The Big Fiat

The Fiat 125p was a large and comfortable car, intended for family trips, company-organized outings, and finally, spacious enough to sleep in the back seat, which distinguished it from the heroic but modest "Maluch" (Fiat 126p). The Fiat 125p, or Polski Fiat, first hit the roads in 1967, captivating a new generation of citizens of the People's Republic of Poland with its four-cylinder petrol engine and rear-wheel drive. The car was a successor to the Warszawa, which had become somewhat outdated in an era of rampant modernization, the ultimate proof of which was The Rolling Stones' concert in April of that year. A new era thus demanded new solutions.

The Polski Fiat, also known as the Big Fiat, was a simplified version of the Fiat 125, with technical solutions borrowed by the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (FSO) from the Fiat 1300 and 1500. Throughout its production period, the Polski Fiat was modernized, which is particularly evident in models from 1975. The year 1975 was not only a period of change for FSO – the then Minister of Transport also kept pace with the times, ordering the introduction of a new design for license plates.

However, our Big hero had little time left in the spotlight, as in 1978, its rival and successor, the Polonez, appeared on the scene. Both models were produced simultaneously until 1991, when the last Fiat 125p rolled off the production line – the last car, incidentally in cherry red, was like a cherry on top, crowning the model's colorful career. Over 24 years of continuous production, almost 1.5 million units were made, of which nearly 600,000 were exported to about 80 countries.

The drawing was created by Wrocław artist Paweł Grabowski.