Syrena Sport

Friday 26 March 2010
Syrena Sport was a Polish prototype sports car designed and built in the early 1960s by a group of engineers at the Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych FSO, which due to general economic and political reasons never went into mass production. The stylish 2-door fibreglass body was designed by Cezary Nawrot. The typical 2-stroke 2-cylinder S-15 engine did not fit because of the very flat and low bonnet so a new engine had to be designed. This was a 4-cycle 2-cylinder boxer engine designed by Wladyslaw Skoczynski. It was based on the engine block of the French car Panhard Dyna, with cylinders, cylinder heads and pistons from the Polish motorcycle Junak. Connection rods and crankshaft were designed especially for this engine. It had a displacement of 750 cc and developed 25 bhp (19 kW) at 5000 rpm which performed adequately for this light car (710 kg). Some of the mechanical parts, such as the front suspension, steering and transmission were taken from other versions of the Syrena. The prototype was ready in 1960 and was first shown to the public on the 1st of May (Labor Day in Eastern Bloc countries). At the time it was considered the most beautiful car from behind the Iron Curtain in western Europe. Unfortunately, the government found it "too extravagant and imperialistic" and it never went into production. The sole prototype was destroyed in early 1970s.
The replica is a highly limited hand made, one of 50 existing. It was made by one of the Miniautoforum members. In most of Polish it is considered to be the most beautiful car ever built in Polnad.

Technical data:
- engine: 2 cylinders boxer
- capacity: 750 cc
- horsepower: 25 HP
- gearbox: 4+1
- top speed: No Data