November 23, 1951 – The first postwar Poles: FSO Warszawa begins production
Today, automobile manufacturing makes up a whopping 11 percent of Poland's industrial production, an industry that can be traced back to 1893 in the the nation. That first company, Ursus, remains headquartered in Poland today and is well regarded for its modern tractors and other agricultural equipment. Car making began to take off once Poland regained its independence following World War I when its government took a stab at the auto industry with the establishment of Centralne Warsztaty Samochodowe. Privately owned automakers existed at this time too, but production numbers remained relatively low in the interwar period. That would change following the end of World War II, which began in 1939 with the German invasion of Poland. For it was on this day in 1951 the first Fabryka Samocho...
