OTREBUSY, Poland — On Friday, a significant piece of automotive history was unveiled near Warsaw: the very first car manufactured in post-World War II Poland, the 1951 Warszawa M-20, which has the original serial number 000001. This milestone achievement comes after extensive searches and negotiations that spanned several decades, culminating in the car’s retrieval from Finland.

The Warszawa M-20, a symbol of Poland’s early communist era, rolled off the production line at the FSO Passenger Car Factory in Warsaw on November 6, 1951—marking its 73rd anniversary. Zbigniew Mikiciuk, a founder of the local private museum where the car is now displayed, expressed great pride, noting that their accomplishment aligns them with a select few globally who have reclaimed the first vehicles in their production line histories.

Initially gifted to Soviet Army Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, who was appointed as Poland’s defense minister in the aftermath of the war, the vehicle’s journey remained obscure until it turned up with the family of Finnish rally legend Rauno Aaltonen. According to Mikiciuk, details of its travels between these two points are largely unknown. The retrieval process was intricate, lasting over two years of negotiations with the car’s Finnish owners.

Though the car’s original light color has been covered with a more contemporary brown paint reminiscent of the 1970s, the vehicle shows its age through preserved signs of wear. Mikiciuk noted that despite its long history, the car remains structurally sound and retains its charm.

In the 1970s, the FSO factory actively sought to reacquire the original model for anniversary celebrations and even proposed trading for a new vehicle, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Originally constructed in the late 1940s for Fiat production, the factory was redirected to produce models based on the Soviet Pobeda cars due to Cold War constraints and directives from Soviet leadership.

This treasured car now enhances the museum’s collection, which includes other notable historical vehicles like a 1928 Oakland imported before the war by a doctor’s family and a 1953 Buick owned by Poland’s former communist Prime Minister Jozef Cyrankiewicz. The Buick was brought into Poland through the Netherlands to mitigate direct connections to the U.S. amid the Cold War tensions. Additionally, the museum features a Volvo that belonged to Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, the communist leader who enforced martial law in 1981.

Mikiciuk emphasized that for over 50 years, their mission has not just been about collecting cars commonly seen on roads, but rather preserving those with rich histories, narratives, and legends. They are hopeful that showcasing the original Warszawa M-20 will prompt the public to share additional insights into the car’s past.