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The Maluch

The Maluch
Like the Czech Škoda and the East German Trabant, the Polish Maluch has served several purposes during its lifetime; a Godsend for families behind the Iron Curtain, source of amusement for smirking foreigners and now, as a cult icon for nostalgists. Through the years Polish exports have won world acclaim, from expertly cut glass to dangerously delicious vodka, so this flimsy tin deathtrap on wheels is something of an unlikely hero of Polish engineering. Manufactured between 1973 and 2000 in factories in Bielsko-Biała and Tychy, the car was produced under the Italian Fiat license with its official title being the Polish Fiat 126p. Its diminutive size earned it the moniker of 'Maluch' (Little One), a name so widely used that the manufacturers officially re-christened the brand in 1997. When the first one rolled off the production belt in June 1973 it was priced at 69,000zł (approximately three times the average annual wage), and became the first popular family car in Poland, despite being the size of a small refrigerator. Throughout communist times the car could only be purchased by joining a waiting list, which at times had a backlog of a couple of years, though diligent workers would often be rewarded with special vouchers allowing them to jump the queue. By the time production came to a halt in 2000 over 3.2 million had seen action on the roads of Poland. The conveyor belts may have ground to a halt but the surprisingly reliable cars have achieved a remarkable staying power, and you’ll still find scores of them coughing smoke as they zip around Polish cities. Today a used Maluch retails for about 300-500zł, so there's little stopping you from becoming a proud owner yourself.

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