The history of the famous “Sad” from Lublin began in the mid-1950s. At that time, there was a high demand for a delivery van with a payload of approximately 1 tonne. The Lublin 51, manufactured at the Truck Factory under licence from GAZ, proved unsuccessful and unsuitable for market needs (too small for a proper truck, too large and expensive for a delivery van), so a domestic design was developed. The Żuk prototype was built in 1958, and its first public presentation took place in Poznań a year later. The vehicle utilized many components from FSO Warszawa, including the 2120 cc, 50 HP M20 side-valve engine with a gearbox, rear axle, drive shaft, independent front suspension with double wishbones, drum brakes, and other components. Mass-produced since 1959, the Żuk, initially as a pickup with a two-seater cab, later saw numerous versions, including a van, a dropside, a goods-and-passenger van, a minibus, a special firefighting vehicle, and military versions, such as the SKNP electrical workshop. From the mid-1960s, a more modern overhead valve engine, the S-21, began to be installed, with the same displacement as its predecessor but with an output of 70 hp. The most significant design changes were introduced between 1973 and 1975. The cabin, ventilation system, and braking system were modernized. Production of the Żuk ended in 1998, after nearly 588,000 units had been produced, not only for the domestic market but also for export.
FSC Żuk Technical Data:
Length: 431 cm
Width: 185 cm
Height: 218 cm
Unladen weight: 1400 kg
Number of seats in the cab: 2
Payload: 950 kg
Drive: S-21 four-cylinder overhead valve petrol engine
Displacement: 2120 cm3
Power: 70 HP
Maximum speed: up to 100 km/h
Fuel consumption: 10-14 l / 100 km
