The Fiat 126p, a model affectionately known as Maluch (Toddler), was manufactured in large numbers in Poland under license from Italian automaker Fiat, beginning in the early 1970s. It became a famous symbol of the Polish automotive industry at a time when the country was behind the Iron Curtain. Although the model is no longer produced and can be barely seen on Polish roads nowadays, it has special meaning for many Poles. For many, at that time, it was a dream come true and whole families squeezed into the tiny car and travelled not only across Poland but abroad.
The Grand Expedition of the Polish Fiat 126p is an initiative aimed to support children, victims of road accidents and is joined by such well known drivers as 94-year-old Polish rally driver Sobiesław Zasada, Rafał Sonik, Longin Bielak or multiple Polish Rally Champion Kajetan Kajetanowicz.
The Grand Expedition of Toddlers, started from Warsaw Friday noon and is to lead through Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia to wind up in Italy at Monte Cassino.
Click on the player icon above to listen to an audio report by Radio Poland’s Agnieszka Bielawska.