Polonez is its safety in an accident, especially compared to many of its rivals from the Eastern Bloc. 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 the Polonez could be exported worldwide. They proved the car to be safe. The Caro 1.9 GLD hitting a concrete block with 40% of the front at survived very well. All doors could be opened without any difficulty, there were no critical injuries for passengers, and no fuel leakage occurred.
Polonez (1978–1991)
Development
- 1970 Fiat launched ESV project.
- 1974 FSO chose Fiat's ESV 2000 prototype as the base of a new car. FSO's designer Zbigniew Wattson joins Walter de Silva to convert the ESV project to the size of a Fiat 125 floor and design the interior and all body details. The project is known as "type 137".
- 1975 Fiat prepared prototypes of Type 137 named "Polski" and sent them to FSO.
Debut
In 1981, a more economical version of the Polonez started being produced. This was sold without black side rubbing strips between the front and rear wheel, chrome bumper strips, rear window wiper-washer, fog lamps, luggage cover, and tachometer. Basic vinyl was used on the seats and in the luggage compartment. At the other end appeared a new top version, the FSO Polonez 1500 X. This was fitted with the AB 1,481 cc engine of, a five-speed gearbox, and a radio. It was sold in the domestic market, usually for U.S. dollar payments.
In 1981 and 1983, the FSO Polonez Coupé, with three-door bodywork was introduced. It had the usual 1,481 cc engine with or the 2.0-litre Fiat Twin Cam unit. It was the first FSO model to feature electronic ignition and fuel economizer owing to a supply of pre-heated air to the suction manifold. Only a few dozen were produced.
In 1983, the Polski Fiat 125p was renamed FSO 125p, after FSO's licence rights to the Fiat badge expired. The new naming system for FSO's models was as follows:
- FSO 125p: 1.3 L, 1.3 ML, 1.3 ME, 1.5 C, 1.5 L, 1.5 ML, 1.5 MS, 1.5 ME
- FSO Polonez 1.3 C, 1.3 CE, 1.3 L, 1.3 LE, 1.5 C, 1.5 CE, 1.5 L, 1.5 LS, 1.5 LE, 1.5 X, 2000.
- 1984 FSO Polonez 2000 Turbo 3-door - rally car, never got rally homologation, bodywork like Coupé version, but without the Coupé-like front. This car received a turbocharged 1,995 cc Fiat engine, in some variants combined with a supercharger for better torque.
- 1985 FSO Polonez - first five-door cars with a Coupé-like front
- 1986 FSO Polonez 1.5 Turbo mass production launched. Also, a rally version 1.5C Turbo known as "Iron Rain" official premiere.
In 1987, the FSO Polonez 1.6 LE appeared. It has a 1,598 cc inline-four with at 5,200 rpm and at 3,800 rpm. Top speed is. There was also the rare FSO 125p 1.6 ME, with the same engine but a top speed of. Very few were made.
FSO Polonez modifications: stamped rear spoiler instead of plastic one, new model labels on the sticking foil, new version coding system with an 'S' supposedly meaning that the car had the additional rear-side windows in the C-pillar, a feature was often broken in practice. The versions available were:
1,3 SCE, 1.3 SL, 1.3 SLE, 1,5 CE, 1.5 L, 1,5 LE, 1,5 SCE, 1,5 SL, 1,5 SLE, 1,6 SLE, 2.0 SLE
In 1988, the FSO Polonez 1500 Turbo with AA 1,481 cc engine, at 7,000 rpm, at 3,200 rpm, 8,5 s, appeared. This was a rally version only, built to group A specifications. Following this competition version, the FSO Polonez 1.5 SLE Turbo with a turbocharged AA engine was introduced in December 1989. With a compression ratio of 8.5 to 1, the 1,481 cc inline-four produces at 6,000 rpm, and at 3,200 rpm. The zero to 100 km/h acceleration was in 11,0 s, and the top speed is. A catalyzed version with was also available. The Turbo Polonez' were built mainly in rally versions, although on special order a Turbo-kit could be installed in mass-produced cars.
- 1988 Prototypes of the FSO Polonez in an ambulance and van versions based on the FSO Truck. Lowered chassis and an additional right-side door were added features.
In 1990, the FSO Polonez 2.0 SLE appeared, fitted with Ford's 2.0-litre engine, 12.5 seconds acceleration to 100 km/h and a top speed of.
Stratopolonez
A unique version of FSO Polonez dubbed Stratopolonez uses Lancia Stratos components salvaged from a crashed car that was driven by Andrzej Jaroszewicz, the son of Prime Minister Piotr Jaroszewicz in 1977 on Rally Poland. He failed to complete the rally because of crashing into a tree.The resulting salvaged vehicle was designed by Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy FSO in 1978. The car uses an FSC Star radiator located in the front, engine output was improved to 280 PS, and does not share spoilers with FSO Polonez 2000 Rally.
This car was raced until 1985. Drivers were Andrzej Jaroszewicz, Adam Polak, Maciej Stawowiak, and Marian Bublewicz. Marian made improvements, such as adding wider rear wheel arches and strengthening areas around the windshield. The vehicle went to Museum of Technology, Warsaw afterward. In 2000, the car was restored by Warsaw Motor Technical College students as part of their diploma thesis.
Polonez Caro (1991–1997)
1991 marked the end of FSO 125p production. Along with this, FSO's 1,295 cc engine ended production. FSO imports to the United Kingdom were temporarily stopped. On the other hand, the facelifted FSO Polonez Caro appeared. It had new headlamps and grille, new front and rear bumpers, a steering wheel, new rooflet over instruments, and improved front crash safety. Also new was the FSO Polonez Caro 1.9 GLD with Citroën's 1,905 cc diesel engine,,, and a top speed of. The Caro GLD was sold across mainland Europe.The other versions in pricelist:
- 1992 FSO Polonez 1.5 GLI, 1.6 GLI with ABIMEX single-point injection, with or without catalytic converter.
- 1993 Polonez after the next facelift: front and rear track wider, fresh air inlet moved from hood to the front of the windscreen, better front and rear wipe-wash kinematics, longer arms and larger wiped area, changes in the dashboard: circular speedometer and rev counter, four instead of two fresh air outlets, illuminated switches, and remote headlamps shaft regulator.
FSO Polonez Sedan prototype - later produced as the FSO Atu - with 4-door sedan bodywork, with a completely new dashboard and upholstery, new rear suspension: rigid rear axle with longitudinal wishbones, reaction bars, and coil springs. The rear lamps are the same as in the Caro version.
Two prototypes of the FSO Polonez Kombi. The next prototype: FSO Analog 4WD, a light off-road car with 4-door pick-up bodywork and four-wheel drive.
Export to the UK restarted: FSO Caro and FSO Pick-up
- 1995 The next prototype of the 4-door FSO Polonez Sedan was introduced at the 1995 Poznań Motor Show - the car had new a dashboard and new rear lamps.
- 1996 The first series of the new FSO Atu 1.6 GLI was sold, and produced from December 1995 until February 1996. Mass production of the FSO Polonez Atu 1.6 GLI and FSO Polonez Atu 1.4 GLI 16V, very few cars in FSO Polonez Atu 1.9 GLD specification with a Diesel engine. The FSO Atu was renamed FSO Polonez Atu after protests by the ATU insurance company.
End of export to the Netherlands, the last foreign market for Polonez passenger versions; the final offering in the Netherlands consisted of: