ZSD Nysa

A crisp Monday morning in People's Poland. The first ray of sunshine falls on a polished wall unit, the whistling of a kettle is heard from the kitchen, and citizens prepare to leave their homes to rush to work. In the streets, there is the morning hustle and bustle, typical of towns and cities where production is in full swing, and quotas are not just met, but exceeded with a proud surplus. This doesn't happen by itself, however. Behind the production success of factories, behind the delivery of products to consumers, behind trade in general – stands (or rather, drives) Nysa, a versatile delivery van with many faces.

The Nysa was created at the Delivery Vehicle Works in 1957, and its regular production then lasted until 1994. Its versions were improved year by year – here, a strengthened front suspension beam, there, reinforced tires. In 1959, the first 200 units were designated for export, with the Nysas that were destined to see a bit of the world being improved compared to those that remained in the country forever. The biggest export boom occurred in 1973-74, when 74% of the manufactured units were sent abroad.

Nysa, like any hero, also has its dark side – working for the militia. Blue Nysas spread terror on the streets of Polish cities, frightening citizens with the menacing expression of their angular bumpers. The role of a police van recedes into the background when one hears that a Nysa transported the first post-war Polish expedition to the Himalayas, taking climbers to the summit of Malubiting.

The author of the drawing is the Wrocław artist Paweł Grabowski.