Polski Fiat 125p

Polski Fiat 125p
Overview
Manufacturer	FSO
Also called	FSO 1300/1500
Production	1967-1991
Body and chassis
Class	Large family car
Body style	4-door Sedan 5-door Kombi 2-door Pick-up
Related	Fiat 1300/1500 Fiat 125 FSO Polonez
Powertrain
Engine	1295cc ohv I4 1481cc ohv I4 1600 1800 2000
Transmission	4-speed manual (1967-1988) 5-speed manual (1988-1991)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2505 mm
Length	4230 mm
Width	1625 mm
Height	1440 mm
Curb weight	970 kg
Chronology
Predecessor	Warszawa
Successor	FSO Polonez

The Polski Fiat 125p was a motor vehicle manufactured in People's Republic of Poland by the state-owned manufacturer Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych ("FSO") under a license agreement with Fiat. It was a simplified variation on the Fiat 125, with engines and mechanicals from the Fiat 1300/1500. To distinguish between the models, Fiat and FSO revived the marque Polski Fiat. After the termination of the license agreement, the car was also branded as the FSO 1300, FSO 1500 or FSO 125p.

History and development

In the 1960s, the only passenger car manufacturer in socialist Poland was the FSO in Warsaw, which manufactured the dated Syrena small car and the Warszawa, a larger model whose roots could be traced back to 1940s. Even within the realities of a centrally planned, socialist economy, the need for a replacement was felt. Although Warszawa-based replacements had been under development within the FSO, the authorities decided to pursue talks with the Italian Fiat, which was seeking to expand its international presence by establishing production in the countries of the Eastern Bloc.

On the 22 December 1965, a license agreement was signed concerning manufacturing of intermediate-sized cars in Poland. The automobile concerned was a model specially devised for production in Poland - combining the body and braking system of the newly-launched Fiat 125 with the driveline and other chassis elements from the retired Fiat 1300/1500. The FSO had to be refurbished to be able to handle the assembly of a modern car, so world-class machinery was ordered from Western companies. FSO's over 100 Polish suppliers were also involved in the effort, as well as other manufacturers from the Eastern Bloc assembling Fiat-licensed models - Crvena Zastava works in Yugoslavia and the newly organised VAZ in the Soviet Union. The production preparation process took almost two years, with the assembly of pre-production test series from parts imported from Italy commencing on the 28 November 1967. By the end of the year, 75 such cars were assembled.

The cars

There were two main versions, differing in engine employed: 1300 (1295 ccm, 60 hp / 44 kW) or 1500 (1481 ccm, 75 hp / 51.5 kW). The 1300 model entered production in 1968 and the 1500 in 1969. The 1300 ceased production in the 1980s.

Polish cars differed in detail from Italian ones; most visibly there were four round headlights instead of two square ones. A less visible but significant change in the Polski Fiat was a safer flat fuel tank above the rear axle, instead of Fiat's vertical tank on the rear right-hand side. It also had more durable brakes, thanks to mud covers. Unlike the Fiat 125, the car was also available as an estate (PF 125p Kombi) and a pickup. A few were made with original Italian 1600 ccm (PF 125p Monte Carlo) and 1800 ccm (PF 125p Akropolis) engines, intended mostly for racing. An unusual variant built in a small series was a lengthened cabriolet with three rows of seats, used by the tourist bureaux in Warsaw for sightseeing.

The car was produced until June 1991; from 1983 as the FSO 125p 1500/1300. By the end the design was 24 years old, using mechanicals which were essentially 30 years old, with minor improvements. During this period there was a small restyling in 1973, when a chrome front grill was replaced with black plastic one, and in 1975, when a new black plastic grill arrived along with new indicators, enlarged rear lamps instead of pairs of thin vertical ones and a mildly modernised interior. The power of both engines was also raised by 3.7 kW.

In total, over 1.2 million of cars were made.

Successor

From 1978, a version with an entirely new body was available – the FSO Polonez. The Polonez survived until 2001.

Exports

In the UK & Ireland (where it had been available in right-hand-drive form since 1975) the Polski Fiat had been the cheapest car on the market for some time – just over £3000 in 1991. It was well known for its 1960s styling, durable but comfortable leatherette seats and cavernous levels of space. Mechanically, the 125p was rugged and reliable. The car's bodywork, however, was assembled from very low quality steel to keep prices and production costs down. Also, the car's performance was less than that of the Italian 125, and its handling capabilities came nowhere close to those of the original design. It also suffered from a very rough ride due to the leaf-sprung rear suspension layout.