Shortly after the end of World War II, in 1946, the Polish authorities began work to rebuild the automotive industry and the country’s passenger car production capacity under foreign licenses. The best offer came from Fiat, a company known from pre-war cooperation. The Italians offered assistance in building a factory and offered suitable car models for production. However, shortly after the agreement was signed, this cooperation was interrupted for political reasons. The Soviet GAZ M20 Pobieda (Victory), manufactured in the USSR since 1946, was selected for production at the newly established Żerań Passenger Car Factory. The relevant agreement was signed on January 25, 1950. The first Warszawa M20s, assembled from parts supplied from the Soviet Union, rolled off the production line at the end of 1951. Only five years later were cars manufactured entirely from Polish components being manufactured. The Warszawa featured a four-door fastback body with a self-supporting structure and a subframe to which the engine and front suspension were mounted. Power came from a 2120 cm3, four-cylinder M-20 engine with a capacity of 50 hp. The car reached a top speed of 105 km/h. 1957 brought the first major modernization in the Warszawa’s history. Exterior changes included a new radiator grille, side and sill moldings, and different indicator lamps. A new FSO logo appeared on the hood, and a modernized engine beneath it. The compression ratio was increased, allowing for an increase in torque and power to 52 hp. This allowed the model, initially called the Warszawa M20-57 and later the M200, to reach a top speed of 115 km/h. Interior changes also affected the interior, with two-tone upholstery, an ashtray, and a new steering wheel. The Warszawa’s development continued. Subsequent versions were introduced: M201, M202, M223, and 224, as well as new body types: sedan, van, station wagon, pick-up, police car, ambulance, and even a railcar. By the time production ended in 1973, over 250,000 FSO Warszawa vehicles of all versions had left the Żerań plant, of which nearly 73,000 were exported to 25 countries.
Technical specifications of the FSO Warszawa M200 (model M20-57):
Length: 4.67 m
Width: 1.7 m
Height: 1.64 m
Wheelbase: 2.7 m
Unladen weight: 1360 kg
Number of places: 5
Maximum speed: 115 km/h
Drivetrain: M-20 side-valve, four-cylinder petrol engine
Displacement: 2120 cm3
Power: 50 HP
Average fuel consumption: 12-14 l / 100 km
