These old cars are not losing popularity in Poland. There are approximately 8 thousand of them.
Although since the end of production of the so-called 25 years have passed since Maluchów, and they do not disappear from Polish streets. The market value of these iconic cars continues to grow.
The first Fiat 126p cars. They left the Small Car Factory in Bielsko-Biała in 1973. Production ended in 2000. It is estimated that over 3.3 million so-called Little ones. It would seem that we have only a trace number of these iconic cars in Poland today. Meanwhile, there are currently 7.7 thousand of them registered in the CARFAX database (a company providing reports on the history of used cars). The oldest copy in the database was registered in the first year of production.
– The transformation this model has undergone – from a cheap means of transport for the masses to a full-fledged “youngtimer” and an investment good – is spectacular and has mainly sentimental reasons. The fact that today many examples are included in the registers of vintage cars proves the professionalization of the market and the change in the owners’ approach – comments Robert Lewandowski, Business Development Manager CARFAX Polska.
– Just a decade ago, few people verified the history of a cheap car bought “on time”, but today, when the prices of well-maintained models from the 1970s can reach several dozen thousand zlotys, VIN verification and attention to documentation are becoming a standard. – he adds.
A toddler for PLN 83.5 thousand. dollars
The expert emphasizes that Maluch’s status is confirmed by his constantly growing market value. The most spectacular example was a white Fiat 126p given a few years ago to the actor Tom Hanks by the residents of Bielsko-Biała, which, after a luxurious renovation, was sold in the USA in 2022 for a record amount of PLN 83.5 thousand. dollars.
– Therefore, it is optimistic that Maluch did not end up in the scrapyard of history, but found a safe place in collectors’ garages, becoming one of the most interesting technical monuments in this part of Europe. – emphasizes Lewandowski.
Data provided by CARFAX show that every fifth toddler (22%) remains in the hands of its first owners. The average copy is 34 years old and has a mileage of 62,000. kilometers.
– The low average mileage of several tens of thousands of kilometers is not a surprise, it is necessary to take into account the technical specificity of those years. The counters in classic Maluch cars were only scaled to 99,999 kilometers, so after exceeding this value, the eardrums returned to zero. A copy of 60,000 copies. kilometers traveled, in fact he could cover this distance many times. Nowadays, the Fiat 126p is usually a weekend vehicle, taken out of the garage for rallies or Sunday drives, which generates symbolic annual mileage and confirms its status as a collector’s item. – explains Robert Lewandowski.
Only 2% of people have recorded accidents in their history. cars, although it is worth remembering that in most cases the data probably do not cover their history from the earliest years.
Fiat 126p cars constitute almost half of the cars manufactured in Poland from the times of the Polish People’s Republic in the CARFAX database. Apart from them, Fiat 125p cars also appear most often, followed by Polonaises, Warszawas and Żukis.
