OTREBUSY, NOV 7 – The first Polish-made car of the post-World War II Soviet era went on display Friday near Warsaw after being tracked down in Finland for decades and acquired through years of negotiations.
The iconic 1951 Warszawa M-20 with serial number 000001, was the first vehicle to leave the FSO Passenger Car factory in Warsaw on November 6 of that year, exactly 73 years ago.
It is a symbol of Poland’s heritage when it was still under the influence of the Soviet Union after the war.
“We are very proud that we are now among the individuals in the world who managed to get back the first vehicle produced in our own country,” said the co-founder of the private museum in Otrebusy, Zbigniew Mikiciuk.
The car was originally gifted to Soviet army marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, who served as Poland’s Minister of Defense after the war to strengthen Moscow’s influence in Poland. Eventually, the car was found in the possession of the family of Finnish rally driver Rauno Aaltonen, although its full history is unknown, Mikiciuk explained.
According to him, negotiations to recover this historic vehicle took more than two years with the original owner from Finland.
The car’s original color has been repainted to the brown color popular in the 1970s and shows significant signs of use, which the museum has maintained to preserve its authenticity. However, it is still ‘strong’ and ‘fascinating’ despite its advanced age, said Mikiciuk. – AP
