FSO Polonez

[Garlick]

Remember them? For some reason I just started thinking about them, with their 5 door hatchback body and rubber spoiler.

The Yugo Zastava was another shocker, I wonder if any survive?

You don't really get rubbish cars anymore, even the Sandero is decent...

[lbc]

I remember them...

Also the Wartburg.

[caprirob]

Remember them well. Along with the Lada Riva, Lada Samara and the Skoda's of the time.

Yugo's were epically crap

[Garlick]

Ah the Lada Samara, their take on a modern small hatchback.

[Dog Star]

lbc said:

I remember them...

Also the Wartburg.

I remember abour 30 years ago seeing a letter on the tech queries page of "En Route", the caravan club magazine. "I have a Wartburg Knight, what can I tow with it?"

"Nothing"

[LHD]

Not great but miles better than all the other eastern bloc ste.

[chrisw666]

I almost bought a Yugo 45 at auction but held out for a seat Marbella as that had a webasto roof.

The Seat went over my budget

[Codswallop]

I saw a Wartburg on German number plates towing a caravan on the M20 yesterday. Thought it looked quite nice in an iron curtain chic sort of way.

I also really like the sound of Yugo Skalas. The exhaust has a very particular rasp that has ingrained itself into my memory from seeing countless numbers of them in Serbia and Croatia. I even drove one of them, and it was endearingly crap You can still see Yugos available for rental in certain places too.

[Garlick]

I have spent time with a Marbella, it was awful.

[chrisw666]

LHD said:

Not great but miles better than all the other eastern bloc ste.

I sold one of these



To a bloke who turned up in one of them, he didn't come back later but instead he opened the front and stuck it in driving off with half the bike stuck out of the bonnet blocking his view.

Edited by chrisw666 on Tuesday 2nd April 21:48

[Baz Tench]

There was a dealership near me that sold them back in '88/89. A workmate bought one for about £3k (or was it £4k?) brand fire new iirc.

Incredibly noisy, slow and 25mpg to boot!

[Yamatrix850]

The Polonez was great.

Hatchback body, but fixed rear seat.

Part of me wants one of these:



But sorted with some Abarth tuning bits... (I recall they're Fiat 127 based)

Remember the Tipo rip-off - The Sana?



I recall they were actually half decent - pretty much like the Dacia Sandero today - but the war in Yugoslavia killed them off.

[seeby]

I worked in the house of the inventor of "the hole in the wall" cash machines, and blagged a tour of his garage with his bodyguard. There was ,rollers,ferrari,cossie escort, cossie sierra, Camaro,55ford pick up,jensen interceptor,rover 3.5 coupe. Oh and a Lada Riva,his favourite car of them all. Takes all sorts.

[Troubleatmill]

If you are old enough you will remember the What car snippet each month.

FSO Polonez
What's good: The walnut capped handles on the window winders.
What's bad: What they are bolted to.

[Puddenchucker]

A friend of the family used to have a Polski-Fiat estate, which was a heap:




And then there was the Hyundai Pony....

[Baz Tench]

A PHer has an FSO Polonez, or had one recently.

Samba S, your thread has etc etc..

[750turbo]

Garlick said:

I have spent time with a Marbella, it was awful.

I remember, many many years ago I had got my self to the elevated position of Parts Manager with a Peugeot franchise, when we got taken over by someone who had the SEAT franchise at the time. When one of these appeared, for whatever reason, unless it was for service kit, they were an unmitigated bloody disaster, correct bagged parts were rarer than hens teeth, and I have never ever had a back order list so long...

Oh and then there was the fabulous SEAT Ibiza 1.5sxi Porche powered thingy.....Jesus Wept!

And breathe.

[vx220]

Seem to remember Hyundai making a good looking pony pickup?

[Garlick]

Hyundai Pony is an excellent shout

[Garlick]

...as is the Sana