Polonez Baseball Cap

FSO Polonez

The Polonez, whose name refers to the famous dance present at all school and academic events across Poland, first rolled off the assembly line of the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (Passenger Car Factory) in 1978. Nevertheless, its debut in Poland actually happened in 1977, when seven initial units, still assembled in Italy, arrived in the People's Republic of Poland.

One of the features of the Polonez that brought it well-deserved popularity was its safety, even if the angular lines of its bodywork and somewhat austere design might have given the opposite impression. 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 conducted according to European standards – after which it began to be exported globally, 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 perhaps the Polonez is not the dream car for parallel parking on a steep incline, but it looks great on a baseball cap – red, like orangeade, or green, like grass freshly painted with green paint.

The drawing is by Wrocław artist Paweł Grabowski.