Baby FIAT, the “Polaquito”
Actualitzat: Nov 3
If there is one car that most enthusiasts associate with Poland, it is undoubtedly the FIAT 126 — or, more accurately, the Polski FIAT 126. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Warszawa was the first car to be mass-produced in the country, while production of the FIAT 125 reached close to one and a half million units. Yet, for decades, the little FIAT was an essential feature of virtually every postcard of Poland.
In the early 1970s, owning a car in Poland was a luxury that few people could afford. The authorities therefore set out to find a car that ordinary people could realistically buy, with the aim of bringing motoring to the masses. Inspired by the success of the FIAT 500 in Italy, they chose its successor as the basis for the project. FSO itself joined forces with FIAT to establish FSM, the Small Car Factory (Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych). Unlike FSO, FSM eventually became part of the FIAT Group and, from its foundation onwards, continued to produce models from the Italian manufacturer, including the modern-day Panda and 500.
The 126 brings to mind the SEAT 133. Both cars were developed according to the same philosophy: retain the platform and mechanical components of an existing model, then design a new body in keeping with the styling trends of the 1970s. In the case of the 133, the starting point was the FIAT/SEAT 850, whereas the 126 was based on its predecessor, the FIAT 500. In terms of styling, both cars have something in common with the 127, but unlike that model, they both have rear-mounted engines and rear-wheel drive.
The 126 inherited the 500's air-cooled, two-cylinder engine, which would later also find its way into the early FIAT Panda 30 and some versions of the Cinquecento in the 1990s. Initially displacing 594 cc, the engine grew to 652 cc over the years.
Production of the 126 in Poland began in 1973, although most of the more than three million examples built rolled off the production lines during the 1980s. Despite its tiny dimensions, the 126 served as the family car for those who could afford one. It has always had a certain charm, and in many countries it is affectionately known as the Baby FIAT. In Poland, one of its best-known nicknames is Maluch, a word that roughly translates as “little one”, “toddler” or “youngster”. In Cuba, where quite a few examples also arrived, along with other countries in the communist bloc, it became known as the Polaquito.
One of the photographs on display at the Museum of Engineering and Technology in Kraków shows just how versatile this little car could be: when necessary, it could even be pressed into service to transport a washing machine.
There is little point dwelling on its modest performance. With just 24 bhp, reaching 120 km/h was quite an achievement. On the other hand, its air-cooled engine was relatively simple, which meant there was less to go wrong.
In 1987, the 126 Bis was introduced. Its rear end was redesigned to accommodate a third door and a small boot, with the engine positioned underneath and now water-cooled. Production of the Bis continued until 1991, whereas the air-cooled version remained in production until 2000, outliving the very Cinquecento it had been intended to replace.r.
In 1994, the 126 underwent a series of significant changes. The bodywork was given softer lines below the waistline, plastic trim became more prominent both inside and out, and several components were borrowed from the Cinquecento, including the steering wheel.
Not so long ago, you could find a 126 in almost every corner of Poland. Today, however, there are fewer of them left than one might expect. With the mass importation of second-hand cars from Germany, most Poles have chosen to leave behind the cramped conditions and compromises that came with the 126. The earliest versions, with their chrome bumpers and Polski FIAT badges, are now the most sought-after by collectors, and some beautifully restored examples can still be found.
The final production run of the 126 was called the Happy End. Just 1,000 cars were built, half in red and half in yellow. The very last example is now part of FIAT's collection in Turin. One of the final cars from the series can be seen in the photographs: number 0979, an unused example preserved at the museum in Kraków. It even has head restraints on the rear seats.
When I was a child, my father used to collect the Salvat Automobile Encyclopaedia, which was published in instalments. The original edition was Italian, and the 126 featured in several articles. I remember seeing a photograph of a full-size, 1:1 scale clay model of the car somewhere in its pages. In the section devoted to FIAT's history, there was also a full-colour illustration of a dissected 126, spread across two pages.
As a classic-car enthusiast, it has been a real pleasure to return to Poland and discover that the Maluch, or Polaquito — a car I knew only from photographs as a child — can now be admired in museums, yet is still very much alive on the streets. And perhaps that is what makes it so special: it is not just a piece of automotive history, but a little car that remains part of everyday life and the collective memory of the country.
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