The Fiat 126 was introduced in 1972 as a replacement for the Fiat 500. Although it received a new body, many of the underpinning mechanical components from the old car were carried over into the new model. The 126 went on to be built under license by FSM in Poland, and was known as the Polski Fiat 126P. This little 126P is listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Trumansburg, New York, it is offered with a clear title. Bidding initially opened at $100 but has now reached $3,125 but the reserve hasn’t been met.
The fit and finish of the Polish-built 126P was not to the standard that we have come to expect from cars built in Japan or America, but what they built was robust. This little 126P looks to be quite solid, with little or no rust to speak of. Apparently, the car is solid underneath, and aside from a few dings and scrapes, it looks pretty decent. It has apparently had a hit on the driver’s door at some stage and this has been repaired. Overall I think that a good polish (Polish?) would have it looking quite good.
The interior of the 126P when new was motoring at its most basic. There was not a lot of optional equipment available, so it was up to the owner to add some of the creature comforts. The car has previously had a radio fitted but this has been removed, although the wiring remains in situ. The front seats have been re-covered at some stage, because they originally would have been finished in the same type of vinyl that graces the door trims. I would probably consider new covers for the front as the existing ones do look a bit sad. The dash has a couple of minor fitment issues, but generally the interior is quite good.
Under the hood is an engine that has two cylinders, is air-cooled, has a capacity of 652cc and produced 23hp. While it may not set your heart racing, performance was actually better than those numbers would suggest. The car is certainly capable of holding its own in city traffic, and the seller says that the top speed is around 70 mph. The seller has undertaken some work on the car including fitting a new carburetor, alternator and fuel pump. The brakes are said to be good, and the car stops straight and true. Typically these can be a bit stubborn to start when cold (and this one is no exception) as the fuel will drain from the engine back to the tank when the car sits for a while, and it can take a while for it to pump back up to the carburetor. Some people do fit a non-return valve in the fuel line to prevent this.
This little Fiat started life in Poland and spent time on the road there before being imported into the USA. It will come with its original Polish license plates and registration papers, and the seller is willing to put the buyer in touch with the importer so that the car’s history can be traced back to new. For a person who is looking for a cheap classic or an inner-city runabout, this car could be ideal. It’s cheap to run, cheap to park, and these are actually a fun little car to drive. Having fun doesn’t sound like such a bad thing.
Where I’m from a ‘non return valve’ is called a check valve. (just givin’ you a hard time, Adam.)
Neat little car!
Called a low pressure ball-check valve. Or Czech valve in this case. HAAAAAR!
I wonder if this engine uses bearings made in Poland. A lot of my motocrossers back then used these bearings with no bottom end failures.
To me it is sad that the makers of this little dorky car own Chrysler 😢
They own Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia & Alfa Romeo too, and have for decades. Now they get to own the maker of the K Car.
This “dorky little car” was built for a specific market and was an upgrade from a scooter. Fiat Chyrsler will soon make only Jeeps and Rams in the USA/ Canada/ Mexico; no cars.
I think you’re right. Not only Fiat/Chrysler, but Ford has already announced they’re moving away from passenger cars. Can Chevrolet be far behind?
Isn’t Frod doing the same thing in the near future? Our grandson’s new Fusion and our daughter’s Escape are giving them fits. Our grandboys are all diesel techs, Frod and JEEP gurus. Theirx stories of mechanical anomalies make FIAT fit right in with today’s offerings. So much for Flint built cars of the fifties.
Sure makes this lil’ car sound reasonable.
My very first car was a 1958 Fiat 500, that was about 1959 so it was almost new. I drove the damn thing pedal to the metal flat out just about all the time, I drove it through the woods, I chased cows with it, I drove it on the sidewalk, and I drove it lots of other places where I shouldn’t have but, looking back, I had more damn pure fun with that car than just about anything I’ve owned since. Oh yeah, and I filled up the tank for about a dollar.
The Fiat 126P ‘Maluch’ (Baby) has a cult following in Poland, including a very successful race series. Most racers are getting a very reliable 80+ HP out of a punched-out-to-800cc twin.
I had one of these to drive when I was in that country, last year, and it reminded me how much fun the Nuovo 500/Bianchina/126 models were.
It’s a shame that the seller of this example didn’t also have its companion 8′ travel trailer on offer. It would be a fun, if very slow, rig to take to local car/retro trailer shows (and yes, I did try to find a decent example of both, and I may have another go, next year! LOL).
At a price above $3000, you may consider travelling to Poland, buy the Fiat 126 there, prices may be around 900 €, I bought for this amount a 1987 one in Berlin, it’s waiting to have installed a Sachs KM-914 Snowmobile Wankel Rotary Combustion Engine, and have it send to the US, a 40 feet container, with room for three of it, may cost you, let’s say, Hamburg to NY, some $2500. Better look at alternatives. Just Polish language is very difficult
Urquiola, have you seen a Steinwinter 126? It had a Goggomobil engine installed so that Germans who only held motorcycle licenses could legally drive it.
You’re right that Polish is a difficult language, as is Czech, I found. When I would travel from CZ to Poland, I would have to sound out words to try to understand their Czech counterparts (the spelling is THAT different). Even so, a lot of words sound the same, but have very different meanings!
Mommy when I grow up I wanna be a Yugo
See? There Yugo again!
Swap a liquid -cooled FWD drive train into it and………there Yugo!
Thanks. I was told all Slavic languages are comprised between Polish, Russian and Yugoslavian.
I’ve never heard of Steinwinter, but German Wikipedia has an image of a micro-car, Junior 50, not requiring driver’s license, connected to this maker.
Someone in the Wankel Club (Hercules Wankel IG) installed a Sachs KM-914 inside an Isetta, but regulatory authorities wanted over 7000 € for braking tests to give a permit, and the car is allowed running in closed or private circuits, not on streets or roads
You know the French Aixam, one of the major producers of micro-cars, sells in Spain their cheapest model in 8990 €, that is more than a small van; certainly, if you manage to overcome their hurdles and tripping, you can do money selling these machines for a reasonable price, there are Wankel Rotary Combustion Engines in Germany and the UK that would fit the less than 6 kW, 8 HP rule, however, from the prices they charge, Aixam and the other micro-car producers: Ligier, Casalini, Chatenet, Bellier,…have enough money to blow away any competitor by dumping. What a pity!
Yay! A Maluch! These are great. You can thrash them around town and not break speed limits; you can also fit through gaps that some of the fatter motorbikes (yes, H-D, I’m looking at you…) can’t fit through.
There’s a company in Poland that’ll modify them to Group ?* rally spec.
*I forget which group; they competed against Trabants and the like. 2 rings bells.
These things can be rally fun too…sound like a big fat farting hornet :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdBuwzRAEAw
The smile on the drivers face at the end of the vid’ says it all!