Today, the Polish car industry is not as popular and famous as, say, German or Japanese. However, it has a rich and distinctive history. The Polish automobile industry was especially developed in the socialist Polish People's Republic. Before the war, the Polish car industry was limited only to the assembly plants of Western car companies. The road network was practically absent, and in terms of the number of cars Poland took the seventeenth place in Europe. As of 1980, the annual production of cars in Poland was about two million. the country already had an extensive network of roads, including motorways.
In the fifties of the twentieth century, Polish road workers, with the support of Soviet colleagues, had to raise the transport system of the Polish People's Republic practically from ruins. With the support of engineers from the USSR, new factories were built in Warsaw and Lublin. On the first, the production of the Soviet Victory was organized, on the second, the cargo GAZ-51. Later, specialists from France and Italy were attracted.
However, Polish automakers did not limit themselves to copying Soviet and Western models of automobile technology. Already in the sixties, they modernized their products and began to produce cars of their own design. Car builders of the NDP were famous for their innovations. In particular, they proposed a modular principle for designing a car. In the 80s, the production of licensed and own samples is constantly expanding.
The most striking example of such a "Polish approach" is a car produced by the Warsaw FSO plant (special self-propelled vehicle factory). The car with the beautiful name "Polonez" belonged to the so-called small class of the third group (Soviet counterparts VAZ-2103, 2106 and "Moskvich-2140") .However, in terms of its characteristics and level of comfort it approached the middle class.
Contrary to the prevailing fashion at that time for a three-volume layout, the body was two-volume. The trunk was unexpectedly large, folding seats were used nowadays, which added versatility to the cabin. "Polonaise" was slightly longer than Zhiguli and "Moskvich", with comparable width and height. Convex sidewalls and curved side windows have added free space in the cabin, improving the aerodynamics of the body.
The volume of the interior space approached the interior of the Soviet Volga with smaller dimensions. Also worth noting is a good view through the windshield with a large angle of inclination.
The aerodynamics of the vehicle have been meticulously verified by testing. This made it possible to obtain higher dynamics in comparison with the base "FIAT-125P", despite the increased size and weight of 1140 kg.
There are also many interesting and unusual things inside the car. For example, square control devices. Their abundance, rectangular "diagram" form with small numbers and signs look very original and fashionable. However, information content and readability is a matter of habit.
On the left and right, adjustable ventilation-heating nozzles are mounted in the panel. Part of the control buttons is located on the so-called console to the right of the driver. There is also a radio receiver. A large visor above the dash prevents the instruments from reflecting in a highly inclined windshield. Unlike the 125p model, the gear lever is mounted directly on the gearbox cover, and not on a special extension; as a result, it goes into the body from the console (at 125p it is located between the seats).
The front seats are equipped with automatically retractable seat belts and armrests, and the driver's seat can be rearranged back and forth and up and down, and the tilt angle can be changed. In addition, the angle of the steering column is also adjustable. All this taken together makes it possible to adapt the driver's workplace well to his build.
All four doors are equipped with armrests. Seat belts are provided for each of the three rear seat bench seats. There is a shelf behind the back of the rear sofa so that the contents of the boot are not visible through the windows. If it is necessary to transport a large-sized item in the back, the shelf can be folded. It also folds when opening (more precisely, lifting) the rear, fifth door. Note that this door is equipped on the sides with pneumatic (gas) balanced struts, so that lifting does not require much effort.
The mechanisms of the Polonaise are largely borrowed from the 125p model. Engine - 4-cylinder, in-line, 4-stroke. The upper valves are located obliquely in two rows, driven by the lower camshaft; the shaft drive is a toothed rubber belt located in a special casing. Water cooling. The cylinder diameter is 79.5 mm, the piston stroke is 72 ("1300") or 77 ("1500") mm. Power 48 or 56 kW (65 or 76 hp). The machine is equipped with one of two engine options - a working volume of 1.3 and 1.5 liters (models "1300" and "1500"). For the future, engines of 1.6 and 2.0 liters are provided. Compared to the base engines, the power supply, lubrication, cooling, and distribution systems have been changed. The cooling fan is driven by an electric motor, which only turns on when the engine overheats. These measures contribute to the quietness of the machine. Installed a new carburetor. The specification provides for both 4-speed and 5-speed gearboxes, the latter has a fifth gear - overdrive. It is convenient for driving on highways, quiet, and saves fuel.
Transmission - single-plate clutch with mechanical pedal drive, fully synchronized 4-speed (5-speed in the future) gearbox, rear axle drive by a two-link cardan shaft. The brakes are disc brakes on all wheels, with a hydraulic dual-circuit drive.
Suspension - front independent, spring, with anti-roll bar, rear on longitudinal springs with two reaction rods, telescopic shock absorbers. Tires - 175RS 13.
When studying the design of the "Polonaise", attention is drawn to the elements aimed at ensuring active and passive safety - there is an "anatomical" driver's workplace, a powerful braking system, a rear wiper, buffers on all sides of the body, a rigid structure of its body, soft, " traumatic "details of interior decoration.
To a certain extent, even the very shape of the machine ensures safety. Due to the large surface area at the rear, the vehicle is less susceptible to gusts of crosswinds than with a three-box arrangement.
A few words about the high-speed qualities of the Polonaise. It is easy and stable, without any fatigue for the mechanisms (for passengers too!) On free sections of the route develops 130-140 km / h (on Polish highways, the speed is practically unlimited). Moreover, the noise does not bother too much, you can talk almost without raising your voice. This is the result of careful development of the engine design and body insulation, the successful choice of the tire pattern, research into the aerodynamics of the car.
And in rainy weather, the streamlining of the body is beneficial. It does not splash too much, and drops are blown off the windshield, the cleaner only helps to remove them. A very useful and handy rear wiper.
However, there are no cars without flaws. The Polonaise also has them. These include some stiffness of the suspension (you can feel the wheels overcoming small irregularities in the road) and, as already mentioned, poor readability of the instruments.
Nowadays, it is customary to give a car, as they say, an “integral” assessment, that is, one that takes into account the whole complex of its qualities, and each quality, depending on its importance, is given a certain so-called “weight factor”. So, the integral rating of Polonaise would probably be high. Its few shortcomings fade into the background before speed, streamlining, road visibility, spaciousness of the body, large trunk, safety, original and progressive appearance.
A promising three-door version of the Polonez car.
According to the plans of the FSO plant, it is planned, in addition to the five-door model described by us, to produce a three-door. Its peculiarity is that the side doors are enlarged, and the rear window is lengthened and overlaps the area occupied on the five-door model with a black overlay.
Polonez will gradually replace the Fiat-125p model from the assembly line until the plant switches over to its production.
MODELING TIPS
Simple shapes of "Polonaise" are very convenient for creating replica models of any kind. But on a small scale model, this same simplicity can give the impression of primitiveness, if you do not emphasize some details. This applies in particular to the relief of the sidewalls of the body. The width of the ledges of 15-20 mm, very delicately made on a real car, will, on a scale of, say, 1:25 less than a millimeter, and they will visually disappear. Therefore, the ledges and other small details should be somewhat exaggerated.
The second tip relates to coloring. "Polonaise" is produced with bodies of various colors. The most common and typical for it are white, golden brown, dark blue (see the picture on the tab), green and red. In our opinion, relatively dark colors are more suitable for the architecture of this car, since against the background of light ones, the black detail of the front and rear facings, buffers, side pads and sill panels covered with anti-corrosion paste look too sharp. But dark does not mean deaf, gloomy, especially for models. So, active, bright, but not too light color.
The interior cladding of the Polonaise is mostly black, except for the ceiling. This was not done by accident. The bright and light colors of the interior trim could distract the driver from observing the road and impair the view due to reflections in the window panes. Even the wiper parts are covered with black chrome rather than shiny.
Pay attention to the wheels. They come in two flavors. In the first one, the holes in the discs are combined into four groups, in the intervals "spokes" are stamped. This wheel variant is used without decorative caps, but with chrome-plated hub caps and screw heads. The second option is the usual one, with holes along the entire perimeter and decorative caps.
The external lighting fixtures of the Polonaise are very rational. Fog lights under the front bumper are standard equipment. The rear light combination contains a reversing light (white glass), a turn signal (orange), a side light, a brake light and a reflector (red). The front fenders are equipped with two-color turn signal repeaters.
Driver's workplace. The back of the left seat is folded back, the right one is shown by a conventional line.
Signature lettering is installed near the edge of the tailgate. The right side of the lettering is given on the radiator grille.
Instrument panel (from left to right): ventilation nozzle, heating control keys, speed meter and mileage counter, gasoline level indicators, oil pressure and hearth temperature, clock, tachometer: under the indicators there are warning lamps for brake, "suction", low and high beam headlights, battery charging, alarm and direction indicators. The factory mark is located on the steering wheel hub.
Good idea
For the automotive industry in Poland, the 70s were perhaps the most successful. It was a period when even the wildest dreams and plans of Polish automakers came true. The best proof of this is the Polonez passenger car.
Launched into production at the end of the 60s at a Polish plant FSO (Fabryka samochodow osobowych) italian licensed car Fiat 125p outwardly outdated quickly enough. It became clear that in a few more years the export potential of this model would finally dry up. The Polish auto industry needed a more modern and solid passenger car than the Fiat 125p. It was necessary to create something fundamentally new.
In the first half of the 70s, the Poles turned to the specialists of the concern FIATSp... A from Turin with a request to design a car with a new body, which would make the most of the existing unit from the Fiat 125p. At the same time, the Polish side set many additional conditions, including a high level of passive safety and a reduction in the cost of manufacturing a new machine.
The look of a modern Polish car was developed by a well-known design company Ital desing under the direction of Giorgetto Giugiaro (Giorgetto giugiro ) - one of the largest constructors and designers of that time, the author of the bodies of Ferrari, Maserati, Lotus and BMW. True, they say that Polonez is just a redesigned project that was originally intended for a new Lancia delta, but for some reason was sold to the Polish FSO plant.
The first prototype with a monocoque five-door “hatchback” body, manufactured in 1975, turned out to be “in trend” - let's remember modern cars: Audi 100 Avant, Simca 1307, Renault 30, Volkswagen Passat... At the same time, the "hatchback" body not only provided the car with a greater capacity compared to sedans, but also significantly reduced air resistance. The new Polish car was distinguished by very good aerodynamics (drag coefficient Cx is 0.35), which, on the one hand, made it possible to slightly raise the maximum speed of the car, and on the other hand, to maintain a relatively low fuel consumption.
During the development of the new model, a lot of attention was paid to safety and comfort. Thanks to the large wheelbase (2509 mm) and the rational use of internal space, the driver and four passengers were freely accommodated in the car. It was convenient to load luggage through the fifth door, which was held open by two gas cylinders.
At the time of its birth, Polonez was one of the safest European cars in its class and certainly the safest in Eastern European countries. The Italians have well calculated the energy-absorbing deformation zones of the body in front and behind. Moreover, it was designed to comply with even very strict American regulations.
In addition, from the very beginning, the car was equipped with inertial seat belts for the front seats and reinforced seat belts for the rear sofa, designed for three passengers, shockproof plastic bumpers that could withstand minor impacts without damage (up to 5 km / h), as well as side plastic overlays in the most vulnerable places to protect the paintwork from minor impacts.
With all this, the Polonez moved well and slowed down (all four brakes were disc brakes), had good visibility due to the large glass area of the body and powerful light - four headlights and additional fog lights installed as standard.
The front seats were well adjustable in length and backrest tilt, which, together with an adjustable steering column, provided a comfortable fit behind the wheel for a driver of any height and build. You can also remember the tachometer, quartz clock, wiper and heated rear window, the lock on the fuel tank. Not every European car, even a more prestigious class, could then boast of such an optional list! Therefore, the owners Polonez unwittingly aroused respect from motorists.
True, many "bells and whistles" led to the fact that the car weighed a little more than its classmates, but in the 70s few people paid attention to such "trifles" as being overweight. In addition, the Italians and Poles were confident that Polonez would soon receive a completely new, more powerful line of motors.
The engine from the Fiat 125p under the hood of the Polonez was to replace the 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 liter gasoline engines and the two-liter diesel. But, as often happens, the plans remained only plans. When FSO took over the new body of the car, it quickly became clear that the plant was not able to pay extra for the development of the engines.
As a result, the new car used the upgraded power units from the Fiat 125p with a volume of 1295 and 1481 cm3 and, respectively, with a capacity of 60 to 82 hp. All of them had an OHV-type gas distribution valve mechanism with a camshaft in the middle of the cylinder block, with the only difference that the Polonez camshaft was not driven by a chain, but by a toothed belt. In addition, the mechanical drive of the engine cooling fan was replaced with an electric one, which slightly increased the effective engine power.
The car was also fitted with a mechanically operated single-plate diaphragm clutch (instead of the hydraulic one used on the Fiat 125p). The gearbox did not fundamentally differ from the Fiat gearbox, but the gear ratios changed somewhat: 3.75-2.13-1.39-1.0 (in Fiat 125p they are the same as on our BA3-2103 "Zhiguli").
Lucky case
The competition for the best name of the future car was held on the pages of a popular Polish newspaper. In 1978, it was officially announced that the model would be named Polonez, in honor of traditional Polish dance.
In 1986, the appearance of the serial Polonez was slightly tweaked - instead of black "plugs" in the rear pillars of the new FSO Polonaise glass appeared.
The FSO began serial production of the Polonez on May 3, 1978. Initially, only two models came off the assembly line - Polonez 1500 and Polonez 1300, but only a small part of these cars fell into the hands of private owners. First of all, they were sent to government agencies, including the police. In Poland, by the mid-1980s, Polonez was associated, first of all, with a police car; it was not for nothing that disciplining dummies of police cars in the form of a Polonez silhouette were installed on the roads.
Thanks to one funny story, Polonez became world famous. In 1978, the best Polish rally driver Andriy Yaroshevich, the son of the Prime Minister of Poland, crashed his racing Lancia Stratos and was virtually left without a car. And then one of the FSO specialists came up with a wonderful idea - to take this opportunity and make a rally car out of Polonez for the famous racer, especially since the engine remained intact from the wrecked Lancia Ferrari Dino 246 with a capacity of 260 h.p. True, in order to install it in Polonez, the car had to be made with a mid-engine. But such "little things" did not frighten anyone. Outwardly, the "mid-engine" Polonez tried to disguise in every possible way.
Of course, this was pure propaganda - to demonstrate to the West a "socialist" model, which turned out to be no worse than the famous brands. And in the very first race, the Polonez 2500 Racing won, leaving behind Porsche 911 and Renault 5 Turbo.
The main goal was achieved - they started talking about the model in Europe, which means that it was possible to start export sales.
As for the machine itself Polonez 2500 Racing, today it can be seen in a place of honor in the Museum of Technology in Warsaw.
Since then, Polonez has become a regular participant in European rally races, but these were already other cars closer to production. On machines that have received the name Polonez 2000 Rally, there were two-liter engines in front Fiat DOHC with four carburetors Weber(each cylinder has its own carburetor). At the same time, the engine power reached 170 hp. In addition, the car had a braking system from Porsche 911RS with ventilated discs.
Debut Polonez 2000 Rally took place in 1979 at the Monte Carlo Rally. There was another splash in the sports biography of Polonez: in 1983, a rally modification appeared Polonez 2.0 D Turbo based on a three-door body with an Italian engine VM Motori HR 488 volume of 2 liters. But this car never received a sports homologation and remained in a single copy. Polonez gained worldwide fame in 1978 thanks to its participation in European rally races.
"Crisis" Options FSO Polonez
Since 1980, the political situation in Poland has deteriorated sharply, which is partly the reason for the appearance of the "crisis" version of the Polonez in the most simplified configuration. Almost all additional equipment (fog lights, tachometer, rear wiper, etc.) was removed from the car, and ordinary vinyl was used for upholstery.
By 1986, a fairly clear line of FSO hatchbacks had lined up. The simplest version Polonez 1500X grew out of the "crisis" option. The economy version was easily recognizable by the rectangular headlights, which replaced the more expensive twin optics.
The middle position was occupied by the modification Polonez 1500LE: It was equipped with a 1.5-liter engine, but already had a five-speed gearbox with fifth overdrive to save fuel at cruising speeds and an integrated radio tape recorder. Outside, the LE featured twin headlights with halogen sections. At the top of the FSO product line was Polonez 1600 SLE Prima with a 1598 cm3 engine.
Its larger engine was created on the basis of a 1.5-liter engine by boring the cylinder diameter from 77 to 80 mm. Externally, the Prima could be distinguished from the LE series by its optional aerodynamic body kit including front and rear spoilers.
In 1986, the appearance of the serial Polonez was slightly tweaked - instead of black "plugs" in the rear pillars, glass appeared, which somewhat improved visibility. The radiator grill was slightly changed: it lost its "shiny" elements and began to look stricter. Earlier, an upper air intake appeared on the hood - with it the car began to look more sporty.
In 1989, the machine underwent another "cosmetic surgery". The changes mainly affected the tailgate (loading height): the fifth door was lowered to the level of the bumper, which made it easier to load things into the cabin. At the same time, the rear lights, the location of the front sidelights and direction indicators were changed. The wiper of the fifth door in the neutral position now lay horizontally.
If foreign buyers, as a rule, did not have problems with purchasing a car from the banks of the Vistula, in Poland itself Polonez has long remained a dream of motorists. Only at the end of the 80s, when the Poles had the opportunity to buy cars of other brands, Polonez faded into the background. The biggest problem was its archaic and uneconomical OHV engines. In order to somehow revive interest in the Polonez, in 1990 they began to be equipped at the factory with imported two-liter Ford 103 hp engines. Simultaneously with the discontinuation of the model FIAT 125p in 1991, the plant stopped production of 1.3 and 1.5 liter engines, which automatically meant the disappearance of the Polonez automobile plant with these power units from the production program. However, cars with a 1.3 liter engine practically disappeared from the plant's lineup back in the early 80s due to the frank weakness of these engines for Polonez.
Polonez Atu sedan
In the same 1991 FSO concern showed an updated version of his top model - Polonez caro... "Karo" got a new "smoothed" front end with rectangular headlamps, more modern grille, front and rear bumpers. As an alternative to the basic version Polonez Caro 1.6 GLI the Polonez Caro 1.9 GLD with a diesel engine appeared PSA Peugeot / Citroen(69 hp). Several years later at the base Polonez caro a four-door sedan was created -.
In 1997, they were replaced by cars Polonez caro plus and Polonez atu plus... They got new bumpers, a radiator grill, a dashboard, etc. By this time, imported components began to be used. In addition, a 16-valve engine from Rover of English origin with a volume of 1396 cm3 was installed on some of the machines.
The Polish automobile plant did not remain independent for long - in February 1999, it was bought by the South Korean company Daewoo. This company has done a lot of work on finalizing the produced Polish cars, and as a result, the updated Daewoo-FSO Polonez Kombi 1.6 GSi MPI entered the market in May 1999.
Official premiere Daewoo-FSO Polonez Kombi 1.6 GSi MPI took place at a motor show in Poznan.
Production of Polonez cars ended in 2002.
From Colombia to China
Thanks to its modern design, rich basic equipment, relative cheapness and reliability, Polonez at the beginning of its career sold well in a number of countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Finland, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Colombia ( in the latter two countries, Polonez were used as police cars and taxis). In some of these states, Polonez is known as FSO Celina... Until 1991, the majority of Polonez cars were exported to China - more than 40 thousand copies. The second country in terms of purchases is, oddly enough, Great Britain. Polonez began to arrive here in 1979, and immediately in the right-hand drive version.
In the late 1980s, a batch of 150 Polonez cars were sold even to New Zealand. Polonez made a good career in Egypt, where they assembled using the CKD technology (Complete knock down). For this, an assembly plant was even built, which closed only in the early 2000s. It is clear that by the 90s Polonez were completely outdated in technical terms. Their main competitive advantage was only their low cost compared to their more modern classmates. The classic rear-wheel drive made it possible to make good monophonic Polonez Trucks on the basis of Polonez, which were in demand abroad.
In 1994, Polonez crash tests were carried out to support demand. Tests have confirmed the compliance of the model with European safety standards - this was the reason for the continuation of export sales.
But since 1997, Polonez gradually began to be ousted from foreign markets, since they no longer met modern requirements for exhaust gas toxicity.
In the USSR, the appearance of the Polonez went almost unnoticed, although several times these machines were demonstrated at exhibitions dedicated to Soviet-Polish friendship. The reason is simple - Polonez have never been officially delivered to our country. Therefore, the interest in them on the part of domestic motorists was purely theoretical, in contrast to Soviet engineers, whom Polonez was interested in from a practical point of view: the car was purchased to study the design and compare with domestic counterparts. And yet Polonez could be found on our roads. A small number of these machines operated in Moscow at the Polish embassy and trade mission. And in the early 90s, we began to receive used Polonez from Poland and other European countries. Naturally, most of the Polonez cars turned out to be in Belarus and Ukraine bordering on Poland. For Russia, Polonez has remained exotic.
Variations on a theme
Passenger cars can rightfully be called centenarians: their production lasted for almost a quarter of a century - from 1978 to 2002. During this time, the appearance of the Polonez was improved several times, but the body frame and the aggregate part remained unchanged. Like any long-lived car, Polonez has overgrown with a whole bunch of modifications and performances.
Since 1988, a car plant in Warsaw has launched the production of Polonez with a station wagon body: a fiberglass superstructure was simply installed on top of a standard five-door hatchback body, which increased the length and internal volume of the body.
Polonez Multi-Task utility vehicles were considered universal - they could equally well carry up to five people (including the driver) or rather bulky luggage (with the rear row of seats folded down). Suffice it to say that the cargo area with the rear seats folded reached a length of 1900 mm.
The increased length of the cabin made it possible to create the Polonez Ambulance ambulance vehicle on the basis of Multi-Task. Of course, it was not designed to carry out serious resuscitation procedures. But he did an excellent job of transporting the patient from home to hospital. The interior of the ambulance car was equipped with brackets for installing a dropper, an oxygen supply system, enhanced ventilation and additional lighting. The Polonez Ambulance was intended for use in ambulances, health care units and military hospitals as a relatively cheap vehicle.
Since 1987 Fabryka samochodow osobowych launched a line of trucks and utility vehicles based on Polonez. Trucks were produced both in a purely side version with three folding sides, and with plastic superstructures. Atarex(Truck LB) over the side platform that turned pickups into vans.
There were options with a short two-seater cab (Truck Standart) and cargo-passenger versions with a two-row cab (Truck DC). The line of power units was standard for FSO products - these are 1.6 liter gasoline engines, later they were supplemented with 1.9D Peugeot / Citroen diesel engines. Interestingly, after the termination of production of Polonez at the parent plant in 2002, the demand for inexpensive and reliable single-color trucks remained, so in 2003 the new company Polska Fabryka Samochodow (PFS) tried to restart it, renaming it Poltruck. But for a number of reasons, this venture was not viable, and the new enterprise produced only a small number of test trucks.
In 1980, FSO showed off the Polonez with a three-door hatchback. The body for this model was not developed anew - it was obtained by making new sidewalls instead of the rear pair of doors. At the same time, the front doors remained as short as in the five-door version, which, on the one hand, made the production of the three-door version cheaper, and on the other hand, made it difficult for passengers to board the second row of seats, since the width of the standard doorway was clearly not enough for this. It is not surprising that the three-door modification, "more sporty" in appearance, did not find its fans and within three years (1980-1983) sold a scanty circulation - only about 300 copies.
Around a hundred three-door FSO Polonez vehicles were powered by a 1,481 cc 80 hp engine. with electronic ignition and a system in which preheated air was supplied to the intake manifold.
FSO Polonez protagonists and technical details
Crisis "version of Polonez in the most simplified configuration appeared in 1981. This copy was tested in NAMI. This configuration option did not provide for the installation of front fog lamps.
The five-door Polonez hatchback with faceted shapes looked very fashionable in the early 80s. On the dashboard in the "crisis" version, there was no tachometer, which is mandatory for other trim levels.
"The wolf in sheep's clothing" - Polonez with an engine from Lancia stratos... The only copy of this machine is on display today at the Museum of Technology in Warsaw.
Photo below: Sporty Polonez takes part in the rally "Baltic Cup"(February 2012).
| Working volume, cm 3 | 1300 | 1300 | 1500 | 1500 | 1500 |
| Power, h.p. | 65 | 60 | 76 | 70 | 82 |
| Gasoline octane number | 94 | 78 | 94 | 78 | 94 |
| Vehicle speed, km / h | 140 | 135 | 150 | 145 | 155 |
In the 70s, not every European car could boast such an option list as the Polonez. True, the "bells and whistles" led to the fact that the car began to weigh a little more than its classmates, but buyers did not pay much attention to such "trifles" at that distant time.
| Number of places | 5 |
| Maximum speed at full load | 155 km / h |
| Fuel consumption at a speed of 40 km / h | 9.5 l / 100 km |
| Electrical equipment | 12 V |
| Tire size | 175RS 13 |
| Weight, kg | |
| equipped | 1140 |
| complete | 1540 |
| Track, mm | |
| in front | 1314 |
| behind | 1292 |
| Front suspension | independent, spring, with anti-roll bar, telescopic shock absorbers |
| Rear suspension | on longitudinal springs with two reaction rods, telescopic shock absorbers |
| Brakes | working - disk, on all wheels, with a separate hydraulic drive, parking - on the rear wheels, with a mechanical drive |
| Clutch | single disc, dry, mechanically driven |
| Transmission | mechanical, four-speed (since 1990 five-speed), with synchronizers in all forward gears |
| Engine | carburetor, four-stroke, four-cylinder, overhead valve |
| Cylinder diameter, mm | 79,5 |
| Piston stroke, mm | 77 |
| Working volume, cm 3 | 1481 |
| Compression ratio | 9 |
| The order of the cylinders | 1-3-4-2 |
| Maximum power | 75 h.p. at 5250 rpm |
| Maximum torque | 11.7 kgf.m at 3300 rpm |
Polonez, perhaps, can be called one of the most successful developments in the history of the Polish car industry. By the mid 70s Fiat 125p, the previous model produced at the Passenger Car Factory ( FSO), is noticeably outdated and has lost its export potential.
The novelty has retained the continuity with Polski Fiat in terms of components and assemblies. At the same time, the exterior of the hatchback, developed in the studio ItalDesign the famous "maestro" Giugiaro, fully corresponded to the latest automobile fashion of those years, and the car itself had a very high level of passive safety (even by European and American standards), was quite comfortable for five people to travel and was very well equipped for its class. These advantages determined the success of the model not only in Eastern Europe, but also in the markets of Great Britain, Germany, France, China and other developed countries and states of the "third world".
Poles with Italian roots. Polonez, Fiat 125p and Fiat 126p.
Urban "dude" Polonez and country "hard worker" Tarpan.
Photo of the prototype model - from Wikipedia.
Base model: FSO Polonez
Manufacturer: FSO, Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych, Poland
Years of issue: 1978-2002
Modification: Polonez 1500 (1978-1986)
Number of seats: 5
Engine power: 76 hp with.
Maximum speed: 150 km / h
Number of cars built: 1,061,807
Model 1/43: Autolegends of the USSR and socialist countries No. 152 FSO Polonez
The rear-wheel drive FSO Polonez, which began mass production in Warsaw in 1978, was based on the model. But if the design was similar to its predecessor, then the five-door hatchback body was completely new, Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro was responsible for its appearance. The lineup was soon expanded with a three-door version and a two-door pickup.
FSO Polonez was equipped with modernized Fiat engines of 1.3 and 1.5 liters (60-82 hp). Later, customers began to offer versions with a two-liter gasoline engine (112 hp) and a VM Motori turbodiesel of the same volume, developing 84 liters. with. Transmissions - mechanical, four-speed or five-speed.
The first update of the model happened in 1986: the exterior design of the car changed slightly, the production of three-door versions, modifications with a 1.3-liter engine, a diesel engine and a four-speed gearbox was discontinued. At the same time, the range of power units was replenished with a 1.6-liter "aspirated" (87 hp) and a 1.5-liter turbo engine with fuel injection with a capacity of 95 forces.
In 1991, a full-scale restyling of the car was carried out, which significantly changed its appearance. In addition to the pickup and hatchback, now called the FSO Polonez Caro, the Polonez Atu sedan, FSO Kombi station wagon and a van with a plastic superstructure are on the assembly line. The car was equipped with gasoline carburetor and injection engines 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 2.0 with a capacity of 77 to 105 liters. with., as well as a French diesel with a volume of 1.9 liters (70 liters. from.)
The model underwent another small update in 1997, while it was renamed Daewoo-FSO Polones, since a Korean company became the owner of the plant. The machines of the last years of production were equipped with injection engines 1.4 (103 hp) and 1.6 (76-84 hp)
Car production ended in 2002, a total of 1 million 62 thousand copies of the model were made. The machine was very popular in Poland, it was also exported to some countries of Eastern and Western Europe, South America, China, and in Egypt a “screwdriver” assembly of “Polonez” was organized.
