I had a 1990 low-mileage Polonez in about 1995. I bought it at a local auction for about £200 with next to no MOT and it went straight through for a new MOT a week of two later. People talk about a new Polonez being no match for a three-year-old Escort for the same money, but new was never where the best value was. A nearly new Polonez could be had for peanuts. My Polonez felt too agricultural on the road - nothing felt smooth or nice to use. I couldn't help thinking, though, that a little development could have improved matters no end and made it much more competitive at a slightly higher new price. I always liked the look of it and its quirks and features.
It was in the eighties a guy we worked with bought a brand new polonez prima ,blue with white spoked wheels ,it looked quite impressive. The firm i worked for bought a125p pick up i drove for a few years, it was ok but the steering was very heavy ,these vehicles are getting scarce to see now as are ladas ,a lot of them were exported to Russia and eastern europe ,i remember see them all lined up at the docks ready for export
This is a car that's close to my heart) as I've owned a white 1986 C reg FSO polonez since march 1993) It's very easy" to work on, & simplistic & reliable. It's quite a nice" car to drive & comfy, it drives, very similar" to a 1970's fiat especially with it's raspy" exhaust note. The weak" points tend to be the gearbox's, as even when you have them rebuilt they soon develop a slight whine, in 1st & 3rd. Out of my classic car collection it's one of my favourites" I drive it, occasionally, more so, in the spring & summer. Thanks for the brilliant broucher review. PS.. there a great car for what they are , just as long as you don't expect them to be like a cavalier or something similar from that era. .
When I was growing up, there used to be a Polonez 10 houses down from ours. I remember seeing it and always wondering what it was, but seeing this brochure does bring back memories of it. I like the interior; it looks more upmarket than a cheap car should.
Like a lot of consumer items from the former Eastern Bloc, the FSO were not bad cars. I've had BMW and Ducati motorcycles that were plain bad from new and expensive to repair and a hassle to work things out with the dealers. To me the best has always been Japanese but the stuff from those cold war days wasn't as bad as the snobs want us to beleive. Good insight, thank you!
I never saw a Polonez on the road in Australia. The only Eastern Bloc car I would have considered was the Lada Niva. It was actually fit for purpose, and less expensive than any other 4x4.
You were always aware that these were a budget car but they were quite modern and stylish for a 1978 design. They look a bit like a Lancia and the quirky gear lever position is interesting. They always seemed a step above Ladas and Skodas.
I must admit to feeling tempted at the time. But like the original FSO, I don't expect that they were really a long term proposition. Still, there were quite a few of them around Bristol.
I would love to have a test drive of a Polonez, very curious to find out how they drive. FSO sadly had little funding to develop this car so it perhaps wasn't much better than the 125p.
Eventually became the FSO Caro, dropping the name Polonez, and adding a 1.9 litre Peugeot sourced diesel engine which gave slightly better fuel economy over the petrol engines.
The FSO is another car I find difficult to get emotional about and I like hatchbacks! Still, I think this is important history. When Fiat sold off its old designs to Communist countries in the 1970s and 1980s and helped accelerate the decline in Communism. It injected a measure of individualism into Communist countries that was an anathema to Communism.
If the choice had to be an FSO, I do like the quirky trying to be modern but failing Polonez. At this time compared to Lada, the FSO was ahead with the Polonez giving a more modern budget friendly car. I still think as the per the top gear review of the mid 80's a two or three year old Escort or Astra would of been a far better buy than a new FSO.
More convincing than the 125p like I said last time, but still looked dated and crude even by early '80s standards. The design is heavily based on a odd-looking Fiat safety concept car from the early '70s (used the Fiat 128 platform I believe and had to be reworked for the 125-based Polonez), so it was already ~5 years old by the time the Polonez came to market. Still, not a bad choice for a reasonably sized new family car on a tight budget . . . cost about the same as a base model Fiat 127 I think. Still prefer the Skoda Estelle though, a better quality affordable car and it also had more character. This is just bland.
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I had a 1990 low-mileage Polonez in about 1995. I bought it at a local auction for about £200 with next to no MOT and it went straight through for a new MOT a week of two later. People talk about a new Polonez being no match for a three-year-old Escort for the same money, but new was never where the best value was. A nearly new Polonez could be had for peanuts. My Polonez felt too agricultural on the road - nothing felt smooth or nice to use. I couldn't help thinking, though, that a little development could have improved matters no end and made it much more competitive at a slightly higher new price. I always liked the look of it and its quirks and features.
It was in the eighties a guy we worked with bought a brand new polonez prima ,blue with white spoked wheels ,it looked quite impressive. The firm i worked for bought a125p pick up i drove for a few years, it was ok but the steering was very heavy ,these vehicles are getting scarce to see now as are ladas ,a lot of them were exported to Russia and eastern europe ,i remember see them all lined up at the docks ready for export
I really love the 125 shape.
This is a car that's close to my heart) as I've owned a white 1986 C reg FSO polonez since march 1993) It's very easy" to work on, & simplistic & reliable. It's quite a nice" car to drive & comfy, it drives, very similar" to a 1970's fiat especially with it's raspy" exhaust note. The weak" points tend to be the gearbox's, as even when you have them rebuilt they soon develop a slight whine, in 1st & 3rd. Out of my classic car collection it's one of my favourites" I drive it, occasionally, more so, in the spring & summer. Thanks for the brilliant broucher review. PS.. there a great car for what they are , just as long as you don't expect them to be like a cavalier or something similar from that era. .
Aw wonderful that you still have one
When I was growing up, there used to be a Polonez 10 houses down from ours. I remember seeing it and always wondering what it was, but seeing this brochure does bring back memories of it. I like the interior; it looks more upmarket than a cheap car should.
Yes certainly they tried to move things on
Like a lot of consumer items from the former Eastern Bloc, the FSO were not bad cars. I've had BMW and Ducati motorcycles that were plain bad from new and expensive to repair and a hassle to work things out with the dealers. To me the best has always been Japanese but the stuff from those cold war days wasn't as bad as the snobs want us to beleive. Good insight, thank you!
Thank you
The Eastern block curios were always more interesting back in the day. Can we have some more please?
They are interesting to look back on that’s for sure
I never saw a Polonez on the road in Australia. The only Eastern Bloc car I would have considered was the Lada Niva. It was actually fit for purpose, and less expensive than any other 4x4.
You were always aware that these were a budget car but they were quite modern and stylish for a 1978 design. They look a bit like a Lancia and the quirky gear lever position is interesting. They always seemed a step above Ladas and Skodas.
Haven't seen one in probably 20 year's
I must admit to feeling tempted at the time. But like the original FSO, I don't expect that they were really a long term proposition. Still, there were quite a few of them around Bristol.
I would love to have a test drive of a Polonez, very curious to find out how they drive.
FSO sadly had little funding to develop this car so it perhaps wasn't much better than the 125p.
The Polonez was just a 1500 125 p underneath. The problem was the Polonez body was 200 kg heavier and consequently was slower than the older model.
The Polonez didn’t look too bad at all for the time but the 1500 looked ancient.
Eventually became the FSO Caro, dropping the name Polonez, and adding a 1.9 litre Peugeot sourced diesel engine which gave slightly better fuel economy over the petrol engines.
With a slightly wider track it would have had a real stance 👍
The FSO is another car I find difficult to get emotional about and I like hatchbacks! Still, I think this is important history. When Fiat sold off its old designs to Communist countries in the 1970s and 1980s and helped accelerate the decline in Communism. It injected a measure of individualism into Communist countries that was an anathema to Communism.
If the choice had to be an FSO, I do like the quirky trying to be modern but failing Polonez. At this time compared to Lada, the FSO was ahead with the Polonez giving a more modern budget friendly car. I still think as the per the top gear review of the mid 80's a two or three year old Escort or Astra would of been a far better buy than a new FSO.
More convincing than the 125p like I said last time, but still looked dated and crude even by early '80s standards. The design is heavily based on a odd-looking Fiat safety concept car from the early '70s (used the Fiat 128 platform I believe and had to be reworked for the 125-based Polonez), so it was already ~5 years old by the time the Polonez came to market. Still, not a bad choice for a reasonably sized new family car on a tight budget . . . cost about the same as a base model Fiat 127 I think. Still prefer the Skoda Estelle though, a better quality affordable car and it also had more character. This is just bland.
Vile care I remember how cheap and nasty they were