FSO Polonez

The Polonez, named after the famous dance present at all school and academic events across Poland, was first rolled off the assembly line at the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (Passenger Car Factory) in 1978. However, its debut in Poland took place already in 1977, when the first seven units, assembled in Italy, arrived in the Polish People's Republic.

One of the features of the Polonez that brought it well-deserved popularity was safety, even if its angular body lines and rather austere design might suggest the opposite. In 1978, the Polonez was the only car produced in the Eastern Bloc countries to pass American crash tests, which proved that the level of passenger safety was high and compliant with standards. In 1994, similar tests were carried out according to European standards – after which it began to be exported worldwide, with the highest sales in China, where over 41,000 units were delivered.

The technical solutions of the car, which the French would call "polonaise", were mostly borrowed from its predecessor, the Polski Fiat 125p. Until the mid-1990s, the Polonez had brakes adapted from its "older brother," which were too weak for its weight, leading to general criticism. So, maybe the Polonez isn't the dream car for parallel parking on a steep incline, but it certainly looks great on a T-shirt – red, like orangeade, or green, like grass freshly painted green.

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