The FSO Polonez is a motor vehicle that was developed in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

in collaboration with Fiat and produced by

Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych ( en, Passenger Car Factory), commonly known as FSO, is a Polish automobile parts manufacturer, and formerly an automobile producer of historic significance, located in Warsaw. In 2011 the factory ceased production a ...

from 1978 to 2002. It was based on the

Polski Fiat 125p Polski Fiat 125p is a motor vehicle manufactured between 1967 and 1991 in Poland under a Fiat license by the state-owned manufacturer Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (FSO). It was a simplified and altered variation of the original, Italian-made Fia ...

platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...

with a new

hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...

design by

Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont. Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...

. It was available in a variety of body styles that included two- and four-door compact-sized cars,

station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...

s, as well as commercial versions that included

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...

, cargo van, and

ambulance An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to med ...

versions. 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 The polonaise (, ; pl, polonez ) is a dance of Polish origin, one of the five Polish national dances in time. Its name is French for "Polish" adjective feminine/"Polish woman"/"girl". The original Polish name of the dance is Chodzony, meani ...

, and was chosen through a readers' poll conducted by the newspaper ''

Życie Warszawy ''Życie Warszawy'' (meaning ''Life of Warsaw'' in English) is a Polish language newspaper published in Warsaw. History and profile ''Życie Warszawy'' was founded in 1944 as an initiative of Polish Workers' Party. The paper is published by Grem ...

''. In 2021, about 33,000 vehicles were still registered in Poland.

Background

The Polonez was based on the

that

(FSO) built under licence from Fiat. The internal components, including modernised 1.3/1.5 Litre engines, (pistons and carburetor), the chassis, and other mechanicals, were from the Polski Fiat 125p, but the body was an entirely new

liftback A liftback is a variation of hatchback with a sloping roofline between 45 and 5 degrees. Traditional hatchback designs usually have a 90 to 46 degree slope on the tailgate or rear door. As such the liftback is essentially a hatchback with a more ...

body designed in the early 1970s by Centro Stile Fiat as a new prototype of Fiat. After the Polish side started co-operation 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 the purchase of a licence from Fiat impossible. This is also why the 125p was produced simultaneously alongside the Polonez for more than a decade. Moreover, mechanical modernisation only took place when it could be applied to both cars. This situation finally 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 that the Polonez could be exported worldwide. They proved the car to be very safe. The Caro 1.9 GLD hitting a concrete block (without an energy-absorbing metal cage) 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 range

The Polonez range was expanded to encompass a wide range of bodies. These included: * Hatchback (as originally introduced) * Sedan (FSO Polonez Atu, also known as FSO Celina on some export markets) introduced in 1996 (first presented in 1994) *

Station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...

introduced in 1999 (first presented in 1994) * Pick-up called Truck (introduced in 1988) * Extended Pick-up (with small rear seats) * Truck Roy (long body like Caro/Atu but in pick-up form) (introduced around 1997) * Special-bodied service vehicle * Special edition for the Polish Fire Brigade * Cargo LAV (Polonez Caro with higher roof and longer rear part made of PVC put on metal crates - this body is what the

Ambulance An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to med ...

was built on) introduced around 1993 *

Coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...

(three doors, about 50 made, side doors and B pillar are wider, C pillar is different) * Three-doors (like normal Polonez but lacks rear doors, it is estimated that 300 were made) There were also many prototypes including: a pickup made using the rear part of

pick-up,

chassis cab A chassis cab, also called a cab chassis or half truck, is a type of vehicle construction, often found in medium duty truck commercial vehicles. Instead of supplying the customer with a factory pre-assembled flatbed, cargo container, or other e ...

(without frame in the rear), 4x4 off-roader (Analog), hydro-pneumatic suspension, another sedan version (very different from Atu/Celina), 4x4 Truck w/o offroad suspension and van.

Polonez (1978–1991)

Development

* 1970 Fiat launched ESV (Experimental Safety Vehicle) project. * 1974 FSO chose Fiat's ESV prototype as the base of a new car. FSO's designer Zbigniew Watson 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 May 1978, mass production commenced. The official premiere of the FSO Polonez 1500 and FSO Polonez 1300 took place. The FSO Polonez 2000 Rally with a 2-liter Fiat DOHC engine was displayed sometime later. In 1979 the FSO Polonez 2000, sold mostly to government officials, appeared. The Polonez 2000 has a Fiat twin-cam engine with 1,995 cc, , a 5-speed gearbox, a 0–100 km/h acceleration of 12.0 seconds, and a top speed. The FSO Polonez 2000 Rally debuted in the Rallye Monte Carlo. In 1980 the FSO Polonez 1300 and 1500 three-door appeared. With the same short front doors as the five-door version, it was produced from 1979 until 1981 with about 300 units. 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 the top version, FSO Polonez 1500 X. This was fitted with the AB 1,481 cc engine of , a five-speed gearbox (final drive ratio 4:3), 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 proper three-door bodywork was introduced. It had the usual 1,481 cc engine with and 2,0 DOHC Fiat. It was the first FSO model to feature electronic ignition and fuel economiser 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. Also in 1983, the FSO Polonez 2.0 D Turbo with an Italian

VM Motori VM Motori S.p.A. is an Italian diesel engine manufacturing company which is wholly owned by Stellantis. VM headquarters and main production facilities are located in Cento, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. History VM Motori was founded by two entrep ...

HR 488 engine of 1,995 cc appeared. It produces at 4,300 rpm and at 2,500 rpm. Final drive ratio is 3,727, for a 0–100 km/h acceleration time of 20,0 s, and a top speed of . Fuel consumption is 7.1/10.6/10.0 L/100 km, and approximately 100 cars were produced to this specification. * 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. FSO Polonez - first cars with additional rear-side windows in the C-pillar. 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 100 km/h sprint was discharged in 11,0 s and the top speed is . A catalyzed version with was also available. ''Tutte le Auto del Mondo 1990'', p. 321 The Turbo Polonez' were built mainly in rally versions (group N), although on special request 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 (pick-up). Lowered chassis and an additional right-side door were added features. In 1989, the '89 FSO Polonez appeared, the facelift included a rear boot lid lowered to the bumper level, new rear lamps, a rear window wiper-washer placed horizontally, and side repeaters placed horizontally near the front doors. In January 1989, the first catalysed Polonezes (1500 only) were shown at the Amsterdam Auto Show. ''Tutte le Auto del Mondo 1990'', p. 320 Simultaneously, a version with an Italian FNM-built (Fratelli Negri Motori) turbo-diesel and a five-speed manual appeared (called the "Polonez Piedra 1.3 Turbodiesel"), specifically for the Belgian market. This engine has at 4,500 rpm, enough for a top speed of . In 1990, the FSO Polonez 2.0 SLE appeared, fitted with Ford's 2.0 L engine, 12,5 seconds acceleration to 100 km/h and a top speed of .

Stratopolonez

A one off version of FSO Polonez dubbed Stratopolonez (also known as FSO Polonez 2500 Racing) uses

Lancia Stratos The Lancia Stratos HF (''Tipo 829''), widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a rear mid-engined sports car designed for rally racing, made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for ''High Fidelity''. It was a very succes ...

components salvaged from a crashed such car that was driven by Andrzej Jaroszewicz, the son of Prime Minister

Piotr Jaroszewicz Gen. Piotr Jaroszewicz (; 8 October 1909 – 1 September 1992) was a post World War II Polish political figure. He served as the Prime Minister of Poland between 1970 and 1980. After he was forced out of office he lived quietly in a suburb of W ...

back in 1977 on

Rally Poland The Rally of Poland (in Polish, ''Rajd Polski'') is a motorsport event for rally cars that was first established in 1921. It is third-oldest rally in the world, preceded only by Österreichische Alpenfahrt and Monte Carlo Rally. The event became a p ...

. He failed to complete the rally, due to the Lancia Stratos crashing into the tree. The creation of the vehicle was done by Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy FSO (FSO Research and Development Center) in 1978. The car uses an

FSC Star Fabryka Samochodów Ciężarowych "Star" (FSC Star), also known simply as Star, was a Polish truck manufacturer. The name comes from the City of Starachowice, where the factory is located. Their first vehicle was the ''Star 20'' in 1948. The mos ...

radiator located in the front (as a counterweight due to the car being now mid-engined), engine output was improved to 280 PS, and doesn't 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 gave an improvement such as adding wider rear wheel arches and strengthening areas around the windshield. The vehicle then went to Museum of Technology, Warsaw afterward. In the year 2000, the vehicle was restored by students of Warsaw Motor Technical College as part of their diploma thesis.

Gallery

File:FSO Polonez MR'78 1500 Nowy Sącz 03-08-2013 02.jpg, FSO Polonez (MR'78) back File:Beige FSO Polonez MR'83 1.5 L with rectangular headlights in Kraków.jpg, FSO Polonez 1.5 L (MR'83) File:Polonez-3d.jpg, FSO Polonez 3-door version File:POLONEZCOUPE.jpg, back FSO Polonez Coupé (1983) a limited luxury edition File:Fso Polonez 1.6 SLE.jpg, FSO Polonez (MR'87) File:Polonez mr89 jaslo.JPG, FSO Polonez (MR'89) back File:FSO Polonez Truck I.jpg, FSO Polonez Truck File:Polonez Truck mr.89.JPG, FSO Polonez Truck (MR'89) File:Wałbrzych - Muzeum Górnictwa i Sportów Motorowych - Polonez FSO - 2016-09-14 13-14-06.jpg, FSO Polonez 2000 Rally File:Polonez 1500 wnetzre.jpg, Interior (1980) File:FSO Polonez 2500 Racing - profil - Chlewiska.jpg, FSO Polonez 2500 Racing "stratopolonez" File:Startopolonez..jpg, Stratopolonez in 1979, Tor Poznań, driven by Maciej Stawowiak. File:POL Stratopolonez.JPG, Rear side of Stratopolonez

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 (similar to the design of the FSO Wars, a prototype car was supposed to be the successor to Polonez), new front and rear bumpers, 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 The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-cal ...

, , , and a top speed of . The Caro GLD was sold across mainland

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. The other versions in pricelist: :FSO Polonez Caro 1.5 GLE - :FSO Polonez Caro 1.6 GLE - :FSO Polonez Caro 2.0 GLE - Ford's engine and gearbox from the

Ford Sierra The Ford Sierra is a mid-size car or large family car manufactured and marketed by Ford Europe from 1982-1993, designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément — and noted for its aerodynamic styling producing a drag coeff ...

(approx. 1,000 units) * 1992 FSO Polonez 1.5 GLI, 1.6 GLI with ABIMEX single-point injection, with or without catalytic converter. * 1993 (August) 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. (December) FSO Polonez 1.4 GLI 16V with

Rover Rover may refer to: People * Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian * Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer * Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist Places * Rover, Arkansas, US * Rover, Missouri, US * ...

1396 cc engine, @ 6000 rpm, @ 5000 rpm, 11,9 s, , with or without catalytic converter. * 1994 FSO (Prima) 1.4 GLI 16V - race car with Rover 1396 cc engine, @ 7200 rpm, @ 6000 rpm, , took part in Dutch race competitions. FSO Polonez Sedan prototype - later produced as the FSO Atu - with 4-door sedan bodywork, with a completely new dashboard and upholstery (project by FSO), new rear suspension: rigid rear axle with longitudinal wishbones, reaction bars, and coil springs. Rear lamps same as in the Caro version. Two prototypes of the FSO Polonez Kombi (station wagon). The next prototype: FSO Analog 4WD, light off-road car with 4-door pick-up bodywork and four-wheel drive. Export to the UK restarted: FSO Caro (Polonez 1.6 and 1.9 D) and FSO Pick-up (Truck) * 1995 The next prototype of the 4-door FSO Polonez Sedan was introduced at the 1995 Poznan Motor Show - the car had new a dashboard (see 1994) and new rear lamps. Girling-Lucas brakes were introduced. * 1996 (February) First series of the new FSO Atu 1.6 GLI sold - produced from December 1995 to February 1996. (June) 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 to FSO Polonez Atu after protests by the ATU insurance company. Production of the FSO Polonez Caro 1.9 GLD stopped. End of export to the Netherlands, the last foreign market for Polonez passenger versions; the last offering in the Netherlands consisted of: :FSO Prima (Polonez Caro) 1.6 GLI :FSO Prima (Polonez Caro) 1.4 GLI 16V :FSO Celina (Atu) 1.6 GLI

Engines

Gallery

File:FSO Polonez Caro MR91 1.6 GLE red Jasło (2).JPG, FSO Polonez Caro (MR'91) File:1997_FSO_Polonez_Caro_GLi_1.5_Front.jpg, FSO Polonez Caro 1.5 GLI to the British market File:FSO 1996r.jpg, FSO Polonez Caro "Orciari" back File:Fso atu.jpg, FSO Polonez Atu "Orciari" File:Polonez Truck słubice.JPG, FSO Polonez Truck File:FSO Polonez Cargo 1.6 GLE-based military ambulance on Konopnickiej avenue in Kraków.jpg, FSO Polonez Cargo (military ambulance) File:375dddxx.jpg, Interior Caro "Orciari"

Polonez Caro Plus (1997–2003)

* 1997 (March) FSO Polonez mass production of the new Caro Plus and Atu Plus - the new front grill, bumpers, new dashboard. (summer) * During the same time FSO-Daewoo started producing the Leganza from

knock-down kits A knock-down kit (also knockdown kit, knocked-down kit, or simply knockdown or KD) is a collection of parts required to assemble a product. The parts are typically manufactured in one country or region, then exported to another country or region ...

for the Polish market, occupying much of the same segment as the Polonez but offering much modern features and conveniences. (December) FSO Polonez Caro Plus and Atu Plus 1.6 GSI - with Delphi (Multec XM) multi-point fuel injection, 1598 cc , , ca. , new door handles introduced. * 1998 (May) The first public show of the station wagon prototype: FSO Polonez Kombi Plus. FSO Truck was marketed in Italy by the

Daewoo Daewoo ( ; Hangul: , Hanja: , ; literally "great universe" and a portmanteau of "dae" meaning great, and the given name of founder and chairman Kim Woo-choong) also known as the Daewoo Group, was a major South Korean chaebol (type of conglomerat ...

dealer network. * 1999 (February) The test production of the new Daewoo-FSO Polonez Kombi 1.6 GSi MPI. (April) The mass production of the Daewoo-FSO Polonez Kombi in passenger (final drive ratio 3,9) and van versions (final drive ratio 4,3) with 1.6 engine (MPI). The new steering wheel (borrowed from the Daewoo Nubira) and armrests were introduced. The start of marketing was planned for June 1999. In May was the Official premiere of the Daewoo-FSO Polonez Kombi 1.6 GSi MPI on the Poznan Motor Show. * 2000 The new shape of the FSO label in the front grill. (summer) Approx. 200 FSO Polonez cars produced with

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

, sold in summer months for an extra zl 1,200 (alloy wheels included). * 2001 (summer) Small series of FSO Polonez with air conditioning, sold in summer months for an extra zl 1,000. * 2002 (the end of the first quarter) The last passenger FSO Polonez car leaves the assembly line. Production has been stopped (meant to be stopped temporarily at first though). Daewoo-FSO did not make any official ceremony at the end of Polonez production. * 2003 end of production Truck Plus. * 2004 a new company, Polska Fabryka Samochodów (PFS) tried to restart Polonez Truck production, renaming it Poltruck (meant to have a modified body, to be introduced a bit later though), but it eventually failed, leaving only a small number of test vehicles.

Engines

Gallery

File:Policyjny Polonez Caro Plus back.jpg, Caro Plus (back) as a police car of the Polish police (was withdrawn from the Polish police in 2009) File:POLONEZ ATU PLUS Przyjazni.JPG, Atu Plus File:Polonez Kombi w FSO (2).jpg, Kombi File:Daewoo-FSO Cargo Plus..jpg, Cargo Plus ambulance File:Daewoo-FSO Polonez Truck Plus ROY 1.6 i in Kraków 2 (3).jpg, Truck Plus Roy (back) File:Polonez Caro Plus - interior.jpg, Caro Plus (1999) interior

Export markets

Polonez was exported to many countries, including

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, UK,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

, and others.

Complete knock down A knock-down kit (also knockdown kit, knocked-down kit, or simply knockdown or KD) is a collection of parts required to assemble a product. The parts are typically manufactured in one country or region, then exported to another country or region ...

(CKD) cars were assembled by El Nasr (in conjunction with

Arab American Vehicles Arab American Vehicles is an Egyptian automobile manufacturer based in Cairo, Egypt. The company manufactures various vehicles under license from Daimler AG, Kia, Stellantis and Toyota, having begun as a joint venture in 1977 between the Arab ...

) in Egypt from 1983 until 1993, succeeding the locally assembled 125p in that market. In the late 1980s, a batch of 167 Polonez hatchbacks was exported to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

. They were also exported to

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

and

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

(in the latter country also used as

police car A police car (also called a police cruiser, police interceptor, patrol car, area car, cop car, prowl car, squad car, radio car, or radio motor patrol) is a ground vehicle used by police and law enforcement for transportation during patrols a ...

s and

taxicab A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choi ...

s) from the late 1980s to early 1990s. In some countries, the FSO Polonez was sold as FSO Celina, FSO Prima, or FSO Caro. A few were also exported to

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...

and the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

but did not find success there. Imports to the UK ceased in 1997, though sales continued in some parts of

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

- including

- for at least a year afterward. They were withdrawn from those markets due to a combination of more stringent emissions requirements and declining demand.

Gallery

File:Polonez A street in Cairo.jpg, Nasr Polonez MR'83 (Egypt) File:Polonez in Utrecht 1989.jpg, FSO Polonez MR'87 in Utrecht (Netherlands), 1989 File:FSO Caro Pick-up ST.jpg, FSO Caro Pick-up ST (UK export version of FSO Polonez Truck ST produced between 1992 and 1997), Outer Hebrides, Scotland. File:Daewoo-FSO Polonez Truck Plus.JPG, Daewoo Truck Plus in Italy

Dongfanghong

In China, the Polonez platform was produced by

YTO Group The YTO Group Corporation is a Chinese agricultural machinery and construction machinery manufacturer part of Sinomach, a comprehensive machinery conglomerate. Although composed of many subsidiaries and divisions, the company is best known for ...

as the Dongfanghong/Yituo LT5021/LT5022 series, though with many modifications (trim pieces came from the

Volkswagen Santana The Volkswagen Santana is a nameplate used by Volkswagen for various sedans and station wagons since 1983. The first generation is based on the second-generation Volkswagen Passat (B2). It was introduced in 1981 while production started in 1983 ...

and power was sourced from locally produced 1.4L engines). These cars were built with locally-made spare parts for imported Polonez - common cars in China during that time, but with many other local parts substituted in (Dongfanghong was also working with

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiar ...

at the time on tractor technology, which may have also influenced the choice of a car); a selling point for the vehicles were that their parts were easily interchangeable with Polonez. These cars were not nearly as successful as their actual Polonez counterparts, and none are known to survive today.

Legacy

The FSO Polonez suffered from relatively poor performance (except for those models equipped with the Fiat 2.0 DOHC, the Ford 2.0 SOHC, or the Rover 1.4 MPI 16V). Polonez parts were relatively cheap and readily available. After 1992, quality began to increase, especially after 1995 when

started its cooperation with FSO. Since 1997, the last production models (the PLUS series) offered new features such as air conditioning. Production ended in 2002, after 24 years. The relatively low price of the Polonez was seen as the main advantage over other cars. But demand slumped, and the last versions of the Polonez produced were the Truck versions, valued for their low price, reliability, and high load capability: up to depending on the version. The Polonez was a common sight in

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...

, particularly in its home country of Poland, but since Poland became a member of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...

on 1 May 2004, the car was rapidly replaced by relatively cheap and tax-free used cars from Western Europe. For many years the Polonez has been a popular choice for participants in the Złombol Charity Rally. In 2018 around 300 teams (~40% of all teams) used different versions of the Polonez in this event.

References

External links

Official web of the FSO Polonez

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fso Polonez Cars of Poland Polonez Cars introduced in 1978 Science and technology in Poland Group 4 (racing) cars 1980s cars 1990s cars 2000s cars