„For Poland to grow strong…” The concept of modernizing the Polish automotive industry 1971–1972

Abstract

The first half of the seventies of the 20th century was the time of great changes in Poland. The new leadership of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party, headed by First Secretary Edward Gierek, reformulated the party policy, trying to improve the living conditions of the society and at the same time, to modernize the Polish industry, to enhance residential construction, and to boost international trade. The Polish automotive industry also required radical changes in the vehicles of both, private use and collective transport. Hence, at the beginning of 1971, a politically-motivated decision was made to buy a license for a small-engine car and for a modern bus from the western countries. The trade negotiations with Fiat, Citroën, Renault (passenger car) as well as Berliet, Fiat, Hino (Japan), Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz (bus) did not last long. Already in October 1971, a contract was signed with the Italian Fiat, under the terms of which the Fiat 126p car production was to be launched in Poland, and in August 1972 with the French Berliet, which undertook the production of a modern bus. In practice, Fiat 126p took the national automotive industry to a totally new level, becoming a highly popular car. The Berliet bus, in contrast, proved not to be an effective solution to the problems of the Polish public transport. It can be concluded that the concept of modernizing the Polish automotive industry by launching the licensed production of Western vehicles, which was formulated at the beginning of the seventies of the 20th century, turned out to be only partially successful.